Over the weekend I had the opportunity to speak with one of the top Wide Receiver prospects in the 2011 Draft. Jonathan Baldwin took time out of his day to answer a few questions for the new guy at Mocking The Draft. We agreed to an interview time of 7:00 AM on Saturday morning, but I didn’t think about the timezone he was in. Thinking he was on the East Coast I got up at 5:30 to drink a whole pot of coffee so I didn’t fall asleep during the interview. 6:00, no call...6:45, no call...7:30, still no call. I message him on Twitter and he finally calls me at 8:00 in Kansas City, but he’s in Phoenix, AZ, where its 7:00 AM. I guess communication is the key to every relationship.
Jonathan Baldwin 2011 NFL Draft Interview
Jonathan Baldwin is a very polite and respectful young man, who wants to work his way to the top. Here is the interview with the former Pitt star I woke up so early for:
Mocking The Draft: Who is Jonathan Baldwin off the football field?
Jonathan Baldwin: I'm a family man. I have a 2 year old son that I spend most of my time with.
MTD: Where are you training and what are you working on while there?
JB: I'm training at Fischer Sports in Phoenix, Arizona. I'm working on everything. All aspects of my game are getting attention to make me a better WR.
MTD: What do you expect your 40 time to be at the Combine?
JB: I'm not giving a specific number, but it may shock people!
MTD: With the talented WR that have came out of Pitt recently, do you feel pressure to live up to them?
JB: I'm my own person, so I don't feel any pressure. I'll play my game and take it day by day to make a name for myself.
MTD: Who was the best player you faced in your Pitt career?
JB: Jerome Murphy from USF and Devin McCourty from Rutgers.
MTD: What drives you?
JB: To be the best! I think of my son and want him to have a better life than I had growing up. Playing in the NFL is a life-long dream and I have a strong love of the game. It's a great blessing to have the opportunity to show what I'm capable of.
MTD: What are your strengths and weaknesses?
JB: My strengths are: attacking the ball in the air, my ability to catch the football, confidence in my abilities, big body and fearlessness going across the middle.As far as weaknesses go, there are a lot of things I want to work on and I'm ready to get better everyday.
MTD: Do you model your play after anybody?
JB: I'd say growing up it was Larry Fitzgerald. I'd look at what he did and tried to incorporate those things into my own game.
MTD: Where do you expect to be drafted?
JB: I'm going to do my best at the Combine, impress every organization and then see what happens.
MTD: Do you have a preference as to which team drafts you?
JB: Whoever gives me the opportunity to showcase my abilities. It's a blessing just to be in this situation.
MTD: What are your plans for Draft day?
JB: No big plans, just being with my son, parents and family who supported me throughout my career. I'll just be waiting for a phone call!
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