Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Deon’tae Florence, CB, Weber State
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What is your name?
Deon’tae Florence.
Where do you play college football?
Weber State University.
How many teams were recruiting you out of high school?
0 offers I went to a junior college as a qualifier.
How did you choose your school?
My mentor Ricky Sailor (UnsignedPreps) helped me get into a junior college in California
Where are you from?
Largo, Florida.
Who is your role model, and why?
JESUS because he was perfect. Imagine being perfect!
Have any scouts met with you yet, and if so what are they saying?
0
Did you play any other sports growing up?
Basketball (Clearwater Heatwave AAU) (Bay Area Hurricanes)
Did you play any other positions in football?
I haven’t played offense since little league football only Cornerback and Safety and this year a little bit of kick return.
At your position, what separates you from others?
Probably the basketball background as a youngster. I always wanted to box and 1 every guard who was supposed to be really good! I think the movements on the court help with the agilities used in coverage. On the court you’re using your eyes the whole time when you guarding your opponent so it also helps with training your eyes to stay on the hips.
When you are breaking down film, what do you look for?
I start off with the deep shots first all of the deep hitting plays from the playaction reel trying to find a tendency of when they want to try for a big play. Then I watch all the dropback passes sorted by downs looking to see there top 3 passing plays ran on 1st down and when they want to throw. I do the same process for 2nd and third downs. Then I breakdown my receiver or receivers I’m guarding. When studying receivers I watch there releases in bump coverage. They usually have a tendency of how they release for a fade and how they want to get inside on in breaking routes.
I watch how they try to stem routes in off man coverage. Do they stem in hard or they try to get on your toes for a two way go? I also watch how they come out of there breaks do they rise up or sit down? The whole time I pay attention to splits to see the teams objectives of cut splits. Do they cut splits to get across the field on shallow overs and unders faster or are they trying to save room for outbreaking routes and fades?
Who was the toughest player you ever faced?
Jaelen Strong he was a threat at all times to go up and make a great play on the ball.
If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be and why?
Brent Grimes, small school scrappy corner with the heart of a lion!
What was the biggest obstacle in your life you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?
Junior college! I made it out!
Do you have any pre-game rituals?
I like to listen to two songs to get in my zone! Oceans by Hillsong United and Never Give Up by Lil Boosie and before game I say a prayer on the field.
What is your biggest strength?
Instinct its something I developed playing football outside with family and friends back home in Florida.
What is your biggest weakness?
Size
If I were a GM and gave you a second to sell yourself, what would you say?
I pride myself on holding receivers out of the endzone I don’t give up touchdowns and it’s a fact that 73 percent of passes thrown my way were incomplete 12 percent of the time intercepted. I can line up in the slot and play a role at safety, which is what I played in high school and in junior college where I got my hand on the ball 25 times.
Who was your favorite player and NFL team growing up?
Denver Broncos. I liked Deion Sanders and Ronde Barber.
If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would you choose?
Jesus, Brennan Days, and Leshawn Smith.
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