Raekwon Davis – November 17, 2021
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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
DT Raekwon Davis
(During the game on Thursday, the broadcast caught you and DT Christian Wilkins dancing on the field and Troy Aikman was saying ‘that’s the worst thing you want to see as a quarterback is the defense having that much fun.’ Do you feel that fun carrying into this week and can you use that as some juice in preparation?) – “Yeah. We’re going to continue doing that. We’re going to continue playing good and you’re going to see more dancing.”
(G/T Robert Hunt told us he swam with alligators this weekend. LB Jerome Baker told us he dives with sharks. Are you down for any of this – sharks and alligator stuff?) – “Knowing me, yeah, I might. If ‘Bake’ (Jerome Baker) is doing it, yeah. That’s my linebacker. Yeah, I’m going to jump in there too. No, I’m not going to jump in there. (laughter) I don’[t know what they are on, but that’s definitely not me. I’m not swimming with no sharks or nothing like that. (laughter)”
(Have you ever done something very thrilling?) – “Yeah. Swimming with dolphins. That’s as far as I’m going to go. That’s it for me.”
(They said that if you are living in Florida and you are a Florida man, you have to try crazy stuff. What’s the craziest you’ve been willing to try here in Florida?) – “I want to skydive. I’ve been wanting to do that. That’s something on my bucket list. I want to skydive. But swimming with gators and sharks, I’m not down for none of that. They can have that.”
(You don’t believe that whole ‘they are more scared of you than you are of them’ theory?) – “I don’t know. I’m not trying to try. (laughter) I’m definitely not trying to try it, so nah.”
(We didn’t see DT Christian Wilkins at practice today. How big of a loss would that be having to line up without him potentially Sunday?) – “I don’t know what he’s got going on medically. I don’t know if he’s going to play or not, but whatever it is, it is. We’re going to continue dancing and making plays.”
(What have you noticed about the Jets running game?) – “They are good. They do a lot of gadgets. They do a whole bunch of schemes. They are all over the place, so you just got to play your keys.”
(The word out of Jets camp today is that QB Joe Flacco is going to be starting on Sunday. As a defense, can you appreciate when stuff like that comes out earlier in the week so you can focus on one guy or are you still preparing as usual?) – “Yeah. We don’t care. We’re going to keep doing the same thing we’re doing now. Keep preparing.”
(What do you know about QB Joe Flacco?) – “An older quarterback. Very accurate. Very good. He likes to get the ball out fast. He relies on his line for protection. A great quarterback.”
Jaylen Waddle – November 17, 2021
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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
WR Jaylen Waddle
(We are talking about wildlife. I don’t know if you any of that. G/T Rob Hunt told us he went swimming with an alligator and LB Jerome Baker told us he’s been swimming with sharks. Have you ever had a crazy wildlife encounter?) – “Nah, I’m from Houston. We don’t have too much wildlife like that. (laughter) I’m from the city. We don’t do all that.”
(DT Zach Sieler has a ranch where you can hunt gators, hogs and all kinds of animals. Would you be down for a trip to his hunting grounds?) – “I think I’m going to stay where I’m comfortable at. I don’t mess with that at all. (laughter)”
(In recent weeks, the offense has really made more of an effort to get you the ball downfield past the sticks. Do you feel that’s been the case and it’s been working for you and the offense?) – “I think it’s just trying to put me in spots where I can help the team, ultimately. Honestly, I wouldn’t say it’s been an emphasis just to do that. Honestly, I’ve just been going out there lining up, alignment, assignment and trying to get the job done.”
(Along those lines, how good did it feel to get that 35-yarder? Again, you haven’t had as many deep completions to you but to get that 35-yarder in the middle of that zone, how did that feel and how did that play come together?) – “It felt good. It was kind of a big play in the game so it’s always good to put your team in scoring position. I think it was a play well-called, well-designed and executed well.”
(A lot of people were wondering if QB Tua Tagovailoa could get that ball out there because he’s been dealing with the finger. Head Coach Brian Flores said he was limited and could hardly throw a ball. Were you expecting it? Were you surprised?) – “Definitely not surprising. You always got to expect the ball. I don’t think we got too many routes where you’re just not an option. I think Tua did great. Confident throwing the ball and he put the ball there.”
