Tua Tagovailoa – September 4, 2024
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I wanted to ask about the 2019 College Football Playoff Championship. What do you remember about that game?) – “We lost.”
(Does it haunt you?) – “We lost, brother. Any time you lose any of those games, they stick with you, and I wasn’t happy about that performance, the way we came out as a team offensively especially, but it is what it is. You learn from all those mistakes and you grow from that, but it wasn’t a good memory.”
(Is there any extra motivation facing off against Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence on Sunday?) – “No, because I’m not playing him; he doesn’t play defense. I’m not playing against him. I’m playing against their defense, the scheme that their guy has for them and they’ve got a good scheme. They’ve got a good scheme.”
(It’s our first time talking to you since Head Coach Mike McDaniel got his extension, you got yours earlier. We see the smile on your face. How great is it to know that you two are linked here for the foreseeable future going into the season?) – “Really cool. It’s really cool. Any time anyone on our team, I’m speaking for myself and I’m also speaking for other guys, any time anyone on our team gets paid and is able to change their life and their family’s life, it’s always something big.”
(You mentioned the Jags scheme. What’s the process like for you of going up against a defense that has a new coordinator that doesn’t have any real tape that you can go up and study?) – “So for me, I study their players that they have. Although not the same scheme, just who’s good at covering, who’s someone that we think, OK, maybe we have a little more leverage with this guy in coverage. And that’s how I sort of base it off of just watching film on the guys that are on the field. Then you go back to New Orleans when he was the DC to the Falcons – we had a joint practice with them last year. There were guys that were on the team last year that played with him in Atlanta and then there were also some guys that were on the team with him when he was coaching the Saints, when he was the DC. So we got a good amount of information that we can collect from a group of guys in the locker room and then just watching tape.”
(Going back to Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence for a second. You guys, your paths are kind of similar. You were both highly touted coming out of high school, played at big programs, won national championships. Are you friends? Do you have a relationship with him? Do you know him at all?) – “We’ve crossed paths before. I’ve seen him on vacation a couple times in the Bahamas. That’s all I can say and there’s just a mutual respect between us there.”
(Do you remember the first time you heard the name Trevor Lawrence, like when you had an idea that he might be something really big?) – “I mean, leading up to the national championship, they had to win their game prior and so we knew of him and then in that national championship game, that’s where, really, I think he made a statement in who he was as a player and just in general. That was his freshman year, too. Him coming in the national championship game, leading his team and we had a really good Alabama team, too, and he did what he had to do and they killed us. (laughter) They killed us.”
(I’m sure it was different the way you build up, but at what point do you know in camp or as you approach Week 1 that “Hey, we’re ready for this? It’s been a long offseason; we’ve put everything in place and we’re ready to go for Week 1?”) – “You want to think you’re ready for anything, but you never know until you go out there. Schematically, we think we know what they’re going to do, but until we go out and run our plays and get a feel of what they’re doing with their run fits, with the back end in coverage, how they’re trying to marry both up with each other, you really don’t know if you are. You’ve just got to go out there, get a feel and like I said, they haven’t really put on film as a team what they do and what they do well. So I think it’s also for them, they’re trying to figure that out as well, too.”
(I asked Head Coach Mike McDaniel earlier the biggest differences between you from Year 1 to now when it comes to preparing for a game and he mentioned that you’ve refined your ability to absorb the complex verbiage of the offense and also how to divvy up your time and understanding that. What’s been key for you in getting to that point?) – “Just continuing to look over the plays, continuing to look over what we’re going to do, what we want to do throughout the week. First and second down, that’s what we’re looking over Tuesday the day of and then working into the night with third downs on Tuesday, so that today we’re ready for first and second downs and we’re already ahead of the chains, we’re getting ready for third downs. And it’s the same thing, it’s the same process. We don’t know what they’re going to do. It’s just all right, here’s plays that we’re good at; let’s go and see what they’re going to present to us, let’s run it and then we’ll get a feel from there.”
(You’re entering your third season with Head Coach Mike McDaniel. Your relationship I’m sure has evolved immensely. That synergy – better than ever I’m sure together on the sideline – how does that help you in 2024? How will you foresee it that the synergy that you have when it comes to moving that offense?) – “I think I’m seeing it a lot better. It’s a little clearer than it was last year. It’s a little clearer than it was the year before and continuing to grow in the offense, continuing to – we’re trying to continue to maneuver through a lot of the minutia that happens within his offense of a lot of guys moving and I think that’s all it is. Both me and him, I think we’ve both grown together in becoming more vocal together and then with our guys that we’re playing with, that we’re out there with.”
(One thing we keep hearing from your teammates is how much more vocal of a leader, vocal of a person you’ve been this offseason. Is that something that you’ve noticed within yourself?) – “I would say yes and I would say no. A lot of the guys know who I am off the field. Just on the field, it’s just I guess coming out now. That’s just what it is. I guess feeling more comfortable bringing my own personality onto the playing field.”
(Just to follow up so it’s not like – you didn’t come into this offseason with some concerted effort, like “I want to be more vocal,” “I want to make sure I talk more and pull my receivers aside?”) – “No, no. I would just say it’s just bringing my own personality into playing the game of football. That’s it.”
(Do you still approach a new season like you have something more to prove after you’ve proven so much the last two years?) – “Yeah, I think that’s how you’ve got to come into the season every year. You’ve got to come in with something to prove every time. Everyone else is – the rookies are, the 17-year vets are. So I don’t think anyone comes into the season thinking, ‘Oh, let me just see if this is going to be a season where I’m healthy, if this is a season where I could do good, I could be average or whatever.’ I think everyone wants to be really, really good at coming in this first week and trying to sustain that throughout the entire year.”
(You’ve got a whole offseason at maybe a little bit lower playing weight than you were last year. How much have you felt your mobility and maybe even your speed increase from where you were last year?) – “I would say it’s not anywhere near where I was at Alabama, and I say that with humbleness because I wasn’t as fast still at Alabama, but I was able to move a lot quicker when I was there. But I think after the hip injury, it kind of did take a toll still on my mobility, but I think I’m a lot better than I was last year and the year prior, so I feel a lot better.”
(Earlier this week WR Tyreek Hill was talking about the excitement level and I know every year has an excitement, but do you sense – he talked about it being a little different, that you guys feel like you’ve really evolved as a team and are ready to take that next step? Do you feel that as you enter Week 1?) – “Yeah, I do feel that. I say that just because of the practices that we’ve had, the intensity that we practice with going against our ones and the ones going against us. There’s been a lot of things that have trickled into the locker room that hadn’t happened in years prior and so I would say that’s just the feel of ‘Dang, this does feel different,’ and we’ve got some dawgs on the team.”
