NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Kwaku Boateng, DE/LB, Wilfrid Laurier University
NFL Draft Diamonds has been bringing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 3 years and this year we mixed up the questions and added some fun questions for our readers. Our questions are designed to give our readers a little more insight on the player. We hope to bring you more than 350 interviews of NFL Draft Prospects this season. You will be able to track them all on the front page of our website in the banner to the right. Now let’s meet the prospect!!!!
What is your name?
Kwaku Boateng
What is your Height/Weight?
6’2 and 250 pounds
What is your position?
Defensive End (Rush end in Canadian Football)
Where do you play college football?
Wilfrid Laurier University
Football is about giving back, what is the coolest thing you have done off the field?
Helping out with anti-bullying campaigns at local elementary schools in the Waterloo, Ontario region. In addition, I am a student athlete mentor/tutor here at Wilfrid Laurier University
What was the hardest college class you ever had to take?
Taxation 1 and 2
Where are you from?
Milton, Ontario, Canada
Who is your role model, and why?
My father, because he taught me how to be self disciplined and respectful.
Did you play any other sports growing up?
Yes, Rugby, Soccer, volleyball and basketball
Did you play any other positions in football?
Yes, Tight end in high school
At your position, what separates you from others?
My explosive get off, and my ability to use my hands effectively while pass rushing and shedding run blockers
When you are breaking down film, what do you look for?
O-Line tendencies, and how well the O-Line work together as one
Who was the toughest player you ever faced?
A tackle from Boston College – Eddie Meredith
If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be and why?
Most likely Robert Quinn, because he’s a great lean pass rusher who uses his hands so well against the run and while rushing the passer. I envy his skill set
What was the biggest obstacle in your life you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?
When I decided that I wanted to play university football in grade 11. I knew I had the talent, but I didn’t have the grades to get into a prestigious business school at the time. So in grade 12 I decided to cut a lot of people (& nonsense) out of my life that weren’t on the same page as me. After doing that it was easy to focus on school and football. My hard work paid off, because I left high school w/ a number of university offers and got a 92.5% average, which meant I could go to any big business school I wanted to go to in Canada.
Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Yes, I always have an apple before a game.
What is your biggest strength?
My ability to be my toughest critic
What is your biggest weakness?
It’s hard for me to accept defeat sometimes
If I were a GM and gave you a second to sell yourself, what would you say?
With only a few seconds available I would emphasis my ability to excel on and off the field, which makes me a unique player, simply because I know how to adapt to situations a lot quicker than the average player.
Who was your favorite player and/or NFL team growing up?
The Baltimore Ravens, because during their glory years they have been a solid defensive team who know how to run the rock on offense.
If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would you choose?
Jesus Christ, My father, and Malcolm X.
What will be the first big item you buy once you are in the NFL?
Buy back my soul from the Ontario government by paying off all my university student loans.
Rapid Answers
- Who is Better: Tom Brady or Peyton Manning?
- Who will win the Super Bowl this year? Dallas
- Who is Better: Barry Sanders or Emmitt Smith?
- Who will win MVP in NFL? E. Elliott
- Who is Better: Deion Sanders or Richard Sherman?
NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com