(I think CB Marlon Humphrey said after the game that you’re going to be a top 10 receiver next year. I’m curious what your relationship is with Marlon since he’s a Bama guy as well and what it means to hear a compliment like that coming from a player of his caliber?) – “You know he’s like an Alabama great. One of the guys that you hear about before you come to the university. I got to know him. Actually I just got to meet him that first Alabama game. Obviously a great player and it’s a great compliment. You ultimately play the game for the respect of your peers, so just having that respect from someone of that caliber is always good.”
(You’re sixth in the league in receptions. Were you aware of that and is that meaningful to you?) – “Nah, I really wasn’t. I try not to look at all that stuff, to be honest. It’s pretty nice. Not bad. (laughter)”
(On that same level, I did a little bit of work on the calculator and at your current pace, you would finish the season with 102 receptions and 946 yards. Both would be rookie receiving records for this team. What would that mean to you?) – “I really don’t play for too much overall things. I really just try to go out there and just help the team win. If that comes with winning, then I’m all for it.”
(One of the guys who used to make a lot of catches for this team was WR Jarvis Landry, an LSU guy. I don’t know how familiar or not familiar you are with Jarvis’ NFL career but what did you think of his pro game?) – “Definitely he’s an exciting player. I’m a big fan. Definitely I know he played here and now he’s at Cleveland. He’s continuing to do great things for every team that he goes to. I’m definitely a fan of Jarvis.”
(Do you set personal goals or is it strictly how the team does for you?) – “You have some personal goals but all mine are along the lines of like getting better or doing one thing better. I try to set like daily goals and get better day-by-day. Realistic goals.”
(How would you assess your rookie season so far?) – “I think it’s just been a learning process for me. I’m learning so much every week, every gameplan and every new opponent. It’s just like learning, learning a lot.”
(What’s the No. 1 thing you would say you learned through the course of the season?) – “Communication. Just from how communication works from the o-line to the quarterback to the running back to the receivers to the tight ends and how it all works and how it’s so important to get on one accord.”
(How much better of a receiver do you think you are today compared to the first week of September when the season began?) – “I just think I’ve learned so much throughout these 10 games. Like weekly, you learn something new. Just going into the gameplan of how we are going to play, what we are going to do, how we are going to execute.”
(The coaches have said that they put a lot on the rookies plate. S Jevon Holland from the defensive perspective and you from an offensive perspective. How much more is on your plate? How much more is on an NFL plate – planning, playbook and all that stuff – compared to like what you had in college?) – “It’s a lot and it’s weekly. You could do something one week and do something totally different the next week. You’ve just got to take it, really study it, learn it and learn it to a T because when Sunday hit, everything is coming fast.”
Eric Rowe – November 17, 2021
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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
S Eric Rowe
(You’re such an upbeat, good team guy. Has the transition as a third safety – not playing every down but still playing a lot – as the Dolphins have transitioned to a young starting tandem, has that been difficult for you? Or has it not been hard because you’re still playing a good deal?) – “Not going to lie, in the beginning it was difficult, it was difficult. But I understand the nature of the business of the NFL. Still at the end of the day, my mindset is like whenever you get an opportunity just to be out there, you’ve got to take advantage of it. It took me a while to come to fact with that but now when I’m out there, I’m still looking to help the defense, help the team. I just know when I’m out there, just got to make the best of it.”
(You have the two forced fumbles in two games. Has that always been a point of emphasis? I guess of course it always is, but what do you think is the key to you and your teammates creating as many turnovers as you guys did last year?) – “Just like you said, it’s always a point of emphasis. When I’m out there, it’s kind of like – well at least personally for me, when you make a tackle, if you have your hand around the ball, you have a feeling like, ‘Okay, it’s loose.’ Or, ‘Okay, he’s got a good hold of it.’ Just kind of lately, each tackle I make, I try to get my hand on and I can feel it, and if it’s like somewhat loose, then obviously you just do all you can to rake it out. The past two games, it’s been working. It’s always been an emphasis but it’s also a feeling too.”
(How much Charles Tillman film have you watched?) – “(laughter) Hopefully I can get that one day.”
(I’m writing about S Jevon Holland. What do you think is unique about Jevon?) – “Jevon, he’s playing really good ball right now and there’s times that I forget that he’s a rookie out there. He’s obviously from camp until now, he’s progressed a lot. What makes him unique is his work ethic, his confidence. He already has a voice on the defense. When it comes to rookies, that’s not – I wouldn’t say rare but there’s not too many rookies that come in and try to take over from day one. He obviously is making plays, sparking the defense up. He had that big hit on No. 13 that fired everybody up and from there on, everybody is ready to go. Just the confidence that he brings coming in each day, each practice, as a rookie.”
