2025 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Austin Edmonds, LB, Jackson State University

• Name: Austin Edmonds
• Position: LB
• College: Jackson State University
• Height: 6’0″
• Weight: 228 lbs
• X (Twitter): @AustinEdmonds19
• Instagram: @austinedmondss

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

Since I was four years old, I’ve always been watching football and I come from a sports family, and I was watching a Miami Dolphins game at four and a half years old and immediately fell in love with it when I was five.

What are your favorite moments from your football life?

HBCU National championship last year at Jackson State with coach T.C. Taylor and in high school just playing with my brothers and having a family atmosphere around me.

What are you looking to achieve as a football player going forward?

Going to play at a professional level whether it’s NFL, CFL or UFL and see how far my highest potential is and how far I can take this.

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

Roquan Smith, he’s so successful in today’s game and I model my game style after him and he’s one of the smartest football players out there and he plays in Zach Orr’s system, and I played for his little brother and would just love to pick his brain.

Which one of your family members inspires you the most and why?

My father, he’s always preached “You can do whatever you put your mind to.” But he taught me that if you do actually put the work in that, that is true, and he taught me that if I put the work in, I can play on Saturday’s or Sunday’s.

What is your favorite defensive scheme and why?

Mint front, I like understanding that within odd spacing scheme’s there aren’t a lot of gap scheme’s that will work and if you have linebacker’s that can read their keys then you’re going to be successful in that defense.

What should we know about Austin Edmonds the person?

I’m a man of God, everything I do runs through my faith, I have a first one in, last one out mentality, I love the game of football and want to respect it back in return.

What stands out about your film the most?

That I hit hard and I’m playing football at a high clip reading keys, and I’m not afraid to play special teams.

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

Life is a lot like football, you’re going to get knocked out, but as long as you keep going forward you find a way through. I treat both the same way.

What would a team get in a player like you?

Someone who can’t live without the game and someone who will play at an extremely high clip to the best of my ability, and a good teammate.

What do you love the most about the game of football?

The competition and physicality that’s what brings me the most joy is asserting my dominance.

Who is the most underrated player you’ve played with and why?

Joe Andreessen, he’s the most underrated player I’ve played with, and it took me awhile to realize how he was making those plays he was.