2011 NFL Draft: B/R Exclusive with Saints Rookie Running Back Mark Ingram

On Thursday, I had the chance to speak with Alabama running back and 2011 NFL Draft prospect just hours before the first round kicked off. 

Need a quick refresher on who Mark Ingram is? Gladly.

Mark Ingram Jr. is the son of former Miami Dolphins and New York Giants wide receiver Mark Ingram Sr. 

During his sophomore season at Alabama, Ingram won the school's first-ever Heisman Trophy while setting the school single-season rushing record with 1,658 yards. In that same season he was voted to the AP All-America first team while leading the Crimson Tide to an undefeated 14-0 season and a 2010 BCS national championship win over Texas.

During his 2010 junior season, Ingram began to share time with Trent Richardson, but he was still able to rush for 875 yards on just 158 carries, good for a 5.5 yard average. Ingram's 13 touchdowns also led the team. 

For his career, Ingram rushed for 3,289 yards and 42 touchdowns, including a rushing touchdown of 70 yards. As a receiver, he added 60 receptions and four touchdowns. 

As a draft prospect, Ingram ranks on many draft boards as a first-round prospect. During the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine, he measured in at 5'9" and 215 lbs, great size for a starting running back, and solidified himself as a top running back in the 2011 class. 

Now that Ingram is an NFL running back, here is a look at our interview.

1. Draft Predictions

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 26: Mark Ingram #22 of the Alabama Crimson Tide rushes for a touchdown against the Auburn Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 26, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Question: Can you tell us what your prediction would be for where you are drafted and which teams have expressed interest?

Answer: I really have no clue. We aren't told much. Our job is to be ready to play no matter where we are drafted, and that's what I'm doing now.

I'm just going to enjoy this moment with my family and try to have fun with it. We're excited, but I really have no clue as to where I'll be drafted.

2. Lockout

Rob Carr/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 11: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell talks with the media outside the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service building March 11, 2011 in Washington, DC. The NFLPA has filed for decertification and will no longer be the exclusive c

Question: What are your feelings on the current NFL lockout? Does this worry you at all?

Answer: I don't have any control over it, so I'm just worrying about things I can control. I can control that when we can start playing football that I'm in top-notch shape and ready to play to the best of my ability and give teams the chance to win games and win championships, so that's all I can control and all I'm focused on.

3. The Knee

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 11: Mark Ingram #22 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on from the sidelines against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 11, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Question: What can you tell us about the reports that your knee injury was more serious than originally thought and that it could be an issue in your career?

Answer: It's a non-issue. Every NFL team has the right information and they know I'm healthy.

Everybody has something wrong with them around this time. I don't think anybody has anything good about them around this time in the draft, but it really didn't bother me because I know my knee is strong. All the teams have positive reports on my knee, so it really doesn't matter what people have been saying because the teams have all the right information and that's all that matters.

Follow-up: So, do teams check your knee when you workout for them?

Answer: No, they don't check my knee. They just take me on visits, they see my knee is good. They're not worried about my knee.

4. NFL Competition

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 02: Mark Ingram #22 of the Alabama Crimson Tide against the Florida Gators at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Question: Which NFL linebackers and cornerbacks are you looking forward to going up against?

Answer: Really, I mean, all of them. Of course there are the big guys like Ray Lewis and James Harrison, but when you play in the NFL you are going up against the best players in the world. Every linebacker and every cornerback is elite, so you have to bring it no matter what.

5. Player Comparisons

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 21: Former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith as Smith prepares to receive his Hall of Fame ring during a halftime ceremony at Cowboys Stadium on November 21, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Question: What do you make of the comparisons to Emmitt Smith? Who would you compare yourself to?

Answer: (interrupting) I wouldn't compare myself to anyone. I don't get that. I try to take something from all of the great running backs and add something to my game. But I'm me, not anyone else.

6. The Best of the Best

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 02: Mark Ingram #22 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after their 31-6 win over the Florida Gators at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Question: Talk a little about the best running backs you see in the NFL today, if you can.

Answer: When you look around the NFL at guys like Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Maurice Jones-Drew...they are at the top of their game and you have to respect that. I have a lot of respect for those guys because of the success they have had and the way they play the game.

7. Mark Ingram Sr.

Tim DeFrisco/Getty Images

10 Dec 1989: Wide receiver Mark Ingram of the New York Giants in action during a game against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. The Giants won the game 14-7. Mandatory Credit: Tim de Frisco /Allsport

*In July 2001, Mark Ingram, Sr. was indicted in Miami on charges of bank fraud and money laundering. On September 16, 2008, Ingram was sentenced to seven years in prison and up to five years of probation. He was also ordered in a Long Island federal court to pay $252,000 in restitution. Ingram failed to show up to a federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky to turn himself in on December 5, 2008, and an arrest warrant was issued for him. On January 2, 2009, Ingram was arrested in a Flint, Michigan hotel room where he was preparing to watch his son play in the 2009 Sugar Bowl. On March 22, 2010, in a courtroom in Central Islip, New York, Ingram was sentenced to an additional two years in prison for jumping bail. Ingram is scheduled to be released on November 24, 2014.

Question: Will you be able to speak with your dad during the draft or after you are selected?

Answer: (hesitates) Yeah.. I mean, I'll call him right after I'm picked. He's the first person I'll call. We'll talk right after I'm drafted.