2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Marc Liegghio, K/P, University of Western Ontario

• Name: Marc Liegghio
• Height: 5’8
• Weight: 195lbs
• Position: Kicker/Punter
• College: University of Western Ontario 
• Twitter: Liegghio19

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

•  I grew up in Woodbridge Ontario, it has a small town feel but isn’t, it has everything you need close by. All my family and friends live here. The other thing that is great about it, is the restaurants are the best.

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

• For my position it would be Practice, Strength and Conditioning then Film Study. They are all important, but I would put them in this order

What do you worry about, and why?

• I worry that I won’t achieve my l lifelong goal of playing at the next level. I’ve always been a good athlete and dreamed of playing professionally.

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

• Failure is a harsh word, luckily, I haven’t had any real failures. If I think about an ultimate low, it would be when we lost the Yates Cup in 2016, we were winning 40-19 in the 4^th quarter, with 8 minutes left in the game we lost 43-40. The following year we came back and won the Vanier Cup.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• Definitely my work ethic. Both in the gym, or on the field.

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

• As a kicker, it’s hard to say who was the best player. I would always make sure my kick was better that then the other kickers last one, when I was competing with kickers that were older than me.  But in training, it would be Lirim Hajrullahu one of my coaches. I train to be better than him.

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

• I will have to do something around sports, coaching or a Physed Teacher.

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

• Desk, I can’t work in a mess.

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

• You should always choose family first, they always have you back.

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

• I would say Spiderman. He has strong family values and reminds us with great power comes with great responsibility. He always tries to do the right thing.

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

• Another tough question. Luckily, I haven’t had any big adversities in my life. But I remember I one situation where at the age of 10 I decided I wanted to play hockey. I was a terrible skater. They had a drill where the puck was at centre ice and we had to skate to it and skate back. I was slow but tried so hard to get to that puck. I signed up for power skating lessons and became one of the best skaters on the team. The next year, I was playing single A hockey. You have to do what you have to do to overcome challenges.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• I remember joining a new hockey team, and they were introducing us on the ice. I forgot to take my skate guards off, I face planted stepping on the ice. I took them off, bowed and skated to centre ice.  

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• Getting a career winning field goal is the best feeling. I scored the winning field goal with 6 seconds on the clock to beat Waterloo, helped to keep our undefeated streak in 3 seasons alive. 

What song best describes your work ethic?

• I would say Don’t Stop Believing by Journey. I work hard to make sure my dream becomes a reality.

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

• For my position, Nonphysical, you need to be mentally sound to play at the next level. 

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

• I would say my Grandmother, she died before I was born so I never got to meet her. Everyone tells me she was an amazing woman. I wish I could have met her.

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

•  Life Lounge

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• I believe the most underrated player in the NFL is Justin Tucker (K – Baltimore Ravens). Justin currently has the best field goal percentage of 90.5% since he began playing in 2012. I believe his role with the Ravens has been crucial to their consistent competitiveness as he adds a sense of security to the offence once they pass midfield. Alongside stars such as Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, Justin received little credit for their Super Bowl season success despite playing a major role. Currently Justin’s success is outshone by the likes of offensive stars Lamar Jackson and RG III despite having a near perfect 19/20 (95%) field goals made.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• Liked, when you play on a team, it’s important to have a positive environment, but it’s important to be respected in your position.

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

• I would say Colin Kaepernick.  Colin who holds two NFL records decided to use his status to take action for those who couldn’t. Despite knowing the risk associated with his actions he proceeded to stand up for what he believed in. Maybe if Colin could have demonstrated his belief in a different way, he could have created a positive social impact and we could still be enjoying watching him play.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I love to win.

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

• My Mom. She is always there for me. She works hard and is a very generous person. She helped me get to where I am today, my biggest supporter.