NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: James Tabor, OL, Friends University

What is your name?

James Tabor 

What is your Height/Weight?

6’3″ 302

What is your position?

Offensive Guard/Center

Where do you play college football?

Friends University Kansas

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

Working with On The Right Track Academy to help get inner city kids from Florida and Ohio recruited and into college. 

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

Biology

Where are you from?

Warren, Ohio

Who is your role model, and why?

The late Korey Stringer because he’s from my hometown and he’s somebody that had big impact on me as child and I’ll always will look up too him and remember him for that.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Basketball and Baseball

Did you play any other positions in football?

Defensive Line

At your position, what separates you from others?

My ability to drive people off the ball and finish blocks, and also the ability to get to second level and onto to LB’s.

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

Seeing how the defense lines up and what kind of blitz/stunts they like to use. I also focus on where the Mike LB is each play, as in our offense that dictates 75% of who I block on run plays.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

In High School John Simon (Ohio State/Houston Texans) Jake Ryan (Michigan/Green Bay Packers); In College Dylan Delk (Tabor College) Nate Maleski (West Liberty)

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

Chance Warmack because of the way he’s physical and able to get a body onto defenders and finish them.

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

Losing my Grandmother Ethel Mickens as she is the strongest person I’ve ever met and she helped raised me until I was 12. Since than I’ve promised myself that I would do everything in my power to accomplished everything she always said I would do, which is one of the reasons why I’ve never stopped chasing my dreams.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

Rub the numbers on the front and back of my jersey before I step on the field to honor the people that aren’t with me anymore.

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

I believe I have to overcome every stereotype that they have of small school players because we don’t play at the big name schools like an Ohio State or Michigan which causes us a lot of times to be overlooked. I believe that the biggest thing you have show them is no matter what level you come from that you can compete with the best players at any level.

What is your biggest strength?

Run Blocking and finishing my block once engaged

What is your biggest weakness?

Sometimes leaning too much on a defender

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

That I just ask for you to give me one opportunity to showcase myself in front of your organization that I am a trust worthy player on and off the field and also show that I can compete at an high level with anybody at any level.

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

Korey Stringer, Mario Manningham and Orlando Pace; The Cleveland Browns

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

My Grandfather Cleveland Patterson, Urban Meyer and LeBron James

With your first NFL paycheck what would you buy? 

A condo in a nice neighborhood for my mom and older brother. Also cover the tuition for my younger cousins Shardae and Aaliyah to attend a good Private School.