Recently, I got the pleasure of interviewing Miami’s new Defensive End, Quincy Roche
Roche is a 6’4″, 235 lb Defensive End, from Owings Mills, Maryland. Coming out of high school, Roche was a three star prospect. He held only 6 offers from schools like App State, Temple, Pittsburgh, and more. He decided to commit to Temple University on November 12, 2015.
Roche redshirted his freshman year, and started making a name for himself in his redshirt junior season.
He finished his 2019 season with forty nine tackles, nineteen TFL, thirteen sacks, five PD, and one FF. Roche was awarded the AAC Defensive Player of the Year for his tremendous season, as well as an All-American selection by Sports Illustrated.
After three seasons with Temple, Roche decided to use his last year of eligibility and transfer to Miami. ESPN ranks Roche as the top returning Edge Rusher for the 2020-21 season. *Interview was done over Instagram DM
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Q: You were a 3 star recruit coming out of high school. You had offers from Temple, Pittsburgh, App State, and others. What were some reasons why you chose to commit to Temple?
For what it’s worth, I had 1 star until the day I committed. I really bought into what the coaches were saying and believed in the team. There aren’t many locker rooms in the country like Temple in terms of a family atmosphere.
Q: Which player in the NFL, past or present, would you say you model your game after?
That is always the toughest question for me to answer simply because I try to be the best me everyday. It’s hard to emulate your game based on another style when you are trying to be the best version of YOU.
Q: After three seasons at Temple, you decided to use your last year of eligibility to transfer to the University of Miami. Was that a hard decision, and why did you choose to transfer?
Very hard! It was an emotional decision because I had developed such a close relationship with my team and put in so much sweat equity. But, ultimately my family and I thought it’d be best if I finished this year somewhere else.
Q: You’ve accomplished many great things at Temple. You were the 2019 AAC Defensive Player of the Year, and were named an All American by Sports Illustrated. What has been your favorite accomplishment in your career and why?
The year I red shirted and we won the championship. I learned so much from that year. Even though I didn’t play, I was the biggest cheerleader on the sideline.
Q: You have played three years in college football, and have faced some great players. Who would you say is the best player you have played against so far in your career?
The best Offensive Lineman I’ve played against would be Mike McGlinchey. The Best Player, maybe Saquon Barkley.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about playing with Miami this upcoming season?
Just the opportunity to get out there with the guys. Game-days look fun, I used to watch Miami a lot growing up so I’m just happy to be a part of such a culture and be a part of such a great team. Hopefully we get to win a championship.
Thanks to Quincy for taking the time to do this interview!
Photo: News Break
