Alex Khvatov:  I have to start off with this question, where does the nickname “Ziggy” come from?

Evander Hood:  I am half Mexican and half black, and my grandmother nicknamed me Ziggy because it was easier for her to say.  She couldn’t say Evander.  She couldn’t pronounce it.  After that it just stuck, and everybody called me that for as long as I could remember.
 

Alex Khvatov:  What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?  

Evander Hood:  Right now I am 6’3”, 298 pounds.  I will find out my 40 time when I get to the combine.  I ran a 4.7 as a freshman.      
 

Alex Khvatov:  You were a highly regarded athlete coming out of high school in Texas, what programs showed the most interest in you?  

Evander Hood:  Missouri, UTEP, Baylor, TCU and West Texas A&M – a small D-I school. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  What made you choose the Missouri Tigers?

Evander Hood:  Well, they played in the Big 12 which gets a lot of recognition.  I was pursuing an NFL dream.  It was only a 10 hour drive from home, and I could get home in one day. 

Alex Khvatov:  You have added a lot of strength since the first time you set foot on the campus, how were able to transform your body?

Evander Hood:  Pretty much just doing a lot of weight training.  I was committed to the strength aspect of the game.  I watched my nutrition.  We didn’t have a serious weight training program in high school.  When I got to Missouri, I pretty much took everything in stride.  I got stronger, faster and they changed me from DE to DT.  I was recruited as a DE.  But I was already weighing in 240 or 250 pounds, so I was destined for a DT position.
 

Alex Khvatov:  What were your expectations from a team and personal standpoint coming into this season?

Evander Hood:  Coming into the season, we wanted to win all of the games.  We wanted to be the best defense in the nation.  We have a lot of pride.  We wanted it to make it to the top.  We wanted to make the National Championship Game.  I wasn’t disappointed with the season.  We had 10 wins and made to the Bowl Game which we won.  I had the chance to go to four straight Bowl Games all four years that I was here.
 

Alex Khvatov:  How has Missouri been able to become such a powerhouse lately?

Evander Hood:  We have a lot of athletes here.  We work hard starting in the spring and leading up to the summer to those two a day practices.  We feel that we can do anything and accomplish it.  Since I got here, all of the players have had that mindset.  The program should stay on top, and Missouri should be in the Top 25 every year. 

Alex Khvatov:  How would you rate your performance during your senior campaign?

Evander Hood:  I would rate it as very good.  There were some disappointing moments and missed tackles.  I had great production this year.  I recorded a lot of tackles and I am now in the top 10 at Missouri in sacks.  I made a lot of strides and improvement.  I have become a better player.
 

Alex Khvatov:  Describe your Senior Bowl experience.

Evander Hood:  It was an honor to participate in something like that.  I was going against the best.  I also found what I need to work on.  I focused on my weaknesses.  I know that I need to work a little harder.  I think that I made a good mark. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  What did you learn abut yourself during that particular week?

Evander Hood:  I took a lot of good points.  It was a real experience at the NFL level.  They point out your weaknesses and help you improve your stock.  You are going against the best players in the nation.  It was exciting.
 

Alex Khvatov:  How are you preparing for the Scouting Combine?

Evander Hood:  I am training at Chip Smith’s Competitive End Sports.  It has been a competitive environment here.  Everyone wants to achieve the same goal here in getting to the NFL.  All of the partying is out the window.  Everyone wants be drafted and make the team.  We all want to make each other better.   

Alex Khvatov:  Tell me about your former teammate quarterback Chase Daniel. 

Evander Hood:  For a guy his size, he is very feisty.  He has that swagger and keeps it on the same playing field.  He performs when it matters the most.  He is a playmaker.  He goes out there and gets us the win.  I wish the best to him.  I hope that people don’t overlook his size.  He is a student of the game.  He will go out and perform.  He works hard.  He should go out there and earn himself a spot. 

Alex Khvatov:  What can you tell me about your other teammate safety William Moore?

Evander Hood:  You know, he is a great, physical guy.  He is weighing in at 225 pounds.  He can run and compete with the best of them.  He was a great leader at Missouri.  He is very passionate and very humble at the same time.  He should go high in the draft.     

Alex Khvatov:  What are your strengths on the football field?  

Evander Hood:  I feel that I bring a lot of energy to the defense.  I also bring quickness and passion to go and play.  I have a high motor.  I play to the end.  If something doesn’t go my way, I shrug it off and look to next play.  I focus on the next play and not focus on my mistakes.   

