Click HERE to download the audio interview with James Lee

Follow @77ways Follow @ProInterviews

Follow @77ways Follow @ProInterviews

Announcement : My name is Max Strauss with www.ProInterviews.org, www.facebook.com/ProInterviews and www.twitter.com/ProInterviews. I’d like to welcome you to the interview with James Lee. Lee first went to University of Georgia, and then transferred to continue playing football at South Carolina State. He then entered the 2008 NFL Draft, but went undrafted. He signed with the Cleveland Browns but was cut before the regular season started. He then was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was a member of the Buccaneers from 2008 through 2011. He most recently signed a contract with the Washington Redskins. Here is the interview with Redskins OL, James Lee.

Strauss : How do you connect with your fans?

Lee : Either through the Facebook or Twitter. I’m a people person so I interact with a lot of people. I kind of use it to get the message out as far as my foundation, or people contact me to do different things such as interviews, or sometimes for jobs.

Strauss : When did you start playing football?

Lee : I started probably when I was eighth grade or something. It was something that I always wanted to do. My hometown is known for a lot of great athletes in the football world, so as a youngster, I was too big to play. I went out and played a couple of games during my eighth grade, and my mom didn’t want me to play anymore, but once I got into the ninth, I ended up being on Junior Varsity, and then, from there, I knew it was just something that I wanted to do.

Strauss : Who were some athletes you looked up to growing up that were from your hometown?

Lee : I looked up to Jessie Hester and Fred Taylor.

Strauss : What position did you play in eighth grade?

Lee : I was playing on the defensive line.

Strauss : What was it like for you playing high school football?

Lee : I was a defensive tackle in high school, and it was actually good. I had fun. We won a lot. We would beat up a lot of teams. High school football is where you get the chance to have fun. I still have fun now, but at that time, you don’t have all those worries that you have as an adult, so it was really great.

Strauss : Did you have any teammates in high school that are in the NFL now?

Lee : Yes. Santonio Holmes, Ray McDonald, Damien Berry, Randy Phillips were all on the team.

Strauss : Do you have a situation of adversity that you faced growing up that you think has made you a better person and an athlete?

Lee : Just growing up in the neighborhood I grew up in, it was tough. It was really hard seeing a bunch of violence etc. Just seeing a community face poverty, it was hard. I guessed I looked at it as something that I didn’t want to face as an adult, so I knew I had to do whatever it takes to be successful.

Strauss : In high school football, did you win any championships?

Lee : Yes. Actually, I think it was the 2001 team that we ended up winning the State Championship. That was my sophomore year. But the school itself, we’ve won several championships, but I was on that 2001 team.

Strauss : What was your recruiting experience like?

Lee : It was actually pretty good. I was regarded as a pretty high recruit. I ended up taking visits to Florida, South Florida, Western Michigan, Ohio State, which in that year, they had just won the National Championship, and I also went to see Rutgers.

Strauss : Why South Carolina State?

Lee : Actually, I signed to go to University of Georgia and I was there for two years, and then I ended up transferring to South Carolina State back in the January of 2005.

Strauss : Why did you choose Georgia?

Lee : At the time, they had just won the Sugar Bowl and they got a lot of guys, maybe three of their guys who ended up going to the league that year. From John Stinchcomb to George Foster, they were all going into the league, and it was just a great fit for me seeing that I can play a bit early, and so I took it.

Strauss : What was happening at Georgia that made you want to transfer to South Carolina State?

Lee : I wasn’t getting my work done. I was kind of just out of control I would say. I wasn’t going to class. I wasn’t doing the right things, put it like that. Basically, I ended up having to transfer after two years, and I went to transfer to South Carolina State.

Strauss : Did you get playing time in those two years at Georgia?

Lee : One year, during that second year.

Strauss : Was it you personally who were having the issues with the team or was it more of the pressure playing football there? And, how do you think that’s made you a better person?

Lee : I don’t have an issue with the team at all. It was just me as a person and more personal than anything. I was kind of just was doing my own thing. It wasn’t an issue at all as far as the University or the football program. I just think that transferring actually was one of the best decisions that I have  made in my life because being at Georgia where everything was given to you as far as, just the smallest things, as far as the equipment or your tutors. They basically gave you every opportunity for me and other athletes there to succeed, and I just didn’t take advantage of it. By going to South Carolina State, it just put me in a position where I had to earn everything that I wanted and needed.

Strauss : What was it like adjusting to Sought Carolina State?

Lee : It was hard. It was different. We’re talking about a DI school going to transfer to DI-AA. Having some of the nicest facilities, and having some of the nicest cafeterias to the dorm rooms, etc. And back in 2005, it was rough in South Carolina State. One small school, predominantly black, and it wasn’t easy for me at first, but I had to get that whole Georgia mentality out of me that everything’s going to be given to me. And from there, I just understood how things are going to go. I adapted and made it happen.

Strauss : Were any other schools interested in you transferring or was it just South Carolina State that you were looking at?

Lee : Basically, I had the choice to go anywhere I wanted to but after me redshirting the previous year, I basically didn’t want to transfer to another DI school, so that I would actually sit down another year, and then only have two years to play. So I chose to go down a level and for some reason at that time, South Carolina State had just won the Conference, and they had a pretty good team and it was the fit, I thought, was good for me.

Strauss : What was your first memory on the field like at South Carolina State?

