Jason Pierre-Paul – November 29, 2023
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
LB Jason Pierre-Paul
(Can you tell us just how the first couple of days have been?) – “Very good. I can’t complain. Everything has been going good.”
(What does it mean for you to be a Miami Dolphin?) – “I’m back home, man. I’m born and raised here, not in Miami but Broward County. It was basically home for me. I was in Tampa, but this is basically home for me. So big things coming.”
(How many friends and family do you still have in the Deerfield Beach area?) – “A lot. A lot. As soon as they heard the news, it was all congratulations everywhere. I can’t get back to all of them, but they know I love them.”
(Does being back here get you a little bit reflective?) – “Oh, for sure. Just being back here, hometown, Miami. I got my number 90 back. I’ll give it all I got. I’m ready to go.”
(I have a question about why joining an NFL team so late. Why did you sign?) – “I guess people want to see if we’ll still do it or not. There’s only way to find out. So I joined late with the Saints practice squad. I appreciate them for giving me a tryout and workout. I played the first game, and I think I did pretty well with the snaps that I got. Then Miami signed me the next day.”
(How has this year been for you between New Orleans and here?) – “It’s a transition, because I went back to a 4-3 and now I’m back to a 3-4. But when it’s all said and done, it’s all the same thing. It’s all football. I know how to play football. When it’s all said and done, just be physical. But the defensive terminology, it’s all the same thing. You just got a pattern them and put them in certain spaces that you can remember it. I’m doing a great job right now. My coach is giving me the calls and he’s filling me in. The players in my room are filling me in too, so shoutout to those guys.”
(How do you feel about where your speed and power are at this point?) – “I feel good. Obviously, I’m coming back from home really. I did one week with the Saints. It still feels like training camp to me right now, but once I get past that, it takes a week or two, then I’m back rolling.”
(Did you have a favorite Dolphins player when you were young?) – “I watched a couple guys, but I didn’t have a favorite Dolphins player.”
(What are your impressions of this unit with just how deep it us, all the playmakers?) – “I like it. To me, I like the team already. I like the players. Everybody made me feel comfortable when I got here. I feel like family already. They accept me, so I’m OK. I feel like I’m home already.”
(Have you hung out with anybody outside of the building yet?) – “No, not really.”
(Do you plan to?) – “Maybe, maybe not. It depends. We do enough hanging around in the building, too. Maybe I’ll invite somebody over to the house, throw them a cookout or something.”
(This team has Super Bowl aspirations. What does it take to win big in this league?) – “You’ve got to be in sync. I’ve been on two good Super Bowl teams, and when I remember the things we all had in common, everybody was in-sync when it really mattered. We locked in, we did our jobs, and we trusted each other, trusted the coaches do their job, trusted the players do their job, and we just played physical. Everybody has got to be synced and ready to go, no matter what the situation is. You just got to believe in yourself and have faith that you’re going to get the job done.”
(Do you think you can learn quickly enough to participate on Sunday in Washington?) – “We’ll see. That’s a good question. We’ll see. I’m a quick learner. Whatever coach and they want me to do, I’m going to do. I’ll fill in where I’m needed.”
(For you, what’s the biggest perk of being home? Is there a restaurant?) – “The biggest perk for being home is I can see my family. Family is a big part. So I can see my kids. That’s basically it, and my whole family. They’re cheering for me. Let’s get it done.”
(You talked in your social media post about having a tough decision. Did the Saints talk to you late in the process about going to their 53?) – “For sure. It was a tough decision. Obviously, I never want to leave a team in the middle of a war, you know what I’m saying? It’s like you’re going to war. But this was a tough decision, and when I thought about it, my daughter, she was like, ‘Daddy, when are you coming to pick me up?’ Like, ‘I can’t come pick you up.’ (laughter) ‘You’ve got to fly.’ So it basically led down to here, and now I’m with my family and they’re excited for me to be here. It’s going to keep me even more going.”
(And you’re in the room with LB Bradley Chubb and LB Andrew Van Ginkel and Outside Linebackers Coach Ryan Slowik?) – “For sure, yeah … They’re getting me right on point. I’m talking to those guys all out there calling the plays, and if I’m making a mistake, they’re going to tell me, ‘Hey, that ain’t right.’ But so far, so good. I’m a quick learner, like I said, and I’m trying to learn the plays as quick as possible, because the quicker I can learn the plays, the faster I can play and you can see the real me.”
(How do you feel about the standing up stuff?) – “I did it already, man. I won a Super Bowl in it with the Bucs. So standing up, hands down, it’s really nothing to me. When it’s all said and done, it’s just physical football. I like being physical.”
(You mentioned the importance of cohesion for a Super Bowl champion team. How do you approach trying to assimilate to a new locker room this late in the season?) – “It’s different. Like I said, I feel like the guys accepted me. Every guy was saying what’s up to me, and they know who I am. For me, I just have to open up and be myself, and I feel like I’m being myself. Anywhere I go, I’ll be myself. I’m adapting to them, to be honest, and I’m syncing with them. I think they already got it here. I can see the guys out there running around, having fun. That’s the most important thing, too, having fun and being synced with each other. As I’m looking and learning the plays and watching everybody, I see that. They’ve got a good team here.”
(What’s your first impression of Head Coach Mike McDaniel?) – “(laughter) He’s a cool dude, man. He’s himself. I like that. Guys are telling me that’s him. You can’t expect nothing of him, but he’s himself every day. I think that’s important for a head coach to be himself, and I think that’s what he’s doing. He came in the meeting room early, and I didn’t know who was talking until I looked down. He was right there, because I’m sitting in the front row. Obviously, I talked to him. He knows my history. We’re going to get it cracking. I told him I’m happy to be here and they gave me a good opportunity to come home and try to win a Super Bowl, which I know these guys can. We’re just going to get it cracking and put all the pieces together.”
Tua Tagovailoa – November 29, 2023
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Wednesday, November 29, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(A few minutes ago, Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that you are the angriest man on the planet when you throw an interception. Can you describe your emotions at that point and how you reel yourself in to get ready for the next series?) – “I would say any quarterback in the league would probably get down on themselves the way I get down on myself when it comes to turnovers. Especially when your defense is playing well and you turn the ball over, none of us try to do that. We don’t ever want that to happen but we do know it is a part of the game that we play. Games are never won in the first, second or third quarter. I understand that. As we went into halftime, I knew that I just had to come out and just continue to play the football that I should be playing, to the standard that I expect for myself and that my teammates expect from me. We had to play those two quarters clean and there was still one mishap that we have to continue to clean up. But outside of that, you just have to continue to play. Games aren’t won after you throw an interception in the first or second quarter.”
