2023 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: DJ Adediwura, DL, Slippery Rock University
- Name: DJ Adediwura
- Position: DL
- College: Slippery Rock University
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 265 lbs
- Twitter: @_Show_Respect
- Instagram: @_show_respect
What made you decide you wanted to be a football player?
What made me decide I want to do this professionally and for a good portion of my life is just the love I have for the game, how I feel when I’m on the field, and with everything I went through these past couple years with graduating and then dealing with that period of time away from the game due to COVID, transferring schools and dealing with a multi-ligament tear injury to my knee my first spring practice over at Slippery Rock, all that time away from the game I literally spent every single day thinking about and missing the game of football. Then I realistically know that I have the ability to play in the NFL, physically and mentally, I understand the craft of my position.
What are your favorite moments from your football life?
My favorite moments from my football life probably have to be my first two years of college, my younger days when I was just figuring myself out as a player and as a man, going through my first college football workouts and training camp, all those 5am team punishment runs, meetings, I had a lot of fun playing football at fairmont and met a lot of people who I consider family now.
What are you looking to achieve as a football player going forward?
I want to earn a spot on an NFL roster and dominate in the league, and continue to focus on getting my body right, with all the little things that athletes, especially coming out of D2 did not have access to.
If you could hang out with any football player past or present for a day, who and why?
There’s honestly too many players at my position that are dominating right now and all have kind of different games and styles of pass rushing, but I would probably choose Von Miller just because of how long he has been dominating and how he has worked to become so efficient with his pass rush moves , I would really try to pick his brain.
Which one of your family members inspires you the most and why?
It would have to be my mother, she is just the definition of keep working, there’s no way I can see the way she has worked all her life and is still working for the life she wants and not be inspired. She instilled a great work ethic in me.
What is your favorite defensive scheme and why?
My favorite is probably a 4-2-5 as a defensive linemen. I like being able to play half of a man, and in a 4 down linemen scheme to me, it is all the same position just playing in different tech’s. I also like the pressure of having to stop the run and rush the passer with a lighter box.
What should we know about DJ Adediwura the person?
I am a Man of God and I live my life by certain principles and I am truly shooting for greatness. I believe I am a good leader, and I would say I lead the right way. I believe in hard work, learning and continuously gaining knowledge and evolving, attention to detail, and doing things the right way every time. I also feel as though I think and process things differently than most of the people I have encountered, especially playing the game of football and God has blessed me with the ability to figure things out, which is why once I get an opportunity at the next level I will find a way to be successful.
What stands out about your film the most?
I think my film shows my versatility as a defensive linemen, it shows I am a good athlete at 6′ 2″, 265 pounds who has an array of pass rush moves in his bag, takes pride in stopping the run, can run and make plays in space, and plays with heart, intelligence and physicality.
How do you handle challenges both in life and on the football field?
I try to deal with challenges now first by praying on it, and then looking at it at a really rational perspective off how I can fix it , an example is my last injury when I tore my ACL in 2021, at first I was emotional and down, and i prayed on it and once I was back in the right mind frame, I did research on the recovery of the injury I had, looking at all types of scenarios, found a rehab facility that I felt could get me where I wanted to be and just put my head down and worked, left everything else to God.
What would a team get in a player like you?
They are getting a good man with a great work ethic, attention to detail and truly understands the craft of my position and the game of football who will continue to get better and better.
Who is the most underrated player you’ve played with and why?
Munchie Johnson, DT I played with last year at Slippery Rock is probably the most underrated because he is a smaller interior defensive linemen with a great defensive mind, he is stout against the run and also has almost every pass rush move in his bag as well, he should have gotten more acknowledgement from the conference last year.
What do you love the most about the game of football?
What I love most about the game of football is how it brings people together and how it can help build you into a man, all of the things needed to be successful in the game of football, as a team and as an individual can be applied to almost every area of your life and put you far ahead, from discipline to working as a team and understanding all of the roles of a team and all of its moving parts.
1st team All American ( Associated Press, Don Hansen ), Super Region One DPOY, 1st Team All PSAC, 1st Team All Region, Gene Upshaw Finalist Cliff Harris Finalist
Hula Bowl Contributor and Writer/Scout/Interviewer for Draft Diamonds since January 2020. You can find me on X at @jrberendzen and Instagram at justinberendzen