Lee : It kind of gave me that back home feeling because you’re talking about a predominantly black school. They had a pretty good band, and it wasn’t that big college, where you’re getting 97,000 fans in the stadium. You get 22,000 to 25,000 at most, I think. It was just fun. At that time, I was having fun when I played.

Strauss : What was your senior season like at South Carolina State?

Lee : It was great. I had the chance to play against two DI schools, being Air Force and University of South Carolina. I got a chance to go up against some great guys, and, it was a great season. It was my greatest and best season that I ever had at South Carolina State.

Strauss : Did you have a Pro Day at South Carolina State? How many scouts showed up? How many people did you end up talking to? What was that all like?

Lee : I actually had a good time because previously, maybe the week before, I ended up going to University of Georgia’s Pro Day, and so I kind of got a little hype from that. My Pro Day was the next week, so a lot of the scouts came out, and I did very well. From that Pro Day, I ended up going to visit teams. I had one private workout with the Cleveland Browns and I ended up going to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Chicago Bears.

Strauss : Were you expecting to be drafted?

Lee : Well, I was told that it’ll be late. If so, but if not, I would be a free agent.

Strauss : How soon after the draft did you get a phone call from the Browns?

Lee : Actually, it was before the NFL Draft ended. They gave me a call and they put it out there. It was right up towards the end of the NFL Draft. We had a bunch of teams calling me, and I ended up choosing to go to the Cleveland Browns.

Strauss : What was it like to sign contract with the Browns and be a part of the—and how long did you stay with the Browns?

Lee : Basically through the final preseason game.

Strauss : What was it like when you were cut?

Lee : It was one of those things where you know, I understood. You got all these guys here, so you already have fifty-three on the roster. They wanted to put me on practice squad. At the time, I understood, and I knew everything would work out.

Strauss : What was it like to step onto the field in your first NFL game?

Lee : It was a dream come true! One of the best feelings ever.

Strauss : How did you do on you first play in the NFL?

Lee : (Laughs) Actually, the play didn’t even go down. It was a penalty. I ended up coming out of the game. I actually went in as a tight end. That first play… It was good to step out on the field, but it was actually a penalty. So I ended up going back to the sideline.

Strauss : That’s pretty funny for your first memory on the field. What has it been like with the Buccaneers in the past few years?

Lee : It was good. Tampa’s been great to me. My first year like I said went really good. My second year I was on practice squad for a little while, and then I got moved up. My third year I ended up starting nine games. Last year, I started one game. The past four years has been great, and I have enjoyed every moment of it.

Strauss : What was it like during the 2010 season? You earned a lot of time playing and you guys were very good… What was that all like?

Lee : We were on a roll. It was very good. We were winning. We were coming back in the fourth quarter, and we were beating teams. A lot of people were expecting us to do bad because we had come off that 3-13 season, and it was just a big turnaround for us, so we were excited and happy.

Strauss : And you got to see a lot of Blount and Freeman playing with them. What have you seen out of both and where do you see their future going?

Lee : Nothing, but greatness. You’re talking about two dominant players. Josh Freeman, the guy is a beast at quarterback, and you’re talking about LeGarrette Blount who is only in his third year, and that year being his rookie  year. He showed the world some things that he always had in him, but he had that situation back in college. I definitely see major things coming out from both in the future.

Strauss : How excited are you to be a Washington Redskin?

Lee : It feels good! I get a new beginning and a fresh start, so I’m excited about it.

Strauss : Robert Griffin III… What’s that going to be like blocking for him?

Lee : I’m excited to be able to block for him. Just the things that he has done in college being a Heisman trophy winner, and just because of what he actually brings to the team and to the game. I’m excited to see what he brings to the field.

Strauss : If you could describe yourself as any ice cream flavor, what would you be and why?

Lee : (Laughs) Why ice cream? That’s my question? I guess I’ll say butter pecan, because that’s one of my favorites. Why would I describe myself that way? I guess you can call the pecans, bumps in the road. In my life, I’ve had bumps and trials and at the end of the day, I end up getting through them all. It still turned out for me to be a good situation.

Strauss : What is 77 ways?

Lee : 77 ways is just my twitter name and basically, I came up with seventy-seven ways for me to be successful in life.

Strauss : and, What is team Lee?

Lee : Team Lee is my foundation that I have. We help the kids in Palm Beach County, but mainly Belle Glade. It’s my foundation that I’ve started, and we host a camp every year. We go into the schools. We have adopted three schools, all the ones that I attended, my elementary school, middle school, and high school. We basically run different programs and contests throughout the year to give kids inspiration to do better in school. I provide different gifts to them if they are succeeding and doing well. I’ll send them either something autographed by me or a teammate. We  also give them the opportunity to host twenty four seats a game during every home game. We supply a bus from Belle Glade to Tampa, so they can come and enjoy a Buccaneers’ home game.

Strauss : From all of the events that all of the events you’ve hosted for Team Lee, what is your favorite memory of something that you’ve hosted?

Lee : My first year of the James Lee Youth Football camp. I have hosted it every year in my hometown and they proclaimed the second Saturday of June to be James Lee Day.

Strauss : For someone who wants to play football in the NFL, what’s the best advice you can give them?

Lee : Get your education because at the end of the day, your education is more important than playing football. You can’t play football without an education so either way you want to put it, education is key.

Strauss : Is there anything else you want to tell your fans that we haven’t really talked about?

