James Daniels – March 25, 2025
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Tuesday, March 25, 2025
G James Daniels
(Just wanted to check in on the status of the Achilles, how are you doing? What’s the timetable for return on that?) – “The status of the Achilles, it’s going pretty well. I wasn’t lucky to have the Achilles injury, but I was lucky (when) it happened – I had surgery the first week of October. I’m on schedule, I’m on track, so I was really fortunate about the timing in the year where we won’t have to worry about anything this upcoming season.”
(What attracted you to this Miami Dolphins offense? Why did you want to come play here?) – “It seems like it’s a really good offense to play in, a really fun offense to play in. There’s a lot of playmakers. I’ve always watched – I think two years ago the Dolphins were like top five in the league in rushing. They’ve always been a great rushing team for the past couple of years, so it’s always attracted me. I’m very excited to get the chance to play in the offense and it seems really fun. So the style of play of the offense plays into my strength, so I’m really excited to get a chance to play.”
(What goes into your thought process when you’re in a contract year like you were in Pittsburgh and all of the sudden “pop?” You’re worried about the rehab and now you’re looking at free agency where everybody is getting a gazillion dollars and you have to take what’s out there.) – “(laughter) To be honest, yeah obviously an Achilles injury in a contract year and the quality I was playing last year, honestly, it’s brutal. There’s no sugarcoating it. That’s a tough thing to happen, especially going into a contract year. I’m lucky that I have a supportive wife, my two cats at home. I got to spend way more time in Wisconsin with my wife and my two cats than what I did ever because I was hurt rehabbing. I have a good PT (physical therapist) and I have a good support system around me. So obviously, yes, it’s tough and it’s a hard injury to come back from, but I have good PTs. I’ve been working hard, and like I said to Isaiah, luckily, I have been rehabbing since the first week of October, not rehabbing since like January or February. I’ve had multiple months of rehab. Again it definitely is pretty tough, but I’m lucky I have a good support system around me and that’s happened. And luckily, also, I’ve been fortunate enough to get to my third contract. Some people are going into their second contract. I’m 27 years old going into my eighth season and I’m going to be fully healthy when the season starts, so I can’t complain about that.”
(In terms of your position at right guard, you’ve played most of your career at right guard. Is that the side that you feel the most comfortable with? I know everybody gives the typical answer of “I’ll play anywhere that they need me to,” but is that where you feel at home?) – “(laughter) I feel at home anywhere. Yes, I’ve played right guard the past three seasons, but in Chicago, I played left guard and I played center as well. It really doesn’t, position-wise, left guard or right guard, it really doesn’t matter. Luckily, I’ve been, ever since going back to my Iowa days – I was a center at Iowa, but whenever you do stuff at Iowa, it’s like they always make sure you do snaps at right guard, snaps at left guard, snaps at center. Luckily, even going back to all of my Iowa days, I’ve always been taught to always do right and left stuff. So I’ve been fortunate for that.”
(I’ve got a question about left guard, right guard. There’s a chance that T Patrick Paul could play left tackle. He’s a young player. Would it make more sense for you to be the left guard so that you’re there with Patrick Paul so there wouldn’t be a rookie left guard and a young left tackle? Or would it make more sense to put you at right guard so that you and T Austin Jackson protect QB Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side and you would have strong running side? Does either side make more sense using that logic?) – “No, it really doesn’t matter because the coach is teaching the same technique to the left guard, he’s teaching the same technique to the right tackle, left tackle. The techniques are the same. He’s not coaching people differently. So I mean it really doesn’t matter if it’s a rookie at left guard, me at left guard, rookie right guard, me at right guard. It really doesn’t matter because the coaching points are the same. At the end of the day, in football you’re not graded on a curve. When I was a rookie or when I’m in Year – I mean I’m going to be in Year 8 now, you’re not graded on a curve. So no matter who’s out there, if it’s No. 50, or No. 68, or No. 78, whoever is out there, you’re not graded on a curve and you’re expected to play to the standard of being dominant offensive line, helping the offense be a dominant offense. So it really doesn’t matter who is at – positions really don’t matter.”
(Going back to the Achilles. Did you ever ask, ‘Why me?’ Because if I’m not mistaken you had four seasons where you played 100% of the snaps, I think that’s correct. Did you wonder about the timing and ‘why me?’ Or is that just football and keep it moving?) – “Yeah, that’s just football. The Achilles could have happened in my fourth year. In my third year, I tore my pec. It could have happened in my fourth year, and that would have been a way worse scenario than it happening last year. That’s football. It is what it is. Like I said, yeah, it did suck that I tore my Achilles with how I was playing that year, in my contract year, but like I said, I got to spend more time with my wife. I got to spend more time with my family and that’s time that I’ve never had before during the season. There are pros and cons, but I can’t be upset about it now.”
