2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Ricco Gipson, LB, Mckendree University

• Name: Ricco Gipson
• Height: 6010
• Weight: 235
• Position: LB
• College: Mckendree University
• Twitter: @gipson_ricco

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?

•  From Alton, a small town with a lot of talent and just how humble the city makes you.

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?

• Order of importance: Strength and Conditioning, Practice film study

Being in shape is the most important because if you come to practice out of shape you will spend practice trying to get in shape and waste precious time. Practice is second because you must perfect your craft and get better. Film study is important too but the other options out way it in this category.

What do you worry about, and why?

•  I worry about not making my family proud. Family is one of the most important things in my life and one of my biggest support systems, so disappointing them would be detrimental.

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?

•  Tore my ACL and MCL and the road to recovery was hard but has to overcome it by outworking everybody else. I had to put countless hours into rehab and getting my strength back to my standards.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•  Physicality and natural sense. I have always been one f the most physical players on the field and I take pride in being that. Another quality is that I put endless amounts of time studying the game and learning so I can be fast on the field.

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?

• Best player I’ve played against in college: Eric Saubert at Drake (Falcons now)

What would your career be if you couldn’t play football? 

•  Facility Management would be my first option. I enjoy being around sport and being in control of stadium operations would be fun.

Room, desk and car – which do you clean first?

• Room, Always have to have a clean before I go to sleep.

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?

•  I would help 3 strangers because I could affect 3 different families and not just my own.

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?

•  Black Panther

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?

• Losing my great grandma because she was a big part of my life and really helped me decide on what school to go to and my teammates, friends, and family really helped me overcome it.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•  Losing 42-2 to Angelo State. It was embarrassing to lose like that after we beat them the year before

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•  My first sack because it was my first actual college highlight and it was welcome to college football moment.

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Hardaway Derez Deshon

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level? 

• Physical, I have yet to find somebody who is willing to outwork me.

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?

• Great-grandma she had a big influence on everybody in my family and it would touch more people than I could count.

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it? 

• The Jungle

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Micheal Ford Detroit Lions I grew up playing against him and I just knew he had that it factor as a kid.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• Respected, People may not like you but respect is one thing that holds weight in today’s society.

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?

•  Shawn Oakman because he was proven innocent and lost millions because a girl lied on his name. His career and his name were tarnished and he had a promising future.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• Hate to lose, I take losing personal so it hurts to have somebody beat me at anything in life.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?

• My dad because he taught me the game of football and how to be a man. He taught me how to be a beast on and off the field and for that, I am forever in his debt.