Few players took advantage of the 2021 season quite like Western Michigan edge defender Ali Fayad.
He had a dominant shortened 2020 campaign, but Fayad exploded with the best year of his collegiate career this past season, placing fourth in the FBS with 13 sacks. He was a constant force to reckoned with in MAC backfields, being named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts.
Draft Wire had the chance to speak exclusively with Fayad about his breakout year, his experience at the Shrine Bowl, his high-effort playing style, and much more.
JI: You’re coming off of a stellar year at Western Michigan. What went into this season and prepared you for a career year?
AF: We can start off when I got hurt in 2020; that really propelled me for this year, because it changed my whole mind and my mindset towards the game towards, towards my preparation, and just everything that has to do with [football]. When something gets taken from you, that you love, you really start to feel a certain type of way. You can’t control certain things, and that time goes by, man, it’s just all the hard work and the preparation that I put into it. My mindset was really all football 24/7 since the COVID year until 2021. I had subtle reminders around my house: I had a MAC logo taped around my ceiling over my bed. I had NFL logos taped over my bed and things like that. It was really just staying consistent in what I was doing, putting the right food in my body, stretching, going the extra mile just to get what I want.
JI: What did it mean to you to be named MAC Defensive Player of the Year?
AF: Man, it felt awesome. It was great to see my family happy. I’ve been really wanting this award since 2020; I thought I was gonna get it before I got hurt. It felt great, putting all that work and having those subtle reminders around your house. It’s everything coming to come into fruition. I made a whole playlist before the season, wrote down in my journal that I was gonna win the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and have double digit sacks and all those things coming together. It’s awesome to see that the hard work that you put in, it does pay off.
JI: Your hand activity and arsenal as a pass-rusher stands out on film. What’s gone into being able to play with as much urgency and quickness at the point of attack?
AF: Honestly, man, it’s very instinctual. Every time somebody has something funky, I got a counter for them. I always come with a plan. I watch a lot of film, and it’s the man above, God forever. It’s truly instinctual by me. I’m very focused on the film that I watch. I’m always watching my opponent before I play, but I just continue to keep going, just motor, man. It’s the will to get to the the quarterback and getting to the quarterback, it’s my favorite thing in the whole world.
JI: What’s your favorite pass-rushing move to execute?
AF: I love my spin. I love the ghost step, too. The offensive linemen’s hands having to slip off the back plate is a great feeling, coming up for you and then just cleaning up the quarterback. Swim and the dip are my two favorites.
JI: There’s a bit of debate about where you’ll play at the next level. In talking with teams, have you heard a consensus about where they want you lined up?
AF: I mean, most teams obviously see me as their 3-4 [edge rusher] because of my size. I’m not prototypical for the prototype defensive end, 4-3 in the ground. But I’ve also heard teams telling me I could play 4-3, they’d be flexible, because they see my physicality at the point of attack. They see that I like to use my hands, and I don’t get pushed around, and then if you watch the film, you know, I’m very stout, and I hold down edges and just know how to get to the quarterback if you put me on the edge.
JI: You had the chance to play in the East-West Shrine Game. What was that experience like?
AF: That experience was awesome, just going to actually get coached by the NFL coaches and then go on to play the top-tier players in the country felt good. Just for me to go out there and dominate it with my pass rush to make them look at what I bring it to the table, making everything look really nice while getting home. It just felt good to dominate and do what I had to do to just turn heads.
JI: On top of all the on-field stuff, you also got to meet with NFL teams. How did that process go?
AF: Oh, man, talking to them was awesome. Finally getting to know who I was, not just the person on the field, but off the field, getting to know how much I love the game. I’m a football guy 24/7, and I’m willing to do whatever. I’m down. Everybody in the draft will feel like it’s the bottom of the ocean, so I just really hope that they understand that about me, and that I’m gonna work hard, and I’ll do whatever.
JI: Which edge rushers have you grown up idolizing?
AF: Growing up in high school, I’d watch Aldon Smith on the San Francisco 49ers. Watching him come off the edge, I watched him drop five sacks – I’m sorry, it was against the Bears – watched that live. So you know, watching him to see a dominant force off the edge. Another guy [I’m] watching: Von Miller; I utilized a lot of [his] moves. I tried to dip like him, get this spin coming out of nowhere like him. Another guy was actually Dwight Freeney that I was really starting to watch. I know that people will say me and him are very similar in size and whatnot. Just watching and seeing how he dominated dominated the game with over 100, 115 or 120 sacks, man.
I just tried to take what makes his spin move better than mine are you know, what steps is he see takin, how’s he getting out? [I’m] watching even Robert Mathis, man. I really love the game of football. I tried to take from all the GOATs, all the best, and I tried to implement it to my game as much because you know, I feel like I’m my own [guy], but yeah, those guys paved the way, so I just tried to give and take it, and I tried to give it on the field.
JI: How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?
AF: Outside of football, the past five years, even this last little couple more six months, spending in Texas training and what not…I really just like to chill, spend time with my family. I really like to talk to them and get to know them even more than I already do. You never know how much you can know about a person: even your mom, your dad, your sister. I just really like to chill with them, and the time that I have with them is very limited, and when I do have time, I really love to sit back and chill the family, and I got a couple of dogs I like to take the park and enjoy the nature and being outside. So I’m a really chill guy, but this snow right now in Michigan is killing me.
JI: What kind of dogs do you have?
AF: I have a white German Shepherd. My little sister has a Pomeranian, and I just got a couple of days ago a brand new, all-black German Shepherd.
JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?
AF: If you draft Ali Fayad, you’re getting a relentless workhorse that’s willing to do whatever it takes to win a Super Bowl and win every single game, every time I’m on the field. I’m gonna give them 125 percent. Once you get me, I always prove people wrong and always turn a lot of heads up on that field, so I’m that guy out there that people are always talking about.