(It seems like you’re a big cat person. I read that one of your cats even has a social media account. Is that right?) – “Yeah, my wife runs that. Yeah.”
(Your cat doesn’t tweet or do it himself then?) – “No. No. (laughter) It’s two girls. No, they don’t do that. Maybe they created a burner account, I’m not sure.”
(Some offensive linemen don’t mind being anonymous, being out of the spotlight and that sort of thing. Yet with the Dolphins there’s been a lot of attention on the offensive line lately, particularly the guard play. I think a lot of fans are probably looking at you as a really important addition to upgrade not just the offensive line but the team. How does that make you feel? Is all that news to you? Or were you aware that you’re stepping into a pretty important position on this team?) – “No, I understand that. Every free agent signing, especially when it’s a multi-year deal for a total of double digits, you understand that you’re being signed to a team for a reason. Financially when they’re giving you that much money, you’re expected to come in and be a change to the team. I understand the position I’m in, and I understand that the Dolphins believe a lot in me and that the fans are expecting a lot from me. I understand that, obviously, if they’re paying me the money that they’re paying me. So I’m excited for the opportunity and I’m excited to get working.”
(I read you that were a biology major at Iowa and an Academic All-Big Ten. Is biology something that you might use after your playing career is over? Is the medical field something you have an interest in?) – “Actually my sophomore year, I changed majors from biology to health and human physiology. Some of the upper-level biology classes were way too hard for me. Health and physiology was still hard, but it wasn’t as hard as biology. But honestly yeah, I’ve always been interested in medical research, especially me dealing with my Achilles. It would be pretty cool when I’m done playing to do research studies on Achilles, because when I had all the off time this past season, I did a lot of reading on Achilles injuries and on all of the studies on Achilles injuries. There’s not much scientific literature out there about Achilles tears, especially in elite, high-level athletes. I would definitely, when my playing career is over, definitely try to do some type of research. I worked in labs during the summer when I was in college, so it’s something that has always interested me.”
(This outside zone scheme has been really successful and devastating for a number of years thinking back to the Broncos and Terrell Davis, the 49ers with Raheem Mostert, who then came here, and the Dolphins a couple of years ago – last year, not so good. What have your learned or what have you seen or what do you know about what is asked of the guards in the outside zone scheme, especially in run as opposed to the man scheme?) – “The outside zone scheme, that’s what I was playing last year in Pittsburgh and that’s what I did back in Iowa. I mean you’re just expected to play fast and attack. So much of the man scheme is double teams and fitting it and just like driving people; I mean the outside zone scheme you’re expected to attack and play with speed. I’m really excited to play in it. I feel like my best year, last year in the NFL, like my best tape was playing in this type of scheme, so I’m really excited to get a chance to play in it again.”
(Did you have any connections to anybody on the Dolphins prior to now being either teammates or having them as your coach? Any players on the team you’ve played with before, you’re friends with? Anybody on the coaching staff you’ve worked with before?) – “No, no there’s been nobody I’ve worked with before. Well I guess Larry Borom, he just signed. I was with him a year in Chicago. But except for him, no, there’s nobody I’ve worked with.”
(Which reminds me actually, we spoke to OL Larry Borom yesterday and he basically described you as a jokester. How would you analyze that characterization?) – “(laughter) I really don’t see myself as that. I mean I’m pretty – yeah, like when it’s time. Like when I’m serious, I’m serious, but when I don’t have to be serious, I guess I can be – I don’t know, maybe I can crack a few jokes, but I don’t see myself as that.”
(Am I safe to assume you’re not going to be able to do anything during the OTAs and then any concern that you will be ready for the start of training camp?) – “No, there’s no concern I won’t be ready for training camp. No.”
(I know there’s been a lot of left guard, right guard talk. Have the Dolphins told you if they’ve decided where they’re going to put you – which side?) – “No, they’re still figuring things out. They just said during OTAs they’ll have a plan, but they just told me they’re still figuring things out right now.”
(And did they say what it would be based on – that decision ultimately?) – “No, they haven’t. They haven’t told me about that yet. I mean seeing what happens the rest of free agency – I assume seeing what happens in the rest of free agency and during the draft.”
(Even though the last three years obviously you’ve been right guard and you’ve been terrific, you still, as you were mentioning, you still feel the same comfort level at left guard from the previous experience with Chicago as you do at right guard even with three years in a row at right?) – “Yeah, I mean – talking about that earlier question, when you’re taught to do something a long time ago, that’s what OTAs are for. So if I’m left guard, get out there during OTA practices and during my summer and train at left guard, right guard. I mean I haven’t played football since October, like where I’ve actually put on a helmet and hit someone. I’ve been doing drill work and things like that, but that’s different than putting on a helmet and actually hitting someone. So I mean this would be the perfect time to be able to adjust if I need to.”
