2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Deven Boston, RB, UTSA

• Name: Deven Boston
• Height: 6’0
• Weight: 220
• Position: RB
• College: UTSA
• Twitter: @DevenBoston

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

• My hometown is Buena Park, California. What I love about it is that everybody takes pride in being from there and for the most part everybody knows everybody. 

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

• Film Study, Practice, Strength and Conditioning. Film study is the most important and I think it’s kind of obvious why. Need to be able to find tendencies, personnel, and any athletes to key on during the duration the game. Practice is next important because based off the results learned from film study is how you determine what plays to run in practice. Determines your openers for the game and plays for every situation during the game anywhere between it be 1st and 10 or 3rd and 15. Strength and Conditioning is very important but it’s the least important of these 3 simply because during the season all of that will come naturally due to the fact that we run around every day.

What do you worry about, and why?

• I worry about how my future kids are going to turn out. I know I’m going to be a great father and I know I have a great future wife and mother but at the end of the day they are their own people and I just think about how great of a job my parents did with me. That’s a lot to live up to. 

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

• When I 1st got to UTSA I failed miserably in passing our conditioning test. I had to run extra while everybody was doing speed work but deep down I knew that wasn’t going to be enough so I ran at night, I ran early in the morning. I ran on a treadmill to get in shape to pass the test and I passed it. Basically, I reaped what I sowed both when I failed and when I passed.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• Honesty. They know I’m going to keep it real with them when they ask me how they did whether it be a route, how well they played, or anything. I’m not going to sugar coat anything simply for their improvement.

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

• There was 2 really good LBs I played against when I was at a JuCo. One was from Allan Hancock named Basiru Jobe and the other played at Victor Valley named Teddy Adkins. They were everywhere the ball went. Flowing to the ball flawlessly. We brought the best out of each other during those games. 

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

• Football is all I know !

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

• My room.

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

• Easy, family member. Same reason I cry for is the same reason I’ll die for. Family!

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

• I have 2 people who I would want to be. The 1st is Huey Freeman, from Boondocks, especially at his age. Huey is only 10 but knows so much about the world and what’s going on. He reads and tries to gives his ignorant family and friends wisdom but nobody listens. I would want to be him because of how knowledgeable he is of the world. And the 2nd is Rick from Rick and Morty. Rick, just like Huey, is misunderstood. Rick is a genius who makes inventions but his portal gun lets them go on adventures to other worlds. There’s plants from the other worlds that he brings back to heal wounds from Earth. To have that much power because of knowledge is unmatched.

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?    When my ACL got torn in 2018. I didn’t know what to think. But I knew I had to work double to get it to where it was so that’s what I did and now I am the best version of myself !

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• When I fumbled at the one yard line my sophomore year in high school. I felt like I let my team, the fans, and the whole school down. I felt like I was in the end zone but the ref ruled it a fumble so it was a fumble.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• In JuCo I almost cleared a standing body. He was the last line of defense and I watched film and he likes to go for legs but this particular play he didn’t he stayed high and I realized he wasn’t going for my legs so I jumped high and he jumped up a little bit and my legs were on his face mask.

What song best describes your work ethic?

• I’m not sure about work ethic but “Sideline Story” – J. Cole. The 1st verse basically says it all ! And “Born Sinner” – J. Cole. That song also says it all !

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

• Integrity. Gotta stay true to myself. And humbleness. If I continuously grind like how I was grinding to get to where I want to be when I get to where I want to be I’ll be fine. Even if you rich, grind like you broke mentality. 

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

• I know it says one but I gotta have 2. My 1st is my great granny just so she can tell me and moms that everything’s ok. And 2nd is my grandpa from my pops side because my pops didn’t get to have a proper goodbye and I want to see his face when he sees how big I got.

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

• Chill

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Kerryon Johnson

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• Respected. I’ve never cared about people liking me as long as they don’t throw dirt on my name. No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to get everybody to like you so what’s the point in trying to please everybody. Stay true to yourself and the respect will come.

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

• Sean Taylor. Derailed isn’t extreme enough for what happened to Sean Taylor. Out of generosity he let a friend stay at his home not knowing the friend is planning to rob him. Weeks later that friend brought some friends to basically pull off a heist to get Sean’s money and ended up killing him. What’s the lesson in that ? Say no to people ? Don’t trust anybody ? Be ruthless when somebody needs you ? That man did not deserve to die like that !

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• Both and neither.

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

• That’s obviously my parents. The love they have for each is beautiful and they have fun and joke around with each other. I have witnessed them arguing and I am truly glad that I have because when we kids we give these superhuman roles to our parents like they can do no wrong and that’s obviously not true. Don’t get me wrong they are superhuman in my eyes but what those arguments taught me is that love isn’t perfect but it takes 2 imperfect people to make it perfect. Watching that molded me into the man I am today especially with my relationship. It’s why I have a lot of love in my heart for everybody. Just tryna see everybody win. And they taught me to never give up and keep pursuing dreams no matter what life throws at you. When you get older, life is going to keep throwing curveballs that you have to be ready for.