(To go back to QB Trevor Lawrence, what do you think of the way both your careers have taken off and also, he’s another guy that got paid this offseason?) – “Yeah, I mean congratulations to him and his wife. I think they just had a newborn, so congrats to them on that as well. When I’m trying to connect both of our journeys, I would say definitely two different journeys. Two different journeys, that’s for sure, but also there are some similarities in the way. But I think the way he’s handled everything that he’s gone through there in Jacksonville has been really commendable and has been really good for him, and as you can see, it’s worked out really good. So I’m very happy for him.”
(Going on to the leadership question from earlier, Head Coach Mike McDaniel kind of said he noticed an it factor in you I guess in regard to how the team responds to you when you speak up and when you’re vocal. I’m curious for you at what moment kind of did you realize that you had gained the respect of the team as a vocal leader?) – “Like the it factor? I’ve had the it factor. (laughter) No, I’ve had the it factor since I was in high school, then going into college, and then coming here. That’s how I’ve always viewed myself as – going out and competing. Yeah, very, very nice, very cool, calm collected, but inside just very competitive. So a lot of the guys know how I am and whatnot, but I guess it’s just only now showing that I’m becoming a little more vocal so that’s it.”
(You talked a lot about that excitement with the offense coming in and we’ve talked about it a lot as well with these rookies that have come in as well. Now with camp over and getting ready for that first week, how excited are you for these new additions with WR Malik Washington and RB Jaylen Wright and things like that?) – “It’ll be cool. It’ll be cool for them to get their first live reps in a game, and it’ll be cool to see how they respond to adversity. Everyone on the other side of the ball gets paid, too, and they know that. They know they’re going to have to bring their A-game every time they’re in there and just going to have to study up because we’ve got a good amount of stuff that are going in.”
Jordan Poyer – September 4, 2024
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
S Jordan Poyer
(Even as a veteran, does Week 1 still excites you to get back out there?) – “Absolutely, it’s football season. This is what we play for. This is what we trained for all offseason. That’s what OTAs are for, training camp. Week 1, we’re excited to play. I’m excited be out here and get the season going.”
(What does the Jags present challenge wise with QB Trevor Lawerence?) – “Obviously an experienced quarterback. He’s got an arm, he’s got legs, he’s got really good talent around him. (Evan) Engram, obviously (Gabe) Davis coming over there, Christian Kirk, and obviously their running backs. We’re going to have to play extremely well to win, but we feel good about our practice today and the game plan. We just want to continue to get better each and every day.”
(You got QB Tua Tagovailoa taking pictures of you while you’re being interviewed. What’s it like being neighbors with him?) – “My dawg, man. I love Tua. We’ve gotten to get to know each other really good over the last four or five months now. He’s just a really good guy. We hung out off the field on a boat and our families getting to know each other. It’s been really cool to get to know Tua.”
(There haven’t been many days where the starters at safety and the starters at corner have played together. Is that a concern at all? Or because it’s smart guys, experienced guys back there, does that not worry you?) – “I think we rely on a lot of our experience. We’ve got guys that have played in the league for a long time on the back end, so just being able to understand our jobs, understand the jobs of the people around us and communicate. I think the biggest thing on defense is being able to communicate with the guy next to you. If you’re all wrong, you’re all right together. Like I said, we had a really good day at practice today, we’ll continue to build on that and move forward.”
(You’ve been playing for a long time, been a part of a lot of different teams. What’s special this group that stands out to you to start of the season?) – “I just feel an energy. It’s a different energy than what I felt even playing against them last year. This groups seems really close. It seems like they got something to prove. Obviously, we understand we’re a very talented team, and it’s in those moments of adversity, in those moments of – whether through a game, throughout a week, whether it’s throughout a season, being able to stick together through those moments and continue to just stay the path, and continue to work and continue to grind. You want to go 17-0 – we hope to go 17-0 obviously – but at the end of the day, you might drop a game and it’s in that moment right there, how do you handle those moments. This is a well-equipped team with a lot of veterans and a lot of leaders on it. So we just want to continue to build off that and hopefully get that momentum going in the season.”
(Can you talk about what’s the importance of being a player driven team? Why is that important?) – “I think that’s huge. We’re the ones out there playing obviously. That’s not taking anything away from the coaches; this is a great coaching staff. They understand where to put us in position to be able to make plays offensively and defensively. When you’re out there playing with your boys and playing for your boys, I think that’s a huge factor in the game. In the fourth quarter, it’s your boys. These are my guys. These are the guys that I’ve been grinding throughout training camp, OTAs. You want to look them in the eye and understand that this is our job and we’ve got to get a job done. I think that team camaraderie, that player-driven leadership is a huge part of the team, and we do have that here.”
(You were one of the guys that everybody says that you get everybody together. What’s the importance of that?) – “Like I said, I think just being able to understand who you’re playing with. We’re not just teammates; we’re brothers. We’re friends. Our families have gotten to know each other. We all essentially got each other’s lifelines on the line each and every down. In the fourth quarter when it’s crunch time, I want to be able to look at the guy next to me and understand he’s playing for me and I’m playing for him. Those are important moments in the game and whichever way the coins flips at the end of the game, you know that your boy’s got your back, you’ve got his back.”
(1:00 p.m. kickoffs at Hard Rock Stadium are kind of infamous around the league. What’s it going to be like to be on the shaded side now.) – “(laughter) That will be interesting. I’ve never been on the shaded side, so we’ll see how that plays out. No, I’m extremely excited for this home game, man. I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time, ever since I obviously signed here. Just to be a part of this football team and this part of the organization is such a cool opportunity for me. I’m just taking full advantage of it and just trying to be the best version of myself I can be.”
Jaylen Wright – September 4, 2024
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
RB Jaylen Wright
(Is this a moment you’ve been waiting for?) – “Oh yeah, a dream come true. I’ve dreamed all my life, always dreamed to play at the highest level. Not only that, but to produce well at the highest level, so I’m really blessed with this opportunity.”
(How many friends or family tickets are you going for?) – “I think this week I just got two – just my mom and dad. Nothing crazy.”
(And if you score, you know what to do this time, right?) – “Oh yeah, I’m keeping the ball. (laughter) Yup.”
