2023 NFL Draft Interview: Longhorns’ DeMarvion Overshown

First Round Mock had the opportunity to sit down with University of Texas’ star linebacker DeMarvion Overshown courtesy of Exos.

Every year, many of the very best prospects choose Exos to help them prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine.

This year that event will be at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis February 28 – March 6.

Exos has 20 years of experience with combine and pro day training. It’s the choice to make a lasting impression. They’ve worked with 1,085 draft choices, including 206 first-round picks.

“The combine is more than physical.”

Exos specializes in four specific areas helping the prospects prepare:

-Performance Evaluation

-Performance Training

-Physical Therapy

-Nutritional Support

Q: How has Exos been helping you to prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine?

Overshown: They’ve been taking care of me so well, getting faster, getting stronger, being able to get used to being uncomfortable, because that’s how it is as far as running the 40 [yard-dash], doing drills that you’ve never done before, knowing you have a lot of eyes on you. Basically, they’ve done a lot helping me get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Like I said, I feel stronger, I feel faster, and they take care of their guys here. I’m glad I was able to join this Exos’ family.

Q: One of the things that stands out to me watching you on game film is how fast you are, that straight-line speed and that burst you have. In what ways has Exos been getting you better, like what kind of drills are you going through, what are they doing as far as speed training is concerned?

Overshown: Nic [Hill] has worked with the best of the best, anytime you get a chance to take in any information from him, it just sticks to you. How he breaks it down as far as running position, knee drive, and stuff like that. It is just small things like that, but when he breaks it down to you and you actually see yourself doing it when you’re watching yourself on camera, and you feel more explosive. Then it goes into the weight room with Keegan [Ross], the Plyos we do a lot of quick movement and quick power movement, just getting used to springing off the ground, and being able to change direction real fast, and explode off the ball. [I’ve] been working on those things like the explosion with the Plyos is something we do every day. It’s helping me get even more explosive and even more second-gear, that second-gear you see on film. I feel even more explosive now than when I got here.

Q: What would your coaches at Texas say is your greatest strength as a linebacker?

Overshown: The greatest strength is the speed I play with, and being able to diagnose plays and react to them. Sometimes, I find myself in some funny positions, but with my athletic ability and versatility, I’m able to still make a play happen, being able to be in the middle of the defense and play sideline to sideline, I feel like one thing they would say would make me stand out in front of some of the other linebackers that you might see in this class, is being able to get sideline to sideline, and do more than just play in the box and play the run.

Q: What is an NFL team getting when they draft you and bring you into the locker-room?

Overshown: They are going to get a guy who loves the game of football. I tell them all the time football is something that I play because I feel I owe the game. It’s not because of the benefits that come with it or anything like that. Football has saved me, and it’s gotten me to a point where I’m able to take care of my family, and doing those things I love doing. So, I say what a team is going to get out of me, they’re going to get somebody who shows up to work everyday and does what he needs to do to help the team win. They’re going to get a team guy, who’s going to look out for his teammates, he’s going to look out for his brother, they’re never going to have to worry about him putting the team in harms’ way or him putting himself before the team, it’s always going to be he’s doing what’s best for this team, and what’s best for this organization.

Q: Please tell us about a time you had to overcome adversity?

Overshown: There’s been plenty of times, but really just growing up and watching my mom make the sacrifices that she had to make being a single mother, raising four kids around the same age, seeing my mom come home from work late, crying, feet hurting, hands hurting, but making a way, putting food on the table for us and making us feel like we had more than we actually had, seeing that growing up really pushed me, it allowed me to see that work ethic from my mom, I feel like it was just given to me. I would say just the way I grew up with some adversity I had to deal with. It’s just something I never forget. It really drives me to want to be great and want to play football for as long as I can. I love football that much and that adversity really drove me to be this person that I am.

Q: Is mom going to be by your side on draft day?

Overshown: Oh she is. She’s going to be right next to me. It’s going to be mom and my son in my lap.

Q: What do you think it’s going to be like for you on that day?

Overshown: Everyday I envision it different. I do know one thing for certain, my family is going to be right beside me, but every day I envision what it’s going to feel like getting that phone call, seeing my name going across the bottom of the screen. It’s one of those things you never know until it happens, but I envision that moment every day. I’m blessed. A lot of people dream of this situation and dream of being in this position, and I was blessed enough to be here. I just want to make my mom proud.