(Being as versed as you are in AFC East football rivalries, I remember you had a good quote on the Buffalo Bills fans when you went over there. How do Jets fans compare when you travel?) – “Lately, obviously they haven’t been doing too well but usually Jets fans are just as hostile. I had a couple instances again, driving on the bus, they’re sitting there flicking you off. Especially when I was back with New England, they hated us and they’d flick you off and try to throw stuff at you. It’s just as hostile. It may not be as many but when they get going, that fanbase – that J-E-T-S Jets (chant) – it gets loud. You’re just like, ‘wow, this is real.’ Each fan base comes with different things but they’re pretty hostile.”
Robert Hunt – November 17, 2021
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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
G/T Robert Hunt
(Do you have t-shirts for all of us?) – “No. (laughter)”
(How tired are you of talking about that play?) – “That was a last week deal. It came and it’s gone, now we are worried about the Jets. Try to focus on keeping this train rolling. That’s the next focus right now.”
(Do you have the scepter and have you done the photos and everything with it?) – “No, I have not.”
(Speaking of the Jets, they’ve statistically been struggling pretty badly these past few weeks. It’s kind of a dangerous term to throw out there but is this an opportunity to continue to get right on the offensive side of the ball?) – “You say struggling, I don’t know if I see that. I see a big, talented, fast, physical team on the defensive side of the ball. The front seven is really good in my opinion. Everybody has their issues, I would say, but I think it’s going to be a good game. I think that team is very talented.”
(What does it take to get this run game going?) – “We just got to keep coming in and try to improve, man. I think we did some good things last week. Just steadily trying to improve is the goal. We came out today, had a fast, physical practice today and we worked on that. Hopefully we can display that this weekend. We are always going to try to come out and run the football. That will open up a lot of things you do for the offense. It’s a focal point that we are trying to do and trying to focus on.”
(You are still at guard, right?) – “I am at guard, yeah. That’s all…”
(Is there a way to make you eligible or that’s just not possible at guard?) – “Ah, I don’t know man. I doubt it. (laughter)”
(How has this mini-bye treated you?) – “It was good, man, to get a couple days away from the game. Not totally away from the game but a little bit from the game. That was a big win for our team so that’s that. I got away a little bit – went to the Everglades, did a little swimming. I had a couple good days.”
(You swam in the Everglades?) – “Yeah, man. I wanted to do it for my bucket list. (laughter).”
(Did you see any gators?) – “There was one like 30 feet away.”
(While you were in the water?) – “Yeah. Yeah and then so I saw it, we saw it and we got in. I got out and my girlfriend jumped back in. I wasn’t going back in. Once he ducked his head underwater, I was done. I let her and her friend have that one.”
(Was this on your ‘Florida Man’ bucket list?) – “Yeah, man. I just wanted to say I did it. Now I can say I did it, so when I do say I did it, you’ll say, ‘Damn, what did you do?’ People don’t expect that.”
(On the guard/tackle question, obviously we’ve asked about it before with you and G/T Jesse Davis. Head Coach Brian Flores said again this week, Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre said this week that a flipping of positions is something they’ve continued to talk about among other things. Obviously they’ve never done it yet this year. We saw it last December but not this season. Have they ever asked your opinion about whether you think you would be better at right guard or right tackle?) – “That’s a question for coach. I’m just here to play football wherever they need me, man. Right now, they need me at right guard so that’s where I’m at.”
Tua Tagovailoa – November 17, 2021
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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(The theme of the day: G/T Robert Hunt set the tone. He said that he went swimming in the Everglades this weekend and saw a gator.) – “He said what? (laughter) He said he went swimming?”
(In the Everglades.) – “Wow.”
(And there was a gator around. So we’re asking everybody what’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?) – “I haven’t done anything like that. I’ll tell you that. I haven’t done anything to put my life in – that’s tough. (laughter) He deserves it. He caught the screen that was supposed to be a throwaway to Myles (Gaskin) and he made the best of that.”
(How much better is the finger compared to Thursday night? Are you in much pain?) – “It feels good. Obviously there’s still healing that’s taking place. But other than that, it’s fine.”