Lee : Just really want to let my fans know that I appreciate all the love and support that they show me either here in Tampa or elsewhere. Without them, there wouldn’t be a me. I’ll just thank them for their support and what they have done to help me be the player that I am.

Strauss : Thanks so much for your time James. I really appreciate it.

Lee : Alright. No problem.

Announcement : Thank you for listening to the interview with James Lee. I hope you enjoyed it. Please check out my website www.prointerviews.org for other interviews, “LIKE” the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ProInterviews, and follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/ProInterviews. Thanks again for listening! Stay tuned for more, and feel free to contact me.

Click HERE to download audio interview with Rishaw Johnson.

Follow @BigRee75 Follow @ProInterviews

This interview could not be completed without the help of  www.APSE.net

Follow @BigRee75 Follow @ProInterviews

Rishaw Johnson : Hey! This is Rishaw Johnson from the University of California-Pennsylvania, Division II All-American, and you’re listening to www.ProInterviews.org

Announcement : My name is Max Strauss with www.ProInterviews.org, www.facebook.com/ProInterviews and www.twitter.com/ProInterviews. I’d like to welcome you to the interview with Rishaw Johnson. Johnson dealt with the hardships of growing up during Hurricane Katrina, and still managed to earn a scholarship at Ole Miss University. He started started around eight games during this time at Ole Miss, but was kicked off of the team. He transferred to DII school called CalU in Pennsylvania. He started all twelve games this past season as a team captain, and was nominated to become a DII All-American. He entered the 2012 NFL Draft, but was undrafted. He signed a UDFA contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Here is the interview with Rishaw Johnson.

Strauss : How do you connect with your fans?

Johnson : I just reach out to them. I connect with my fans by just playing hard. I just try to give them what they want to see on the field, just trying to be a dominate object that they came to a game to see. I just trying to be a smash-mouth guy that everyone wants to see.

Strauss : How did you start playing football?

Johnson : I actually started playing football when I was like nine. My mom and my dad got me involved in football. I was so big, and they wouldn’t let me sit around the house and not play anything, so they put me on the football field, and I fell in love with it.

Strauss : What position did you play when you were growing up?

Johnson : Growing up I played linebacker, defensive tackle, a little offensive line, but I mostly played defensive tackle and linebacker.

Strauss : Did you play offensive line in high school?

Johnson : In high school, I played offensive line. In high school, I played on the O-Line and on the D-Line.

Strauss : What was high school football like for you?

Johnson : High school football was good. I was on a few successful teams when we went three rounds into the playoffs. High school football was fun. I loved playing high school football. It was Friday night lights.

Strauss : Was there a situation of adversity that you face growing up?

Johnson : Actually, yes. I had to deal with Hurricane Katrina growing up. I had to transfer high schools because my family kept moving around just to get in the right situation. I went to two different high schools after Hurricane Katrina. I just kept trying to work to get my name out there in front of colleges, and to just try to stay on their radars. That was some adversity that I had to go through, but I pushed through it, and it worked out for me.

Strauss : What was it like for you to go through Hurricane Katrina?

Johnson : It was rough. We had like six feet of water in our house, and we lost everything. It was real rough, but God blessed us and we made it through it. We had to re-build our house, but we’re all back in New Orleans. My mom, my dad, and my whole family is back there. We’re still staying in the same house. We had to renovate it after we got back.

Strauss : What did you take away from Hurricane Katrina?

Johnson : I can’t take anything for granted. When Hurricane Katrina came, I didn’t realize that I was going to lose all of my clothes, that we were going to lose all our furniture. I just thought it’s a regular little Hurricane, and we were just evacuating for it like we always have to do. I was expecting to come back in two or three days, and I took that for granted. I left a lot of stuff when people were like, ‘You should take this. You should take that. We don’t know if it’ll be here.’ So I just learned not to take anything for granted because anything could happen at anytime you need to just be ready for anything. You have to hope for the best and expect the worst.

Strauss : What was your situation like with your friends with you moving away?

Johnson : When I had to move away from Katrina, I actually moved in with one of my good friends that plays for the New York Giants. I moved in with Chad Jones and we finished our high school career together. I moved in with him for a year. Honestly, I kind-of lost touch with most of my friends. Before Hurricane Katrina, I was friends with people that I went to school with, but they all moved to Texas or they moved to Atlanta. There were some people that I still haven’t seen since Hurricane Katrina. It broke up a lot of good friendships, but I still talk to them on Twitter and Facebook, but there are some people I still haven’t seen since Hurricane Katrina.

Strauss : What was your recruiting experience like especially being in different high schools and moving away from home and everything. You were still pretty highly rated at the offensive line prospect. What was recruiting like for you?

Johnson : Recruiting picked up a lot for me late. After Hurricane Katrina, there were a lot of schools that didn’t know what happened to me. A lot of schools didn’t know if I was still playing football or even where I was at. I decided to start going to football camps. I also had to start trying to get my name out there. I was blessed enough that some schools found where I was at and that was that. At first, no one knew where I was at. I was blessed that the schools found out where I was at but the recruiting went well. I was recruited by a lot of SEC schools, a few ACC schools, couple of Big-Ten schools and it went really good for me. I can’t complain about the recruiting process at all. It was real good experience for me.

Strauss : Why did you choose Ole Miss?