(You’ve had a lot of success throwing to spots. You know where your receivers are going to be. Does that sometimes lead to those interceptions?) – “Not really. It’s really just being on the same page with some of the guys. And then the one to Tyreek (Hill), that was just behind him. That was just not a good throw. That was a bad throw.”
(Hard Knocks captured the moment where you came over to Head Coach Mike McDaniel after the interception and you were apologizing about the pick and he was like, ‘You’re good dude.’ What does it mean to you in the moment when he’s that supportive and has that kind of positive reinforcement after a turnover?) – “It means a lot. But that’s just the nature of how I play the position. I take it upon myself every time. Regardless of whether Mike says it was his play-calling, he entrusts me to go out there with whatever play that we have, and if it’s not the right coverage that we want that play in, to get us out of it and throw the ball away or do something. But not throw a pick-six in that situation. I appreciate the trust that he continues to have in me but that’s something that I can’t do.”
(It was a big game for WR Jaylen Waddle on Friday. We haven’t seen as many of the big games as we’ve seen from him in the past, this season. What have you seen from him behind the scenes as the season churns along?) – “I think he’s done a really good job of sort of mitigating the outside noise. I do understand as a competitor, he wants to be in the mix with ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) of continuing to make plays for the team, and sometimes he does have big games but it is sort of minimized because of the production that Tyreek gives our offense. But I think highly of Jaylen and he’s going to continue to do things that we need for him to do to help us win games down the stretch. This past game, we saw that.”
(Beyond the stats and beyond the numbers that people looking at the box score see, what does WR Jaylen Waddle do that doesn’t show up on that sheet, that helps you guys win week in and week out?) – “Go watch what kind of player he is in the blocking game. Go watch what kind of player he is. Very physical. He’s really – and I really say this as a testament to him obviously being the competitor that he is – he doesn’t really come up to me and tells me like, ‘Dude, throw me the ball.’ He just understands when my opportunity is here, I’m going to make sure I make use of all of that. It’s not something where we’re trying to put Jaylen to the side. Jaylen is in the mix. It’s just as we run plays for him, the coverages just don’t allow us to throw for the right look for Jaylen. But he’s continuing to stick it in there and I think he’s done a great job.”
(RB Raheem Mostert is second in the league in rushing and I believe you guys are 12th in rushing attempts after being 31st last season. How apparent or obvious is that to you as a quarterback?) – “Well, it’s apparent. We’re getting a lot of points down this stretch off of our runs, which definitely helps in trying to control the game where you can run on first down, second down, you can get third-and-manageable, and you can go from there. Then for us, to be able to sustain drives while running the ball and not always passing, it allows us to go off our (play) action game and things like that. But he’s done a great job. It’s also a testament to (Offensive Line Coach) Butch (Barry) and what he’s done with our o-line in the run game and also in the pass game.”
(Last year, this team was 8-3. Now you’re 8-3. How much better is this team compared to last year? What gives you confidence that the ending to this season is going to be so much better?) – “Well, I don’t think I can give you a spiel of what the future is going to look like for our team. Regardless of how we feel as players – we can feel good about our record, 8-3, going into this week and the home stretch. But none of what we feel is going to matter. We’re going to have to prepare the same exact way we’ve prepared every other week as we go out there and play the Commanders. That’s just the task at hand right now. We’re going to have to beat those guys.”
(Your reaction to the end of that Alabama/Auburn game?) – “That was crazy. Roll Tide.”
(Any thoughts on this weekend?) – “Roll Tide.” (laughter)
(Do you have any bets lined up with any Georgia people?) – “If Georgia wins, I’ve got to wear Georgia things. And if Alabama wins, those guys have to wear Alabama things. That’s it.” (laughter)
(How is the arm holding up?) – “It’s good. I was told be my wife – she didn’t see it but then she got text messages from people about what it looked like and they said it was disgusting while they were eating their leftover meals. (laughter) Sorry, I couldn’t help you there. I didn’t know it happened until I came to the sideline and then Mike White sort of pointed it out. I guess it was just from the adrenaline. It was a nice chunk that came off. If someone can find that piece, that’s yours. (laughter)”
(Did you need any stitches?) – “Yeah, I got stitches. The way it looked as they were stitching it, it looked very complex for them to like put it back together. But it looks really good.”
(Do you know how many stitches?) – “It was a long time I was like lying down. So I don’t know.”
(Do you know if you’re going to get that retouched, the scheme of your tattoo?) – “I think it’ll be a great story for Ace when he grows up. I saved three people in the ocean and I got bit by a shark… (laughter) 500-pound shark, I killed it.”
(What is your approach to kind of knowing when in the game to take a risk while also remembering obviously it’s important to protect the ball?) – “That’s a great question. I think a lot of it has to do with situational ball, understanding what we’re trying to get done, what we’re trying to accomplish. But then it also stresses the importance of the ball itself. Regardless of what we’re trying to do – if we’re trying to push the ball down the field, if it’s not the exact look, live to see another down. Throwing the ball away, checking it down, whatever it may be. As long as we’re ending the drive with a kick, that’s what we’d like to do and not turn the ball over. We should be better at that this upcoming week.”
(What do you see on tape from your former Bama teammates in DL Daron Payne and DL Jonathan Allen?) – “Yeah, those guys make it tough up front with the things they do. They run their games but also what they do playing either the 2i or 3-technique. What they do, they jet up the field. How we block that, it’ll come down to I think different technique that we’d have to use, especially the way that they rush. It’s almost very similar to the Jets sort of front with their jet front, but outside of that, we’ll see. They’re really good.”
(Where is your comfort level with this offensive line now? I know T Terron Armstead and T Kendall Lamm did not practice today. That would mean a new guy out at left tackle. Obviously guys have stepped up all season, but what does that look like for you as a quarterback?) – “I’m very comfortable. I understand within the protections where the meat of the protection is. I understand if someone early in the game is getting beat, okay, I’m going to trust that he’s not going to do that the next time. So I’m going to trust that he’s going to block it the way he should and if he doesn’t, I have a clock in my head and I know where my checkdowns are going to be in case that does happen. But outside of that, I’m just playing within the structure of the offense, how we talk about what we want to do as far as our reads in the progression and then if someone does lose, what’s our checkdown off of the first read. So things like that.”