(Do you have any limitations in terms of the throws you’re able to make on Sunday? I know that Head Coach Brian Flores said that when you have to come into the game kind of cold, they wanted …) – “I don’t think there are going to be any limitations for this Sunday with the finger. I think it feels good at this point. We should be good.”
(Are you going to wear a sleeve on your hand?) – “A sleeve? No. I’ll just do it as normal.”
(You have a history of coming into games and playing well in your career. What’s the difference between coming off the bench and coming into a game as opposed to preparing all week and starting the game?) – “Well, you don’t get the reps. That’s what I would say. You get all of the mental reps. You just don’t get to go in and rep it out. That’s just the biggest thing.”
(What’s the difference in your workload from last week to this week?) but I – “Yeah, full practice. Getting most of the reps out there today. We’re just trying to see what the gameplan is and that’s really all that is.”
(How are the ribs?) – “The ribs are good but not great. They’re still healing. I feel good with it.”
(How good did it feel – when you went back and you watched the film, how good did it feel not only for when you were in there but for most of the entire game, to be able to connect on some of those deep passes that may have been kind of missing from your guys’ offense?) – “It was good. Like I said, I had to take a lot of the mental reps. We’ve talked a lot throughout the week about where we want to attack the Ravens defense and how we were going to try to attack them. Those are just the plays given to us and that’s what I had to do to read it out. Those plays came to us because that’s kind of what we discussed in our meeting rooms.”
(I’m just curious, as a quarterback or as kind of a leader of the offense, there were some coverage breakdowns in the Ravens defense. How do you view that as an offense? Do you just say, ‘Hey, that’s one of the gimmes that we’ve got to take?’ Or do you kind of also view it in the sense of maybe you guys may have done something in terms of the motion or whatever to maybe influence that? How do you view that when you go back and you review that?) – “I think with a lot of the shifting that we did against the Ravens, it kind of put them in a bind if you will, just because it forces communication defensively with where the front is going to be, where the ‘backers need to be aligned now. That kind of helped open up a lot of the deeper routes.”
(When you take a look at the Jets, has anything stood out to you?) – “Yeah. I would say they’re good at what they do. Just regardless of the losses that they have, you look at the teams that they’ve beat and those are some really good teams – Cincinnati and the Titans. We look at those things that they do really well and we try to avoid those things happening in these games. We’re going to try to do our best to play a mistake-free game. Obviously that’s never the case in games, but the least mistakes as possible.”
(I noticed at the end of the game that there were a lot of fans that were chanting your name. Do you hear it? And how does it make you feel?) – “I hear it. It makes me feel good but the fans can’t go in there and play for me. I’ve got to go out there and I’ve got to execute what play is given to me. At the end of the day, I have to focus on what I can do to help the team win every time that I’m in there. It’s much appreciated but I can’t use that to help me win or help our team win.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle is on pace for someone in the neighborhood of 102 catches and about 950 yards, which would both be rookie records for the Dolphins. How do you see his development going along?) – “I think Jaylen is doing well. Jaylen communicates a lot out there with what he sees, things that he likes. But I would say everyone in this league knows on third downs who we like going to. With Jaylen, with however many receptions he has already on third down and then also normal downs too. But yeah, I think he’s done a great job for us getting open and we just have to continue getting him the ball.”
(Yesterday, Wide Receivers Coach Josh Grizzard said that WR Jaylen Waddle has been playing a little bit more inside and outside the last couple of weeks. How does having guys that can be flexible and play every position at the receiver spot help your job and kind of identify those matchups?) – “It helps my job a whole lot just because you have not just Jaylen but you have Mike (Gesicki), you have Albert (Wilson) – you have multiple guys that they need to put their players on. We take a look at that and we see the matchups that we like and that’s kind of what we do as far as talking on the sideline and getting plays for whoever the individual is that we want to work on.”
(With Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey having taken a central role and a process that was at some point streamlined this season, how are things going working closely with Coach Godsey?) – “They’re going good. A lot of communication between George and us in the quarterback room. A lot of what we like and, ‘hey, do you think we can change this protection to this because of that? Or the route –‘ there’s just a lot of communication going on right there. A lot of flexibility with that communication too.”
(Last Thursday, it looked like the Ravens were putting CB Marlon Humphrey on TE Mike Gesicki a lot and you guys kind of isolated him out wide. Have you seen any defense try to defend him like that and if so, were you able to deduce anything with their defense because they had to switch things up?) – “No. We obviously want to give Mike shots and opportunities but if the opportunity doesn’t present itself then you have to move on to your next read. Being in the back there, we don’t have a lot of time as quarterbacks to just sit there and pat the ball, waiting for our guys to get open. We have to move on and make quick decisions in the back there.”