Johnson : I chose Ole Miss because one of the running back coach/recruiting coordinator at that time, Frank Wilson (he’s now at LSU). But, he went to my high school. He had a really good relationship with my parents. I had a really good relationship with him, so I just felt at home and felt a little sense of -at home and safeness when I signed with him. That’s why I went to Ole Miss because of old coach Frank Wilson.

Strauss : What was the transition like once you finally got to campus?

Johnson : It was different being on a college campus at eighteen and being a young freshman. It was just my first time being away from home and actually on my own, but it was good man. I adjusted quick. My coaches who helped get me did everything they could for me. It was a good experience. It was rough at first, but I got with the program real quick, so it was a really good experience.

Strauss : Michael Oher was there when you got there. Did he serve as a mentor to you at all?

Johnson : Big Mike used to mentor me a little bit. He used to just tell me not to get into trouble, how to go about things, do it this way, just try to get me to be a professional. Mike helped me out a lot. He used to really just try to help me keep my head on straight because I was fresh out of high school. He just wanted me to see me do the right thing. Mike kind of played that role for me at Ole Miss, just helping teach me to do the right thing, and I appreciate Mike for that.

Strauss : What was it like for you to step on to the field for your first ever game at Ole Miss?

Johnson : Oh man. It was crazy. My first game was against  Memphis. It was a dream come true. It was a packed house on ESPN which is on National TV. We won that game, and it was amazing. I was nervous at first but we won that game. I had a pretty good game. I think I’d graded it out well, if I could recall so it was a really good experience for me.

Strauss : How many games did you play in your career at Ole Miss?

Johnson : I played in fifteen or sixteen games, and I probably started around eight.

Strauss : You were kicked off the team, right?

Johnson : Yes. I was dismissed from Ole Miss. When I got dismissed from my Ole Miss, it was because I made some big-time mistakes. I was a young college student with a big head, starting in the SEC, and I thought that I knew it all, and I really didn’t. I didn’t know anything. I thought I knew it all and being kicked out of Ole Miss really humbled me, man. It really made me a better person because I lost football and when I lost football, I realized I had to get my life together. I couldn’t keep living the way I was living, because football was taken away from me. My whole family was upset. I love football, I was upset. It was a really rough time for me and my family and it really helped me get my head on straight. I think being kicked off of Ole Miss has humbled me and scared me straight. To take something positive away from me, it put me on the right path to life. I can honestly say that I look at it positively, and it has really helped me in the long run instead of hurting me.

Strauss : Was there a reason why you chose to transfer to CalU in Pennsylvania?

Johnson : Yes. I transferred to CalU in Pennsylvania because one of my good buddies, Mike Wallace, a key player of the Steeler. We’re both from New Orleans, and we both went to Ole Miss and CalU was only forty five minutes from Ole Miss. They are one of the top ranked Division II schools in the country, so I might as well go hang out with Mike Wallace. I went to some Steelers games. I called Mike and he said that there would be no problem coming up, so I went up there and had a good year. That was the real reason why I went there.

Strauss : As a CalU Vulcan, you were Division II All-American. What was it like to go through to this past season playing DII when you clearly could have been D1? Were you playing with a chip on your shoulder? How did you play this past season?

Johnson : I played this season with a big time chip on my shoulder, but even more, I was just trying to show people who I wasn’t that guy that they perceived me to be at Ole Miss. I went to CalU, I went after it. My team felt enough about me and voted me as team captain, so I was able to represent my team every game as a team captain. It was just a great experience for me, man. The team captain was big for me, and I was just trying to be a model student for CalU. I played as hard as I could. The coaches at CalU gave me a chance when a lot of other Division II coaches thought that I was still a troublemaker, and they wouldn’t give me a chance. I have nothing but good things to say about the coaching staff. I loved the program. I just really appreciate everyone at CalU because they helped me.

Strauss : Can you talk about some of your favorite game in your college career?

Johnson : My favorite game in my college career at Ole Miss would have been, even though we lost this game, it was a really fun game, it was against South Carolina. We were number four in the country playing in South Carolina on a Thursday night. And, my favorite game at CalU I guess I would say the game against Edinboro. We won that game in the last minute.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite block on someone during your time at CAL U?

Johnson : I like pulling around just getting on people. I like pulling around, getting on people in space, just pulling around and making holes for the running back.

Strauss : You were invited to the Combine. For a DII player, was it gratifying for you getting invited to the Combine and be a part of it again? What was that like for you?

Johnson : Man… Getting invited to the Combine was a big thing for me. I was really blessed and really thankful that people thought of even having me at the Combine after all I’ve been through. It was big for me getting allowed to go to the combine. It really helped me out a lot. I tried to go out there, show them that I am the best offensive lineman in the country and the combine really helped me out. It was just surreal coming from DII and being in the room with Andrew Luck, Justin Blackmon, Matt Kalil. It was crazy. I was just taking it all in, but I was happy at the end. I was ready to compete with the best guys in the country. I am thankful, and I am glad that they even picked me to go.

Strauss : What was it like to be invited in the Senior Bowl when there aren’t many players are invited to the Senior Bowl, when there are so many players who are trying to make it to the NFL?

Johnson : The Senior Bowl was big. For me going against the different teams, playing in Division II, people are not always don’t believe what they see. So getting invited to the Senior Bowl and trying to just compete against the best guys in the country, it was great for me man. It really helped me out a lot. I think I really helped myself in it. I was just happy and thankful to be there you know. I was just happy even though I was invited late. I was still blessed for being invited there, so it was doing a great deal for me, and it worked out well.