(The next time you guys take the field it’ll be December football. What does that mean to you? What did you learn last year and what you learned in your career about December football?) – “December football? I learned how to fall. (laughter) This is where you make your money here. Games just like these games this past Sunday, that’s what games are going to start to look like as we sort of travel deeper into December and then early into January. It’s going to be closer games, going to be one-score games. It’s going to come down to whoever gets the ball last and you’ve got to go win the ball game from there.”
(Are you going to get a chance to meet up with your brother when you go up to the DMV?) – “Yeah, I’ll get a chance to meet up with him.”
(You kind of got the old fade your brother has.) – “My brother’s hair is real long. Mine is not even close to his, but his is real long.”
(What’s the game plan there?) – “With my hair? I think I’m going to braid it up again. I’m just letting in grow out. I just love scratching my scalp. It feels good to scratch it. I’m telling you, if you’ve never had braids. (laughter)”
(If it’s getting a little colder, are we going to see that Black Friday jacket again?) – “That was cool, huh? I had to cut that jacket, the Black Friday jacket, just because we didn’t want it to touch – as I was taking it off – we didn’t want it to touch my wound. But yeah, we’ll definitely be seeing that again. Oh, I’m sorry I’m not talking about my jacket. I’m talking about my jersey. I thought that’s what you were talking about. So the jacket, I didn’t buy the jacket. The jacket was given to me as a gift on my birthday earlier this year. Shoutout to Rick Ross. That was his birthday present to me, so I appreciate it.”
Bradley Chubb – November 29, 2023
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Wednesday, November 29, 2023
LB Bradley Chubb
(LB Jaelan Phillips went down. How much have you been able to talk to him and take him through this?) – “Ever since it happened, it’s kind of been on the back of my mind. It’s one of those things where I try to uplift him every chance I get. We talk all the time. That’s my boy anyway. It’s more of a conversational thing more than a somber thing. Not when it first happened, but a couple days later, he was like, ‘Man, I’m going to be good. I just need y’all to be there for me.’ So it’s not more of a ‘Hey man, you’re going to be ok.’ It’s more of a regular conversation and try to make him feel as regular as possible because at the end of the day, that rehab process is a tough one to go through. And if things feel out of whack, you can kind of get down on yourself and stuff like that. So that’s my job and all of our jobs is to keep him uplifted.”
(Was it weird not having him out there by your side today? We usually see you guys dancing or doing something.) – “Yeah, it was for sure weird. But it’s the new norm now. We’ve got to just continue to move forward because that’s what he would want us to do. Go out there and ball and do everything we talked about in the offseason. I’m going to go out there and continue to do what’s best for this team each and every day, and I know he’s going to everything to get back.”
(On the other side of that, everyone talks about it being a next-man-up league and mentality. You have LB Andrew Van Ginkel and DE Emmanuel Ogbah, guys who can step in. How comforting is it knowing you have experience behind Jaelan?) – “It’s real comforting for sure. Both of those guys, whenever their name was called, they stepped up and did what they had to do each and every play. They’re playing with the same intensity, the same effort and all that, which is what this team needs. There’s no doubt in my mind those guys are going to do exactly what we need them to do. We just have to do it together at this point.”
(You have six games left, two on the road, four at home. Is there a feeling you guys control this right now?) – “Yeah, I mean that’s the feeling you want to have. It doesn’t happen by accident. It happens with the work we put in each and every week. We just have to continue to be diligent on that aspect of it and I feel like the cards will fall where they fall. You can’t worry about, ‘Oh, we got this game and this game and this game.’ It’s just week by week, day by day. Like I said, it’s going to happen for us how we need it can happen.”
(I know it’s a one-game mentality, but having four at home of the six, does that help?) – “Yeah, for sure. Any time you get the chance to play at home in front of your home crowd in this heat, in this sun, it’s an advantage for us. I’m excited about that opportunity and like I said, we just have to go out and prove it.”
Mike McDaniel – November 29, 2023
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Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Will anyone not practice at all today because of non-rest reasons? So someone who’s injured who just won’t practice today. And then what particular skills of LB Jason Pierre-Paul, at this stage of his career, appeal to you and General Manager Chris Grier and Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio?) – “There’s several people that won’t be practicing. We have good depth on the team. We have some bumps and bruises for sure, but we’re approaching December, which is the 12th month of the year. We started in the seventh and it accumulates. We’re fast on our feet and we’re adjusting on the fly, but there will be plenty of guys getting reps that if guys can’t get themselves to the place they need to be to perform at the level they need to perform at, they’ll be able to step in. It’s one of the cool things about this team is with all the confidence that the locker room has within each other, they don’t really blink. We’ll be seizing the day regardless.”
(LB Jason Pierre-Paul, with his signing, what did you guys see at this stage of his career that made you think he could offer you some depth with LB Jaelan Phillips going out?) – “Just seeing tape on him the last couple years. He’s someone I’m very familiar with. He got his start in the division that I was in when I was with Washington and he was with the New York Giants. I actually reminisced on one of the most catastrophic run plays that I’ve ever experienced that he was at the point of attack on. I’m pumped for the team to add a player of his experience, of his esteem. He’s a force on the edge and I’m just pumped for him to get in the mix with the entire team. This is a team that’s been working diligently together for a long time. So he’ll be getting up to speed, studying really all day and trying to get comfortable in what we’re asking him to do. It’ll be exciting. I’m just pumped to have the depth that we have really on this team. Adding a player like him is just more of that.”
(I know you hate timelines. But I saw LB Jaelan Phillips posted he had surgery. Realistically, do you think – I know it’s way down the road – but is training camp the target for him?) – “You sound pretty optimistic that you’re going to get a hardline answer. (laughter) It’s not that I hate them, I just don’t really pay any mind to something that – the first checkbox is, does the surgery go well? I know internally, a classic example is Jalen Ramsey, who just came back from an injury. One of the things that we focused on that our training staff firmly believes is you just take the one step at a time, because if you start thinking about something that’s – honestly everybody’s body is different. Every injury is slightly different and for you to forecast something as a grade, the grade is not that. I just want him to be fully healed and recovered. I literally do not think about his timeline because it’s like, just whatever it takes to do it the right way so that no one’s doing anything for the wrong reasons or pressing when you should pull off or all that stuff. But you guys have seen him in action. This dude is as hard of a worker as they come. He’s passionate. He got a taste of what he knows is his ability to play in this league, to make plays in this league and to perform for his team. That juice will push him through. It’s not always easy but nothing worth it really ever is, is it? No timeline. Sorry.”