(This game is supposed to be a rivalry. Do you sense anything different this week? Do you like rivalries at all?) – “Me personally, I don’t necessarily believe in rivalries. I think those are all made up for the hype. I know that every game in the NFL is a big game and that’s how we’re going to treat this game.”
(Do you feel like the mood in this locker room has really transformed over stringing together a couple of wins after a losing streak?) – “I think we’re getting into a good flow of things – no pun intended. (laughter) But yeah, I think that guys are starting to find their rhythm defensively, offensively and in special teams. We just have to continue to find ways to play complementary football. That’s really all it is.”
(The little dance that you hit after you scored. Who taught you that?) – “No one taught me that. My brother was doing it for a while and then also my roommate in college my freshman year, Najee (Harris) would do the dance a lot. He’s from the Bay Area and I think that’s a Bay Area thing, right? But man, I thought that thing was cool when I saw it so I learned how to do it, then started doing it. (laughter) It was good fun, good fun out these. Especially when you score and you’re with the guys, good fun.”
Brian Flores – November 17, 2021
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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(We saw T Greg Little going on IR yesterday. How was he injured? Is it season ending and who is the backup left tackle moving forward?) – “He was injured in practice. He’ll be out for at least three weeks. He’s been inactive so we’ve had a backup tackle really the whole year. We’ll just move forward the way we’ve been moving forward.”
(I don’t know if this is a competitive thing and if it is, obviously you don’t have to talk about it. But G/T Jesse Davis, at this point would he be…) – “We have a plan for who the next guys would be really at all positions, without going into the gameplan, like you said.”
(One last thing on this topic with G/T Austin Jackson. I know you said you were comfortable with him at guard and I know everything in the league is fluid, but could you see a scenario where you consider him not as an injury replacement but as a left tackle again or do you and Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre and General Manager Chris Grier have a pretty strong conviction that guard is his home?) – “A lot of those guys have flexibility. If there is a need at a position, we’ll make the move. We like what he’s doing at guard but the flexibility is always a good thing.”
(Last week, QB Tua Tagovailoa told us that he took mostly mental reps and rested his hand. What’s the plan for this week relative to throwing as opposed to just mental reps?) – “He’ll take most of the reps, practice.”
(What is your perception of how QB Tua Tagovailoa is doing?) – “Again, he’s got a fracture in his finger. There’s discomfort. It takes a while for the bone to heal. I think we all understand that. He’s had some time since the injury. Took some time. Didn’t throw all that much last week, which was good from a healing standpoint. He played in the game and then we’ve had some time off since. More time equals more healing so he’s doing a little bit better. Still some discomfort but we expect him to practice this week.”
(The Jets reportedly will start QB Joe Flacco. Your reaction?) – “He’s been a good player in this league for a long time. Smart. Experienced. He’s going to try to get the ball to their go-to guys. It’ll be a challenge for us.”
(Where is the challenge between developing guys to play multiple positions versus letting them get comfortable at their natural position and learn their natural position?) – “There’s only 48 spots on gameday so everyone’s got to – there’s only 48 spots and three are in the kicking game. So 22 on offense, 23 on defense, 11 guys on the field, so if you want backups then some guys have to play different positions. I think we all understand that. Some left tackle has to play right tackle. A defensive tackle sometimes has to play defensive end. Corner has to play safety. That’s just kind of the nature of the game. If you can’t play multiple positions, that hurts your ability to help the team, so that’s why most guys play multiple positions.”
(You obviously have the three extra days because of the short week last week. What are some of the benefits to having this mini-bye to work off of going into the Jets game?) – “An opportunity to recharge the battery. More time to prepare for the next opponent. Hopefully we go out there and have a good practice.”
(CB Xavien Howard, I believe was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Obviously it’s the second time he had a critical game-changing type of forced turnover this season. Just in general, how do you feel like his season has gone?) – “’X’ (Xavien Howard) is obviously a big part of this team from a leadership standpoint and obviously as far as his play, I think he’s played well. But for me and for us, we’re just kind of focused on today. We celebrated his Player of the Week (award) in the meeting this morning. We announced that this morning, gave him a round of applause and the next thing he said was ‘let’s get ready for the Jets.’”
