NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Rustam Potokov, OL, Urbana University
- Name: Rustam Potokov
- Height: 6’4
- Weight: 320
- Position: LG/RG
- College: Urbana University
- Twitter: @Rus__74
Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?
- Brooklyn NY, I Love it’s because it’s multicultural here
List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?
- Film, conditioning, strength, practice because I feel that you need the first 3 to have a great practice!
What do you worry about, and why?
- Will I have a great job after I graduate college and will I be able I help my mom and my family!
Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?
- I failed a really important class in college that I need to graduate with so I retook it next semester and learned from my mistakes and got a better grade!
What do your teammates say is your best quality?
- Always positive and always willing to learn
Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?
- John Cominsky
What would your career be if you couldn’t play football?
- I would still graduate from college and would try to join the FBI.
Room, desk, and car – which do you clean first?
- Room, car and the desk
If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?
- I would try to save all because obviously I am saving my family but it will be wrong to leave the other three people behind!
If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?
- I would pick Bellamy Blake from The 100 because In the show he shows how strong he is and he will always fight for his family and friends and never gives up.
Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?
- I feel like my biggest adversity in life was when my mom had heart surgery and I had to leave back to school and football and it was very hard for me to stay away from her and not able to help her but she knew it was for the best and I am doing this all for her and it made me a stronger person from it
What is your most embarrassing moment?
- When I got blindsided in football and messed up my tailbone so I have to sit on a blow up a donut in class and home!
What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?
- Driving the d tackle to the end zone and helping my running back score!
What song best describes your work ethic?
- Hardaway by Derez De’shon
What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level?
- My size, strength and I am a quick learner
If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?
- Sean Taylor because he was incredible and I would love to see what else he could’ve done!
If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it?
- Never Ends!
Who is the most overrated player in the NFL?
- It’s hard to say because I feel like if you in the NFL that means you worked hard to get there.
Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?
- Respected because that means you worked hard and no one could take that away from you and at the end of the day people respect that no matter what.
What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?
- It’s hard to say because everyone got their own problems off the field and they deal with it the best they can so I really can’t say who.
Do you love to win, or hate to lose?
- I hate to lose because you always come in with a winning mindset and always trying to be the best in what you do.
Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?
- My mom for sure because she came to this country with my sister and me when we were young and raised us by her self and supported us and she helped me to be where I am now. It shows how strong she is and I don’t know a lot of people that could do that! She is my idol I work hard every day to make her proud!
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