(Did LB Jaelan Phillips undergo what could be termed I guess as conventional Achilles surgery or more the nature of what Jets QB Aaron Rodgers went for?) – “Theoretically, the way medicine is progressing, what is conventional? What is unconventional? I don’t think it was along the lines that you’re insinuating. I guess it would be more traditional. It’s an Achilles procedure that honestly – I know where the Achilles is. I’m not sure I know much beyond that. There’s experts for that, including our training staff. All I know is that it went well, that we’re very happy. It’s not about how quick a recovery can be for him. It’s more about, with the position he plays, his explosiveness. It’s about getting him back, which I’m very confident that can happen. He’s just got to take it one day at a time. But there wasn’t anything crazy as far as his procedure.”
(In regards to Washington, you’ve talked a lot about your formative years while you were there, and specifically, how you guys developed that offense for Robert Griffin III, where none of you have any experience with that type of offense. What did that do for you when you came to Miami and took over coaching a new quarterback?) – “Well, it’s funny how life works out. I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to be in that competitive atmosphere of coaches that were trying to all make a name for themselves in one way, shape or form. Then to have a situation where you get a supremely talented player that’s faster than people at that position generally and had played in a spread, no-huddle type offense. To be in a situation from the top down, Mike Shannahan didn’t mandate that we go on a clinic circuit. Kyle (Shanahan)’s acumen and the entire staff problem solving, quite literally thinking outside the box at that point in time, there was like 29 – I don’t remember the exact number but there was like this fixed number because Mike Shanahan made us watch 900 times but it was like 29 zone reads by Tim Tebow in the NFL. Then we had some college tape. We had never done anything out of the pistol ever, so all of those things kind of set a foundation of opening your mind, having assets as you will, and finding a way to not fit people into something, but fit the play, the scheme, what you’re trying to do around the talent that you have. To have that happen to me at that age, I just don’t know any other way. I was so fortunate to have that foundation because moving forward – and the blessing at the time, it definitely didn’t seem like a blessing at the time getting fired by different teams and jumping around, being in seven different organizations – because you learn how to adapt. And to me, I hold a strong principled connection to the role of coaching. I feel like that experience enabled me to do my best that I can do towards what I feel like is owed to the players, organizations, football teams, all that. It was rocky. The second I got there, we got hit with a monumental fine by the league and we lost out on free agency. But then we had some really good players that were very committed. It was the first time I had ever been to the playoffs, Robert (Griffin III)’s rookie year and Alfred (Morris) and all those guys. Doing all that stuff was pretty cool and it kind of set a foundation for how I look at the game all the time.”
(In the first episode of Hard Knocks when you were watching Maxx Crosby film, you complimented LB Andrew Van Ginkel. You said, ‘That’s when he goes all Van Ginkel on you.’ What does ‘going all Van Ginkel on you’ mean?) – “So you’ll notice a lot of the production Van Ginkel has particularly on the edge at the point of attack in the run or pass, he’ll have an innate ability to kind of limber his upper body so he can bend and get low under pad level and take away his chest or front blocking surface, and run around the corner. You’ve seen guys in defensive line drills have a giant hula hoop that they run around. That is something that he’s been very adept at in minute times. You have an offensive lineman that’s hesitating for a second and you can all of a sudden go step-right-left and bend around the corner and make a play. That limber nature from that position, which has to be stout as well and firm, it’s a unique trait. There are sacks and forced fumbles and things from this year. In that way, he makes plays in a similar fashion that Maxx does. I was also learning. You know people’s names you see in the draft process, but until you study a guy, until you study a team and individual players that you’re preparing for, you don’t really know the ins and outs. So it was the first time I had done with him, and I came away supremely impressed. I could see where the hype came from because he’s a very, very good player.”
(When you guys traded for WR Chase Claypool, I’m sure you had a role you envisioned for him. Has that changed? Do you still see a way that he can be productive in this offense?) – “Oh, I’m so pumped to have Chase. I’m very hesitant to over the top be like, ‘ok this is going to happen.’ There’s been certain games where he’s been more involved than others. But realistically, I wanted the football player. From all the people I know and have connections with, I thought he’d be a valuable person as an asset as well to this football team. He’s proven himself. I’m very happy to have him. Nothing’s changed with that. It is no small task to come into a team in the middle of the season. Mind you, it’s even more rare to jump into a season or onto a team that is specifically, in his unit, is not struggling. We operate at a high level, and he’s really gone above and beyond to assimilate and get up to speed, and his teammates can feel that. So there will be roles for him throughout the season. It wasn’t really like, ‘hey this guy is going to come here and do X, Y, and Z.’ You’re just trying to make your team better and give yourself some more bullets to be able to match up with whatever team or situation or thing that the defense can present. He’s very much done that. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, he’s like one within the locker room, and that speaks to him, our locker room, and what our team is about.”
(You addressed the fourth-and-shorts and third-and-shorts. I looked it up, you’re 4-of-12 passing on third-and-2 or less. And you’re 3-of-7 on third-and-2 or less running the ball. What is your thought process when you’re in that situation?) – “We’re trying to do stuff that works. You hope it’s not as much of an eyesore as where that ranks in the rest of the league, and it’s not good enough. But there’s always stuff that you’re working on in your game. I think one of the things that gives us a chance to play good football every week, to get better at that, those are the facts as life stands right now. You have to work at stuff. And for me, I’m not going to pretend that every decision I make is good. I’m trying to make the best decision. Football is a humbling game. For instance, every single one of those plays that didn’t work, in my mind, I was definitely hoping they’d work. And they didn’t. So you try to learn from it. Case in point, we couldn’t run the ball before. Now we can. You have to work on stuff. It starts with me. Ultimately, I make the decisions and I’m held accountable for the ultimate result, as it should be. What I do know is we have a collection of individuals that we’re all fighting for whose fault it really is. I have the loudest voice, so I get to say it’s mine. And that’s a healthy process through an NFL season. I need to give guys opportunities on the ground more to make plays. But at the same time, you make each and every one of those decisions, for me at least, I don’t pretend that any play I ever call is the reason that something successful happens. I know it’s a part of it. With that mindset, you just have to continue to try to do your best. For me, if I feel like my decisions were sound, that I invested the amount on the front end, and that I was trying to do the best, you live with the results. I’m fully aware that this narrative isn’t new and we haven’t done anything to change it. But it’s not like I don’t know before a fourth down call that if it doesn’t work, people aren’t going to be fired up about it. I’m definitely not fired up. I’m confident in the people that we have in the building. I’m confident in myself that if you work on stuff, you get better from it. I don’t expect to be the last-ranking official at the short-yardage conference for the rest of my career. But we’ve got to work through that and we do that diligently and to the best of our ability for sure.”