Artie Burns – March 25, 2025
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Tuesday, March 25, 2025
CB Artie Burns
(Have you thought about playing for the Dolphins? Is that kind of a dream come true in some ways?) – “Most definitely. Being born and raised in Miami and having a chance to be a professional in my own backyard is definitely a dream come true.”
(Were there other teams who showed interest this offseason where you picked Miami over someone else?) – “Yeah, there were some other teams interested, but I felt like Miami had the best opportunity for me to show my talents.”
(Question about your versatility. I know you played some nickel and then outside corner. Is there a preference there? Which do you feel like showcases your skillset the best? Which position?) – “I feel like it doesn’t really matter where I play. I feel like at the point I’m at in my career right now I definitely want to be around the ball more, make more plays. I feel like nickel could highlight that for me, but also corner you can be that man-to-man lockdown corner. You have the opportunities to lock down some of the best guys in the league out there so both positions present a bunch of opportunities for itself.”
(What kind of role are you envisioning for yourself with the Dolphins this season?) – “I envision myself just coming in and helping the team in every [aspect]. Going into my 10th year, I hold a bunch of experience and I’m just ready to work on the field, on the grass. I’ve been in this system before with Mike Macdonald in Seattle. I’m very familiar with it and I just want to bring the tools that I have, that I learned and then apply it over here.”
(I’m doing a thing on draft night experience for players. I’ve been asking a bunch of players about their draft night experience. I think you went No. 25 if I’m not mistaken. Tell me about your draft night experience, were you worried about going low into the first round? Tell me about that night.) – “It’s crazy. When I was coming out, Miami had a Miami pro day for all the local guys to come out and work out for the team. They insinuated that if I had a good workout they were going to pull the trigger on me in the first round. And on draft night I’m thinking I had a good workout, I think they’re going to pull the trigger on me and I ended up going to Pittsburgh. It was a fun night. Definitely a bunch of emotions and definitely a memorable night.”
(The Dolphins have a young corner in Cam Smith who is a developmental player, and a couple of other youngsters. How do you approach at this point sort of mentoring or helping younger guys?) – “Just seeing what they are looking for. Definitely being the new guy in the room, I just want to assess the room and see what everybody brings to the table and just bring what I have. I’m not here to shake up nothing or move anybody. I’m just here to add on and grow, help the team and keep moving forward.”
(Were you a high school teammate of Teddy Bridgewater?) – “Yes, sir.”
(Did you talk to him about the Dolphins experience or what it’s like playing at home?) – “Not yet. I’m still just kind of settling in. I really got my head down for right now. Just looking forward to OTAs and getting around the team, getting around the guys, and getting in the building. Just looking forward to that.”
(You were a first-round pick, you had some struggles early in your career, but you’re a 10-year veteran which not a lot of people get to 10 years. What do you think all of these experiences have taught you about yourself and about the league?) – “Definitely invest in yourself. Find out what’s important to you, the things that matter because this league is a shaky league. It changes year in and year out, so your values always have got to stay the same to keep on moving because it’s always a turning cycle in this league. I feel like those things kind of help me stay grounded and keep on moving forward throughout all the ups and downs and stuff like that.”
(What keeps you playing, like why are you still doing this?) – “Because I want to control my own narrative. Like you said, in my early career I was young, I had a bunch of other responsibilities. I feel like just being able to put those things in order and just keep on working got me here.”
(How much do you think those responsibilities because I know about your family situation, obviously everybody who grew up here knows that, how much do you think all of that stuff weighed on you when you were an early pro with the Steelers?) – “When I was younger I didn’t understand the psychological part it had on me mentally. Now that I’m a veteran in the game, I play the game all mental. I feel like that kind of clouded a lot of my judgement and understanding of the game and investing into myself. I wasn’t investing into myself. I got my own personal trainer now. Those things kind of helped launch me here.”
(You’re home-based in South Florida still? It’s always been South Florida?) – “Yeah, it’s always been South Florida.”
(Ten years – a lot of guys don’t get there. What’s been the key to your longevity?) – “Staying healthy, learning from older guys, even learning from younger guys. Just being open. Open to change. I feel like the league is on the brink of changing right now and just open to it.”
(How excited are you to check out the “West” [Miami Northwestern Senior High] this year?) – “I’m super excited. I haven’t been to a Miami game or a UM game in like, 10 years, so I’m looking forward to all of those things. There are going to be a lot of things going on this year.”
