Kenneth Murray wows Jerry Jones, Cowboys personnel in pre-draft interview

Kenneth Murray is a physical freak of nature, and if that wasn't evident over his three superior seasons at Oklahoma, it certainly became evident at the NFL combine.

Nevertheless, it's not just Murray's physical prowess that has scouts and GM's drooling. The former Sooner's character has left a conspicuous mark on NFL executives as well.

In a video interview that the Cowboys later released on social media, Murray wowed Jerry Jones and several other team personnel on the call with his response to a retrospective question from Jones. The famed Dallas owner asked Murray to discuss a challenge he faced that helped shape him as a person and a football player.

"[When I was] around the age of eleven, my parents adopted three special-needs kids," Murray responded. "So that pushed my parents into more than 25, 30 doctor's appointments a week just to be able to get the kids the proper help that they need."

As the oldest child, Murray said that the experience projected a significant responsibility onto him.

"That was a time where my parents were leaning on me a lot," he continued. "It forced me to be what you guys see on the field right now... a kid that just goes out and just gets it for himself. I've always been a self-starter. I think that's a direct by-product of... what I went through as a kid."

And indeed, Murray has gone out and gotten it for himself. Mike Stoops pushed him into action as a true freshman in 2017, and he rapidly blossomed into one of the premier defenders in college football and the emotional patriarch of the Sooner defense.

After amassing 334 tackles in his three seasons with Oklahoma, Murray will in all likelihood earn a first-round draft selection later this month. He and LSU's Patrick Queen are widely considered the top interior linebackers in the draft class.

His 4.52 40-yard time and 38-inch vertical at the NFL combine certainly helped improve his draft stock, but athleticism is a constant among top NFL draft prospects. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a player with a perspective like Murray's. As the older brother to three special-needs siblings, he's got a different understanding of what leadership and maturity look like.

"I wouldn't say it's more so a setback, I'd say it's more so a blessing," Murray remarked. "If you look at it the way my family has, it is a blessing."

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