2023 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Josh Cummings, RB, Western Colorado

• Name: Josh Cummings
• Height: 5’11”
• Weight: 210 lbs.
• Position: RB
• College: Western Colorado University
• Twitter: darkskinssj
• Instagram: darkskin.ssj

Talk about your experience as a student. What is your major/minor? Did you participate in any other activities or campus organizations other than football?
My experience at Western Colorado has been really cool. It’s a very welcoming environment and a small community. I have met a lot of good people. I am majoring in Business with an emphasis in Marketing. I also have a minor in Sociology.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?
I’ve heard my teammates say one of my best qualities is my attitude. I’m a very positive person.

What kind of role do you see yourself in on the team? What scheme and/or position suits your skill set?
I’m one of the leaders on the team, someone to look up to. I try to be a good role model on and off the field. My role on the field is that of a very physical runner. Although, I can be elusive when needed. I work well on inside zone runs where I can run between the tackles. We’ve been fairly run-heavy, yet I feel like I strive well as a receiver, being able to make people miss in open space.

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?
Ben Aumavae from Adams State is a great player. He’s very tough. We’ve had a lot of one-on-ones throughout the years.

Trevor Philio from CSU-Pueblo was a very physical player. He was tough to block. I had to put in a lot of effort to break his tackles too.

Which one of your teammates impresses you the most?
We have a lot of great athletes in our secondary, yet Tim Mullin never gets enough credit. He’s an absolute baller and super physical. We came into college together, and I’ve watched him develop into arguably one of the best players on our team. He’s also one of our team leaders that people look up to.

Describe a time in your life when you were able to overcome a struggle.
In 2018, it was my redshirt freshman year, and I was finally able to play in a game. Unfortunately, I sustained a knee injury that game which ended my season and would be one of the biggest struggles that I would have to overcome. I made a football move and something didn’t feel right in my leg. I ended up running 20 yards on a torn ACL. Going through this struggle made me realize that any moment on the field could be my last play. I hadn’t seen my full potential yet. I wanted to work harder and achieve more. I wasn’t satisfied with walking away.

I was having a hard time during recovery. I almost ended up quitting football. My injury was very bad, and needed a lot of time to heal. I was very limited the following season. My coaches really didn’t want me to get re-injured. Then we had the COVID season which we didn’t play. I eventually got on the field and was used without restraint this past season. I had plenty of time to heal and focus on getting healthy which in hindsight was a blessing. I had a really good support group throughout my recovery. They helped me stick it out and stay positive.

If you didn’t play football, what other sport would you play?
Track & field. I was decent in the triple jump with a personal best of 44’9”. I had a couple offers for track coming out of high school. I felt that football was more rewarding, and decided to stick with that instead.

What is something that you are most proud of? What would you say is your biggest achievement?
I’m very proud of how far I have come, yet very proud of how far our program has come. I remember going 1-10 and not being a great team. This past year, we were able to win our conference championship and go to the playoffs.

Some of my personal achievements include being named First Team All-Conference in 2021 as well as being an Honorable Mention as an All-American.

Describe one of the most memorable plays of your collegiate career.
In 2021, our homecoming game was against New Mexico Highlands. I went for 163 yards in that game with 4 TDs. I remember that we were down the entire game, but we were coming back the 2nd half of the game. Being tied 38-38, we marched over 60 yards for the final score for the win. For my final touchdown, I ran straight up the middle virtually untouched. That was a moment that I’ll never forget.

Do you have a favorite athlete or professional team? Is there a player that you model your game after?
I was born in New York. My favorite team has been the New York Giants. My favorite athlete since high school has been Adrian Peterson. I watch his highlights often and sometimes before games.

Who is your favorite music artist? What gets you pumped before a game?
Young Thug is my favorite music artist. Before games, I like to listen to “Faneto” by Chief Keef.

What is your favorite comfort food?
My mom is from the Caribbean. She makes curry goat which is one of my favorites.

Do you have a favorite movie, TV show or actor?
My favorite movie is Kill Bill Vol. 1. One Piece is an anime that I like to watch. One of my favorite actors is Leonardo DiCaprio.

What do you do in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies? Any secret talents?
In my spare time, I like to go longboarding. I enjoy playing video games, and sometimes I like to make my own music.

Why do you play football? Who or what motivates you the most?
I play for myself. There’s no better game to test yourself. Football is the ultimate form of competition. Being very competitive, football is one of the outlets that I have been able to use in order to push my personal limitations.

My friends and teammates in the locker room are my main motivation. No one wants to disappoint each other. We all depend on each other to do our part for a win. That motivates me to perform at my best.