(You were All-Dade third-team back in 2011 and then you made the jump to first-team in 2012. At what point did you realize that you wanted to do this football thing full-time and go professional with it instead of track?) – “I never made a decision actually. I was just doing both sports, being the best that I can to each sport to whichever calling came for me. I never determined which route I wanted to take. It just chose me for real.”
(What was your favorite memory back at the “West”?) – “There are a bunch of memories. Every day is a memory at the West. There is so many great memories. Just being there with all the guys I grew up with. I’d say signing day when we had like 15 guys signing D-1 colleges and going on to represent Miami.”
(There has been many accomplished NFL players like you who’ve had to spend time briefly on practice squad later in your career with these new rules. How tough was that with Seattle to not get as many defensive snaps as obviously earlier in your career beyond the practice squad some? And did you come here with the thinking from either Head Coach Mike McDaniel, or Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver that you will be given a chance to earn real playing time here?) – “I felt like whatever team I went to I was always given the opportunity to play and show my talents. I just hope it will happen, but when I get here they will see what I can do and see what I have to offer for the team.”
(So no role given to you when you signed by Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, Head Coach Mike McDaniel? No one talked about a specific role with you?) – “I mean, I can play corner and nickel and those are the things they want to see me do.”
Ashtyn Davis – March 25, 2025
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Tuesday, March 25, 2025
S Ashtyn Davis
(Have you ever wondered – I know this question is going to sound a little funny – but have you ever wondered how can I have eight career interceptions in a fairly limited number of starts and yet not be a full-time NFL starter? Has that occurred to you ever?) – “Yeah, once or twice. Shoot, I’ve just tried to play my role in New York, and when I got in, tried to make the most of plays that I did get in and I felt like I did that for the most part. But yeah, of course, I think every – you make it to this level because you’re competitive and because you believe you could be out there taking all the snaps so I think everyone wonders that a little bit.”
(There’s no long-term starter on this roster at safety. Obviously with S Ifeatu Melifonwu coming in, some starting experience. DB Elijah Campbell a little bit. Did the Dolphins indicate to you if you’ll have a legitimate chance to earn a starting job?) – “Yeah, I think it’s going to be a competition and the guys that they do have in that room are super talented. I played with Elijah a little bit in New York when he was there. I didn’t play with Pat (McMorris), but I played Pat’s older brother, so I know he’s an amazing athlete, too, and look forward to getting to meet ‘Iffy’ (Ifeatu Melifonwu) and whoever else ends up in that room. So yeah, I think it’ll be a good competition. I think it’ll be fun.”
(What’s been the key to you being such a ball hawk? Because you look at the interception numbers, it’s off the charts and last year the safeties did not record one interception last year so what’s been the key to you being just such a ball hawk?) – “I think just my whole career it’s been emphasized. Even dating back to college, I had an amazing college coach that emphasized getting the football and made that a priority. So I think every time I’m on the field that’s what I’m looking to do is get the football – whether it’s a run or pass play, I’m just trying to get that football.”
(What were your early impressions of Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver and then just what was it about the Dolphins defense last year that made you say, “Hmm, I think I want to go there”?) – “Talking to ‘Coach Weave’ (Anthony Weaver) was amazing. I think we hit it off right as I stepped in the building. Just seems like a real good dude and as far as the scheme goes, I think it’s a lot of the similar stuff that I’ve done before and learned in New York and even dating back to college days. So I think it’ll be a good fit.”
(I’m sorry that you’re losing apparently your favorite baseball team to Sacramento and Los Angeles…) – “I’m a hat fan. You might see me wearing a few different hats, but I guess technically I’m a San Francisco Giants fan. I grew up a Giants fan.”
(I know that you’ve run as fast as 4.37 in your lifetime which is pretty darn fast. And if that’s not true, don’t dispute it – 4.37 is a good number. Are you looking forward to testing that speed in practice repetitions against guys like WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle?) – “Absolutely. I think any time you get a couple fast guys on the field, all it’s going to do is make you better, make you faster. So definitely looking forward to playing against those guys every day. We saw them a couple times a year when I was in New York and they were always guys we’d have to game plan for, so I think it’ll be fun.”
(You’ll have a young safety from Cal named Patrick McMorris in your room. If Pat asked you for some advice based on your career journey thus far, what might you lend to his ear?) – “I mean I’d tell him everything I have to know. I don’t know about specifics, but I’m not one to gatekeep information. I’m here to service other people. I feel like that’s my role as a teammate, is to help other people, especially young guys figure it out in the league. Your career here a lot of times is very short, so I think you want to maximize that so I’m here to help guys.”