(While QB Jacoby Brissett obviously was cleared to return last week, has there been any regression to the point where there was a question of whether he would be available this Sunday that you might have to prepare your developmental guy on the practice squad to be QB Tua Tagovailoa’s backup?) – “No. I expect Jacoby to be ready.”
(One of the many great things about the defensive gameplan last week was obviously LB Jerome Baker, LB Duke Riley and LB Elandon Roberts together for a dozen, 14, 16 snaps. I know as explained yesterday by the assistants, Jerome’s speed chasing Lamar Jackson obviously was a help there. As far as Jerome playing on the outside more, is that something that you and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer have talked about? You have obviously plenty of good edge guys, but is that something that you think has potential for more of Jerome outside allowing you to play Duke and Elandon more inside or is that just a Baltimore thing?) – “It’s gameplan-specific every week. So the guys we feel like give us the best chance to give us success on the field, that’s who we put out there. So it’s game plan-specific.”
(Have you seen anything different in the last two games defensively since you have gotten good results that was not there before?) – “No. Just better execution.”
(How has RB Gerrid Doaks been doing in practice? We know he keeps being protected from poaching, but we haven’t seen him in a game yet. Is he on your mind as a possibility?) – “I think Gerrid (Doaks) is doing a good job on the practice squad learning the gameplan every week. He takes the approach that he’s going to be out there and that’s good. We want that for all our – everybody on the roster. When his opportunity presents itself, I think he’ll be ready.”
(Does physicality help you without RB Malcolm Brown? I’m sure that’s something obviously you guys have talked about.) – “I think that we’re always going to try to put the best players out there – guys who we feel like are going to help us. If we feel like that’s Gerrid, then he’ll be out there.”
(I think the Jets lead the NFL in yards per game over the past few weeks. Have you noticed anything that they’ve started to do differently later in the season to help kind of jumpstart?) – “I think they’ve got – you’re talking about offensively? They’ve got a good o-line. They’ve got good backs. They’ve got some receivers who make some big plays. I think they’ve done a good job. White did a good job getting the ball, spreading the ball around and making some good decisions. So all that, put all that together and you get a lot of positive plays. It’s a big challenge for us. We’ve got to do a good job really in all those areas – run game, pass game, pass defense I should say, run defense, pass defense, screens, RPOs, play action, drop-back, red zone, third down and conversely all those things on offense. And obviously the kicking game.”
(I know you say you go day-by-day, but do you as a coach look at the standings, look at the calendar and look at your possibilities to maybe turn the season around at this point?) – “No. I focus on today.”
(The old adage says that a team takes on the personality of their head coach and this is your first go up against Robert Saleh for the Jets. What do you think that personality is of him that the Jets kind of embody that type of play?) – “I know Rob. He’s smart, tough, disciplined, intense, high energy. I think you see that from his team.”
(You guys added Andrew Billings to the practice squad. Can you comment on that?) – “Big body. Tough. We liked some things on tape. We felt like he could help us so we’re excited to work with him.”
Jevon Holland – November 15, 2021
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Monday, November 15, 2021
S Jevon Holland
(I was talking to Head Coach Brian Flores about your maturity level and he said you are mature beyond your years. What are you, 21 years old? Where do you think that comes from? At what point do you feel like you had to mature?) – “In life or just in football?”
(In life.) – “I would have to say it’s my parents, really, giving me leeway to grow up, take care of my sister and drive her to school. Little things like that kind of pushed me forward to grow up quicker than I am. Then having my brother, he’s four years older than me, he’s close in age. Close enough to where I can learn from him and his mistakes and the things that he does good and then far enough where I can correct them myself or avoid something. Same thing in football with my brother also. That’s basically it.”
(What are some of the things you think you have shown for Head Coach Brian Flores to have that opinion of you in such a short time?) – “Maturity level? Just being confident back there. Speaking loudly, communicating with my teammates and things like that. Simple things. Nothing crazy.”
(When you were in London and Maurice Jones-Drew was there and he gave a shoutout to you in the pregame referring to you as a little brother. Didn’t he coach you in high school?) – “Yeah, KT – “Kenyon Training” was my seven-on-seven team. He was a coach on that team. He basically took me under his wing, taught me a whole bunch of stuff along with a lot of other coaches over there, but he was probably one of the main ones. But yeah, he’s a good guy.”