(With four really good backs in the room, are you mentally in the state where if you don’t end up getting many snaps or carries you’ll be OK with it?) – “Yeah, it’s a long season. That’s how I look at it. Preparation creates opportunity, so just me being prepared and being ready for whenever that moment comes, I’m fully confident that I’m going to take advantage of that opportunity. We’ve got four good backs, but all four backs are going to produce really well.”
(How does your feeling of preparation for your first real pro game compare to what you remember about your first college game?) – “Preparation, I still kind of got the same preparation schedule as far as watching film, taking care of my body, just knowing what the defense will do, what they like to do and what are their weaknesses and strengths. Preparation wise, I’m taking the same approach that I had in college, but of course it’s a lot more talented people on the field on this level. So I just let my preparation take care of everything on game day.”
(Do you get anxiety or nervous the night before the game or morning of the game?) – “I mean yeah, that’s what comes with it – anxiousness, anxiety, nervousness. That’s the beauty of the sport we play, that’s the love of it. It’s always once I get that first contact, once I get that first play in, it all goes away and I’m ready to ball.”
(What’s part of your ritual before the game in terms of either walking the field and listening to music or sitting at your locker? What do you like to do between the time you get to the stadium and kickoff?) – “I just like to stay to myself. I like to stay locked in, just have time to myself, pray. I pray a lot; if it weren’t for God, I would be nothing. Prayer, me praying, that calms me down, calms all my nerves down. Just have my confidence and be ready to perform on game day.”
Mike McDaniel – September 4, 2024
Download PDF version
Monday, September 4, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I know you don’t want to ruin the surprise of the first injury report of 2024, it comes out in a few hours, but with that being said, can you share with us what’s been keeping CB Jalen Ramsey out of practice? And do you expect him to play on Sunday?) – “He’s gone anti-grass; he just doesn’t play on grass anymore. (laughter) I’m very proud of him – I’ve never been prouder of a player not practicing, like honestly. No puffery. On the regular, the dude practiced both with starters and on the scout team, did the entire practice last year as he was coming back. He’s just making me proud because he knows how important he is to this team and what he’s looking to accomplish with the team as a captain. So I think everyone’s kind of impressed because – that’s a different headache, dealing with him trying to be on the field when he’s not supposed to. So it’s good, and the human body tells us, I don’t really forecast that, but I know he’s doing everything he can today and there weren’t any setbacks today. So you know me, that’s where my mind lies – good day.”
(You are 6-1 in September in your tenure, including two 3-0 starts. Why have you had immediate success the last two years early going?) – “I think the key, we were better at the point differential, for sure – scored more points. (laughter) No, I think it’s a multitude of things; each team is different, there are some commonalities. I think for me, people talk about starting and finishing and all the things in between. I think you do your best with what you can and max out your team and everything works itself out. I think there’s been times in the first two years that we’ve, as a team, won some games – correlation, causation… No, I think what you get to see in the first month is a – it’s probably 230-some days from the last time that you’ve competed in a box square that sustains. And in that time, from one season to the next, you get to see what people have put in and how guys have been able to come together in a short amount of time relatively. It’s a new team, generally half the team is new each and every year, for every team, and you get to see where their game is at from last year to this year. I think far too often people just take names as names and almost look at people as how they viewed them last year. Every season, every player is either better or worse and no one is really staying the same. There’s generally competition that (General Manager) Chris Grier makes sure that will heat you up if you start getting complacent. So I think where the team is at – 2022, that particular team, 2023 – this team I will say, regardless of we haven’t played a game fully, this is our first Wednesday practice, but I think I wouldn’t be the only person to say that the team has tried to build upon what the former teams have taught them. And how you can get a lot out of each and every single day in the offseason and really transform yourself, and behind closed doors, it’s unveiled on Sunday.”
(You’ve got a couple of rookies making their professional debuts on Sunday including LB Chop Robinson and RB Jaylen Wright. In general, what have you said and would you say to a youngster playing a real game on this stage for the first time?) – “This juncture, you kind of just wait. Ironically, the major ones have already occurred. It’s weird for guys to play in rookie minicamp. They don’t talk about it but you can feel just uncertainty, that’s with every person. The unknown is the No. 1 cause of stress. And in that, I think guys, they’re football players that want to feel comfortable. You do that, you earn your stripes with your teammates; it’s not given, but you can feel when the guys are anointing you – one of the people that can help them accomplish a team goal. That’s a big deal, especially for a veteran team. So there’ll be a moment, but it’s football and it always comes back to that. There’s a lot of stuff in between. We’ve talked about football for 230 days since the end of the season. We’re all very fortunate to be a part of something like that, however, it’s all built up for your opportunities that are few and far between. Even the longest career, relatively – NFL games are special. I think there’ll be a moment for those guys. They are ready for it, but it probably won’t even get to my desk because they’re right in the midst of the locker room, the team, where it would probably take two seconds for Duke Riley or any – we have some characters in our locker room that will get guys’ minds right and they’ll be good. They’ve proven their stripes with their teammates.”
(I can’t tell you how many texts I got yesterday about your depth chart, mostly from fantasy football players, about the F position. Could you explain what the F position is?) – “It means a lot of things. Namely, for our team in particular we’re fortunate to have some – I think everyone has been talking about the different type of weapons we have or the good football players we have that have a multitude of skill sets. So in that, when you say starters, to me you’re talking about a caliber of player and there’s about 15 of those guys on our team. No one has noticed that fact that there wasn’t one depth chart last year that was the first play of the game exactly right. Right? It would’ve been illegal every game. There’s 12 – there’s only 11 on the field. For our football team, you can have – in an F position, the starting point is you are inside the X and Z away from the tight end, or to him, to 3 by 1. And then whether that you’re playing any iteration of those formations, 2 by 2, 3 by 1, 1 by 3, whatever, there’s five eligibles. Any one of those you kind of get more of a sense like you are in the blocking core. Maybe you’re in the perimeter, maybe you’re doing both. You have skill sets that sometimes we have – most of the time our fullback by definition of what a fullback is known to be isn’t playing fullback. He’s playing receiver, or tight end, or a multitude of things. For us, F can be a third down target, can be a core blocking tool, an asset, a guy you’re trying to get the ball to in space. Maybe if you have some players that occupy a lot of space that defenses have to regard, Fs can take advantage of underneath space in defense. Really, I don’t even know by – it’s not fair to categorize certain guys as just one thing. I think the strength of our offense is that we have a bunch of people that are cross training, because the idea is that everyone is moving in unison. So to move together and to appropriately execute your job relative to your teammates, that multiplicity is endless. What is an F? He’s not the Y, Z, or X, and he’s a good football player that probably has some skills that the football team can benefit from.”