(When you look at QB Tua Tagovailoa’s interceptions this year, is there a common thread that you see in the thought process and execution?) – “It is much easier to try to find a commonality – and we definitely do, we scour these situations. But I think you also have to take each individual situation for what it is and be able to categorize what’s going on when things are not going the way we want them to go. My personal opinion is that there’s an art to playing the game of quarterback. When you’re able to execute at a high level, you forget that it’s a progression and as a player that is highly motivated and highly committed, there’s sometimes that the play to make is not throwing it to the other team. That’s the play. I try to do my best to minimize those situations where that’s the best alternative. But there’s sometimes when you’re playing the position, that’s a learning process. What I don’t do is just scream ‘Don’t throw picks,’ because that’s like the coaching point ‘Catch the ball’ for me. I’m pretty sure everyone is trying. That’s why it is so important to be so deliberate every day and so intentional because you can re-create those moments of competitiveness. You can re-create game moments and you have the game moments, and you learn from them. To me, it’s not about being infallible. It’s about winning at the game of improvement, that I think is a direct correlation to every day life for everyone, because sometimes you have to have the humility to be like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to always have to improve on something.’ For him, he can protect the ball better. He knows that. There’s literally no one on the planet that is more angry every time there is a turnover. I’m just telling you. And with that, he has to use it constructively and it can’t be absolutely. It can’t just be like, ‘I can’t throw picks.’ What does that mean? They’re going to happen. Well, in certain scenarios, do you need to take a risk? Does it need to be a completion? All of those things. That’s part of the growth process of every player and I think we’re very fortunate, and I feel very fortunate, to have one of the best learners that I’ve ever been around and coached, at the quarterback position. He’s expecting to be better just like I’m expecting to be better, like we all should be.”
Christian Wilkins – November 27, 2023
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Monday, November 27, 2023
DT Christian Wilkins
(What was it like watching S Jevon Holland’s play?) – “It was cool. That was probably one of the best plays I’ve ever really been a part of. I thought it was a cool moment for Jevon obviously and he was able to show his return man abilities. He’ll tell you first he thinks he’s a heck of a return man and all that good stuff, but no, it was definitely a cool moment for him, cool moment for us. Guys were able to help him get there, so that was just a really cool and big moment in the game because that definitely swung the momentum a little bit.”
(Did you play o-line in high school?) – “I did. Along with other positions, too, I was quite the athlete in high school. But yeah, I did play a little o-line, a little guard, little tackle, little tight end as well so I’ve got a background doing that as well.”
(Fullback?) – “That, too. Fullback, all that. I was able to do a lot of different things in high school.”
(I think you carried Breece Hall about 12 yards on that block. Was that kind of going back to your high school offensive line days?) – “Maybe a few glimpses, but no, I was just happy I could make a play to spring Jevon a little bit on that one.”
(What’s that like when you have a DB, one of the athletes on the back end of your defense, that has a chance to make a big return and you’re one of the guys that has the opportunity to clear the way?) – “In the moment, you’re just trying to do your job and just help out, but then you come away from it, you’re like, okay, that was really cool and I’m glad Jevon was able to have that moment, like I was saying. That was really, really cool for him.”
(You guys, as a defense, it’s always been said that sacks come in bunches and you guys are stacking them up right now. How difficult is it to be patient and let them come to you?) – “It’s a balance. Like you don’t want to necessarily press, but you’ve got to do your job and go get them. They’re hard to come by, but it’s a collective effort. You’re just kind of reading off guys. There’s times where one guy really gets the pressure and another guy – there’s a lot of different moving parts that come with that so you really just got to be relentless and just keep going after it.”
(The next time you guys take the field is going to be in December. What did you learn last year about December football that can help you this year in December football?) – “Just really throughout my time in the league, you kind of play ball in September and October, but you remember November and December. Just the later the ball gets, just the later in the season it gets, the more important the games are. You’ve got a bunch of film of guys on teams, so you’re not going to trick anybody. People are who they are and every little bit matters, so hopefully we’ll be gearing up and we’ve done enough now and built a specific formula that we’ll be able to do some good things at this point in the season.”
(What has that road been like from where you guys were with the Chargers to now the seventh-ranked defense in the NFL?) – “Really just guys being committed to doing their best and doing their best for the team, so really just whatever guys have been asked to do, just try to do it at a high level. It’s just been a process of guys just attacking each day as the most important day.”
(How has, if you’ve seen him at all, LB Jaelan Phillips, been – his spirits and what does that loss mean to the defense?) – “Obviously that whole situation sucks for Jaelan because he was just playing some really good ball and just seeing his growth from Year 1 to now, it’s just great to see because that’s my little brother and whatnot and I’ve got a lot of love for Jaelan and the things he does. He’s an inspirational player in the sense that he just plays so hard and relentless, so you see him doing that and that you’re like, all right, I’ve got to up my standard and it’s contagious throughout the defense so that’s obviously tough for us there. But we’ve got guys who will be able to do a really solid job. But yeah, it’s just obviously a tough situation for him.”
(A career high in sacks and counting now for you. Is there one trait you could point to that you really think has taken another step from where you were previously as a pass rusher that you have taken to the next level to get to the career-high?) – “I’m always just working on my game constantly. I’m never a finished product at any point that I’m playing, any point during the season, or anything like that. I’m never a finished product so I’m always working on improving in little things. I’m not really focused necessarily on that specifically. I’m just trying to do what I can for my teammates and I’ll look up at the end.”
(What will make this December different from last December for this team? What is different?) – “I guess we’ll see. I guess that’s left to be seen. But I think like I was saying, we’ve got the right guys in the locker room and right leadership and right mindset as a team that I think we have a chance to do some good things moving forward. But again, it all starts with being present one day at a time.”
