Joe Gaiter: How did your season go?
Jamal Blackwell: My season went well. A lot of hard work was put in prior to the season and it paid off. Hard work never goes unnoticed. Even though I missed a couple of games because of an injury, I still made the All-conference team because of the hard work I put in.
Joe Gaiter: What does football mean to me?
Jamal Blackwell: Football means everything to me. It’s a way of expressing emotions while having fun doing it.
Joe Gaiter: What is my motivation on the field?
Jamal Blackwell: My motivation on the field is my family. First and foremost it’s my mom. She been through so much and just to see how she’s still holding on is nothing but motivation to me. Second it’s my dad and sister. My dad has always been there for me through thick and thin. He taught me how to be a man at an early age. My sister is hard working also. I just want to repay them all by working hard and achieving my dream of getting to the NFL.
Joe Gaiter: What makes me NFL ready?
Jamal Blackwell: My drive, passion, will to learn and my talent makes me NFL ready. I know the NFL is 90% physical and 10% mental. The mental part of the game is so important and I know that which is why I’m constantly learning the game day in and day out. I’m not worried about my talent because I know I’m talented enough to play in the NFL.
Joe Gaiter: Who is my NFL agent and why did I pick them?
Jamal Blackwell: I haven’t picked an agent yet. That’s a process me and my family still going through currently.
Joe Gaiter: Do you have any regrets?
Jamal Blackwell: Honestly, I do not. At times I think about how things could/should of went different but my dad always taught me to play the cards I was dealt and make the best out of it. So that’s what I do daily.
Joe Gaiter: What are 3 words that describe me?
Jamal Blackwell: Self-Motivated, Passionate, and Hardworking
Joe Gaiter: If you could go back to your freshman year, what would you tell yourself?
Jamal Blackwell: I would tell myself to take control more and be a leader even though you are an underclassmen.
Joe Gaiter: What separates you from other athletes that play your same position?
Jamal Blackwell: My knowledge of the game along with applying on the field. This past season I spent hours over then summer in film room with my D coordinator grasping a higher level of understanding about Defense and certain packages and schemes. Also I’m willing to do whatever to help my team win so if that means I got to run down off kick off and knock somebody out then I’m ready for it.
Joe Gaiter: What has been your biggest accomplishment?
Jamal Blackwell: Definitely graduating college. I’m the first person in my family to graduate college so it’s a big deal. I have accomplished a lot of big time accolades in football but being able to say I got my degree outweighs them all.
Joe Gaiter: Finish this statement. The NFL comes with….
Jamal Blackwell: The NFL comes with the realization that this is your job. You have to do everything you can to keep your job and keep food in your family mouth. So you go to work day in and day out.
Joe Gaiter: What is your backup plan if you don’t get drafted this year?
Jamal Blackwell: If everything fails, I still want to be around the game. So I’ll probably be a coach. But I’m working my butt of daily so I’m not even worried about a back up plan right now. Just gone continue to grind and trust God.
Joe Gaiter: When is your Proday?
Jamal Blackwell: It has not been schedule yet.
Joe Gaiter: Where are you training?
Jamal Blackwell: I’m currently training in Hattiesburg, Mississippi with Sam Morris. He’s definitely the best in the business. My cousin Eugene Sims trained with him before he was drafted the Rams back in 2010.
