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WR Erik Ezukanma – August 20, 2022 (Postgame) Download PDF version

Saturday, August 20, 2022
Postgame – Raiders

 WR Erik Ezukanma (transcribed by ASAP Sports)

Q: What is it like to suit up for the Dolphins and play your first game in Hard Rock Stadium?

ERIK EZUKANMA: Everything I ever dreamed of. You work your whole life for this moment. I feel like I went out there and put my best foot forward, for sure.

Q: You and QB Skylar Thompson were able to connect a couple of times throughout the game. You had a couple catches where you kind of adjusted and reacted to the throw. How much of it did it feel like you were back at practice getting these reps in…

ERIK EZUKANMA: Ever since rookie minicamp, I would come in and just felt like it’s a connection there. I don’t know if it’s a Big 12 connection or anything like that, but just me and Skylar (Thompson), it’s just natural I feel like when I’m out there. We’re able to communicate and talk through things, and when the ball is in the air, I just go up there and make plays.

Q: What was the key to the 34-yard completion I think that was on the right side? What happened on that play? What was kind of key to making the play work?

ERIK EZUKANMA: On the contested catch?

Q: Yeah. What was the 34 — was it a 34-yarder? Contested?

ERIK EZUKANMA: Called the play and made a release on the guy. Skylar (Thompson) told me the ball was a little – I mean, he got hit on the play, and the ball was a little short, and I was able to adjust accordingly while the guy was face-guarding me and made a play on the ball.

Q: You said it was like a dream come true to be out there for the Dolphins. When you’re making those big plays like that contested catch and another almost catch in the end zone, it’s got to feel good. What’s that like mentally for you?

ERIK EZUKANMA: You go every day at practice, and you practice hard so that the game is easy. I feel like going out there in Hard Rock (Stadium) in front of the fans for the first time, I just wanted to make a statement that you didn’t make a bad draft choice picking me. Hopefully I’m able to keep proving that every game, every day.

Q: WR Braylon Sanders was able to get some catches too. What has it been like kind of working with another rookie in that receiver room? Obviously, there’s a lot of big names, a lot of talent. Working with WR Braylon Sanders, kind of coming in in the same draft class, what has that been like?

ERIK EZUKANMA: Me and Braylon (Sanders), we’re the young guys of the group. We take a lot of the criticism and the coaching, the hard coaching. We take it with a grain of salt, and we just go out there and work. Braylon got to go out there early on. I watched him and he was making plays, and I knew I had to go in there and make plays too. Every time he came off, it was to uplift each other and keep pushing each other so we can keep going and making plays.

Q: What’s something Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker has told you since you have reported to South Florida here that has really resonated with you and kind of really helped you?

ERIK EZUKANMA: (Wide Receivers) Coach (Wes Welker) preaches that you have never arrived. You always have to go to work every day. In the middle of the game actually, I was kind of messing up a little bit early on, and he told us, ‘You’re here to take a grown man’s job.’ That really resonated with me. I went back out there and just did everything I could to make plays when the ball came my way.

Q: I didn’t realize it until I looked on the Bleacher Report – I don’t work for Bleacher Report, it’s a handy app. You had 100 yards. Do you remember the last time you had 100 yards in a game?

ERIK EZUKANMA: College ball, I think it was against Oklahoma. But no, I didn’t know I had 100 yards in the game. I was just out there playing, for sure.

Q: Before that I think QB Skylar Thompson threw to you on third-and-12 or third-and-13 there I think, the last series. Did he tell you in the huddle specifically like, “Just go get open, I’m going to you?” Is there that trust between the two of you already?

ERIK EZUKANMA: Something like that. Coach (Mike McDaniel) schemes up plays for guys to get open. I feel like Skylar (Thompson) knew who he wanted to go to. And he kind of told me, like, “Hey, look, do this and do that,” and I just listened. The ball was in the air coming towards me, and I just wanted to go up and make a play.

Q: What’s it like getting introduced by your quarterback, QB Tua Tagovailoa before you went up on the podium?

ERIK EZUKANMA: Tua (Tagovailoa) is always like that every day. We’re actually locker buddies, basically. (We’re) three lockers away from each other. So, every day we see each other and say what’s up. He’s always smiling, happy and saying what’s up? I love the guy.

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