Credit:University of Delaware Athletics

Chris Otwell: Do you think the long path you took from backup DB to starting
tailback made you a better player?

Omar Cuff: It was a pretty simple transition since I played running back throughout my entire career.  I do have some defensive back qualities when I played with the Boys & Girls club through high school, as well as my freshman year of college before I switched to RB.  It has helped me as a RB to know how defensive players react in each scheme and to put myself in a better position to make a play, so its definitely helped a whole lot when I made that change.  But it would have worked had I started as a RB also, because given the athlete that I am, I’m able to adjust to a lot of situations and learn, so the transition was very good and very simple.
 
Otwell: What did you learn from the experience in the Division 1-AA playoffs?

Cuff: What I learned about being in the Division 1-AA playoffs is that there is a lot of talent there and you got to make plays when you are in the playoffs.  Since I've played in a playoff game before in college in 2004 when we went to the conference championship, where we lost that game to William and Mary, it helped me to see how competitive the playoffs are versus the regular season, because once you lose there is no tomorrow, so we were basically playing for our playoff lives.

Otwell: Are you worried about the step up from Div 1-AA competition to the NFL level?

Cuff: Not worried at all, but I do recognize that there is a lot of talent there, and the competition is going to be great, but I actually look forward the challenge.
 
Otwell: What are you doing to prepare yourself for the NFL draft process?

Cuff: I’m doing everything that I can to be able to go out there and succeed. I'm working on a wide variety of everything, that will make me a better player and be prepared for that next level of play, and that includes my speed, my agility, everything.

Otwell: Has playing with other NFL caliber players such as Ben Patrick and Joe Flacco helped your development?

Cuff: Most definitely!  Playing with those guys has opened my eyes to understanding the game of football a whole lot better.  Having a great receiving corps, a great offensive line, and a great QB that can throw opened a whole lot of opportunities for everyone of us to be able to go out there and make a play.  It’s very essential for every player on the field to make a play so that will all be successful, and to show that every position is as important as the other.

Otwell: If you could tell NFL teams what type of running back they would be selecting in you, what are some of the things you’d like to tell them?

Cuff: I’d like to tell them that I'm a player that has a lot of heart, a great work ethic, and loves to work hard and compete.  I'm also a person that is very humble, and shows good character on and off the field because you don’t want a guy that is going to present himself as dishonorable.  I am someone that is going to represent the team in a higher standard, and that’s the kind of guy that I am.

Otwell: You have a really nice resume in your time at Delaware, specifically being the first back to lead the team in rushing all 4 years, being selected as a Walter Payton Award nominee, playing in a national title game, and the list goes on and on.  What would you say is the one accomplishment that you hold nearest to you heart on a personal level?

Cuff: I hold every last one because of how much I enjoyed my college career, I don’t look at anything with a bad side because everything is a learning experience.  It was a great experience for me to go through, during my time at Delaware and as a RB and being part of a team of unselfish players that just goes out there and work hard. I take pride in that, and thank everyone there that was a part of the team.  My entire career at UD was just a great experience for me.

Otwell: If you were to compare your game to any RB in the NFL, who would that player be and why?

Cuff: I have a wide variety of guys that I compare myself to like Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Warrick Dunn, and Brian Westbrook, and maybe even a little bit of Walter Payton’s little brother.  I kind of combine that all together, I feel like I can do it all from running through the line, to showing my great receiving skills, that’s what I do.  

Otwell: What do you think separates you from other NFL RB prospects?

Cuff: What I think makes me stand out is my size. I have proved that I have what it takes to do just as much and even better than any other RB, and I have what it takes to go out there and compete.