(I’ve known about you for years. You’ve always made plays [against] the Miami Dolphins. You’ve got [eight] career interceptions. How come you’ve never had that opportunity to cement yourself as a starter? What do you think it is about you that says it’s not – you’re never chosen, you’re always the bridesmaid?) – “(laughter) I don’t know. I think I’m wondering the same thing, but I mean shoot, all I can do is keep going forward and try to go compete for a spot this year. We’ll see what happens, but yeah, of course there’s parts of me that look back and wish certain things were different. But you can’t change that, so you’ve got to put one foot in front of the other and see what happens going forward.”
(I get the business element in this league especially when there’s a regime change. They want to bring in their whole new guys, but when you were looking for opportunities, was having a legit chance to become a starter atop your list?) – “Absolutely. Yeah, I think I’ve been, I guess, predominantly a teams a guy, a rotational defensive piece the last couple years, but I think that I’ve seen what a starter in this league looks like and I think that I fit that description. I’ve played with a lot of great players and guys that did some amazing things in this league and I know what it looks like, and I think that I stand on the same plane as those guys. So I absolutely believe that that’s something that I can do and that was a huge thing for me, just looking for somewhere with an opportunity to prove that to myself and prove that to an organization.”
(My question is what to you does good safety play look like in the NFL and how do you fit that model?) – “I think it depends on scheme. There’s a lot of different schemes – teams that play one-high (safety), you want someone that’s rangier, someone that is essentially another linebacker that can play in the box well but that can also cover. If you’re playing quarters, you’ve kind of got to do both. It just depends on scheme, but I think ultimately, you’re the last line of defense, right, so you can’t let any bombs go up in terms of deep balls and you’ve got to be able to tackle. So if something pops, of course you don’t want that to happen, but you’ve got to be able to get them down. It’s not always going to look pretty and you might end up on somebody’s highlight tape, but you’ve got to make the tackle. So I think being a sure tackler and essentially saving a blade of grass – making the offense drive a long field is hard to do in this league and so if you can do those two things I think you’ll be pretty successful.”
(I’ve got one more for you. I’ve been asking guys about this because I’m going to write a column on it. A lot of times you hear that as your last year in college, after that you’re training specifically for the Combine and pro days; you’re doing drills as opposed to football. Then after your rookie year, that offseason you get to work on football. Is that accurate? Was that the case for you? How much of a difference does it make?) – “I think a big thing, too, was I had had surgery so I was doing rehab and Combine training after college and it was a lot, but I think getting the first full offseason under your belt is huge. When you go in and you’re just focused on scheme and you know what – things start to slow down once you put the time in, in terms of film and stuff like that and so yeah, I think transitioning to your first full offseason where you’re really focused on football and you’re not focused on training for the 40 (-yard dash) or getting as strong as you can or as big as you can, whatever the case may be; I think that that’s huge and that is where you make some exponential gains in your game.”
(Growing up in Santa Cruz, growing in relative Bay Area, were you a Giants and 49ers fan growing up? Were you Giants and Raiders? A’s and – because they say you can’t flip, but I don’t know if that’s a real rule.) – “So I was a Giants, 49ers fan. My dad was a Raiders fan and then I went to school in Berkeley, so we went to a lot of A’s baseball games. So I’m all over the place, I’m messed up now but I grew up Giants, 49ers.”
(So were you like Barry Bonds era Giants?) – “Yes sir. Yes sir.”
(That was a great era, I can’t believe those teams didn’t win anything. It hurts my heart; I got distracted a little bit. But going back to football, playing with a guy in the defensive backfield like CB Jalen Ramsey, as talented and instinctual as Jalen Ramsey. How does that change your job as a safety playing behind him?) – “I think any time, it just gives you a little bit more confidence when you’re playing with a guy that has that level of talent. He’s obviously tremendously talented, a generational talent, so I’m excited to get to know the guy, get to work with the guy and pick his brains about things. I’m sure it won’t always be pretty, but I think we’ll be able to do some good things out there.”
(A couple of quick things for you, you referenced a coach at Cal who kind of taught you the importance of going after the ball, could that coach have been former Dolphins assistant Gerald Alexander?) – “Yes sir, absolutely. ‘G.A.’ was monumental in my development. I switched from corner to safety around the time that he got there, and the guy would meet with me every single day early in the morning and just got me right. Taught me how to watch film, really. So yeah, that’s my guy.”
(Another quick thing. So you made one start last year, it so happened to have been against the Dolphins in the regular season finale when you came up with two interceptions. Where does that stand among your career highlights in terms of best games perhaps?) – “It’s up there, for sure. That game was an interesting one. It was the end of the year, and we knew our playoff hopes were obviously gone so we just went out there and had fun. I think on the second interception I pitched it to D.J. (Reed) and we’d been doing that in practice, they were not happy about it, but we just said we were going to go out there and have fun and we had a blast, and I think it showed. The whole defense was playing loose, and I think, I don’t know – that was definitely up there. That was probably my favorite game that I’ve played in in the league.”