Strauss : What was your Pro Day like?

Johnson : For my Pro Day, we had 22 NFL teams coming out on my Pro Day. It was really good. We had nineteen guys working out. I had a good start. We all did good. I sat on my combine numbers, so I just do position drills and I thought I did pretty good with them.

Strauss : For training for the draft and everything, you trained with Willie Roaf. What was the best piece of advice he gave you?

Johnson : He just told me to work hard. He told me not to forget the things that got me to this point. Don’t forget those countless hours that I put in college. Don’t forget the long workout days and the runner days, and the sprints that I had to do. Don’t think that just because you get drafted, you made it, because you still have to make the team. You’ve got to still be productive. It was like to keep working hard and just remember everything that took you to get here, it will take more to stay in the NFL.

Strauss : [This interview was done priority to the NFL Draft.] If a team called you up and said, ‘Why should we draft you?’ What’s the best answer you have for them?

Johnson : I am a no-nonsense guy. I am going to come in, I have a big time chip on my shoulder so I am going to come in and you’re going to get a guy who’s going to be an asset everyday. You’re going to get a guy who’s going to fight really hard. You’re going to get a guy who’s going to  play hard and who’s going to give everything he’s got. You’re going to get a guy who loves the game of football. You’re going to get a guy who loves playing offensive line, loves being physical, loves being smash-mouth. I think all of those attributes that I bring will really help the team. I think I’ll bring the right attitude to offensive line that we all need.

Strauss : If the scout told you to choose someone in the NFL you could compare your game to, who would you choose?

Johnson : Davin Joseph, the right guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I feel like we play the same way. We both have dreadlocks. We both wear #75. He’s a freakish athlete.  I haven’t proved that I’m a freakish athlete yet, but I would like to think of myself as that. He’s a freakish athlete. He stays down-field, gets on linebackers, gets on safeties. I feel like I could be the same type of player and I love this game. I feel like we’re playing the same type of stuff to the table.

Strauss : If you could describe yourself as any ice cream flavor, what would you be and why?

Johnson : (Laughs) If I could describe myself as any ice cream flavor… You caught me off guard with this one. I guess I would say chocolate. Why? I don’t know everybody likes chocolate ice cream. I guess I want to be a like-able guy and I just want everybody to like me. I don’t want to have any enemies and be happy. I don’t want to be a problem to anybody. If I had to describe myself, I’d describe myself as chocolate ice cream.

Strauss : For someone who wants to eventually make it in the NFL, what’s the best advice you have for them?

Johnson : Put God first. It helps prayer. If you don’t pray, you’re not going to make it too far, so just stick on God first, and work hard. Work as hard as you can at your craft, and you’re going to get your shot. And when you’re shot comes, you’ve got to seize the moment. You’ve got to be ready to go. So just keep working hard and keep praying for your shot to come and when you get that shot, take full advantage of it.

Strauss : Thank you for the interview Rishaw, I really appreciate it.

Johnson : Thank you! I appreciate it too.

Announcement : Thank you for listening to the interview with Rishaw Johnson. I hope you enjoyed it. Please check out my website www.prointerviews.org for other interviews, “LIKE” the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ProInterviews, and follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/ProInterviews. Thanks again for listening! Stay tuned for more, and feel free to contact me.

->Here are the personal questions that Rishaw Johnson answered.<-

Strauss : If you can meet anyone in the world whom you haven’t met before, who would it be and why?

Johnson : It would have to be Rihanna because she’s a great singer. I like her music and she is also one of the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen on TV. I would just love to meet her in person.

Strauss : If you were to take her to dinner, where would you go?

Johnson : If I would get the opportunity to take her out to, I’d probably take her to a nice Steak restaurant. I don’t know where which one I would take her to, but it would be something like a Ruth Chris Steakhouse or something like that. It had to be very upscale.

Strauss : Who is your childhood star growing up?

Johnson : Deion Sanders was my childhood star growing up. I really just loved watching Deion play when I was growing up.

Strauss : But you’re an offensive lineman…?

Johnson : When I was growing up, I didn’t think that I would be an offensive lineman. I thought that I would be a cornerback (laughs). But then when I got to high school, I figured out what I would be.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite TV show?

Johnson : I enjoy watching SportsCenter.

Strauss : What is your favorite movie of all time?

Johnson : Favorite movie of all time that would just pop in right now, Money Talks with Chris Tucker.

Strauss : What’s your favorite type of pie?

Johnson : I really like apple pie.

Strauss : If you could choose, what would your last meal on earth be?

Johnson : I’d want a meat lovers’ Pizza from Pizza Hut with an orange Gatorade.

Strauss : Do you have a special pre-game ritual?

Johnson : I just spend the time in the locker room. I don’t do too much talking. I’m just listening to my headphones and just totally focusing on what I’ve got to do. I don’t really talk to anybody around me. I just listen to my music and just get focused on the job that I am going to have to go out and do.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite song to listen to before the game?

Johnson : Lil’ Wayne, House of Music.

Strauss : If you could have any super power what would it be?

Johnson : I don’t know but it would be to have all the super powers of Superman!

Follow @BigRee75 Follow @ProInterviews

Follow @Edd1e5_World Follow @ProInterviews

Follow @Edd1e5_World Follow @ProInterviews

Click HERE to download the audio interview with Mike Ryan.

