Player Spotlight: Interview with Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State

Interview with NDSU OT Dillon Radunz

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North Dakota State offensive tackle made his 32nd consecutive and final start at left tackle for the Bison during their lone ‘Showcase Game’ against Central Arkansas. From the moment Radunz stepped on a High School football field as a junior, his athleticism and size stood out. Dillon played both ways for Becker High in Minnesota, starting at left tackle and defensive end. At Fargo, he proved to be an athletic, smooth pass protector with prototype height. Radunz announced during fall camp that he would graduate in December and pursue a professional football career, rather than returning for the spring Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule. There is a real possibility that he hears his name called on Day One of the 2021 NFL Draft. Get to know the mammoth mauler in our one-on-one interview with the FCS stud!

What was it like growing up in your hometown?

It was just a small town north of Minneapolis that was surrounded by farm fields. Grew up knowing nothing but sports and the town was electric for Friday night lights. Did a lot of hunting also, along with many days at the lakes either fishing or doing water sports.

What type of leadership intangibles will you bring to the locker room?

I like to lead by example and am an open book to my teammates. Honesty and integrity are huge to me. I’ll always be there for my teammates on and off the field and love to push guys to their maximum potential while also receiving that same notion from them.

When an NFL scout pops in your game film, what type of player should he expect to see?

A player who loves to play the game from an analytical view. Someone who has respect for the game and his opponent but plays aggressively to achieve his objective.

What area of your game did you work upon improving during the offseason?

Working on improving all areas of my game with a focus on my hand placement and playing with a low pad level.

“I still contend Dillon could have been a starting three-technique for the Bison if we hadn’t moved him to the offensive line, with the tools and the things that he showed out of high school and coming to camp, that’s how athletic this young man is.” -- North Dakota State Head Coach Matt Entz On Offensive Tackle Dillon Radunz

Who has been the toughest opponent you have faced thus far in your career, how did you fare?

The toughest opponent I have faced individually was a Western Illinois DT Khalen Saunders but the toughest team I have faced would be James Madison in 2019. I believe I fared well against these opponents and was able to become a better player by seeing the weaknesses they exploited on film and then fixing them.

Name a point during your college career when you had to overcome adversity. What did you learn from that experience?

My redshirt freshman year I tore my ACL 15 plays into my college

career. I learned a lot about myself as a man and as a player when I had to rebuild some of the progress that I had already made.

What is something people might not know about you or something that separates you from other players?

Something that will separate me from other players is that my drive doesn’t come from a perspective that I need to do this for me but instead from a perspective that I do this for everyone else. I truly believe that if you’re not making someone else’s life better than you are wasting your time. For me it’s about protecting my teammates, loving the fans, and giving back to the community. So when it comes down to it I will put in the work that needs to be done so I won’t let my fellow offensive lineman down, so that the ball carrier can obtain his goals of either yardage or touchdowns, so that the quarterback can do his job without fear of being hit and so the team can achieve its goal to perform to the highest of standards. But most importantly, to be a positive reflection onto all people that may be watching the way I play football.