NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Malik Sims, DB, Shenandoah 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?

My name is Malik Sims

What is your Height/Weight?

My height is 5’9 My Weight is 175

What is your position?

Defensive back

Where do you play college football?

I played college football at Shenandoah University

Football is about giving back, what is the coolest thing you have done off the field?

The coolest this I have done off the field is coach three and four year old flag football.

What was the hardest college class you ever had to take?

The hardest class I ever had to take was Pre-calculus 2

Where are you from?

I am from Suitland, Maryland

Who is your role model, and why?

My role model is my mom; because of how hard she works to provide for our family she will give her last to make sure our family is good. It’s time she didn’t eat just so we could

Did you play any other sports growing up?

I played baseball in 8^th grade

Did you play any other positions in football?

I played Quarterback, Running Back, Outside Linebacker and Wide Receiver. 

At your position, what separates you from others?

What separates me from others at my position is physicality. I love the contact of the game. I like to blow up pulling guards coming to make run lanes. Also my will to win I know how to help people around me get better so the team can win. 

When you are breaking down film, what do you look for?

When breaking down film I look for Wide Out tendencies. If he shows when he is breaking into a route by standing up or if when it’s a running play is he jogging off the ball. I also watch the quarterbacks witch side of the field does he like to favor when throwing. Which line is the weak link. Is the running back physical or shifty

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

The toughest player I have ever faced was a wide receiver that went to Guilford College named Adam Smith. He was fast just like me, had some physicality but could flat out play football

If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be and why?

If I could compare myself to someone in the NFL it would be Tyrann Mathieu. The reason why because he is under-sized by most people but his heart is unmatched, his physicality is one of a kind, he is always around the football. I see myself when I watch him play.

What was the biggest obstacle in your life you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?

The biggest obstacle I ever had to overcome was coming into college and not being the star player. It was a humbling experience for me. I overcame it by checking my ego realizing that in order to be good you have to learn from people that have been there. So I shut my mouth and listened, worked twice as hard.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

My Pre-game rituals are talk to my dad before the game, pray then listen to some meek mill usually gets me in my zone

What is your biggest strength?

My biggest strength is my work ethnic. I work so hard because I’m so scared to be a failure. 

What is your biggest weakness?

My biggest weakness is I tend to overthink certain situations. Just need to go with my original thought

If I were a GM and gave you a second to sell yourself, what would you say?

I would say that I am a player who knows how to win. So with bringing me to your organization I want to do everything possible to win championships. I am going to make everyone around me better by going max effort everyday

Who was your favorite player and/or NFL team growing up?

My favorite football team is the Washington Redskins. My favorite player is Tyrann Mathieu.

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would you choose?

If I could have dinner with three people I would choose. Malcolm X, My Great Grandfather and Lebron James

What will be the first big item you buy once you are in the NFL?

The first thing I would buy once I’m in the NFL is a house for my family

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