Follow @Agility76 Follow @ProInterviews

Follow @Agility76 Follow @ProInterviews

Mike Ryan : This is Mike Ryan, University of Connecticut, Offensive Line, and this is www.ProInterviews.org.

Announcement : My name is Max Strauss with www.ProInterviews.org, www.facebook.com/ProInterviews and www.twitter.com/ProInterviews. I’d like to welcome you to the interview with Mike Ryan. Ryan went to University of Connecticut. He started 32 games, played in 34 while at UConn. He was best known for his versatility and agility on the offensive line. In 2010, he was nominated to receive First-Team All Big-East honors, and in 2011, he received second-team All Big-East honors. Here is the interview with future NFL offensive lineman, Mike Ryan.

Strauss : How do you connect with your fans?

Ryan : I pride myself on being a real down-to-earth guy. If anybody came up to me and wanted an autograph or anything like that, I am more than happy to accommodate the people who root for me when I play. Just the other day, a couple of kids across from my house–I was walking in and they asked me for an autograph. I got them three of my UConn hats and signed them for each one of the little kids and just gave it to them.

Strauss : Do you plan to get a Twitter or Facebook?

Ryan : I had Facebook. I am raised in an old school part of Pennsylvania and I was on Facebook for a while and I just got rid of it. There were too many distractions. I didn’t need it as a kid growing up. I could people if I want to talk to my friends, so I just got rid of it.

Strauss : How did you actually start playing football?

Ryan : Growing up, I played soccer for about six years until I was old enough to play contact football. I always watched it as a kid and always played outside with my friends. We used to throw the football on the street all the time or we would go up to the park. As soon as I was old enough, I played. I was always playing one or two grades ahead of what I should have been playing. I play one year of Junior PeeWees and then, the next year I was up in the middle level and the year after that, I was playing the highest level with the older kids.

Strauss : What was high school football like for you?

Ryan : I went to Marian Catholic near my home. That is just a football school. Year round, we’d lift. My group of friends–we always wanted to win a District Championship ever since we got there. We went undefeated as freshman.  When I got there, it really is about football. That’s what I love about the area that I live in. You can compare it to those movies about Texas where the whole town sits down for games and stuff.

Strauss : How many people would go to a game?

Ryan : We were a single-A school so I only had about 56 kids in my graduating class. I’d say during our district playoff game, we had close to five thousand people in our stadium. To me, I played in the BCS game when we played Oklahoma, and I still think that game for the District Championship was, in my eyes, was a little bit, not bigger, but I was more excited maybe. I don’t know how to really put it, but that was fun playing the District Championship game in front of five thousand people.

Strauss : What was your recruiting experience like?

Ryan : I had sort of gone through it before with my older brother when he was getting recruited. Going through with him, I sort of knew what to expect and what to look to when I was being recruited.

Strauss : Why did you choose UConn?

Ryan : UConn was the only school that offered me, but other than that, I loved the coaching staff. Coach Edsall and their offensive line coach especially, Coach Foley. Once I got up there, he takes the time with the younger players and try to develop them and I developed a really good friendship with my offensive line coach. Although this is the only place that I got offered when I got up there, it seemed it was a perfect fit, and it ended up working out the best for myself.

Strauss : Once you got to UConn, what was that transition like?

Ryan : Coming from high school, I was mainly on a run-first high school team, and we didn’t play many 4-3 defenses. The guy that I had to block most of the time was right in front of me. Coming from that, and then going to college defense where everybody on the field is just as good as you are. I struggled in my freshman year and a little bit of my redshirt freshman year,  but came into my own in my redshirt sophomore year.

Strauss : What was it like to actually step on the field for your first game at UConn?

Ryan : I think the first game that I was playing in, we were playing Baylor, and I was switching in and out with left tackle at that time, Dan Ryan. You’re nervous when you first go in because you’re not sure. You practice all the time with your own players, but you never really know what a game is going to feel like. After the first play, the butterflies were gone, and I knew that this is what I wanted to do for hopefully a good portion of my life.

Strauss : When did you get actually your first start at UConn?

Ryan : It was against Pittsburgh at Pitt. That was real big because getting recruited, I’ve gone out to Pittsburgh’s Junior Day and everything and the coach had told me during recruiting that they figured me more of a guard than a tackle. I felt pretty good to go there playing tackle. I know I did pretty well for myself against the guy who is an All-Big East performer.  From my registered sophomore, I played eight games including the bowl game.

Strauss : What was the ball game like?

Ryan : That bowl game was played in the Papa John’s. We were playing an SEC school in South Carolina. It was exciting. A lot of people had told me it was cold, but I really couldn’t feel it. I was more focused on the game at that point. It was cool playing in a bowl game, especially to win a bowl game was pretty cool.

Strauss : You played right and left tackle, what is that like for you? How much preparation actually goes into, for you at least, to be able to switch mid-season?

Ryan : The year before with my junior year, I have started out at Right Tackle. I got to playing Left Tackle at the end of my sophomore year. It wasn’t that big of a transition because I had worked at Right Tackle, the whole summer. I feel a bit more natural at left, but I think that is only because I had played there most of my career at UConn. Everything just feels more natural. I played exactly Right Tackle in high school, so it really wasn’t that hard of a transition.