(It’s that simple?) – “It didn’t dawn on me; I should make it a lot easier. (laughter) It would be a lot easier just to kind of give you depth charts of any personal package, but I don’t even know what those are until a given day because players decide when they make plays, how much they want to be used. We may have our five running back set come out. Who knows?”
(From a game preparation standpoint, what would you say is the biggest difference in QB Tua Tagovailoa from the first year you were coaching him to coming into this season and what you’ve noticed in him from that standpoint?) – “A complete refinement. The first year, you’re engaging in conversation to make sure the expectations of what preparation – everyone knows preparation. So am I doing a good job of preparing? What are those kinds of standards, what was he used to, and the one benefit I knew that I could offer Tua (Tagovailoa) as well as our tremendous coaching staff is examples, connections. We had Drew Brees come out, just trying to understand just how you can find different ways to be better prepared for when you’re playing football. There is nothing more fun for these guys than to be confident and execute on things that they’ve trained for hours and hours and hours, but that’s only affective if you’re doing it appropriately. Those are things that we were talking about Year 1. This year, he’s in full – he thought he had exactly the way he wanted to operate nailed down and then went the extra step. I can feel him being – even Wednesday walkthrough, which is the hardest for quarterbacks in our system by far, it always has been because we’re so verbose. You can just tell by that walkthrough that he’s refined how to divvy up the time to effectively absorb what he’s learned and what he already knows.”
(One of the things that seems to be agreed upon on the part of teammates was how vocal QB Tua Tagovailoa is now compared to year’s past. What have you told him in terms of demanding excellence out of everybody and how to get that point across to teammates in the correct way?) – “I’ve told him that the way he wants to lead, if he wants to lead, he’s fully capable of doing in a manner that no one should tell him how and he has – you just knew there are certain guys that have an it factor with large groups, especially teams. You know when a team believes in the quarterback, quite honestly, and the appreciation for what his skills were I think were strong, but nothing compared to the respect and the regard that his teammates had for not forced, ‘OK, this is my first rep at being a quarterback in the National Football League. I’m going to do this, this and this,’ and finding himself as a person. That’s been front and center with the team, so he’s being him. I think that’s – I don’t know the measurements, but there’s ways to measure energy waves, and the strongest energy wave you can give off it authenticity. Write that down. (laughter) So I think that’s what people feel and that’s why people follow, is not only do they like and believe in him, believe in his skills and his ability to lead them to places they haven’t been, but they also trust it and regard it for what it is, which is true. And that’s why I think everyone can feel there’s – we talk a lot about Tua (Tagovailoa), and as we should, he’s an incredible part of this franchise, but there’s a lot of players on the same trajectory – I just hog all their press conference time because I talk too long at questions. (laughter) There wouldn’t be a better way to represent his leadership in that people aren’t copying what he’s doing but they are seeing and adjusting; he’s found his way to make sure we are on our business, our walkthrough tempo, we get all our plays in with extra time to spare, but does so while being able to make fun of, I don’t know, Jaylen Waddle’s shoes or something. Guys can feel that; they can feel his confidence level. I think you guys can too, it’s just real. He’s more confident because he has more confidence.”
(How is LB Jaelan Phillips? Will he operate with some kind of snap count limitations Week 1? Or how will you kind of manage his situation?) – “Yeah, you know the ‘Jaelans,’ they’re always messing with me with the way that it’s the greatest problem to have, quite honestly. Just naturally, I think there’s a couple components – for so long, there’s just been positive checkboxes. I think realistically we’re just trying to – I think everybody is kind of on board to, we’re not trying to play a whole game either. You got to manage it in some regard. I think we’re getting closer to what that will be nailed down to with maybe 15-20 reps to spare. Who knows? But regardless, we also have to keep in mind that it’ll be his first game back, we have a game four days later and just being able to manage professional athletes.”
Alec Ingold – September 2, 2024
Download PDF version
Monday, September 2, 2024
FB Alec Ingold
(Second year in a row where you’ve been selected a team captain. Could you talk about the significance of that for you?) – “I think it’s never why you lead or why you want to be a voice in the locker room – a lot of guys lead a lot of different ways, but when your peers nominate you for the work that you put in, from OTAs to training camp and saying, ‘We trust these guys to lead us through all the good times, all the bad times, all the hard times.’ It’s a lot of responsibility, probably the greatest honor you can have in this league. Really excited for Zach Sieler. He’s been leading for a long time now, right? Leading by example, doing it in his own way, and for him to get that nod this year, I was just so happy for him. It’s extremely validating for the way he works, the way he shows up, he’s beating dang near everybody in the parking lot pretty much on a daily basis. For him to get that nod, it was really cool.”
(How do you describe your leadership?) – “I think it’s evolving. I think it’s dynamic, it’s whatever is being asked. I think you start with leading by example and working your tail off, and then I love the hard stuff. I love the adversity. I love the toughness of this game. I think that’s what brings teams together. I think that’s what wins championships at the end of the day, is overcoming the adversity of a season and coming out that side stronger, closer together, more bonded. I think that’s where I’m always aspiring to lead through is those tough times.”
(WR Tyreek Hill said this is the most talented team he’s been a part of here with the Dolphins, do you agree?) – “Yeah, 100 percent. I mean top down, I think you have playmakers and it’s going to expose new challenges that we have to deal with as a team. All of this explosiveness, all of this talent, how can we come together? And I think that’s going to be the journey of our team is how we can lean on one another, how we can be accountable to one another because we don’t need one single person to carry this load. We got a lot of guys on both sides of the ball that can do that when their number is called. It’s about being patient, it’s about making the plays that come to you when your number is called, so I think that’s what’s going to be most exciting about this year, seeing so many different, talented guys step up at different points.”
(My issue is third-and-short conversions.) – “Yeah, it’s my issue too man. (laughter) It’s my issue too.”
(My thought process is that a fullback is primarily supposed to help you deliver those third-and-short situations. So how come you’re never getting the ball or rarely on the field in those situations?) – “Yeah, I think that’s really on me. I have to inspire the play callers to be able to call that and dial it up. When an offense is running the ball, everyone can feel it, right? It’s inevitable. You’re getting three, four yards. Everyone is falling forward. Everyone is moving these chains. When you have a line in the sand and it’s second-and-short, you’re not falling down at third-and-one, you’re falling forward and getting those yards and that inspires the play call, that inspires the formations, that inspires the play type to be drawn up. And I think that’s a lot of onus on myself, the big guys up front to say, ‘When those numbers are called, we can inspire the team, the guys in the huddle, the play callers from the first snap.’ It doesn’t have to be the third-and-one in the middle of the third quarter to say, ‘OK, now let’s go get it.’ That’s a mindset that builds throughout the game, so I think that’s something we’re all working towards and especially myself. Yeah, let’s inspire the play callers. Let’s inspire the guys so that when we’re running the ball, we don’t have to look anywhere else. We don’t have to do anything fancy. We can lean on guys. We can play smart, physical, elite technique football. That’s what we say, now we got to go out and execute.”
