2026 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Nick Karika, DL, University of Delaware

• Name: Nick Karika
• Position: DL
• College: University of Delaware
• Height: 6’ 2”
• Weight: 300 lbs
• X: @karikanick
• Instagram: @nick_karika03

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

Football was something that was always in my life since I could remember, I remember being 4-5 years old watching Sunday night football with my parents and saying to them that I want to be on tv playing football one day just like the guys I was watching on the screen. Then when I first started playing in pads at 6 I always just loved the violence of the sport no matter what position I was playing.

What are your favorite moments from your football life?

This game has given me plenty of great moments through out my football career it’s hard to narrow them to just a couple but the ones that stand out to me the most are, when I was in high school and I played QB and I had 230 rushing yards in one game and the winning score, it’s a crazy feeling when you get into that type of zone during a game and feel unstoppable it’s a feeling I always look to chase. Another one came from this past year when we won the first bowl game in Delaware history, that game really meant something to the team and the program and just being apart of that was something special and being able to set a standard for Delaware teams of the future. And lastly just creating relationships with teammates, I’ve been apart of 2 different colleges over the last 5 years and met some of my closest friends through that process. Football brings people together and creates bonds and relationships that last forever.

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

My goals for the future is to make an NFL roster and have a long career, while creating wealth for my future family. I also just want to max out my potential as a football player whether if that’s in the NFL or a different league just to reach the best version of myself, and lastly continue to learn from the game of football because it holds a lot of great life lessons that I can take outside of football.

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

Growing up as a huge Giants fan this is a no brainer, I was a huge fan of Brandon Jacobs when I was a kid. I just loved how violent he played the game and he was truly an unstoppable force. So it would be pretty cool to hangout with him and pick his brain about what he learned about being in the NFL.

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

Well I was blessed with two wonderful parents so I would say both of them inspire me just off the fact of how much they both sacrificed in their lives just to put me in the position I’m in now. Seeing them get up everyday and work long days just to make sure I’m getting what I need and provide not only me but my two other sisters too inspires me to be the best version of me everyday.

What is your favorite defensive scheme and why?

Delaware was mainly a 3-3-5 scheme and even though it’s not an easy position to play I loved playing a 0 nose guard in our defense and being able to stop the run single-handedly by blowing up the center. But I know for the next level I would probably be a better fit in a 4-3 scheme playing a shade or 3 tech.

What should we know about Nick Karika the person?

I’d say I’m a blue-collar guy, I take pride in working hard and I’m always willing to outwork whoever’s in front of me. That’s just how I’m built. And my faith is a big part of who I am too, it’s something my family’s always emphasized and it keeps me grounded.

What stands out about your film the most?

Knock-back and violence, that’s what I pride myself most about how I played and what shows up on my film. Most plays the center or guard was either 3 yards in the backfield and I was tearing off to make a play or the center or guard made the tackle themselves from me driving them into the running back. I also think you will see a lot of relentless effort on my film because that is what Delaware drove into our systems it’s either your giving great effort on the field or your not playing at all.

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

I really believe in controlling what you can control. There’s always going to be things that don’t go your way, but it’s about how you respond to them. For example, I was a quarterback in high school and committed to my first college to play QB. About a month before I got on campus, they told me I was switching to defensive line. Obviously, I was frustrated, that wasn’t something I could control. But what I could control was how I approached it. I made the decision to fully buy in, work as hard as I could, and become the best defensive tackle I could be. And I think that mindset and work ethic is what’s helped me get to where I am today.

What would a team get in a player like you?

A team would get a guy who loves to the do the dirty work and play the run on 1st and 2nd down, I pride myself on being able to stop the run and it’s something I want to do at the next level. They would also get a guy who just puts his head down and works I was more a leader by example back in college and made guys better because they saw me getting the extra lifts and field work in so eventually they joined me and we all started getting better together. A team is also getting guy who is willing to do whatever for the team, if that means playing different positions or doing things other people don’t want to do.

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

Besides all the physical things I love about football I think what I love even more is how hard it is, this game brings a lot of disappointment and challenges and to be good at this game you have to fall in the love with the process and everything about it, the good and the bad because it’s not easy to succeed in this sport so when you do something positive it’s the best feeling in the world because you know that you had to put in a lot of work and sacrifices for you to achieve your goals.

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

The most underrated player I played with was my guy Jack Hall. He never really got the credit he deserved. He played defensive end next to me, and honestly, he had a really high football IQ and helped me learn a lot about the game. He was the type of player who dominated consistently, but didn’t always get the recognition. He was a straight up dawg.