Albert Wilson – March 16, 2018
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Friday, March 16, 2018
WR Albert Wilson
(Tell us about your strengths. How would you describe your strengths as a player?) – “I’m pretty versatile. I can stretch the field down field or I can pretty much get the ball in my hands quick and can make something happen. I pretty much have experience with the slot, outside and lining up in the backfield. Pretty much whatever they need me to do, I’m pretty much up for it.”
(What does it mean to you at this point in your career to get this kind of opportunity and this kind of contract?) – “It’s definitely a blessing. It’s just what I’ve been wanting, just my hard work to be paid off and I still have a lot to do. I’m excited for this opportunity.”
(Can you tell us a little about that journey, about the difficulties you had? Just trying to get recruited out of high school, trying to make it to the pros out of Georgia State and just scrapping to make the Chiefs’ roster?) – “Yes, definitely. It’s been a journey of pretty much having to fight from the bottom of the pile and show what you have at the end of the road; but, this time around, God gave me an opportunity to where I’m pretty much in front of the pack. We’ve got a pretty good starting point where I’ve never had in my career, and I’m excited to see what I can do with it.”
(What does it mean to you to be back in South Florida?) – “It means a lot – just for my family itself – definitely to be closer to them and being able to have them see me on the regular and seeing me play on the regular. Not only for my family, but the people in my city to where I come back as much as I can and they only get to see me as much as possible. For those kids that are back in my hometown, to be able to see me and see what kind of work that I’m doing just a few hours away is definitely a great thing. Growing up in Florida, pretty much in the South, you grow up watching these guys play in the (aqua) and orange. It’s a dream when you play football, to get in this jersey, and now I have the opportunity. It’s an outright blessing.”
(In what ways will you try to bring energy and enthusiasm to practice, games and to the fans? I kind of noticed you tried to bring something different or special during that Dolphins/Chiefs game this year. How do you do that?) – “Definitely. That’s just who I am. It comes with me. As soon as I wake up in the morning, the energy is there and that’s part of my game. I feel like it helps the offense; not just the offense but it helps the defense. So when I come out there and I strap it up, I bring the energy. You’re going to get a dog out there that’s ready to put up a fight every battle and I feel like when somebody is fighting and giving it all you’ve got next to you, that man next to you is going to want to fight and give all he has.”
(Can you still play quarterback?) – “Oh, I’ve been working on my arm this offseason. Opportunities are coming, so you never want to set yourself short. (laughter)”
(I mean is that really something you could add as kind of a trick play or something like that?) – “Whatever the coaches need me to do. I’m just excited to be down here and get in a playbook and work with these guys and pretty much get some wins for this team.”
(Why Miami? How did this come about?) – “It was a great opportunity. We had some other options and when we lined everything up and saw what was the best thing for me and when … (Jarvis) Landry did a great job down here. He did a lot for the team. They split their ways and I felt like it was a perfect opportunity for me to step in and do some great things for this team.”
(WR Tyreek Hill was a guy the Chiefs oftentimes lined up in the backfield, and you got some of that work as well, lining up in the backfield. That’s part of your game. Is that something that you can also bring to the Miami Dolphins?) – “Yes, definitely. I’m very comfortable lining up in the backfield. Actually (I was doing that) before I first started lining up as a receiver in college. Before that, all I knew was lining up in the backfield. So I’m very comfortable with lining up in the backfield, in the slot and in the outside. It’s going to be fun getting with (the) coach(es) and putting a lot of things together.”
(What do you know about any of your fellow receivers? I know it would probably just be casual observations, but WR Danny Amendola, WR DeVante Parker and WR Kenny Stills. Do you know anything about anybody on this receiving corps?) – “Yes, definitely. Kenny … This receiving corps from last year, we’re flying right now. Just off of what you’re looking at, we’re straight up flying and I feel like the way we’re going to put a stretch on some defenses, it’s going to be crazy. The speed just outright shows itself. It’s going to be great getting with the guys and putting our speed to test. You know Danny is a straight-up dog. I feel like he’s very similar to myself in the slot and he’s going to work and win when you need him too. When you can count on a guy like that, they’re special.”
(You brought up WR Jarvis Landry a few minutes ago. What are your thoughts on him as a player and what attributes do you think there might be some commonalities?) – “He’s another dog out there. I love to watch him play. He’s a great receiver, has great hands. He’s definitely saucy. He’s a great guy and I’m definitely – as a football player and a fan of the game – I’m definitely attracted to see what he’s going to do in the future.”
(Reading about your background growing up around Port St. Lucie, you obviously went through an awful lot as a youngster. How do you look back on that experience? What do you tell people when they ask about your background?) – “It made me who I am today. A lot of things that I go through right now, it was pretty tough going through as a kid. It’s pretty much … I just look at it as a blessing. I took all my toughest battles early on as a kid. As an adult, I’m much stronger, so I feel like there’s nothing (that) can knock me down. It definitely was a blessing in disguise.”