(You guys are an outside zone running team. I love the outside zone, it’s one of my favorite schemes, concepts and you guys are successful at it. But when things are constricted into those short yardage situations, is that what the problem is? That you are more of a movement line as opposed to a power line?) – “That’s a good question. I mean when you get to the Xs and Os of it and the concept of outside zone versus inside zone or gap scheme, I think it really is if you’re running off the ball and you have that elite technique, it really doesn’t matter what the defense is. It doesn’t matter what the situation is, you should be able to run outside zone for third-and-one if you want to or inside zone. I think I would go back to that answer and really reiterate and hammer down the fact that it is a mindset. You see big Julian Hill coming down hill, it doesn’t matter if he’s power blocking or he’s outside zone blocking, he’s hitting somebody and they’re moving. Those are the types of plays that we can build on throughout the game so that there is confidence within everybody in the huddle that it doesn’t matter what the play call is, we’re getting that yard – we’re getting those two yards. I feel like that’s the key point in my mind.”
(But isn’t the Dolphins’ mindset and identity a creative, fast, not power –) – “Yeah, well I mean creative and fast, fullback probably doesn’t belong too much in that in that conversation either. (laughter) So I think it really is how much more we can do and what we can do well. I think that’s what we’re going to be able to find out this next week, is what we’ve been up to and how we have evolved as an offense and a team so that identity comes out of not what we say with the words on the walls or what we talk about or last year’s film, it’s what we’re doing right now and how we’re improving through that. So I think that’s where we’ll really create the identity starting on Sunday.”
(Do you take it personally when it’s third-and-one and you hear a pass play coming?) – “No, once again, it shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter what the play call is. Let’s go execute. Yes, I would love for 21-personnel to be in there and we can do whatever we want, I think that’s just a competitor that wants to help the team win.”
(What was your reaction to Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s extension?) – “Well earned, well deserved. You get really excited when you see the belief throughout the organization when you reward your guys in the building. And I think it’s a testament to a lot of the hard work of all 90 guys of the entire staff, the way that they’re communicating front office to player management to equipment to everything. He’s the head of this team, and when you see that as a player, it definitely breeds confidence, like we have the people in the room. We aren’t looking anywhere else and going and grabbing – we have it here. How do we invest in ourselves? How do we invest in this identity? How do we invest in this culture to make it right? So a lot of confidence, a lot of excitement. Really happy for him.”
(What do you think TE Jonnu Smith can add to this offense?) – “Everything, anything you want. I mean you saw him early preseason, all through camp – you guys see the amount of different plays that he can create for this offense. It goes back to that talent. How can you get that guy more touches, more creative with the ball? It’s going to be really exciting; he’s always got a big smile on his face and he’s another leader on this team that leads by example. You see that speed, you see (No.) 9 running down the sideline, that gets everybody else going. So I think he’s doing things the right way and I’m really excited to see how many different plays y’all get excited about when you see it on Sunday because the dude can play ball.”
(How big is TE Jonnu Smith’s play package?) – “I think whenever you get a guy like Jonnu (Smith) in, it’s so novel, it’s so new to the offense and a guy that’s bought in mentally, I think the cool part is whatever it starts at, it’s not going to stop at. You know what I’m saying? Whatever it’s going to be, it’s going to be a continuation of, ‘Can we expand here? What can we do here? Here’s a new wrinkle here. Oh, that’s going to look great there.’ So whatever it looks like Week 1, I think it’s going to look a heck of a lot different Week 17 with the way that he can consistently execute.”
(What is the biggest change that you’ve seen in QB Tua Tagovailoa from last year to this year?) – “Man, I think it’s that self-confidence. It’s self-grace. It’s self-conviction. And I think it bleeds off into the locker room of being able to lead exactly how he needs to lead and how he needs it to be. He has a vision for this offense, he has a vision for himself, and to have the confidence to go out and say that and speak it and have great conversations, great communication – it’s not just the huddle. It’s the locker room. It’s the training room. It’s the weight room. I think you see it, it’s just infections right now. It’s spreading throughout the entire locker room in the best way possible. And I think that’s something that’s really cool to see (No.) 1 take a step up this year, because the results on the field were one thing last year, but the way he’s leading this locker room on and off the field is something completely different now. It’s really exciting to see.”
(Is that confidence just built based on how well he performed last year or the Pro Bowl or the reaction he’s getting from teammates?) – “I think it’s bought into the process of it. The results came yes, but I think really, it’s the process you buy into it and you can see all of the learning curves that we go through together, and nobody’s flinching here. No one’s blinking over a tough play, a bad snap – whatever assignment happens on the field, the results, the Pro Bowl, the stats – that’s one thing. But the process in which he shows up, that’s where the confidence comes from. That’s where the preparation comes from, is the way you show up every day so then you can cut it loose and have fun and know that nobody’s blinking. It’s trust. It’s true trust that’s been built, and that doesn’t come from stats. It doesn’t come from last year. It doesn’t come from accolades. That comes from the way you show up every single day, so that’s what he’s doing day-in, day-out.”
Zach Sieler – September 2, 2024
Download PDF version
Monday, September 2, 2024
DT Zach Sieler
(What do you have to do to get a Miami Different t-shirt?) – “Be here for five years. (laughter) I can’t remember what year I got this – three or four years ago. It’s been around in the locker room. I can’t remember why we got them though, because we got one that was a ’Different’ one too.”
(What’s the t-shirt this year?) – “Don’t know yet.”
(You haven’t gotten it yet?) – “I don’t know, I think it’s a surprise. I’m excited to see what we got cooking up. Each year we try to focus on something as a team. (Head Coach Mike) McDaniel does a great job of trying to find something to not rally behind but to kind of encapsulate what we’re going to focus on this season, and that’s what it was early on so I’m excited.”
