NFL Draft Diamonds Free Agent Interview: Jaton Roberts, Defensive Back

Hello, I am @jrberendzen on Twitter and this is one of my free agent interviews where I ask very deserving free agents questions about the players themselves and about what a team would get in these players. All of these players should get picked up by NFL, CFL, and XFL teams and get a shot at being a career football players. So I hope you all read this interview about Jaton and follow his journey on social media!

1.What is your typical training routine?

• Weekday- 5 am wakeup. Stretch/run. Pool workout. Breakfast. 4pm Workout with weights. Every other day speed training. Weekend- pool workout/ cardio, fieldwork.

2. If you could hang out with any football player past or present for a day who and why?

• Deion Sanders of course. And because he set the mold for how a DB should be. Mentally/physically on and off the field.

3. What type of energy do you bring onto the football field?

• Contagious, once teammates see how turned up I am they respond on the field and it turns into a snowball effect. But also once in the game I’m focused. Tunnel vision.

4. What sets you apart from other defensive backs?

• Height, IQ of the game, game day swag, and how I carry myself while off the field.

5. What made you decide you wanted to be a football player?

• Mom was always gone due to the Army and I needed an outlet. Plus due to my height, I hated being told what position I couldn’t play. Which is also why I chose to play CB.

6. What are you hoping to achieve as a football player going forward?

• Honestly I want to be more than a camp body and more than a workout guy when my film shows that I can compete with the top WRs in any league I can compete in. Want my name to be solidified when being spoken of in any league given the opportunity.

7. What should we know about Jaton Roberts the person?

• Father. Friend. Veteran. Love the game of football as anyone I know will tell you. If I eat so will everyone else around me.

8. What is your favorite coverage and why?

• Man coverage. Mostly due to me being tall and high IQ of the game. Film study plays a lot into it as well. Also with the  addition of being physical at the line.

9. How do you handle challenges both in life and on the football field?

• I pray that the things I can not change or control will be handled in the right way and I think about my kids. Plus I watch who I keep in my circle. Positive energy. On the field I let my pads speak. I practice the way I play so there’s no excuses.

10. What would a team get in a player like you?

• They would get someone who brings accountability and leadership. Whoever I play, the DB unit, always gonna be family and gonna be treated as such. A team will get someone who brings the tempo to the defense at all times. No games or bs.

11. What is a moment that improved you as a football player?

• Jan. 20, 2014. The day my mother passed away. Was still in the Army and just came back from Afghanistan as my mom was on hospice. I felt like everything left me. My mom knew how I loved football and I was depressed for months till I decided to join the base flag team at JBLM. Everything changed then. Mentally mostly, and stuck with football. Got a memorial tatted on me and moved forward ever since.

12. What do you love about the game of football?

• The fact that it’s brought me out of depression and given me another life I would’ve never dreamed of. Not everything went how it was supposed to but at the end of the day it’s still football. From putting on a helmet to stepping on the field to studying film. I love everything about it.