2021 National Scouting Combine Featured Athlete Noah Diaz, RB from Emporia State

Q: Tell us about your college (or pro) career and what the recruiting/scouting process was like. Why did you choose (Enter school name)?

A: My college career was unique when I ran the ball I did it with a purpose and a chip on my shoulder every time. I was talked about as one of the best running back in the KCAC in both of my two years at Friends University, making me their franchise player. I represented that team on billboards as advertisement for the whole city of Wichita to see, and got the job done on the ground game and in special teams’ week in and week out. Getting in done in the classroom brought me to the decision to transfer so that I could play out the remaining of my eligibility. I took my talent to a division two school called Emporia State University, being a walk on I had to deem myself worthy to even be a part of the team. Not only did I become a part of the team, with there being nine other running backs, I showed that I was good enough to make the travel roster week after week for an entire season. As well as play in games they only traveled three backs at a time, when I got my opportunity I produced there as well averaging 8 to 10 yards a carry. The recruiting process was rough I had all the right film and talent to be a division one athlete fresh out of high school, but not the grades causing me to start off at a Junior College that I previously turned down that being Fort Scott Community College.

Q: What would you consider to be your biggest accomplishment in your sports career so far?

A: In high school I played only two years of varsity football, in those two years I earned the honors of being named first team all-state running back, MVP, and in my senior year for our conference being named the big eight running of the year. For college I was a walk on at my junior college because I did not accept the scholarship when it was first presented to me, I would say not getting cut right away while competing against at the time an all-American running back, and serval other backs that were on scholarship at the program is another accomplishment. I ran the ball against numerous great defensive players, some of which that are even playing for NFL right now and had success against them. At Friends, my biggest accomplishment was just being their franchise player and producing for my team night in and out and being name one of the best running backs in the KCAC. Transferring from there to a division two was always my original plan if graduating came closer. I never stop believing that I was good enough to do so, and I made it happen by becoming a walk-on at one of my two options that being Emporia State. My biggest accomplishment there was just becoming a part of a team that the typically would not even take walk-ons in and traveling to every game I was blessed and talented enough to play the five years of college ball that I did.

Q: What do you consider to be one of the more important things you learned from the coaching staff while playing at (Enter school name)?

A: I would say that the most Important thing that I learned from the coaching staff while at Friends, was that you are only going to get out of this what you put into it. I always asked them will scouts from the NFL, CFL, or any type of pros find me here? The answer I got was always they will find you wherever you are so long as you got what it takes to play at the next level. So, the more I put into will lead to the more that I would get out of it, making my work ethic skyrocket at that point. I want to be the best player that I can be and with that there is always room for improvement, so I did not ever stop working towards it even till this day.

Q: How was your career impacted due to the 2020 pandemic and what have you learned from the adversity?

A: My credit hours were coming to the end of their line, transferring to Emporia State I had two years of eligibility left after playing two at Friends. Although a hand full of division two teams got to play half if not more of their in seasons games and almost all of division one as well. Emporia State cancelled their season due to the pandemic, being the walk-on that I was even after traveling to every game the previous season, I still had the impersonation from the coaching staff that I had to prove myself. Long story short instead of taking a sabbatical that some of the other older players were on to extend my classes into the next season, I practiced all through spring ball taking a full semester which led to me graduating with my bachelor’s degree in business administration. Which prevented me from participate in my senior year of football this upcoming football season. I learned that with the passion, love, and will still get better that I have for this game, that I should never give up on my dream, I learned through the heart break and the short depression of losing my last year to keep moving forward.

Q: What was your major and what are your plans if football doesn’t work out?

A: I graduated college with a major in business administration, with my degree I plan to learn and excel as much as I can about being a part of, managing, and one day owning a business of my own. If football does not work out, I still plan on having the generation under me, off to a great financial start, something that I was not able to say I had as a kid. Rather its with football or my degree, in fact it might very well turn out to be both, I know football wont last forever although I want to play for a long time. I will not stop and no matter what it is in, I will work my butt off to assure that what I said above happens. I want to be a motivational example to those who need to believe when you have nothing else, that with some effort, dedication, a plan, and motivation that you can be and do whatever you want in life.

Q: What would your current/past teammates say about you and your qualities?

A: I know that all my past teammates would say that I have a huge personality, that I am easy to be around, and that once you get to know me and can be trusted that I will always have their backs. When I become apart of a football team, the guys on that team automatically become my family and I do not neglect to treat them like it, Ive made all my teammates laugh at one point or another, but outside of the jokester my teammates have said about me that I play with a chip on my shoulder with the determination to get better and be the best guy running the ball at the end of each day.

Q: What has been one of the most memorable plays of your career at any level?

A: I have had a lot; I always tend to make the first guy miss opening the possibility or the potential of a big play. My most memorable plays are those where Ive broken multiple tackles and used my speed to outrun the rest of the defenders to the in zone. I have had my fair (but never enough) share of hurdles, spin moves, stiff arms, trucks, and jukes to set myself up to either move the chains or score a touchdown. If the offensive line does their job, from my memory it did not even have to be perfect, that I could still get it done in the ground game very effectivity.    