Strauss : I read somewhere that you caught a pass from a 2-point conversion…

Ryan : Yes, we were playing Rutgers. Actually, it was scary sitting there at an offensive lineman in a critical situation. It felt pretty cool that Coach Moorhead had faith in me to catch the ball and make it into the end zone. They called it back for a forward pass, but there were a lot of people telling me that  was the loudest that stadium has gotten in a while.

Strauss : What was it like to get them all in your hands? Most offensive linemen wish they could.

Ryan : It felt like everything was in super slow motion. Rolling out, forward catching it, getting into the end zone. It just felt it took forever, but it was pretty cool that they called my number in an important situation and I got in. I couldn’t help that the ball was thrown forward. Afterwards, it sucks to have it taken away because I haven’t scored a point in organized football since I’ve been playing. So to get that, at the college level, and then, they take it away which sucked. But, it’s pretty cool to have the play call to you and to be able to capitalize on it.

Strauss : Were you first hand all Big East this year too this year or was it just the year before?

Ryan : Yes. I was First-Team All-Big East my junior year and Second-Team this past year.

Strauss : What is it like thing to be distinguished and recognized in the Big East?

Ryan : My junior year felt pretty cool. I wasn’t expecting anything.  I saw our kicker, Dave Teggart at the lunch hall, and he said, “Congrats, son. You’re named first team Big East.” I thought he was joking with me. It was cool to be recognized for what I did as a junior and even as a senior. I was a little disappointed in Second-Team, but it was still good to get recognized for what you do on the field.

Strauss : Who do you think the best defensive line competition you’ve faced in college for?

Ryan : There were a lot of good players. I went up against [Jason] Pierre-Paul a couple of times. [Greg] Romeus is good. All of the Big-East defensive ends that I have played against were all very good. I couldn’t tell you who the best of all of them were.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite block that you’ve ever had on somebody?

Ryan : A couple of my favorite blocks are either when I was pulling on the tackle trap, and getting up on the linebacker and hitting them, and pancaking them. I always liked when we ran our Power and we ran a double team up to the linebacker. I always loved throwing the D-Tackle out of the way, and getting up to the linebacker and making a big hole.

Strauss : What was it like this past year for Paul Pasqualoni? What was it like to come in this past year and how much impact did he have on you?

Ryan : He had a huge impact. I feel that he got me definitely me ready for the next level. We did everything this past year from him coming from an NFL team and Coach DeLeone coming from an NFL team. We had sort-of an NFL style camp. We were doing installs for the plays. I felt that he prepared us mentally for hopefully what we have to do for the next years.

Strauss : You weren’t invited to the Combine. Were you disappointed at all? How’d you look at it?

Ryan : I was disappointed at first. I tried to use that to my advantage and show the people at my Pro Day. I was not invited to the combine, I can put numbers with the best of them. I am not just a 335 lbs lumbering Right Tackle. I am athletic. I have played basketball my whole life. I wanted to show at my Pro Day that I could run, that I was quick, and that I was agile.

Strauss : What was your Pro Day like?

Ryan : It was good. I had a good experience. It is always good even after competition, every time you want to go up you want to beat the numbers that were posted by other linemen. That’s what my mindset was going in. I wanted to be in the top five for people who went the combine. I wanted to be in those top five performers with my number.

Strauss :  How do you grade your Pro Day performance?

Ryan : I thought I did well. I didn’t reach my expectations in a couple of things, but I shot for the stars. In my mind, I didn’t reach it, but I still had pretty good numbers.

Strauss : You benched 32 reps. Did you expect more or last night? Because I know that’s very impressive.

Ryan : I wanted to do more because I have done thirty in the late summer before the season. I wanted to get up in the mid to high thirties, but even thirty-two after I was done with it. It’s a good number especially how long my arms are.

Strauss : Do you think offensive lineman needs to do vertical?

Ryan :  I think the vertical and the broad jump just show explosion. All of that stuff is they teach you tricks to gain a couple of inches with your vertical jump and everything. I went up there and didn’t try to cheat the system, but I  just wanted to see how high and how explosive I could be.

Strauss : Do you have any plans for draft day?

Ryan : No. One of the days, my brother, a couple of my closest friends, and I are all are going to golf at a local course. Other than that, I am going to try and not watch the draft as much as possible, and just try and go about my day, and hopefully I will get a call.

Strauss : If a team called you up on draft day? They said, ‘We have this pick in the seventh round. Why should we take you over the next offensive lineman, or any player really, why should we take you?” What’s the best answer you have for them?

Ryan : Two things. I think I growing up I just have an ultra-competitive attitude towards everything. My daughter is sort of the same way. She wants to beat me in races and that’s how I was. Everything I did, whether it was playing a video game, or fishing, or playing basketball. I always wanted to beat out that person next to me. I have that competitive drive. The other thing is my versatility, I played both left and right tackle in college, and in the two all-star games I played in, I played left and right guard. I thought I did them pretty well.

Strauss : Being versatile is very important in the NFL so you can adjust. How do you think your versatility will help you succeed and make it in the NFL?

Ryan : Most NFL teams carry eight or nine offense lineman, and if you can show that you can be a swing player like both guards—it just adds value. Really, it’s unlikely that I could play a lot of special teams. If they want me to get in there, obviously I’d go full out. I played punt as a personal protector in college. That is more of the linebacker, wide receiver, defensive end-type special teams. They are fast and everything, but my versatility, on the offensive line. I could probably play center if you give me a week at it, and I think that just shows that they could put me in multiple uses.

