NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: AJ Page, DE, Southwest Minnesota State

NFL Draft Diamonds and our staff have been bringing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 2 years and this year we mixed up the questions and added some fun questions for our readers.  We have tons of NFL staff that read our interviews, and we actually received several of the questions from NFL scouts we speak too.  This gives them a little bit more information regarding your character.  We hope to bring you more than 300 interviews of NFL Draft Prospects this season.  You will be able to track them all on the front page of our website in the banner.

What is your name? 

AJ Page

What is your Height/Weight? 

6’6 265

What is your position? 

Defensive End

Where do you play college football? 

Southwest Minnesota State

Football is about giving back, what is the coolest thing you have done off the field? 

Coached kids at football summer camp, visited schools, read to classes.

What was the hardest college class you ever had to take?

Accounting 2

Where are you from? 

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Who is your role model, and why?

My Mom, because she has proven to me that hard work pays off no matter what the circumstance.  

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Yes, basketball and baseball. 

Did you play any other positions in football?

Inside linebacker and outside linebacker 

At your position, what separates you from others?

I believe that my natural size and knowledge of the game separates me from others.

When you are breaking down film, what do you look for?

Tendencies within the offense. Stance tips. How my opponent blocks certain plays. How the backfield is lined up.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced? 

Casey Beck (upper Iowa 2014)

If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be and why? 

Ezekiel Ansah. He is relentless in his pass rush and has a nose for the football

What was the biggest obstacle in your life you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?

Being academically ineligible my redshirt freshman year and not being able to compete in football. I changed my ways as a person and student not taking things for granted.

Do you have any pre-game rituals? 

Yes

As a small school football player what obstacles do you feel you have to overcome?

The “buzz” the big school guys already have people talking about them based on the program they played for. Being overlooked is a obstacle. Also the coaching I have received. I have had 7 new d-line coaches in 5 and a half years of playing football at my university. The inconsistency in my coaching has been a huge obstacle, leaving me to most teach myself and learn from my mistakes, after I make them.

What is your biggest strength? 

Pass rush, I love getting after the quarterback in obvious passing situations.

What is your biggest weakness?

At times I step out of my responsibilities and try and do to much on certain plays.

If I were a GM and gave you a second to sell yourself, what would you say?

I am a very coachable player who is willing to try new things schematically, can play multiple positions on the defensive line or outside linebacker positions and I will give maximum effort in everything I do.  

Who was your favorite player and/or NFL team growing up? 

The Vikings and the GOAT Randy Moss

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would you choose? 

My Grandma, my Grandpa and Tupac.

With your first NFL paycheck what would you buy?

My mom a car and myself a condo in what ever city I would be playing in.

Rapid Answers:

• Spongebob or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Backstreet Boys or One Direction?
• Backstreet boys
• Lifetime Channel or HGTV?
• HGTV
• Waffles or Pancakes?
• Pancakes
• Snakes or Spiders?
• Spiders
• Madden or Mario?
• Mario