Current Ole Miss DT Commit Jamiyus Pittman Talks About Why He is Giving Michigan State a Look
Current Ole Miss DT Commit Jamiyus Pittman Talks About Why He is Giving Michigan State a Look
Q: He is a great player and a better kid. That’s probably wrong to call you a kid, but you’re a kid to this old guy. Is that fair?
A: Yes sir.
Q: Good to have you on the show. Thanks for your time tonight.
A: Thank you.
Q: You have a real passion for the game of football, don’t you?
A: Yes sir.
Q: Where does that come from, Jamiyus?
A: I’ve been playing since I was like 6. So I guess it just became a way of life.
Q: Do you come from a family of athletes? Are your parents athletes?
A: No sir. I just started early. I just liked sports.
Q: Do you play any other sports? You also have very good footwork that shows your athleticism.
A: I play basketball.
Q: How tall are you? I’ve heard a lot of different listings on you, anywhere between 6’1†and 6’3â€.
A: I’m about 6’2â€.
Q: And how much do you weigh right now?
A: 286.
Q: You are presently committed to Ole Miss, a great school. Michigan State recently came in and offered you. Does Michigan State have a chance to possibly get you?
A: Oh, yes sir. I’m about to schedule an official visit, maybe next week sometime.
Q: Who’s your recruiter?
A: Coach Tressel and Coach Warner.
Q: What was it about them that convinced you to give Michigan State a look, Jamiyus?
A: The way they act. They were just telling me before they offered me they had to see what type of person I was. I understood that 100%. You can’t just go and offer somebody that you don’t know their background. You don’t know what type of person they are.
Q: I was told by someone at your school that the best way to get you to play football somewhere is for them to see you a person and not a football player. Is that true?
A: Yes sir.
Q: Did that stick out to you when Michigan State talked to you?
A: Yes sir.
Q: How involved is your family in this recruiting? Are they letting you do what you want or are you bouncing a lot of things off of them?
A: My parents are involved a pretty good bit. They just told me that it’s up to me, it’s my decision.
Q: I have several friends that live in Pike County. Are you near Pike County?
A: Oh no, that’s about 4 hours away.
Q: I’ve got buddies that live there that always send me pecan rolls. You gotta love the good food in Georgia, don’t ya?
A: Yes sir!
Q: I’ve heard that you don’t mind the recruiting process, but you don’t like people trying to sell you. You like real people. Has that been a frustrating part of the recruiting process?
A: Sometimes. I feel like I can tell when somebody’s just trying to sell it. You know what I’m saying? Not being 100% real. I feel like I can tell when they’re doing it.
Q: Have you always been athletic? Is that a God-given gift or is it something you’ve had to work to perfect?
A: It’s a God-given gift. I wasn’t this big when I was younger, so I guess I just stuck with it. And I just stayed this weight, like this.
Q: You’re very quick. You have a very good first step. Again, is that God-given or have you had great coaching at the high school level?
A: Yeah, I have great coaching at my high school level. They coached me up on first step, my steps and all that.
Q: Another thing you do very well is to shed blockers very well. How have you perfected that? Is that coaching, practice… Have other people told you about how good you shed blocks?
A: A little bit. I’ve just been working with my coaches. And even in my spare time sometimes at school I work on it. I just feel like I gotta know how to do it in order to play at the next level.
Q: The fact that Michigan State consistently has the top 5 in defense and put guys in the NFL, does that get your attention or is there other things that you’re looking for?
A: That get my attention, that they have one of the top defenses in the nation. That gets my attention.
Q: I hear great things about you as a person. I assume that comes from your parents keeping you grounded. Am I reading that right?
A: Yes sir.
Q: I’ve also been told that your mother is a wonderful lady, but there’s no coach in the world that you will fear more than mom. What is it about mom?
A: She’s mom. She’s been doing it since I came out. You always gotta be scared of your mama.
Q: Obviously mom and dad have done a very good job with you as a person and not just a football player. What do they mean to you?
A: Well, my mom played some basketball. But she just kept me straight. They never let me get out of hand. They just stayed on me about school and things like that.
Q: Do you know what you wanna major in, Jamiyus?
A: No, not yet.
Q: I’ve heard that being a student is important to you too. Is that accurate?
A: Yes sir.
Q: Talk about being a student and what it’s gonna mean to you when you walk across that stage one day and get yourself a degree.
A: That’s gonna mean so much. No matter how good I am, I’m graduating. I don’t care… I’m gonna get my education first before I do anything.
Q: I wanna make sure I heard you right…you may try to come up next week?
A: I said I was gonna schedule it next week.
Q: Ok. So when you go on a visit, what are the things you’re looking for when you step foot on a campus?
A: I wanna see how the people act, the people that I have to be around when I’m not doing football. I wanna see how the players interact with each other. That’s about it.
Q: You wanna find that family feel, I assume?
A: Yes sir.
Q: People that know you talk about your commitment to your community and to little kids. Will you talk about being a leader and a man that young kids in your community can look up to?
A: I really don’t know, but I can just tell I’m doing something right. I act like I’m not even a big time football player. I play with them every time I see kids. I like it, so…
Q: Congratulations. You’re a fine young man.
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