(I asked Head Coach Mike McDaniel about RB Jeff Wilson Jr. kind of giving the pregame speech before you guys broke for warmups. He talked about how he’s like a spark plug for the locker room. I was curious just do the captains decide who speaks to the team before or how does that kind of play out?) – “It’s kind of just like a vibe thing, but it’s nice when Jeff gets in there because he’s a psycho, man. (laughter) I love Jeff. I love hearing from him. He’s all ball and I don’t know who pisses him off before every game or before he touches the ball, but it’s a fun thing to watch him play. So it’s just an energy vibe thing before the game.”
(With the sacks and the interceptions recently, this defense has really been a play-making and game-changing unit with S Jevon Holland’s interception. Are you aware of that and does it make a difference when you take the field?) – “Again, you’re kind of just focused on play by play. I don’t know. I’ll just be so locked in, I’m not really like – I can see when someone makes a good play, but I’m not necessarily thinking like, ‘oh, this is…’ I just kind of take it play by play and you don’t really realize stuff as it’s kind of happening. You’re just locked in, ‘all right, onto the next.’ But I guess we’re doing all right, I don’t know.”
(But you’re aware of like CB Jalen Ramsey’s interceptions or S Jevon Holland’s interceptions, your sacks…?) – “Oh yeah, when they happen and then when you kind of take a minute and watch the film afterwards and see, ‘oh, that was actually really impressive.’ Or ‘that’s a cool moment’ or whatever it is, yeah.”
(When you get a guy like CB Jalen Ramsey or WR Tyreek Hill – I covered the Heat before Shaq came there – when Shaq got there it was like they walked into the building differently. Do you walk into a building differently when you have guys such as Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill?) – “I kind of spoke on it a little bit last week when you asked, just what Jalen (Ramsey) brings or what those type of guys bring and it’s cool to see your best players be some of the hardest working and just the things they’re able to do, the plays they’re able to make are pretty special. I talked about Jalen and his calming presence. Like that’s the biggest thing he’s been able to add to kind of me and us as a defense, I feel like.”
Alec Ingold – November 27, 2023
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Monday, November 27, 2023
FB Alec Ingold
(What went into the second-half rushing performance that you all had?) – “I think it was throughout the game you saw a lot of opportunities for a lot of yardage. The guys really excelled upfront with the offensive line coming in, whether backups were stepping up, everyone was banged up. It’s a really tough front. So when you’re able to stay on your keys, you’re able to stay on the fundamentals, you’re able to bank those reps and continue to improve throughout the game. I think that’s where you had our runners that were trusting the blocks and trusting pressing where they needed to, and they were seeing those seems towards the end of the game. It’s fun to watch your running backs towards the end of the game in the four-minute drill. (Assistant Quarterbacks Coach) Chandler (Henley) said in my pre-draft meeting, he asked me what my favorite part of football was and I said, ‘the four-minute drill.’ He said, ‘I’ve never heard that out of anybody ever.’ It’s one of the most beautiful things in football when you can either touch the paint at the end of the game by running the ball, or you can take a knee at the end of the game. We were able to do both.”
(This team is known for speed and high-scoring, wide open offense. There are some that wonder ‘Hey, is this a physical team?’ Do you think you kind of put that question to bed?) – “Yeah, it’s speed to power. You see Raheem Mostert doing sideline drill teach tape every single week, and he’s one of the fastest guys in the league. When you’re able to make that physical track meet happen, it’s important. It takes all 11 to have that physical presence, but when you’re going up against good defenses and you have to have four, five, six-yard carries and string those out and stack them, that’s another place of improvement where you’re able to see the development throughout our offense, so if the big plays aren’t happening, you can still rely on those fundamentals and techniques.”
(Could you sense that you were taking control of the game like on the 92-yard drive? I think you had five third-down conversions. Could you sense that, ok we’re seizing this thing?) – “It’s kind of crazy because you’re in the moment and you hear it’s a 17-play drive and you really don’t know, because you’re so locked into that next play call, until you get back to the line and the defense has been sitting there for 15 minutes and it’s like ‘we’re ready to play now.’ It’s definitely something you kind of feel once you go back to the sideline. But when you’re in it, you’re so dialed into what that assignment is and what that play is that it’s hard to really feel that, at least personally for me, throughout the drive. But once you get back to the field and realize it’s already the fourth quarter, that’s a drive and a statement that we needed to make at that time. It was definitely good.”
(Is it a challenge at all for you – we talk about the offensive line having so many different lineups throughout the course of the season and in the game. You played seven different guys in the game on Friday. Does it change anything you do at all in terms of reading them or getting your track, or is it all the same?) – “I don’t think you can change that up depending on new guys stepping in. I think that’s where the week of preparation really comes in. That’s where a whole season comes in, from OTAs to training camp. All of those reps need to be banked so we can all move along a string together. I think it’s a testament to the o-line being able to step up that way and execute where they needed to execute so that runners, backfield guys, skill guys are able to stay consistent with our techniques so you aren’t changing from one play to the next, or ‘this is a huge defensive front, now I have to change everything.’ You’re able to rely on your training and technique and not hesitate. You don’t have to second-guess anybody. I think that’s trust and I think that’s a lot of reps that need to be banked.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel and DT Christian Wilkins were just talking about the energy that RB Jeff Wilson Jr. brings. I was curious of your perspective and what he brings.) – “I think the physical presence and the downhill presence when you’re within those white lines is big. He’s taken my pregame speeches and blown them out of the water. He brings all of the intention and intensity, and it’s just fun to play for a running back like that, that just plays with a chip on their shoulder, is running hard every single time. It inspires play callers, it inspires an offense, it inspires a team, when you see a guy play with that much emotion and execute. I don’t know if you saw him when he hit that first down with the straight arm. That gives you so much joy when you’re playing because you know it means so much. If it means so much to one person, it means that much to everybody else.”
(Are there times when you’re saying something to the team and he’s following you up?) – “Oh, no. He starts it on the field. The emotion there, I can’t replicate it. I’m not going to try. I don’t think anybody should or can. But that raw emotion that you feel that get the little social media clips on, I think that’s a testament to the hard work, the preparation, and it’s like this is the opportunity that we get to go out. It’s something that matters so much to every single person, the entire community, the entire team, to go out and lay it on the line, whether it’s Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. It does not matter the time. It does not matter the place. When you get that opportunity, it means a lot.”
