Local paper publishes an interview with his DL coach. I edited out the parts partaining to Nebraska-lean Simi Kuli.
Kearney Hub - Huskers hoping for two Calif. junior college players to fill out ’08 recruiting class
Quote:
Q — How about Justin Thompson?
A — “I never coached anyone as big and dominant as him. I would compare Justin to Jesse Mahelona, who played at Orange Coast and went to Tennessee. He is in the pros now.”
Q — What are the strong points on Thompson?
A — “It is his strength. He is 6-5 and 290 pounds. … Once he gets going 100 miles an hour, he is an extremely talented individual.”
Q — What does he have to work on?
A — “Oh, wow! Once he gets to working … I would just say the same thing as Simi. Both kids are extremely talented. Both kids need to work on their game. They are so young and have a ton of energy. It is just keep working on those small things to be great and keep realizing that every play is a chance to make a play and to be difference makers”
Q — Was there a play or plays that come to mind immediately where he really stood out over the others on the team?
A — “To show you how good he was; Justin was the only freshman that was All-Mission Conference. That is a huge honor there as a freshman. He was always getting double-teamed and he got every single vote when it came up for all-conference. He was twice Mission Player of the Week. He was nominated four times for player of the week."
“Justin is a space eater. He is the prototypical tackle. He is the prototypical nose tackle or inside football player. He is 6-4 1/2 or 6-5 and he weighed in at an even 290 pounds this week when we weighed our guys in. He gets great push and takes on double teams and plays extremely hard. When he has to pass rush, he pass rushes. “
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