(What do you think was a turning point in your life?) – “I would say around high school. I got around the right friends. I’ve got a mentor in Dr. (Marylin) Pryor. I had a football coach named Coach (Hilary) Poole, and they just showed me how talented I was as a kid and how smart I was as a kid. They showed me that outside of this neighborhood, there’s bigger things for you playing football, and we just took it one step at a time and now we’re here.”
(Are you surprised at where you are, looking back at how far you’ve come?) – “I wouldn’t say so. I worked really hard for this. I put in a lot of hours and a lot of work in for this opportunity. I’m not surprised that it’s here. I’m very excited for this opportunity, and I’m just looking forward to taking full advantage of it.”
(What was your impression of Head Coach Adam Gase?) – “He’s a great guy. Exciting. The energy that I got from him when we first met, it brought some butterflies to me, just how excited he was to get me in the building. I’m looking forward to putting in a lot of work with him.”
Josh Sitton – March 16, 2018
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Friday, March 16, 2018
Guard Josh Sitton
(You’ve been in this free agency process for a while now, considering you got released earlier. What was the process like for you in terms of finding a new home and what really allowed you to wait? What was the wait for?) – “Well, to be honest with you, I wasn’t a free agent until March 14th. The Bears just declined my option but technically I was still on their roster until 14th; but the process was a lot of waiting around. You’re just waiting to talk to teams. It’s a waiting game. It’s kind of annoying because I’m a pretty impulsive person. I just wanted to figure out where I was going to be. I was extremely happy to get this thing done and it worked out good.”
(Does it matter to you whether you play left guard or right guard and what is the difference between the two for you?) – “I think I prefer to play left guard. It’s more of a natural position for me, which is weird because I was always a right side guy throughout college and my first five years in the league. After I made the switch in 2013, I don’t know what it is. It’s just the way my body works, the way my hips move or something. I just like the left side better. I’ll obviously play wherever these guys need me to; but I think I’m better on the left side. The difference is, if you’re used to something, used to those body motions, and you make a switch, it’s difficult. I can compare it to trying to wipe your ass with your opposite hand. That might be a little bit too much for you all. (laughter) But it’s different when you’re not used to a position. I hope I’ll end up on the left side.”
(About offensive line continuity, I guess this is going to be your third offensive line in the last four or five seasons. How important is continuity and does talent outweigh continuity or where do those two stack up?) – “It’s extremely important, but something I learned in Chicago rather quickly is that you can build that chemistry and that continuity pretty quickly. I didn’t sign there until September 3rd. We had a game … I think (I signed) Monday and I played that Sunday. In six days, I was playing with two guys I’d never played with and I only had two practices there. We gelled pretty quickly and became a pretty good offensive line pretty quickly. It’s extremely important and it does take some time. That’s why you have the offseason program and things like that, and that’s why you have training camp. I think that we’ll be able to do it. The thing about offensive linemen, we’re all pretty much the same people. We’re the same breed of people and we always get along really well. I think that kind of makes it feel like it’s an easy transition switching around from team to team. The offensive line are all kind of the same.”
(Why the Miami Dolphins and were there other teams involved in the chase?) – “Yes, there were; but honestly it worked out to where I was down there already. My wife’s family lives down here in Homestead, so taking my visit was obviously right up the road. I’d say ‘Coach Wash’ (Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn) and ‘Coach Dowell’ (Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains) being down here and the familiarity with those guys played a big part in it for me. (Ryan) Tannehill coming back and being healthy, I think there’s a lot of good parts to this team that are in place and I think we can be a really good football team. I want to be somewhere I think we can win, and I think we can do that here.”
(I wanted to ask you a little bit about your relationship with Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains. Can you kind of describe how well you guys worked together from the time that you were together and how big a role that played in choosing Miami?) – “We’ve had a pretty good little friendship over the past couple of years. I love his style of coaching. I love his offense. I love the system that they run and like I said, we’ve become friends over the past couple of years. So, honestly it’s probably really good for me – and (Offensive Line) Coach (Jeremiah) Washburn as well. He’s one of my favorite coaches that I’ve had in my career. They definitely played a big part in it.”
(How would you describe your style as offensive linemen?) – “My style as an offensive linemen? Well my style, the way I dress and stuff, is pretty simple. I’m a flip flops and shorts guy. (laughter) My style as an offensive linemen? I don’t know. I’m a hard-hat, lunch pail-type guy that likes to get to work and grind out there on the field. I’m just trying to go out there and win every play. I don’t try to … I’m not the type of guy to try and kill someone every play. I want to be very good on every single play and just be consistent. I think I’ve been able to do that over my career and I think I’ll continue to do that.”