Q: What has been your biggest challenge and how do you manage it?

A: I would say my biggest challenge is dealing with a high metabolism, ideally running backs are supposed to be huge like 200 pounds plus. But how I deal with that is just becoming stronger so that I can take a hit and get right back up, or even deliver a blow myself, what I lack in weight I bring speed, vision, finesse, and pure will power to be better than the person across the ball from me. I can gain weight, but financially I am just not in the place where I can afford the type of diet that can overpower my metabolism at this point in time.

Q: If you could compare yourself to a pro athlete, who would that be and why?

A: I would say Adrian Peterson, only because I have heard it from other people’s mouths. I heard things like you run straight up and down like him, but I took that and started really working on my flexibility. As well as things like you run hard like him and you always finish the run and fall forward for those extra yards.

Q: What is your biggest strength that you bring to a professional team and why should pro scouts consider you?

A: The need not the want, but the need for success on and off the field, I strive to better myself every day. I feel like with the proper coaching and just someone that sees and believes in the potential that I present to push me, that I will get better and bring success to whatever team that I am running the ball for. I do not really like doing anything else so when I get the blessing to have football, I cherish it as much as I can, in the classroom I am a quick learner of the playbook because that means that is the quicker, I can be trusted to run the offense and get on the field when my number is called.

Q: Are you involved in mentoring, a charity or do you “give back” or ”pay it forward” in your community?

A: Financially I am not capable of charities often to be honest I am struggling myself, but I give back to the community in a different way holding doors open for people, smiling at them, just being a kind and put you in a good or better mood type of human. I try to spread positivity and be in good nature towards everybody even those that I do not even know, stopping back at my former high school when invited to give the students on the track or football teams talks and encouragement to finish, and emphasizing the importance of staying focused in school.

Q: How are you preparing for the 2021 National Scouting Combine and what are your goals?

A: I am working out every day as well as I stay committed to doing yoga in mornings to work on my flexibility, it has been a lot of snow where I am at so a lot of field work has had to be inside where I can fit it in. I am also working on my explosiveness with squat work and 40 drills like mountain climbers into a sprint, starts, the speed for the three-cone drill. As well as jumping vertically and horizontally as far as I can, I just wake up everyday with a smile on my face knowing I got this opportunity and not letting myself down in my work ethic.

Q: What would be your ultimate achievement?

A: Through the thick and long countless semester of classes while even balancing a job most of the whole time to help pay for school when needed. I would say that my ultimate achievement would be that as a young African American in the United States I conquered the business program through the span of three schools with different classes and professors, and I am a proud owner of a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when not playing football?

A: When not playing football, I enjoy spending time with my dog, being with some of my friends playing pickup games of basketball or something of the manor that is active. Outside of that I like to learn as much as I can about businesses, what it takes to run a business, what are the proper steps to get to that point, where do I start. I like talking to my mother as a young adult versus when I was a teen, as well as meeting and building bonds with new faces, now not so much of that one now because of Covid though. As well as travel I love to see new places that I have never been to before.

Q: If you could make a positive impact on all of society what would it be and why?

A: I want to be some type of motivational speaker to a huge group of people or crowd when I gain my success. You never know who could be listening, I know that I am not the only one that had to struggle growing up as I did with little to no one really believing in me. I just want to touch a soul if not a bunch with inspiration to keep moving forward and to never stop believing in what potential you have as a vessel on this earth.

Q: Who is or has been the most influential person in your life?

A: Very cliché answer but my mother, we originated from Chicago my mom had a total of five children. Her first one did not make it he passed shorty after being birthed, my mom wanted better for her kids to keep us out of the gangs or from ending up dead or in jail. She moved us from Chicago to Wisconsin to give us better options to choose what we do in our lives. Living in Wisconsin is way more expensive then living in Chicago, with that being said I watched my mother struggle from 8^th grade all the way up until the time I finished college. And still counting with arthritis in her bones it has not gotten any easier either, I could never thank my mom enough for the opportunity that she gave me and my brothers at life. To see her struggle to breaking points and countless tears to keep a roof over our head’s homeless shelters or not. As well food in our bellies, I feel like I owe it to her as a forever grateful son to give her happiness for the remaining of her years on this earth. I am determined to get her to a point where she will not have to worry about bills anymore, she deserves a break and I attend with all the power I have to give her just that and nothing less.

Q: What is something unique about you that people would find interesting?

A: I talk fast, but I am good at getting my point across, and how strong I really am pound for pound muscle wise, I am also a hybrid I have a lot of athletic nature in me.

Q: What is your dream job?

A: Well outside of football, my dream job would have to be to have a good tech team to bring some of my inventions that I have in mind to life and start a business of my own behind it. If I do not have my own business from that I would like to be a manger or a CEO of an already existing company somewhere. And try to put the knowledge that I have retained from my degree to great use to bring in more revenue.