(You don’t see many former NFL Pro Bowlers. It’s probably pretty cool to learn from them. What are some things that stuck out about Maurice Jones-Drew from early on?) – “Really just his knowledge of the game and how important it is to have a knowledge of the game. That’s really what it was. For me it was like, ‘Man, that’s Maurice Jones-Drew’ because I watched him growing up. I was really just trying to absorb all of the knowledge that he’d give me about whatever position, whatever situation because there are like 2,000 things that happen in football but a coach can only tell you like 200.”
(Your dad played football. Have you had a chance to ever watch the old CFL footage? Any of the interceptions? I’m wondering how you think your ball skills compare to his?) – “My ball skills are way better than my dad’s, by far. (laughter) I played receiver in high school. I lowkey went crazy in high school at receiver. (laughter) Nah, his finger is cut off too so he really couldn’t play receiver. I’ve seen some of his old tapes and whatnot, he was balling. But yeah, my ball skills.”
(Growing up in Canada, obviously you moved to Oakland when you were around eight. How much do you remember from Canada?) – “I remember quite a bit. I’ve got fond memories, friends up there playing soccer and whatnot. Where I lived, how to get to school and things like that.”
(How’d you end up from wide receiver to safety?) – “My dad played DB, my brother played DB so, I was trained to play DB also, but I wanted to play receiver and my dad wanted me to play quarterback. I was learning offenses and things like that and I was like, ‘Nah, I’m playing receiver freshman year of high school.’ So, I played receiver and my dad was like you got to play defense too, so I played safety. I’ve always been the guy to be back deep if we are playing out in the street or something like that. That’s basically how I ended up playing safety. Then I just got better and better at safety and receiver, but I chose safety because teams wanted me more for safety.”
(Was it coming out of high school or in 2020 last year when you opted out, where Mario Cristobal told you to get ready to play come receiver?) – “It was both. When I came out of high school, it was more Coach (Marcus) Arroyo. He’s the head coach at UNLV right now. He told me ‘Yo, get ready to play some receiver.’ Then last year, Coach Cristobal told me.”
(You were still going to be a defensive back, just get some offensive snaps?) – “Yup.”
(So you never got a chance to catch a ball in college?) – “No.”
(How does your first half of your rookie season compare with your expectations?) – “They’re by far better than what my expectations were. I really just wanted to help the team in any way. That was my goal. Once plays started coming to me where technique meets opportunity, like ‘Coach G.A.’ (Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander) says, splash plays happen. That’s what I’m trying to replicate every week, make sure I’m prepared, over-prepare, so that when I go out there I play free, empty-minded and just go out there and react.”
(So WR ‘Hollywood’ (Marquise) Brown is nicknamed after the Florida, Hollywood. What is the origin of your nickname and is that something you have to live up to?) – “My dad’s nickname was Hollywood when he was in the CFL and in college, and a couple of his friends started calling me Hollywood too. I just put the 2.0 behind it because obviously my dad is 1.0. I just put that on my Instagram. It’s been my Instagram for like four or five years now, so people start calling me it. That was basically it.”
(Have you ever gone to Hollywood, California?) – “Yeah, plenty of times.”
(How did he get the nickname?) – “That’s just the way he played. He had blonde hair, flashy. DB. (laughter)”
(Is your father a role model for you that he helps you during the start of your NFL career or do you have someone else that you talk to that helps you maintain your head on your shoulders?) – “It’s definitely my dad and my brother. They’re like my two. Those are my role models all my life. My dad played in the league, my brother was four years older than me, getting the opportunity to play in the league. I was basically just following their tracks. That’s what got me here, really. My dad is a trainer and everything too.”
(How do you compare the feeling of an interception versus a sack?) – “At one point, it’s just like blind excitement, really. That’s all I can really say. An interception is like the best thing because I’m a DB. But nah, a sack is kind of new for me. But I enjoy it though. I really do.”
(You answered this when you first got drafted but how tough was it to opt out of that 2020 season?) – “It was difficult, definitely.”
(Where were you and what were you doing during the time? I know you were training but what else were you spending your time doing?) – “It was difficult, like I said. I stepped away from the game for the first time in a long time. My teammates, I wanted to play with them. They went back-to-back Pac-12 Championships so that was dope. I was training and playing video games and watching anime. That was basically what I was doing the whole time.”
(I read some articles in the Vancouver newspaper and the Edmonton newspaper. They’re very excited about your success. They’re claiming you.) – “They should. I was born there. (laughter) Shout out to them. Shout out to y’all.”