(I want to ask you a little bit about your moonlighting gig, by that I mean special teams and how you’re able to move the chains when called upon in fake punts. Tell me about the pride you take in doing that and does it require a special knack or is it just your speed?) – “I think just being able to demonstrate – being a consistent person in the locker room. Our Special Teams Coordinator (Brant) Boyer, who I had all five years in New York, had a large amount of trust in me and I think that went a long way. We watched film on the side, we talked on the side, and he trusted that when I saw something that I could get it, get it done so I think that, that trust played a huge role in it. Just him allowing me to kind of have the keys a little bit. He’d just say, ‘Just make a smart decision buddy,’ and we were pretty successful during my time there.”
(So it was, you have the green light to go if you see something but you just darn well better make it kind of thing?) – “Yeah, of course. (Brant) Boyer was never going to throw me under the bus, I know that but I think that him having the confidence in me to if I see a short edge, take it or whatever the case may be. I think that went a long way, me trusting him and him trusting me. If we had a look that we had been practicing all week, when we got it, then we’re running it and I think we were pretty good at that.”
(I see that you walked onto college football from running track. What went into that decision to try to aspire for football full time?) – “This might be a little long-winded answer, but I actually had no football offers. I think one year in high school I had 17 kids on my high school football team, so football wasn’t really a priority down there, so I didn’t get recruited at all. After football season, my best friend at the time got me to run track. I ran track and then made it to the state meet somehow. Then I just went up to everybody with a clipboard in their hand and was like, ‘Hey, my name is Ashtyn, can I walk on?’ So I actually walked on for track, but football was always the plan. I wanted to go somewhere that had a football team and somewhere – like track was essentially a steppingstone to get where I wanted to be for football. So after my freshman year of track, they offered me a full ride. I had to call my parents, obviously because the condition was you can’t play football if you accept this. So I called my parents, they said they would take out a loan; took out a loan, still pursued football and yeah. I think though to answer your question, football was always the plan. It was just a matter of how I was going to get there.”
(I see you’re joining a division rival. You had your first career interception against QB Tua Tagovailoa. How is that – going from one division rival to another? How is that for you?) – “I think it’s exciting. I think I’m going to enjoy the warm weather, though. I think I’m going to enjoy that. I’m definitely excited, familiar with a lot of people in this division and it’ll be interesting switching sides.”
(I just wanted to follow up, who gave you the full ride?) – “Once I finally got put on – so my track coach Mike Gipson, he’s the one that offered me the track scholarship. And then after that, for football, when I finally accepted it was Justin Wilcox.”
(So you never accepted the full ride to track?) – “No sir.”
(So your parents were like, “For this opportunity, we will pay for you to go to college,” instead of accepting the full ride and chase your dreams?) – “Yeah, I had to have a talk with them obviously, because we didn’t come from money. So it was like, ‘OK, how are we going to afford this?’ But like I said, they were like, ‘We’ll figure it out if this is what you want to do.’ So I owe everything to them, so I appreciate them for that.”
(So did you walk on to football and track at the same time?) – “So I was a spring admit because I missed – because I had no football offers, I missed the fall admission, so I had to be a spring admit for track, essentially. Then I pretty much tried out for football. I think Washington State that week threw for 700 – almost 800 yards on Cal’s defense, and after that they clearly didn’t watch my highlight tape because I was an offensive guy and they said, ‘If you want to come play DB for us, you can come play DB for us.’ So then I switched to DB. (laughter)”
Ryan Stonehouse – March 25, 2025
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Tuesday, March 25, 2025
P Ryan Stonehouse
(I’m intrigued by this 53.1-yard punt average of yours. I’m sure when you get down to it leg strength has a lot to do with it, technique has a lot to do with it, there are various things in play. What do you think is the most important thing that led to that kind of fat number that way? Can you give us some insight into how you go about maintaining your leg strength.) – “I think with a big average comes opportunity. I think it’s a fair share of punting from backed up plenty, we had a lot of those that year, but also just taking advantage of the opportunity. I’ve always been a big-legged punter, whether that was in college or taking that into the league. The way that I maintain leg strength is just kind of – throughout the offseason there’s ways to train and one of the things that I think benefits me a lot is working on my explosiveness. I’m not the biggest guy in the world; I don’t have long levers, but leg speed can certainly make up for that. So the quicker twitch that I am, I try to train like an athlete even though sometimes they don’t consider punters athletes that often. (laughter) I think that that’s such a big thing about my game, is that I feel like I can be versatile and be athletic and that leg speed is really the key I try to hit on in the offseasons.”