(So the captaincy, what’s your reaction?) – “It’s a big blessing. I think God has put myself and my wife here in this situation to be able to help young guys. I’ve been here for five years, in the league for seven. To be able to guide and lead by example and vocal hopefully and be able to set the tone each week, I think that’s a big thing. Obviously, you can’t lead without being the frontrunner and setting the pace, setting the tone. So it’s really exciting to be up there with those guys, awesome. Congrats to all the other guys that got the captains’ vote. And to Calais (Campbell), coming in here just before camp and being able to be that big of an impact and role model to get voted captain is incredible. It shows his testament to what he’s done all these years. So I’m really excited.”
(What do you guys have to effective against QB Trevor Lawrence?) – “I think it’s part in the same with just keep that pressure up front, stay on our keys and no selfish decisions in run game, pass rush. Just do what our job description is in the calls and let the plays come to you. Don’t stress for plays and really focus on each one of our individual techniques each play, and don’t try too hard to overcompensate and make a play when it’s not your play to be made.”
(So selfish decisions meaning play within the scheme?) – “Yes sir, yep.”
(FB Alec Ingold said it’s rare that a guy beat you in here to the facility. What time do you get here?) – “Every day is different. I’ve got a pretty strict routine. I’ve been following that for three years now, but today was up at 5:00 (a.m.), in here at 6:15, 6:10 (a.m.) – most days it’s probably about 6:30 (a.m.), if not a little sooner. For me, I like getting my stuff done in the morning. In college we’d do 4:00 a.m.’s to get before our 7 o’clock classes and our 8 o’clock meetings. So I’ve kind of since Day 1 been kind of doing that early bird schedule. And I think it’s awesome to start the day off ahead and kind of what step ahead.”
(What’s your bedtime?) – “Shoot, I’d go to bed at 8:00 (p.m.) if I could (laughter). But with the baby, we put him down around 7 or 7:30 (p.m.) and then have a little time with my wife – talk, catch up. And then probably around 9 o’clock, I’m starting to go to bed.”
(You might have been asked this at some point during training camp, but is this the Baltimore defense brought here?) – “What was it, six years ago when I was in Baltimore? There’s definitely similarities that I’ve learned, terminology and stuff back from Baltimore. I think ‘Weave’ (Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver) has done a great job putting his own flavor on it and really kind of tailoring it to the players and the talent that we have down here. But yeah, I’d say it’s a great scheme he’s come up with down here. I’m really excited to play in it and see how we can make it work this season.”
(Going back to being named a team captain, when you consider how your NFL journey went, does that make it even crazier to you that you got to this point?) – “I think it just shows hopefully to be a leader and a role model to kids and anyone that’s kind of been told they can’t do something. That’s how my story was from leaving high school. It was, ‘Hey, you’ll never play at Ferris. The best you could do is you’re tall, you might give our guys a good look on scout team,’ to kind of taking off at Ferris three or four years later, and then honestly kind of following that in the league and taking two, three, four years to kind of find my footing. It’s just to never give up and keep persevering. Not trying to get all emotional, but it means a lot. It’s something special, it means a lot to me, and I’m really excited to be able to put my best foot forward this season for all the guys.”
(What do you think Christian Wilkins would say?) – “(laughter) He’d be yelling. I think he’d be the first one cheering and excited and going crazy right there with me and my wife.”
Tyreek Hill – September 2, 2024
Download PDF version
Monday, September 2, 2024
WR Tyreek Hill
(What does it mean to you to be named a team captain again?) – “It means I’m still doing my thing here. I’m very proud. I’m very honored for my teammates to vote me in that role. I feel like it shows how much growth I’ve had throughout my career. I’m very excited to be in the position that I’m in. I’m honored.”
(What’s your excitement level for the season opener? Is it any greater than it has been than any other season opener. This is probably the best Dolphins team that’s been here in years.) – “We’re all excited. We got a lot of weapons, a lot of playmakers on this team man. Everybody is on the very edge of their seats just waiting for this moment. These three days we had off all I could think about is just lining up playing alongside of the guys on offense. I’m very excited. Every year is another opportunity to win games and create memories with a great group of guys. You said it. This is our best team we’ve had since we’ve been here. What a time to be alive, to be a Dolphins fan.”
(You sent out a tweet on the age of the team. You guys are the oldest team in the NFL. Obviously there are guys who impact that… you included. Is there something that comes with that age like wisdom, experience, knowledge?) – “It does. Having a guy like ‘T. Stead’ (Terron Armstead), having a guy like Calais (Campbell). Those guys know so much about the game and those guys are so passionate about the game. Just to have those guys in the locker room, like hearing some of the stories, hearing some of the great tales that they got from other teams; they bring a certain swagger to this team that we haven’t had. A guy like Jordan Poyer brings a different mindset to the defense. Myself, I bring a different swagger to this offense. It’s fun to have older guys on the team. It’s great to have young guys, too, but I believe if there is a blend of both and they mesh well together, a team can be real good. And we got that with this team. Jalen Ramsey is another. He brings a different side to this whole entire team. Not just the defense, but the whole entire team so it’s fun to have.”
(You started this training camp talking about the next step for this offense, being able to grind it out with long drives every game. Do you see that from the work this summer?) – “Yeah, for sure. I definitely see that. Tua (Tagovailoa) has done a great job of over communicating exactly what he wants as far as details and route and Mike (McDaniel) our head coach, he has given him the keys to the car which is even more of a beautiful thing. I believe with that, that gives all of us the ability to play free and just be ourselves and just to be creative within our routes. Obviously within the time of the play, but I feel like this training camp we got better at that. We put together some good drives against some good teams. Falcons are a real good defense. The Commanders I feel like are a real good defense because they added some pieces, and obviously against Tampa, too. We’ve been getting better.”
(How is your health? Has time healed the things you were dealing with a couple of weeks ago?) – “I’m fine. I just needed some days off. That’s it. I’m fine, I’m healthy. All of my fantasy draft people, I’m fine. I’m A-OK, 100 percent. I just wanted to troll y’all a little bit.”
(Along those lines, you are having an outstanding camp, WR Jaylen Waddle was having an outstanding camp, CB Jalen Ramsey. But you guys all got kind of shut down. How do you feel about the momentum of camp? How did you end camp because you guys were balling in camp?) – “We obviously were doing our thing, but at the same time we got to be mindful of our bodies. For me I’m an older player. Sometimes I forget that and I forget about the maintenance of my body. That’s why we’ve got people inside of this building for that job. They tell us, ‘you need to back it off a little bit.’ That’s why you see me come out to practice late sometimes because we’ve got people inside the building to say, ‘hey we’re going to slow you down a little bit today. XYZ.’ I just spend that time working out, inside running, doing different stuff.”
