2024 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Joe More, OL, Syracuse University

- Name: Joe More
- Position: OT/ OG
- College: Syracuse University (transferred from University of Richmond)
- Height: 6’ 5
- Weight: 310
- Twitter: joe78more
- Instagram: _nolove77
What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2024 NFL Draft?
I am in my 6th year and have already started for over 40 games. By the end of my career, I will have over 50 Division one starts under my belt. This is a level of experience that not many other guys have. As a guy who came from a small school, I have had to work a little harder for what I have earned and realize I can lose it if I stop improving. I am always going to outwork others and love perfecting my craft.
At what age were you first interested in the sport of football?
Simply put, I have played pretty much my entire life. I first started playing football when I was five years old for the Franklin Cowboys. I started as a Nose Guard but gave it up because I could not figure out why everyone was trying to hurt me haha. I made the switch to flag football until fifth grade when I began playing for CPA, my grade school. But I really fell in love with the sport my junior year when I made the switch from tight end to offensive tackle.
What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?
I touched on this earlier, but as a guy who was under recruited and underappreciated my whole career, I have had to outwork all my peers. I do not have a sense of entitlement or complacency. I am always looking for the next way to advance my skills and career. Although I have found myself at a large power five school, I have not lost that FCS chip on my shoulder mindset.
If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be?
I would donate to animal shelters and wildlife conservation. I love animals, specifically dogs. They are some of the most loyal beings in the world and do not deserve to be treated poorly or kicked out of where they live due to lack of care from humans.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Over the covid quarantine I was listening heavily to Taylor Lewan and Will Compton’s podcast “Bussin with the Boys.” In their episode with George Kittle, they spoke heavily on mindfulness, visualization, and other techniques to help your mind work for you and not against you. I had never thought about this aspect of football before but investigated it more by doing research and reading a few books. Now the mental side of the game plays a huge role in my preparation, and I have seen significant improvement by doing things such as visualization and meditation to calm myself down.
Who was your childhood hero?
I’d say more of a role model than a hero but growing up it was probably Tom Brady. My family is from Boston, and I grew up a huge Boston Sports fan but was too young to remember the years of turmoil that Bostonians like my parents remember. When I was growing up Tom Brady was the best of the best and was the perfect embodiment of hard work and dedication.
Who is the most underrated teammate in your locker room at your school?
It has be Mark Petry. That dude is one of the hardest workers I have ever met and doesn’t get the praise he should for that work. He is a guy who always does the right thing and isn’t causing issues. He had class issues during mat drills and did every single one by himself when he had time. That is a different kind of motivation.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
I have two. The first being, when I hold the door open for someone and they do not say than you. Secondly, I cannot stand a T-shirt with a way big neck hole.
Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome?
Deciding whether to transfer was a very difficult decision. I could have stayed at the University of Richmond where I had already started for 5 years and was an all-conference player. But my main goal in life is to make the NFL and I felt staying at UR might not have been the best way for me personally to achieve that. By deciding to transfer, I was choosing to leave all my best friends and give up playing on a team where I was the guy. I had people telling me it was not a good idea and was unsure if anyone would look at me out of the portal. But to chase my dream, I knew I had to trust my gut. I took the leap of faith and now I am starting here at Syracuse, reaping all the benefits that a larger school has to offer, and will be proving myself against the top competition in the country.
Tell me something about your school and why it is so special to you?
I have family who lives in Upstate New York and even some who went to Syracuse so there is some sentimental value there. But it is also special to me because they believed in me the way I believe in myself and truly want me to be successful. Although it has only been one semester, I have built a great relationship with Coach Farmer, and I could not have asked for a better coach coming out of the portal.
What is your favorite snack food?
Lays dill pickle chips. Oddly enough I hate pickles, but for some reason I cannot get enough of those chips.
What is the best part of football?
It is an escape from all the pressure and hardships from life. It gives me an opportunity to stop thinking about those things and instead I can go do what I love. I would also say one of the best parts for me at least is the process. I love how the different times of the year are used to train different areas and have different purposes. I love seeing the progress of my hard work pay off season to season. But most importantly is the relationships I build throughout this process. I love the comradery of the locker room or bonding with my teammates over how hard the run we just did was or spending all summer lifting and hanging out with my best friends.
If you could sell yourself in one sentence, what would you say?
I am a hardworking, gritty player who loves the grind and getting coached because I am always striving to be the best.
If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be?
Mitch Morse for the Bills. I know he’s a center, but I see many similarities in our playing styles. We have very similar measurables and like myself, he’s a fast and athletic guy who plays with an edge.
If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Shane Gillis, he is my favorite comedian, and our sense of humor is scarily similar. He’s just a bro who loves goofing around. Secondly, I’d love to have dinner with Joe Thomas so I can pick his brain about football. Lastly, I would invite Elon Musk, id love to just hear about all the ideas he has for the world and advice in being a businessman.

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com