2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Dantae Wilkes Jr., TE, Tennessee Tech University

• Name: Dantae Wilkes Jr.
• Height: 6’3
• Weight: 245
• Position: Tight End
• College: Tennessee Tech University 
• Twitter: @Dantae_Wilkes

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

•  Jackson, TN . What I love most about my city is the support system. Everyone wants to see you make it & it’s nothing but love from the city every time i’m able to go home and visit. 

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

•  Strength & Conditioning – You have to be at your best at all times in order to play at a high level. 

• Film Study – It’s very important to know your opponents as well as studying your mistakes and fixing your flaws. You can always be better. 
• Practice – This is where you work on your individual game and team chemistry. Always an opportunity to get better. 

What do you worry about, and why?

•  I worry about being okay with just enough. As an athlete, there are times where you feel like you’ve done enough and there is nothing more to be done, but I’ve had great coaches that have pushed me to limits that I didn’t know I even had. 

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

•  I’ve failed at becoming a starter once before and I was hard on myself because everyone wants to start. I responded by taking coaching and just working on the little details. I didn’t get encouraged, I just game to work everyday and soon it paid off. Hard work never goes unnoticed. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•  My teammates says my best quality is I love to scrap. I will get after it between whistles and I use my hands a lot as a tight end so it’s always fun going at your opponent every opportunity that is given. 

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

•  Aaron Patrick – EKU

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

•  Athletic Director/ Sports Analysts 

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

•  Room, I’m there the majority of the day and that is where I lay my head at night, I can’t deal with a messy room. 

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

•  One family member. I’m big on family, we all we got at the end of the day and i’ll do anything for them. 

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

•  Flash. It would be pretty cool to be able to do a numerous amount of things in a short period of time, you would have so much time on your hands after that and you would never have to rush to do anything. 

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

•  Losing someone who you’re close with. I just always keep faith in God and allow every situation to work itself out. Everything happens for a reason. 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•  My most embarrassing moment has to be when I went to a fair with some friends and I just ate some pizza, got on a roller coaster and threw up all my food afterwards. 

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•  When I caught my first 2 collegiate passes that both were for touchdowns against Kennesaw State my Sophomore year. 

What song best describes your work ethic?

•  Relentless Again – Moneybagg Yo

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

•  Knowledge of the game . You can fix a lot of things if you know exactly where to be , how to do it and when to do it. 

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

•  Markel Owens. A big brother to me, he played football at Arkansas State , I have his jersey number tattooed on my arm and he is my daily motivation. I’d just love to sit down and talk to him about football all day and how he became the great player he was. Ask as many tips and pointers possible. He brought positive vibes to everyone room he’s ever been in. 

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

•  Hollywood Central 

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

•  Adam Thielen

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

•  Respected. I’m not here to be liked by anyone, I just ask you respect me and my ways. 

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

•  Josh Gordon – He has the speed, size, and skills to dominate his opponents and do great things for a NFL team. 

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

•  Hate to lose 

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

• My Mother. She’s my backbone and will do all it takes to see me and my siblings happy. She’s played a huge role in my life with taking me to camps and being at the majority of my games. I can always hear her over everybody in the stadium. She has my back right or wrong and will go to bat for me anytime. I’m just going to continue to make her proud by any means.