(I’ve always wondered if you thought it was fair that everybody will be on the field practicing for 50 minutes and you come out from the air conditioning and run a 9-route on CB Ethan Bonner?) – “You know what’s crazy though? If I was a younger player –and this is how I think – if I was a younger player I’d take advantage of that because if I’m filling in the role of Tyreek or Jaylen (Waddle) and I’m making the same plays, that’s great. That’s kind of how I made my name for myself. When the older guy didn’t want to come and practice, I’d come in and make plays. So as a young player that’s great. If you want to stay in, ‘Reek,’ stay in. if you want to stay in, Waddle, stay in. But Malik Washington this is your time to show up. This is your time to make our job harder which is fun.”
(What do you think of Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s contract extension?) – “I absolutely love it. Absolutely love it. I’m glad that they did the right thing. I’d seen something on Twitter the other day that said that every coach that the Dolphins paid, they fire them a year after so hoping we can change that right there.”
(You mentioned earlier about Head Coach Mike McDaniel giving QB Tua Tagovailoa the keys to the offense. We saw Tua make the jump he did last year, making the Pro Bowl and all. What do you see as major differences in Tua 2023 versus Tua 2024?) – “I’m going to keep pounding the table and keep saying that he’s more vocal. He’s more vocal in the huddle, he’s more vocal in the locker room, he’s vocal everywhere. Like everywhere I walk inside of this building you’re going to hear Tua mouth like to the point where I’m like, I wish you’d shut up now. (laughter) He’s been great, though. Tua is a great teammate, and he does a great job of just overcommunicating to all the wideouts even if it is a good rep. Good rep or bad rep he’s always coming up to us making sure we see that route or that play the same as him. And he does that with everybody on the offense which I think is a great thing. Versus when I first came in here, we’d run a play and then it’d be like ‘Where’s Tua at? I need to talk to him about this play.’ Versus now, he’s coming to find you. It’s a beautiful thing to see. The same thing that Pat (Mahomes) used to do back in KC making sure that guys see it the same as him. It’s great.”
(What should we expect to see out of WR Jaylen Waddle this year?) – “All-Pro. I’d say All-Pro this year. He’s taken his game to another level in the classroom. He’s taking it more serious. He’s moved to the back of the classroom with me and River (Cracraft). So he’s sitting beside us now. He’s asking more questions which is great. He’s very eager to get better. And for me I believe that’s where it starts. To be able to take you game to the next level as a not ideal receiver size; you’re fast, you’re twitchy, you got to be able to do it in the classroom and he’s done a great job taking advice from our Coach Wes (Welker), Coach(Jonathan) Krause and all of the older guys in our room. I expect All-Pro, WR1 all of that. Lead our team.”
(You mentioned WR Malik Washington earlier. What do you think of the rest of the receiving corps after you and WR Jaylen Waddle? Especially now that you’ve got WR River Cracraft down, WR Odell Beckham Jr., just the prospect for the rest of the guys. Even WR Braxton Berrios or the new guys, WR Grant DuBose?) – “We have a very interesting room. I’m glad that we added some height. (laughter) I told Wes (Welker), I’m like, ‘hey bro, y’all keep on adding these short guys.’ As far as our room I feel like we’ve got one of the best entire groups in the NFL. As far as like explosive, as far as big play abilities, as far as all of that. We have exactly what we need to win games in this league. Big games, whatever games you want to name. We have a great room and we have great coaches in our room who do a great job of making sure that we pay attention to detail. Coach Wes, he does a great job each and every week. We are very fortunate to have him. Hall of Famer, by the way.”
(I thought it would’ve been healthy last year if you would’ve gotten 2,000 yards. I thought it would’ve helped this offense. If you don’t have at least 1,700 yards this season how does this offense get better? How is it better than the previous two years?) – “We’ve got other guys to make plays. It’s football for that reason. When I was in KC I had 1,000 yards one year and we won the Super Bowl. Which is great. Yards are great, but at the end of the day I want to be able to win games. I want to be able to do something special here in Miami. It would be great if you had back-to-back to back 1,700 yards, but obviously we’ve got to do what’s best for the team and what’s best of the team is making sure we’re able to put together some good drives and win games when it counts.”
(You’ve been on championship teams. What is it they have mentally not physically? Is there a difference mentally or is there something this team needs to learn?) – “I think we are doing it this year. I believe we are actually doing it this year. A lot of guys are hanging out outside of the building each and every week. That’s something that is rare. There are so many things you could be doing in Miami. In Kansas City there wasn’t that many things for guys to do so guys had to hang together. But in Miami guys can go here, can go to South Beach, can go here, can go there. This is the year that I’m seeing guys hanging out. I can say that is one thing that Odell (Beckham Jr.) did bring to this team. He makes sure that guys are hanging out each and every week. I like that.”
(You mentioned that size of the receivers room. I’d have to check you guys are one of the smallest in terms of height. Do you think height actually matters at the receiver’s position anymore?) – “No, it don’t matter. I just be jiving. It don’t matter. I feel like we set the standard. As a player myself, you dictate who you are in this league. You can be anything you want to. I could’ve played quarterback if I wanted to, if I wanted to put my mind to it. There are no rules or no regulations to that. They try to say ‘hey, you got to run this speed, you got to be this height, you got to have this hand size.’ If you know how to play football, you know how to play football at the end of the day. If you know how to catch, you know how to catch. You can have six-inch hands – I don’t have the biggest hands, but I know how to catch so I don’t care about none of that. I’m him. (laughter)”
David Long Jr. – September 2, 2024
Download PDF version
Monday, September 2, 2024
LB David Long Jr.
(Tell us about your reaction when you learned you were getting stripes on your sleeve.) – “It was special, especially knowing it’s player-voted. It means a lot when you’re in here training with these guys, offseason – I’ve been here, going into my second year – and we all know the grind especially with the heat out here. We know it’s tough, and it means a lot to sit with these guys and train with these guys and know they see the effort I put in. But besides that just more responsibility that I already put on myself that I have to carry. I can’t be getting on everybody else if I don’t have myself together. So just being me, that’s all it is.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said you were playing it cool when they told you that you would be a captain. Was there a moment where you didn’t play it cool and maybe called a family member?) – “Yeah, for sure. The person I called was my mom, because we have our little talks when stuff is going bad and when stuff is going good. So she knows what it means to me, and she was excited. She felt like I could’ve had it any other year in the league, and she just felt like it was around the time everything is just coming together and we talked about it for a while.”