Strauss : If you compared your game to someone in the NFL, who would it be?

Ryan : To be honest with you, I haven’t been able to watch a lot of NFL games in the past couple of years. I’ll catch one here and there, but usually we’re in meetings going over the game from before or we’re in practice. I haven’t seen enough of the offensive lineman at the next level to give you a comparison.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite number? Is #71 your favorite number that you’ve worn?

Ryan : A lot of people have that number that they just love. I will take any number, just put a uniform on me and some pads and let me hit some people.

Strauss : If you could describe yourself as any ice cream flavor, what would you be and why?

Ryan : I have no clue. Wow. Moose tracks. To be honest with you, that was my favorite ice cream growing up, so I have no clue how I can compare to that. I don’t know. Fudge ripple, peanut butter cups, it’s a versatile ice cream. It’s a candy and ice cream mixed together, that’s how I play offensive line.

Strauss : For someone who wants to play D1 football like yourself, and then try to make it to the NFL, what’s the best advice you have for them?

Ryan : To take whatever you think how hard you worked, and try and go above and beyond that. I remember as a freshman, one of our coaches told us to “Raise our hands the highest that we can raise it.” and everybody raised their hands. Then he said, “Now I want you to raise it higher.” Everybody in the room was able to raise it just a little bit higher. That is what I took away. However hard you think you could go, you push yourself to go that little extra.

Strauss : Is there anything else you want to tell your fans that we haven’t really talked about?

Ryan : Just for people to know I am down-to-earth guy, and I love football just like the next person. I grew up with it in my house. I just love the game of football and that’s why I am trying to do it hopefully for a couple more years until it runs out. Because after that, you’ll never get the same feeling back that you had whether it’s in grade school, high school, or college.

Strauss : Thanks so much for your time, Mike. I really appreciate it.

Ryan : Oh no. I appreciate you taking the time to do the interview with me like I appreciate you shedding some light then people will get to know me more.

Announcement : Thank you for listening to the interview with Mike Ryan. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you leave your comments below as well! Please check out my website www.prointerviews.org for other interviews, “LIKE” the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ProInterviews, and follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/ProInterviews. Thanks again for listening! Stay tuned for more, and feel free to contact me.

->Here are the personal questions that Mike Ryan answered.<-

Strauss : If you can be anyone who would it be and why?

Ryan : I would say probably my Uncle Jamie. He died in a car crash before I was born and from what my dad told me, he was a real cool guy and he’s probably the one person I wish I could have met.

Strauss : If you end up not making it into the NFL, what would you want to do?

Ryan : If my shot was completely over… If they told me, “Listen, you’re a good college player but you can’t play in the NFL.” I would go back and maybe get a masters in English and Coach, try and share what I learn from football to the next generation of kids trying to play it.

Strauss : Who is your childhood star growing up?

Ryan : My favorite football player growing up would have been Emmitt Smith. I was a big Cowboys fan growing up. I also looked up to my dad out of football and even in football. He taught me a lot of life lessons. I was lucky to learn from him without having to go through it the hard way.

Strauss : Your dad coached football or played or what?

Ryan : He coached me and he coached my older brother. He was real active in all the sports that we played in. The first lessons I learned of competition and things of that nature came from him being grown up in the household.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite TV show?

Ryan : I sort of watch Rescue Me on Netflix. I watch the Eastbound and Down on HBO. I like SportsCenter. It’s probably the most time I spend on one channel, ESPN/SportsCenter.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite movie of all time?

Ryan : Dumb and Dumber and Step Brothers. I like all kinds of movies, those are probably my two top, favorite list.

Strauss :  Do you have a favorite type of pie?

Ryan :  My mom always made pudding pie for Thanksgiving. I always loved that.

Strauss :  If you could choose, what would your last meal on earth be?

Ryan : Oh man, that’s a tough one, but Homemade chicken pot pie. My childhood best friend’s mom used to always make it. It was always a treat every time we have it.

Strauss : Do you have a drink you’d have with that?

Ryan : We have a small ice tea company based out near where we live. It’s called Guers and they make a green Tea that I drink by the gallon.

Strauss : Do you have a pre-game ritual?

Ryan : Not really. The only thing I do before every game is after the morning meetings, I take a shower before we leave for the stadium, but other than that I don’t do anything specific, listen to music, stuff like that.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite song you listen to before the game?

Ryan : No, not really. It switches from year to year depending on what comes out.

Strauss : What was last year?

Ryan : I have a playlist I make before every year for the past three years. Last year, I got into Rage Against the Machine later in the year and I was listening to Lil’ Wayne’s new album at that time. So I have a mix of rock and rap.

Strauss : If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Ryan : That’s a tough one. I think to fly. I always thought it would be cool to fly as a kid, and I think that’s the one super power I would go with.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite author since you’re an English major?

Ryan : Dan Brown. The guy who wrote the Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons. I like him as an author because he brings up a lot of current events and real facts and sometimes you get lost. It seems like it could be real and at the same time, it’s still a fictional story. I just like the way he writes. I like the way he incorporate real places, real people, and real events. You reading the book you sort of for a second there you try and catch yourself, ‘I wonder if this could be happening.’

Strauss : Thank you for answering these personal questions.

Click here to download the audio interview with Jordan White.

Follow @_JordanWhite Follow @ProInterviews

Follow @_JordanWhite Follow @ProInterviews