What Dontay Corleone Overcame to Reach this NFL Draft Moment Is Staggering

Cincinnati defensive tackle Dontay Corleone overcame adversity en route to his NFL Draft journey. Diagnosed with a blood clot in 2024, he wondered if his career was over. Through the support of Cincinnati and its staff, Corleone made a full recovery and returned to play an impactful role during the 2025 season. He now awaits his NFL Draft moment with momentum at his back.

Corleone recently spoke exclusively with NFL Draft On SI. Corleone discussed overcoming that health scare, his deep connection with the University of Cincinnati and its people, stopping the run at a high level, and more.

NFL Draft Interview: Rooting for Cincinnati DT Dontay Corleone

JM: You dealt with a scary situation in 2024 when a blood clot diagnosis created some uncertainty over your future. Thankfully, you fought through it. How did that situation change your outlook on football and life in general?

Dontay Corleone: It was very hard at the beginning stages. For that to happen to me at such a young age, I obviously wasn’t really expecting that type of thing to happen. It definitely threw me for a loop.

I would say it was more of a shock than anything. I thought my career was probably over because I didn't have any history or knowledge with this type of thing. I knew it was serious. So just going through that process with my trainer Aaron Himmler, he devised a game plan for me to go to North Carolina and see a specialist.

They told me I'd still be able to play. So just having a good support system at Cincinnati helped out a lot. If I was anywhere else, I don't think they would have handled it the right way. I had a great support system from the media staff, training staff, from head to toe. Cincinnati was behind me all the way. Just having all of those guys behind me went a long way.

JM: You're from Cincinnati. You played 44 games for the hometown program. I understand you have a deep connection with the city and program. How did that help get you through it?

Dontay Corleone: My mom wasn’t that far away. So just having my mom there, having my sister and brothers there, also just having the city feel like part of my family, it all played a role.

I remember I was shopping at Kroger and I had my hood on because I didn’t want anybody to recognize me. I wasn’t ready to socialize yet. At that time, people just knew I was out indefinitely. I don’t think anybody really knew what was going on.

I was having anxiety. This lady just approached me out of nowhere and asked if I was Dontay Corleone. She just told me she was praying for me. I swear, it felt like a dark cloud was lifted. I was like wow, I know this city and this program, they’re really supporting me through this.

I didn’t feel judged or anything like that. So just having that support system, like I said, just being here for four-five years, they really supported me through all things. The love I was receiving is another reason why I never transferred out.

Dontay Corleone - NFL Draft — Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cincinnati defensive lineman Dontay Corleone (DL07) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

JM: Your connection runs deep. You leave Cincinnati with 17 career tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. You're a high-level run stopper. Talk to me about the pride you take in that. It doesn't always pop up on the stat sheet. You have to be very selfless.

Dontay Corleone: My stats suffered a little bit due to an inkle injury. But I was still out there making an impact. You know, if I’m out there, the offense just isn’t going to run the ball up the middle.

They have to respect me and what I’ve put on tape over the last couple of years. So just me throwing my body out there, even though I'm not 100%, I was still making an impact. I was trying to help free up my other guys like Jake Golday to make plays.

We knew we had another full year, 2025 together. I wasn’t surprised that Jake Golday had such a fantastic year. I was doing my job at a high level by holding those double teams. A lot of people get paid in the NFL just to demolish those double teams.

So just knowing the situation of what guys get paid to do in the NFL is my thought process. Also, just being violent in everything I do, if I'm not able to be disruptive, I have to be selfless and help my teammates make a play. So if my teammates are making plays, I know I'm getting paid too. So just having pride and joy and having fun seeing other people win, that's the kind of mindset I go into.

Dontay Corleone -NFL — Oct 4, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats defensive lineman Dontay Corleone walks off the field after defeating the Iowa State Cyclones at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

JM: You’ve done that at a high level. You push the pocket as a pass rusher too.

Dontay Corleone: I’m learning a lot more about how to get to the quarterback. I’m always just working on becoming a more complete player and that obviously means rushing the passer.

I just need to play my game at a high level. I’m looking forward to getting into an NFL locker room with a guy who can help me take those next steps. You know, if I get into a locker room with say Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs, a guy of that caliber, I know I can pick his brain and ask him for pointers on rushing the passer.

I’m excited to pick the minds of my veteran teammates. I think that’ll go a long way.

JM: Have you met with any NFL teams throughout this pre-draft process? How's that been treating you?

Dontay Corleone: I met with the Detroit Lions. I had a formal interview with the Lions at the NFL Combine. I’ve pretty much shut it down [physically]. I haven’t done any private workouts or anything like that. I’m getting healthy. I think teams know and understand that. They’ve also been scouting me for a long time. They know who I am.

I had medical rechecks in Indianapolis.

JM: We've appreciated your time today. What kind of impact is Dontay Corleone going to make at the next level?

Dontay Corleone: I’m going to be a great teammate in the locker room. I want to be one of the good guys in the NFL. I’m a very selfless player. I’ve been on a College Football Playoff team. I’ve also been on a struggling team. I’m always the same guy.

I’m going to play for a long time in the league. I’m going to be somebody my teammates want to be around. Win, lose or draw, I’m going to motivate the team. I’m going to show up to work as a consistent player.

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