(When was the last time you were a captain at any level?) – “College, that was the last time. Then at Tennessee as far as the Mike (linebacker) and having the green dot, that’s a role itself, but no captain until here while in the league.”
(What do you think of the possibilities for this defense this year?) – “No limit for us, man. We talk about it every day. You see on every level it’s multiple dawgs, multiple elite players, and we’ve just got to hold each other accountable. We know the ceiling – there’s no ceiling for this group – we’ve just got to come in and attack that, be intentional with everything, whether it’s jogging off the field or whether it’s in the meetings fixing the little things and helping the people behind us be right there with us.”
(I know you bring the intensity all the time. Where is this defense and this team overall as far as bringing the intensity all the time?) – “We’re right there. We’re working with each other. I think that’s what it’s all about as far as bringing the person next to you, especially on both sides of the ball, all three phases are working together. And it also comes with the relationships off the field – how close we are so we can hold each other accountable when it comes to those times when we’re in dogfights. We have to get on each other and not take it personal. I think that goes a long way.”
(Why is that so important to everybody in terms of the closeness and hanging out with each other and camaraderie? Why is that so important from a leadership standpoint?) – “Like I said as far as being able to hold each other accountable; when you come over – you see across the league – guys go on the sideline, you see them kind of going at each other. That’s not coming from a belittling place or like, ‘I’m here and you’re there.’ It’s coming (from) like, ‘You’re my brother, I want to see you succeed.’ And that comes with knowing each other, not just the football family. These guys that got kids, a little older – like Calais (Campbell) – they joke about him being older and stuff, but it’s also just so much behind that, so much experience and stuff that can trickle down to the younger players.”
(What’s it been like to work with LB Jordyn Brooks and just everything he brings not just on the field but also the same way like the intensity, leadership?) – “It’s good seeing Jordyn (Brooks) open up. He’s new on the team, quiet guy, but is also good player, elite player. Fast and physical but it’s good to see him get settled in and him opening up and flowing. I think that goes a long way. I keep saying it goes back to when we’re in them dogfights, when it comes clutch time, that gives you kind of a relaxing feeling on the field when you can trust your brother next to you. It gives you a little weight off your shoulders knowing you’re not out there by yourself.”
(Coming from Tennessee, you obviously have a lot of experience playing against Jacksonville. Do you have a game or moment against them that stands out to you?) – “In Jacksonville – it’s always tough in Jacksonville. Glad it’s here – both hot as ever. But no, it’s tough. They’re a disciplined team, good quarterback and players that can make plays if you don’t take care of your responsibilities. But like you said, I am familiar, and then they have some players. We’re familiar with them, getting around the scouting board earlier this week, but just playing our game. We don’t need to do nothing other than what we’ve been doing this whole way, and that’s just playing fast football.”
(Their running back Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr., No. 1, what does he do well?) – “Make people miss. He’s a hard runner. He’s been like that since coming in the league and disciplined. You give him some space, he has some speed that will make you pay for it. That just goes back to us playing fundamentally sound football like we’ve been doing and just continue to build on that.”
(Jacksonville has blazing speed at positions you don’t traditionally see it. RB Travis Etienne Jr. is a burner, TE Evan Engram is a burner. But you guys also play against TE Jonnu Smith and RB De’Von Achane and RB Raheem Mostert every day. How much does seeing that speed every day help with a matchup like this?) – “That’s a good question. It’s a lot especially not even just the speed; it’s so much motions and stuff they do over there. They’re going to keep you disciplined. Even when you’re disciplined, it’s a trick to it, so it’s great that we have those players on the other side of the ball that we’ve been facing every day to be prepared for things like this. But it’s also going to be like coming straight from practice going against Jonnu (Smith) and those fast guys, even ‘TC’ (Tanner Conner) on the other side of the ball. It’s a lot of guys over there that are similar that we’ve been grinding with as well.”
(DT Calais Campbell is one of your other captains. How does a guy who just got here become a captain that quickly? What does it say about him?) – “That’s funny because I’d seen people saying that, but the thing is he’s not being anything other than himself. He just does things so naturally which just comes as far as he’s another coach on the field, another motivator, and you can see it’s not something he tries to do. It’s just like you said, it just comes out. He pulls younger players to the side and coaches them. He just talks about whatever is going on, not even just football. So he just comes in and fits that role, and people just gravitate towards it.”
(How important is that nose tackle spot to what you do in the trenches?) – “It’s a lot especially because it’s a lot of o-lines that we go against, and if it’s muddy for me, it’s a problem down there. We have some killer guys up there up front that get the job done well, him (Calais Campbell), Zach (Sieler), (Da’Shawn) Hand, all those people behind them. If the trenches are not well-fit, it’s going to be a long day especially in the run game. You stop the run, you win a lot of games. So it’s very important and I would say one of the most important jobs on the team. I think we’ve got the right guys in that spot. I know we’ve got the right guys in that spot.”
(LB Emmanuel Ogbah just didn’t look right in No. 51, did he?) – “Actually he was liking it for a little bit honestly, but he had to go back to (No.) 91, That’s his number. Everybody keeps trying to get me out of the (No.) 11; I think I’m going to stay with it.”
(You were No. 51 last year, right? Why’d you make the switch?) – “Yeah, that’s my college number. I’ve been wanting to get it for a while and it was open, so I’m going to test that out real quick.”
(The offensive players talk about three years in Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s system – not that this applies directly to you, you’ve only been here a little bit. This is the third year with a new defensive coordinator. What is the challenge for defense going into learning the new system and getting comfortable with it?) – “The challenge is all playing as one. We have so many defenses where we’re on a string and we have to communicate, and like I was saying, going against this offense that we’ve been going against, it just challenges more to communicate like I said because they have so many moving pieces and Mike (McDaniel) does so many things on that side of the ball. It’s been a great challenge for us just to keep hitting on communication which has been the biggest thing especially in the backend. We have communication down; it’s not like – we have the players, the talent to do it, run with anybody, hit with anybody. But when players are not communicating correctly, it opens big plays up. So I think that’s the biggest challenge, that everybody can speak. If we win the play before it starts, we’ll be all right.”
(What has impressed you about LB Chop Robinson so far?) – “It’s just coming together, coming every day to get better. He’s coming in, he’s open and learning. He takes coaching, but he’s a natural athlete. Just once he gets the right person here – like he has Calais (Campbell) right there on the side on him, he has these older guys – (Bradley) Chubb, ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips) – even though he’s still young a little bit, he has experience. He has some great people in front of him that he can learn from. There’s no ceiling for Chop (Robinson).”
