NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Rashaad Coward, DL, Old Dominion University

NFL Draft Diamonds has been providing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 3 years and this year we mixed things up a bit. Our questions are designed to give our readers a little more insight on the draft eligible 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 our next prospect!!!!

What is your name? 

Rashaad Coward

What is your Height/Weight?

6’’6 , 320LBS

What is your position? 

Defensive Line

Where do you play college football?

Old Dominion University 

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

• Special Olympics
• Children for Humanity
• Bone marrow drive

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

Spanish

Where are you from? 

Brooklyn, New York

Who is your role model, and why? 

My Mother, She is a Selfless hard working woman

Did you play any other sports growing up? 

Basketball and Wrestling

Did you play any other positions in football?

Offensive Line and Tight End 

At your position, what separates you from others? 

Size, Length, Consistent Motor, Dominating Double teams, and Strength

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

Play Formations, How deep are running backs on pass and run plays and Offensive Linemen stance

Who was the toughest player you ever faced? 

Toughest opponent I’ve faced was NC State my sophomore year. Struggled with game speed and didn’t use technique well that game. Didn’t have any experience much had zero confidence coming into the game. Learning experience and it showed how much harder I needed to work to compete with guys on that level and stage 

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

Damon Harrison, He Controls the line of scrimmage, Dominates double teams and is a Legit Run Stopper

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

Finding out my Grandmother had cancer. I over came it by supporting her, working harder to pay for her treatments

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

Listen Music, Take one lap on the field, I perform 4 get-offs out my stance and 4-line movement steps

What aspect of your game do you consider to be your biggest strength?

Bull Rush, Taking on double teams, Hand Placement, play recognition and Running to the ball

What is your biggest weakness? 

Pass rush, Pad level and Consistent foot work

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

The reason their NFL team should draft me because they’ll be drafting a  

• hard worker
• leader on and off the field
• college graduate
• physical player
• willing to do anything to help the team 

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

Michael Vick and the Eagles

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

Michael Vick, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence

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

House for my mother