(Were you surprised that Tennessee let you walk the way they did?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I think it was as big of a surprise to me as it was to anybody else. Yeah, so for sure.”
(I saw you went to Mater Dei, which I know is an athletics high school. Are you excited to check out some high school football in South Florida which many say is the best in the country?) – “Absolutely. Yeah, we’ll see how it compares, for sure. (laughter) I might be biased. Obviously, Mater Dei helped kickstart my career, but I was blessed and lucky enough to go there, because it really turned me into the player I am and the competitor I am because I only played one year on varsity at Mater Dei because obviously how competitive and how good it was. But yeah, I’m excited to check out South Beach, for sure.”
(Get ready for a lot of those conversations on which state has the best high school football. Those conversations are definitely all the time.) – “(laughter) Yeah, I know Florida high school football is passionate about it.”
(You mentioned being surprised with the Titans not keeping you, describe the whirlwind of emotion. I know there had been a lot of talk after they let you go that it was a normal fit, a logical fit to join the Broncos for example. I’m curious as to what that process was like, them not tendering you as a restricted free agent and then the Dolphins eventually signing you.) – “Like I said, I was surprised; I think a lot of other people were as well. I truly didn’t expect it. I’m a guy that I like to be where my feet are, been training in that building ever since I stepped foot in it three years ago. I thought it would be a little bit different, just more clarity would have been nice, but it is what it is and I’m excited for this new opportunity. I think that’s what the league is all about. I’ve certainly built my career off of not being the first one picked. Obviously, I wasn’t drafted. I didn’t have very many opportunities after the draft – Tennessee was one of them. So I kind of took that as a chip on my shoulder and I truly felt like that’s kind of where my career has taken me. Whether that was college, I didn’t really have very many scholarship offers – Colorado State took a chance on me. Same what I said in high school, I only played on varsity one year; I had to compete for that job. So I really truly have built a career off of competition. Yeah, I think there was some things about natural fits and I actually truly believe the Dolphins are the best fit for me. I’ve kind of come to realize that being in the league for three years now that fit matters so much and understanding the player that I am matters a lot – how to use me as a weapon is truly something that I thank Craig Aukerman and Chase Blackburn for when they brought me into Tennessee. It was very important for me to have a good fit, so I truly believe Miami is that place.”
(You’ve got the really ridiculously high gross punt average, the net at times has not been quite as high. How difficult is it to balance booming it as far as you can and then the hang time to all your coverage guys to get down there?) – “Yeah, that’s a fair question. So first year in the league, I think we netted 44.0 yards, it was obviously – we were shooting for 45.0. I’ve always had a goal to have the highest net. I’ve never been trying to get the most gross yards. I think the more gross yards you have the better potential your net can become. Obviously, there’s a healthy balance of directional punting as well as hang time. My second year, got a lot better at the hang time aspect of it, was putting more balls out of bounds. I think we netted 43.9 that year, but you can see as like last year, the first eight games, what we went through as a punt team, whether that was cycling personnel, whether that was blocked punts, whether that was the Detroit game. Those first eight games of the year, our net was horrible, I think probably bottom of the league. And that took – we signed Justin Hardee against the Patriots. Justin came in, played one game there, kind of got his feet under him. We had some guys step up in that room. I think from after the Patriots game, from the Chargers game forward I think we netted 44.0 yards – probably would have been a top three net average in the league. It’s so important to look at context like that because I think there’s a lot of things the gross yards can affect – too much of the net if you start line driving the ball, which I agree. I think that you have to have a healthy amount of hang time with it, but it’s important to look at the full picture with regards to net. It was bad for the beginning, for sure, and that’s why the number at the end of the year is what it was. But it’s a combination of the directional with a little bit of hang time and then giving yourself the best opportunity for guys to go down there and make plays.”
(We haven’t met Special Teams Coordinator Craig Aukerman just yet, fill us in. How would you describe his personality and his coaching approach?) – “When I met Craig (Aukerman), I realized the passion that had for special teams, and it was great when he brought me in in Tennessee. My work ethic and his work ethic meshed really well together, and he’s a guy that values hard work. He’s passionate about special teams. He’s really about the guys, and that’s what it’s about. I’ve learned that in the punt team it matters about the players and who fits where, and he’s very good at that. He’s very great at developing young players, putting them in the right position. I think that’s so important. Special teams is not a thing where you play it as much in college. A lot of times drafted players, you’re not playing special teams, you’re not playing on punt team in college. Sometimes you are, but that coach it really is important when you come in, and I think Craig is that guy. He brings a lot of energy which I think is super important. I think you guys are going to be excited to meet him because I certainly – when I came into Tennessee, I was blessed to have him as my coach.”