(I wanted to ask you a question about Canada relative to you still hear form folks in Canada. Are you aware of how closely they’re still following you?) – “I’ve gotten more familiar with how close they are following me, but really I just talk to family friends that are from there. Sometimes on Facebook. I get messages from on Instagram from people too. That’s basically it.”
(Lacrosse and soccer as a kid but no hockey?) – “Lacrosse, yeah. But no hockey. I tried to play hockey. I fell like one time and I was done. I was like nah, that’s not it. (laughter)”
(When did you stop playing soccer? When did you make that change?) – “I stopped playing soccer in like third or fourth grade. One day I was at practice and the kids were juggling the ball and I was like what is your record? They were like 115 (juggles). I was like nah, this is not for me. I only got like 15 and I would lose a ball. (laughter) I was like nah, y’all too good so I stopped.”
(Talking about Canada, do you watch their soccer team now with all the stars that they have?) – “I haven’t been able to tap in. I really have not but I heard that they’re pretty good. I might have to go up there and check them out.”
(Did you blitz much at Oregon and what was the key moment where Head Coach Brian Flores or anyone else identified this?) – “I didn’t blitz that much at Oregon. Maybe like three or four times. Honestly, I’m not really sure. It was just like one of the times me and Brandon (Jones) in practice switched on a blitz where he was supposed to go but I went and then I don’t know. You’ll have to ask coach that. That’s not really a question I can answer.”
Zach Sieler – November 15, 2021
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Monday, November 15, 2021
DT Zach Sieler
(I feel like I saw a video of Hannah lifting. Tell me how good is she?) – “Yeah, Hannah is my fiancé. She played college basketball at Alabama and then she played overseas in Greece and Iceland. That for her is her kind of escape and stress relief. We have a little gym back home and that’s where she did that at.”
(Do you guys ever have any sort of athletic competition against each other?) – “All the time. She smokes me in basketball. We got pickleball. We like playing that a lot, especially in the offseason. That’s kind of a 50/50 toss up. We love playing that. It’s get’s kind of heated and she won’t talk to me sometimes and I won’t talk to her. But it’s good. It’s all healthy.”
(Did it feel good to stick it to your former team on Thursday?) – “It was a great team victory. I think both sides played well, us and them. We came out with a win. It felt great but I think we’ve got to move on to the Jets and start preparing.”
(Did you feel good about where the defensive line is? You’ve obviously played well, DE Emmanuel Ogbah is getting a ton of pressures, DL Adam Butler is doing his thing – had his first sack the other night. We see the impact of DT Christian Wilkins this year and DT Raekwon Davis is back. Do you like this group and where you are heading into mid-November?) – “Yeah, I think we have a great bond as a d-line. We all feed off of each other very well and our play styles. All of us besides Butler were here last year. Just kind of learning how to play with him and him play with us I think has been really progressive and beneficial.”
(How do you feel like the pressure packages that have been utilized the last couple of weeks, how does that help the team reach it’s defensive goals?) – “I think it plays to our benefit and I think it’s just how we play. It’s how we want to show here as a culture, as a defense, and as a team – physical. I think it’s good.”
(It was mentioned to DE Emmanuel Ogbah that it’s unfair you guys are busting your butts in the trenches, punching and getting punched in the head, and here comes the d-backs with clean looks. What do you think of S Jevon Holland and how he had 20 blitz chances in the last game?) – “We’re all happy for him. That’s why we do it. We don’t play d-line for the glory – yeah, we love that stuff, like the tackles and sacks and stuff but if the team is winning and the defense is doing well, I think we’re all winning.”
(What did you do with your weekend off to recover your body?) – “We have a place in Sebring, Florida about two hours from here. So we just had a nice weekend there in the middle of nowhere. It was a mental release. Just hung out and played with the dogs.”
(What kind of dogs do you have?) – “Two Dogo Argentinos.”
(When you get recognized in public as a Dolphins player, how often will people – has it ever happened when they bring up the RV history? Even though you’re no longer living in one, how often does that come up from the public?) – “(laughter) Here and there. Not all the time, but people do ask, or plays. I know when (Adam) Butler came in or someone came in when they first got here and was like, ‘do you still live in that RV?’ I’m like ‘nah.’ People here in there because a lot of guys haven’t done that or a lot of people don’t do that. I try to tell them you should always try it once. I think it’s a really great experience.”