(You know the Dolphins have put a lot of resources into T Laremy Tunsil at left tackle. Can you explain how you, as a veteran, could possibly help a young guy along, that’s playing right next to you at a very important position?) – “I think that the experience in this league is invaluable. You learn things over the years and you continue to learn. You learn smarter techniques. You learn to watch defenses. You learn to look at coverages. You learn so many small things that as a young player, you don’t realize. You’re so focused on yourself as a young player, and your own technique and things like that. As you grow, you learn these different things, and those are the things that I’ll be able to help him with – the small things from a step here, a step there, an angle here, an angle there, watching the linebacker if he moves over a couple of feet. It’s really small detail things that you don’t think about as a young player because it’s such a difficult position. It shows you how good a left tackle has to be to be putting all of your focus on the guy, that speed rusher coming off the edge. So just little things about the game that you probably aren’t thinking about as a young player, I’ll be able to help him with those things and help him grow as a pro and learn how to be a pro in this league. Hopefully I can teach him a lot about longevity in this league and how to achieve that because it’s taken me a few years to figure out how to train my body and do certain things to be able to play for a long time. Hopefully I’ll be able to teach him a lot of things.”
(It sounds like you’re more than willing to do it. Is it something that was brought up also by the team, kind of asking you if you could or would?) – “Yes, it was something that was mentioned. That was something that I brought up myself. I think that I am that. I’ve always been that type of player, to give my knowledge or whatever to anybody that is younger than me, and especially going into Year 11 now, I’ve learned a lot, a lot thing. I think it’s your duty as an older guy to bring those young guys along with you. So, yes; that was something that was brought up and that was something that I brought up myself.”
(I’ve got a question for you out of left field. I’m doing a little research here on you yesterday I came across a connection that I’m not all that clear on, but you and a WWE guy by the name of Roman Reigns. Can you tell us a little bit about that?) – “Yes. I played two years of high school ball with Joe (Anoa’i), and then he moved on and he played football at Georgia Tech. But yes, we’re from the same hometown, so I’ve known him for 15, 18 years, or something like that. I went and saw him actually in Green Bay, doing his thing and wrestling a few years back. It was cool to see. Him and his (family) too went to my school for a couple of years – the Usos Brothers. They have a big wrestling family. So Roman’s uncle, Rikishi – that’s the Usos Brothers dad – and he used to come watch our JV football games. Nobody would be watching the game. They’d all be watching him in the stands. There would be all these crowds around him. So yes, I’ve known those guys for a long time.”
Daniel Kilgore – March 16, 2018
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Friday, March 16, 2018
Center Daniel Kilgore
(Just with everything that has happened in the last month, your head must be spinning. What has this whole sequence of events been like for you? And how do you feel about where you landed in the end?) – “It’s been a crazy week. A month ago when I signed the extension, I never dreamed about being in this position; but where I’m at today and after meeting with the coaches, I’m really excited about where this team is heading. I can’t be more excited about coming to work and getting here and meeting all of the guys.”
(What did you think about Head Coach Adam Gase when you first met him?) – “I’ve heard a lot of great thing about Coach Gase just from previous coaches. Meeting with him today was very casual and being ourselves, being just another guy in the room. I think from his record, and track record and guys that have been around the league for a while, they love him. I’m sure with all of those guys that love him, I’ll do the same.”
(You obviously re-signed with San Francisco because you wanted to stay there. Do you regret now re-signing and what do you think about how they go about business when they sign you to an extension and then trade you a month later?) – “I don’t regret anything. I did want to stay there. Ultimately I had the goal of starting my career there and then finishing my career there. That obviously is not going to happen; but I’ve been fortunate enough that I was there for seven seasons and I’ve seen it all – playing in the Super Bowl and having down seasons. This happening, I don’t regret it. This is a new chapter for my family and I. I think the change will be good. As far as how they handled it, I appreciate how (49ers Head Coach) Kyle (Shanahan) and (General Manager) John Lynch got me in a position where I can be successful. They could have traded me anywhere but I think they did the right thing by putting me in a position that they know I can be successful, and putting me with a staff that loves the game and that are good people.”
(What do you know about your new teammates or your coaching staff? I know it’s very early in the process but do you have any familiarity with these guys?) – “Yes, I’ve been coached by guys who’ve coached with (Head Coach) Adam Gase before, and (have) just some of the same offensive strategies, I guess, that I’ve done in the past. Of course, I’ve been through different offenses. Yes, it’s pretty early. I really don’t know much about the roster or a lot of the guys that are on the roster, so I’m looking forward to meeting them.”