Alex Khvatov:  What areas of your game do you need to improve upon?

Evander Hood:  Coming from the Big 12, a lot of teams used zoning plays.  It leads to the 3-technique DT having bad tendencies.  In the NFL, it is all about downhill running plays.  I need to work on my lateral steps, hand placement, better leverage.  I need to fight through double teams.  I need to be able to take on double teams and hopefully make big plays. 

Alex Khvatov:  What defensive scheme are you best suited for?

Evander Hood:  I feel like I am a 3-technique that gets up field.  I cause havoc in the backfield.  I work hard and adjust to the scheme.  I make myself better and the team as well.

Alex Khvatov:  What is the most memorable moment of your college career?

Evander Hood:  I know that I will take away my first sack against Baylor my freshman year.  That meant a lot to me and set the tone to the rest of my career.  I am in the top 10 in sack here which I am proud of.     
 

Alex Khvatov:  Who is the one player in the NFL that you would compare your game to?

Evander Hood:  I see myself as a Tommie Harris type.  He is around 300 pounds, but he plays with the attitude and domination.  He makes plays.         
 

Alex Khvatov:  What is your favorite NFL team?

Evander Hood:  I have to say the Denver Broncos.  Back when it was Terrell Davis and John Elway, Ed McCaffrey, Shannin Sharpe, Ian Gold and Trevor Pryce, they all played with the passion.  They introduced me to the NFL.  Mike Shanahan is a very good coach who produced a lot of good players.           
 

Alex Khvatov:  Who is your favorite player?

Evander Hood:  DeMarcus Ware plays with a passion that is unmatched.  When he was at Troy, he was killing our offensive lineman in 2004.  He was a raw talent out there.  Now he is a monster and a beast.      
 

Alex Khvatov:  Who is the toughest player that you have faced during your career?

Evander Hood:  it would probably be Duke Robinson of OU.  You know it is hard to get around him.  He is too big.  He should go high in the draft.      
 

Alex Khvatov:  Which underclassman on your team should we keep an eye on in the future?

Evander Hood:  Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon.  He has the passion for the game.  He is athletic.  His size, motor, speed and love for the game are evident.  He is a Ray Lewis type of player.  He steps up when we needed him the most.  He makes plays to lift the entire defense.  I was a captain this year, but I was led by him because I saw him as a captain of the defense.     
 

Alex Khvatov:  What do you enjoy most about playing football?

Evander Hood:  I mean it is the emotion of playing the game.  The feeling that you get when you make a play, there is nothing else like it.  It is just a feeling.  It is something that you have to experience.  When you make a sack, you get this warm and fiery sensation.        
 

Alex Khvatov:  Does it matter to you where you are picked in this upcoming NFL Draft?

Evander Hood:  At this point, I don’t care.  I will make an impact either way.  Look at LB James Harrison.  He was cut three times by the Steelers and one time by the Ravens.  Now he is the Defensive MVP.  He proved that you can overcome anything and earn a spot on the team.     
 

Alex Khvatov:  I hear that you are a very good student in the classroom, how important is education to you?

Evander Hood:  Everybody in my family graduated from college.  They earned their degrees.  It was important to me to get a degree.  I have to stay smart because football doesn’t last forever.  General Agriculture is the degree that I got.     
 

Alex Khvatov:  What do you plan to do with your life after football?

Evander Hood:  I would love to use all my experiences and help kids.  I want them to have the same chance as me.  I want to make better players out of them.         
 

Alex Khvatov:  What are your hobbies?

Evander Hood:  I love playing X-Box.  I love fishing.  I love building Gundams action figures.  It was a childhood hobby of mine.  It kept me out of trouble.     
 

Alex Khvatov:  What makes you unique?

Evander Hood:  I really hard work.  I am not a partying guy.  I try to do the right things.  I try to do the little things.  I try to enjoy life as itself.  I am not flashy.  I take things like it is.  I want to make something of myself. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and why?  

Evander Hood:  It would probably be Theodore Roosevelt.  I liked just hearing so many stories about him.  The way he spoke, the passion that he had, the way he moved crowds with his words, you have to appreciate everything that he stood for.        
 

Alex Khvatov:  Finish the sentence, Evander Hood is….

Evander Hood:  Just calm and collected.  I am someone you can trust and roll with.