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Legendary wrestler Ric Flair often says, “To be the man, you have to beat the man.” Most people don’t have the mentality to want to be “the man”. It takes a special type of individual to want to be the best at what they do. A lot of people say they want to be the best but few want to put the work in to truly be great. Demetri McGill is one of the few that really wants to be the best of the best. “The G.M. (General Manager) that picks me is picking up the best defensive tackle in this draft,” stated McGill.
The 6’1″ 295 pound defensive tackle has always had a drive to be great. He constantly finds motivation to help him play better whether it’s the fact that he didn’t start playing organized football until eighth grade, going against in-state rivals in high school or playing against colleges who didn’t recruit him. There is a chip on McGill’s shoulder that will push him to work at his craft.
Growing up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the athletic big man always thought he would play college football at a big in-state school like Virginia Tech. Even though McGill dominated in high school, recording 112 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 12 sacks during his senior year alone, he was not recruited by Virginia or Virginia Tech. Attending East Carolina University (ECU), the elite defensive tackle took those games against Virginia Tech personally and enjoyed dominating them. He vows to do the same to all the NFL teams that pass on him.
McGill’s motor is endless as he plays until the whistle is blown. His aggression is left out on the field as he keeps a chip on his shoulder. As stout as he is by letting nothing get by him, his quickness allows him to get past the lineman to disrupt the play. The dynamic defensive tackle’s strength is one of his best attributes.
“My leverage and quickness is what separates me from other defensive tackles,” McGill explained. His explosiveness was evident in his pro day numbers, especially his 8-foot 9-inch broad jump in which you don’t usually see for an athlete of McGill’s size.
At ECU, McGill was very productive and he credits that to his technique. “Paying attention to details, watching tape and picking up on the tendencies of the offensive lineman really help,” stated McGill. The talented defensive tackle’s junior season at ECU is where it really came together as his finished the season with 38 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. These numbers are usually hard to accumulate from the defensive tackle position.
The former East Carolina standout has a high respect for great defensive tackles that have come before him and wants to join the ranks of Warren Sapp and Ndamukong Suh one day. Demetri McGill will be coming to a team near you and expects to wreck havoc once he gets there.
Here are his highlights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yixKjT8oMnY