(There is this perception even though you guys have the number one ranked offense, I don’t know what you stand now, but you have the number two ranked rushing attack. People believe because of all the speed and how you play, that you are a finesse team. How much does that bother you, especially when you know you could do those four-minute drives and finish off games?) – “When you take those statistics across the entire league, you can extrapolate, and you can make narratives based on this 40-time is combined with this number of rushing yards or passing yards or whatever it is, and you can create those stories. At the end of the day, if you are operating at the highest of highest of levels, it takes everybody. It takes every little ounce of physicality, of finesse, of speed, of precision. It takes all of it. You can’t have one without the other. And if you do, you’re going to be middle of the pack. You’re going to be 15th, 16th in those rankings. I think it goes to show that whatever storyline is out there and whatever the strengths might be, or the weaknesses at the beginning of the year, when you’re continually bought into that process of intentionality, and you’re working hard and you’re progressing, things start moving together and you’re able to bring that physical side of the game along to catch up with the speed or vice-versa. I think that’s where you’re kind of seeing the strides throughout the season, which we were able to do so far.”
Jeff Wilson Jr. – November 27, 2023
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Monday, November 27, 2023
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(The pregame speech, what was that speech? We want that speech.) – “Oh man. Pregame speeches are just all from the heart and that’s all. Seeing how the guys work and being around them for as long as I have, I feel like on the team, especially a team like this, there’s always a lot of things you can do besides actually being on the field that can help contribute and go forward to you getting to the goal you want to reach. Just for me to be able to do that no matter what it is, no matter how it is, that’s just a blessing for me to have in this role on this team.”
(What was the theme of it?) – “It’s time to go to work. It was kind of like Black Friday, kind of like a Black Friday feel to the speech. Normally when you hear Black Friday, it’s crazy, chaotic, everyone’s all over the place, people taking things. That’s kind of just what I told them. We’re (going) to come in here and (going) to make it Black Friday for us on the football field. We’re coming in, taking it home, taking the game, taking everything.”
(How have you been, I guess selfless this season, because you started off injured. RB Raheem Mostert is on pace to get 1,000 yards. You saw what RB De’Von Achane was doing with the long runs. What were you thinking about your role on the team and like you said, it’s about doing stuff when you’re not on the field. How do you maintain that when these other two dudes are going off?) – “It’s not about me. Like I said, when you have dreams and you have aspirations to get to a special place, you have to be selfless. Those guys are like my brothers. It’s not like I’m jealous or envy of them. I’m actually happy for them, especially Raheem. Everybody knows our story. We’ve been together for so long and to see his journey and see how he’s been cut and left alone and told you’re not good enough so many times to now being one of the best backs in the league this year, that’s just a testament to him and I couldn’t be more proud of him. Achane, I’ve seen him when he was first coming in. He’s an electric guy. He’s hard to keep off the field. It’s not like it’s hard not to be. These are guys who are in the same room as me, on the same team, and not only that, they’re really like my brothers. So it makes me happy to see them go off and it makes me want to be a part of it.”
(You had a good game, 11 carries for 56 yards. How do you view that game? A winning effort, you ran physically. How do you view your game with how it fits in with the running back room now?) – “I love it. Like I said, anyway I contribute is always going to be a plus. This is a very, very, very special team and we’re on the verge of doing very special things. Just to be in that car ride and have a seat in that car, on that bus with a seatbelt that I can safely buckle myself in, there’s no greater feeling.”
(You heard us talking with FB Alec Ingold a minute ago about the idea of becoming known for more then just finesse, for power. That’s something that we talked about with you last year, how you run with power. How much do you want to see this team use that power and physicality?) – “A lot. Especially with the explosive guys we have on our team. It’s kind of easy to ignore and overlook those things because you have Tyreek (Hill) on one side, you got (Jaylen) Waddle on one side, you have Tua (Tagovailoa) in the backfield. You have guys everywhere, and these guys make tremendous, memorable, remarkable plays on the field. It’s kind of hard to sometimes look down and see the nitty-gritty and the stuff that goes on under the surface of the whole ordeal, but to know that we have that and it’s in us and running hard and physical, that’s been my style. That’s been my way ever since I started playing football when I was five years old. That was kind of my father’s motto. You take no prisoners and you go out there and when you run, you try to take a man’s will. That’s always something that I’ve always tried to do, and is something that has always been a separation to my game. To have the physical part, you’re definitely need it going to the stretch we’re going to and playing the teams we’re about to face. It’s definitely going to be something that’s needed.”
(Does it bother you that Head Coach Mike McDaniel doesn’t call plays for the running backs on third and short? He’d rather pass. Obviously there’s a lot of talent in the passing game.) – “I would be not telling the truth if I said I wasn’t a little frustrated. But how you can be frustrated when you have a guy you can throw a one-yard pass to and it can turn into a 70-yard touchdown? So those are things you just live with it. Sometimes we’re going to get it, sometimes we’re not. Regardless, even if it’s us getting the ball or him getting the ball, whatever the situation is, I know it’s probably the best situation for us at that time. It’s up to us to execute and keep playing ball.”
(Have you ever gone up to Head Coach Mike McDaniel and said, ‘Give me the damn ball?’) – “I mean shoot, once you play ball in this game, everybody wants it at that time. I don’t know what kind of player you are if you don’t want the ball in those situations, especially when that’s your job description and what you do. But at the same time, like I said, when you have guys that are that electric on the outside that can take a one-yard (play) and take it 60 or 70 (yards) and make it one of the most memorable plays in the NFL season, it’s kind of hard not to ignore.”
(You talk about those receivers and their big plays in the passing game. When you watch the game back from Friday, what did you see from them and the blocking element?) – “Oh, a lot. Those guys, to just see the growth from the beginning of the year to now, some of the plays that we probably could have made if we got this block, then that’s a touchdown block. So to see them get those blocks and see the urgency of them to try to get those blocks, that’s one thing you love. Especially when those guys really don’t have to do it. Yeah, it’s asked of them but as long as they make their plays, I’m pretty sure they’ll be ok. But to see those guys really take that to heart, that makes it just much easier for us. That way when it is time for us to pass block, and they get their ball, it makes it easy for us to stand in there and bow our neck.”