Q: What’s going through your mind when you’re in the tunnel before you come out for a game?

Overshown: Just go out there and do what you love to do. I just look at football as something I love to do. It’s never been ‘you got to do this to take care of your family,’ or ‘you got to do this to take care of yourself.’ It’s just one of those things I love to do. I’m always excited to go on the field no matter if it’s just special teams, defense, no matter if I’m hand clapping or patting someone on the ass on the sideline. I’m excited about football. I love football that much. When I get an opportunity to play, it’s nothing but excitement.

Q: What’s going through your mind pre-snap before a play?

Overshown: If I’m not making the play, I’m putting myself in a position my teammate can make the play. Before each snap I’m going through my reads and I’m going through all that. As soon as the ball is snapped, it’s all about being the first one to the ball, or being close to the ball when the play is over for me.

Q: What’s it like to play against Alabama’s quarterback Bryce Young?

Overshown: He just makes plays that didn’t look like they were there. Throughout the game, especially on that last drive, you get that thought through your head, ‘Okay, I see why he won the Heisman last year.’ He’s one of those guys he’s able to make plays when there’s nothing there. I can’t wait to watch him in the league because those kinds of players usually play for a long time, and they win championships. A guy like that, as smart as he is, and knowing football and loving football like he does, you really don’t get too many of them, so getting the chance to play against him, compete against him, it was one of the best things ever. I’m excited to see his future.

Q: Do you have friends in the league who have told you what to expect in the NFL?

Overshown: I do, I’ve got a couple friends in the NFL. They let you know it’s a job and there’s a million other people who want your spot, and you’ve got to come in every day with that mindset that I’m getting better every day, I’m here to work, I’m here to help my team win a championship, and that’s it no matter if that’s rookie minicamp, training camp, or pre-season, you’ve got to come in with that mindset that I’m here to stay, I’m here to win, and somebody’s got to take my job. I’m not just going to come here and give it up.

Q: Did you have a favorite NFL team growing up?

Overshown: Growing up, I was actually a 49ers’ fan. I grew up around a whole bunch of Cowboys’ fans. I was the little outsider. When I got to college, it was really about whoever is going to take me in the draft. That’s going to be my favorite team.

Q: At Texas, how much of an emphasis was there on technique?

Overshown: When I first moved to linebacker my junior year, it was kind of a weird situation because that was Covid, so I had missed the whole Spring and the whole Summer, so I really got three weeks of real training at linebacker before the season started. It really wasn’t technique. It was learning the scheme and playing fast. As I started playing the position more, it was more, now you have to figure out how to defeat blocks, how you have to win before the play even starts, even if that’s like winning before by alignment, or looking at your keys, and noticing different things about that. So, I’d say fundamentally and technically, it was really just about block shedding and reading through your keys.

Q: What is your why?

Overshown: My family, mom, my son, my brother, and my sisters. My family. I grew up in an area in a town where there was a bunch of ‘this guy could’ve, or or he could’ve or he should’ve and not enough he’s done it,’ so that really was my motivation and my grind to really get to this point. My family has gone through a lot, and me having this opportunity, I wasn’t not going to take advantage of it and I’m a family man, so whatever I’ve got to do to take care of my family, that’s what I’m going to do. Football was just, I love football, and it got me here, so I just took it and ran with it.

Q: What’s it going to be like for you the first time you walk into that NFL locker room and you see your last name over a locker, and you reach up, and you take that helmet down with that logo on, and you put that on, and it’s go time, it’s your first day of practice, you put that helmet on, what’s that moment going to be like when you envision that moment, what’s that going to be like for you the first time you strap that chin strap and you have an NFL helmet on?

Overshown: It’s hard to say what I’m going to feel like at that point of time because like I said, I envision this kind of stuff all the time, but I know somewhere deep down in here I’m going to feel a little relief, not because I’ve made it, not because I’m wherever I’m getting drafted to, but it’s going to be because of how much I worked, and seeing it really paid off, and just being in the environment that I dreamed of being in since I was seven years old is when I started playing football. It’s just going to be one of those moments. I might shed a tear seeing the helmet, but I’m just going to be so thankful and so grateful for the opportunity to get to play at this level. I’m going to be excited at the same time.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.