(What makes December games different?) – “Everything is tighter. Everything is getting closer to that time. You obviously want to be playing your best football at this time. You obviously want to be – everything really has to be on point. And the teams that you’re facing, these are potential Super Bowl teams. If you look at our schedule, you can see that. We have some real good games on there with some real good contenders. As we keep going, it’s not going to get easier, especially when we get into the postseason, the playoffs. Those games are going to be the teams we’re facing and it’s going to be win or go home. So to get in that mindset already right now, still with stuff that we have to accomplish and can accomplish through this season, we’re just getting ready for it.”
(How much does that five-game losing streak from last year at this time influence you guys in the locker room?) – “I was just thinking about that. That was another thing. We know where that was at. A lot of that we took on in our room because if you go back and look at the stats, it was kind of the run game and everything kind of went down at that point. So to be conscientious of that and know that – everybody knows that. To come off that bye week and the season wasn’t going the way we wanted, especially with how we were feeling before the bye week, we felt like it was our year then. But things didn’t go that way. So as far as the approach in the meeting rooms, the walkthroughs, the practices, just everything, it just keeps us that more locked in because just as good as it’s going, it can easily go the other way.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – November 27, 2023
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Monday, November 27, 2023
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(It has been a long road, long season for you. Obviously, you’re going to have more opportunities now, but what has this season been like from a personal perspective?) – “This season has had ups and downs, but I can’t really complain. Thankfully, I’m still here. But it’s definitely had its ups and downs. I’m just ready for my opportunity.”
(What’s it like now that you will have that opportunity? I know it’s tough when it comes with a player going down.) – “Just like I’ve been all season, just staying ready, just waiting for my name to be called. Like I said, it’s been frustrating, but I’m excited for this opportunity. I’m just looking forward to it.”
(How gratifying – obviously, again, you don’t want to have to go in because of a teammate going down, but how gratifying was it to go in there and then produce and have a sack and be able to make some plays as you know your role is going to get bigger?) – “Even the first play when I got in and jumped offsides, I was thinking about Jaelan (Phillips) the whole time. It definitely sucks seeing my brother go down. I told him, I’ve got to get me one for you. After the game, I had to run up to him and say, ‘Hey, man, I’m thinking about you,’ just to give him that support when I can.”
(I was asking RB Jeff Wilson Jr. how tough it is to be selfless, because he’s injured and RB Raheem Mostert is on pace for 1,000 yards and RB De’Von Achane is getting all these yards. For you, DT Christian Wilkins with 6.5 sacks and I guess LB Jaelan Phillips might have had 6.0 or 6.5, LB Bradley Chubb with 6.0. You know the numbers. DT Zach Sieler with 5.0. Everybody – you have 4.0, I believe, so you’re in on the party, but is it tough to sit on the sideline while everybody is having such success and the team is having such success?) – “Oh, not at all, because I know what those guys went through, what those guys are going through because we all battle together and we all work together. Just seeing them succeed, I’m happy for them. I want everybody to go out there and make plays for us. But yeah, also I want to be out there too making plays, but it’s always good seeing the guys eat too around me.”
(In the lead up to the trade deadline, did they come to you and say, “Hey, don’t worry, we’re not shopping you?” Was there any clarity from them or did you just have to wait until the deadline to pass?) – “No, I didn’t really have any word from the team that I was going to get traded. So, no.”
(Was it something you thought might be a possibility? And were you relieved it didn’t happen?) – “I mean, you always think – depending on what’s going on, you would think that, but I didn’t know what was going on. Like I said, I was just controlling what I could control. Nobody told me anything, so I was just playing on the Miami Dolphins.”
(I was going to ask you, how much does standing up playing outside linebacker does that add to your preparation each week in terms of potential pass coverage responsibilities occasionally compared to playing defensive end?) – “I mean, like standing up is still different for me, but like I said, I’m getting better. I’m working on it every day at practice. I’m improving every day and just doing what I can to help this team win.”
(What’s the message been from Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, I guess, in the last few days, since LB Jaelan Phillips went down?) – “We haven’t really had a chance to really talk about the situation with Vic (Fangio). I know I’ve spoken to Jaelan (Phillips) personally, but having a guy like that going down is definitely tough in the room. A rising star in this league, he will definitely be missed, but we’ve got to make the season about him and play for him.”
(How has LB Jaelan Phillips been doing in your interactions with him?) – “Mentally, I’d say he’s been good. He’s been good. It’s always tough to really know what guys are going through. I used for example, with me going down last year, it was definitely tough on me, hard on me. So I just told him one thing – just stay together and stay focused mentally, because the biggest thing coming back is just your mental preparation and attack that rehab hard too.”
(You were here last year. I know you weren’t playing that much during that five-game losing streak, but what will make this different than last year? What did you guys learn from last year’s tough stretch?) – “It’s December football now, so it’s definitely tough playing in December, but just staying focused. Our defense is getting better each week. We’re getting better and better, and we’re getting healthier on defense. So just staying focused, don’t get complacent and attack every game and play hard every game.”
(Does it feel like the defense is getting better and better? I mean we see the plays, the sacks, the interceptions. Does it feel like you guys are changing games?) – “Yeah, we’re getting more comfortable with each other. Again, we’re playing for each other. We’re playing better every week. We have guys that are back – Jalen Ramsey is a big boost, him coming back. Guys are playing together, guys are playing hard. Pursuit is key. Just balling together as a unit.”
(It wasn’t that long ago you had those back-to-back nine sack seasons. Do you feel that is something that you could still get back to, that level of a pass rusher?) – “I mean, the sky is the limit for me. Like I said, I’ve always been ready, I’ve always stayed ready. I’m just waiting on the opportunity.”
(I asked RB Jeff Wilson Jr. this last week, is there any benefit to not having a lot of tread this year on the tires? Although you’re always in great shape obviously, is there any advantage to that for you the rest of the way?) – “Oh yeah, you feel good late in the season. Your body still feels good. Just going into games, you’re feeling fresh and feeling ready to go. There’s always some good toward it, but then again, you always still want to be out there. As a competitor, me, I want to go out there and play.”
(Who was emotionally supportive of you in terms of not playing a lot? You handled it great, but was there anyone you sort of leaned on who uplifted your spirits?) – “I mean, the guys in the room, they understand. They understood what I was going through. The outside linebackers, the d-line room, I’m tied in with those guys. They’d just come up to me and kept telling me, ‘Hey, don’t worry, we’re going to need you this season. We’re going to need you eventually this season.’ So I just stayed focused and just kept on being a good presence in the room.”