(So if you were in one of those punter, long-drive competitions – like no rush, nothing, just you take the ball and you kick it in the air as far as you can, I’m going to guess – 83 yards. Am I over or under 83?) – “It depends on the day. Is there a little wind at the back? (laughter) I think I can hit it a long way, but I’ve really been honed in on getting a lot of hang time this offseason. I’ve really tried to get that down. When I was coming out for the draft, that was the big knock on me that my hang time wasn’t as great. But I kind of set out to prove that wrong and I came into camp – you can ask Craig (Aukerman) when you get him on – I was hitting 5.0s consistently, and that’s what I’m striving for this year because I think it matters so much.”
(Can anybody go goal line to goal line in the air? Seriously, can it be done?) – “I’m sure it can be done. Given the right conditions, for sure.”
(Alain Poupart wanted to ask you about the net yards. I wanted to ask you about working with people on special teams. The Dolphins had a punter, Thomas Morstead, a couple of years ago and they had a special teams player Keion Crossen and part of the reason they got together was Michael Thomas, a guy who played here and was a special teams specialist, they were all three at a players union meeting and Michael Thomas told Morstead, “Hey, Keion Crossen does a good job at tracking punts. You guys ought to get together.” That wasn’t the only reason they both played here, but my question to you is are there certain guys or is there a relationship that a punter has with certain guys like that and how long does it take that relationship to develop? Training camp? Eight games? A whole season?) – “Chris, I think that was like one of the best questions I’ve been asked in a long time, to be honest with you. So here’s the deal, if you look at like last year or what I went through in Tennessee, we had a few guys, a lot of young guys. It was hard to kind of mesh relationship-wise, I was coming back off of a major injury. Those relationships start at OTAs, at least in my opinion. They start before OTAs but in my situation right now, it would start in OTAs, getting with your gunners. It’s so important to have a relationship with those guys so they know what’s going on; how the punt is supposed to look, where is it supposed to end up. Your core guys, ‘Hey, we need inside-out. Don’t throw the guy to my kick side.’ There’s so many things that work like that, and like I was saying with Justin Hardee and Luke Gifford last year with us, it took one game to totally flip. I think we were at the worst punting average possible; we had given up two blocked punts, we gave up a tip against Miami when we played y’all. We had the Detroit game where we gave up some of the most return yards ever in a game. We weren’t playing as a unit. We weren’t playing together; we just didn’t have guys in the right spots. A guy like Justin Hardee comes in and totally changes the momentum of that unit. We go from a bottom-32 unit to a top three unit in one game. It’s not like we changed something crazy, all it took was a player coming in, playing hard – a Luke Gifford who we had in the core go out against Buffalo and make three tackles in open space. It takes that kind of – I don’t want to use a bad word, but it’s the ‘give a (expletive) factor,’ it really is. That was so important, and Hardee brought that for us as a unit. That can change an entire special teams in one swoop, and it certainly did for us last year. But those relationships start in OTAs and that’s something that as an older player, I’ve realized leadership matters so much more and that’s something I’m going to strive to do the minute I step foot in that facility is build relationships with as many of the guys that a I can.”
(And if I can ask one more building on relationships, you and Special Teams Coordinator Craig Aukerman being together. What does that mean for you, for Craig and for the Dolphins special teams?) – “Well, I was an All-Pro under Craig (Aukerman), and I don’t think it’s a secret that I was. Fit matters so much. I’m very excited to work with Craig again. The opportunity, when it was presented, I couldn’t pass it up. I think he understands my ability, and I value critique and coaching a lot. Craig is honest with me. He knows where I need to improve on and he’s willing to hold me accountable, which that’s the most important thing as a coach – holding guys accountable. It doesn’t matter what level you are, if you’re an All-Pro, if you’re the best player, got to hold guys accountable and I think he does that, so I’m very excited to be in that system again.”
Alexander Mattison – March 25, 2025
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Tuesday, March 25, 2025
RB Alexander Mattison
(Just wanted to get it off the top here real quick to make sure because we met already, but is it Alexander or Alex? Which one do you prefer to go by?) – “When it’s written and in that form, I like to be Alexander, but conversationally Alex is fine.”
(I’m doing something on availability/durability. I’ve noticed you’ve been very available throughout your career, throughout college, throughout the NFL. You’re at over 100 carries a year per average, do you attribute that to good preparation, good fortune? What do you attribute being available to?) – “Honestly, I think that it’s definitely a mix of both. I definitely pride myself on being available; that’s something I learned when I was in high school actually. My coach, he gave me the phrase that ‘the best ability is availability,’ and as a young kid who’s trying to accomplish his dreams of getting a full-ride scholarship and going to play in the NFL and everything, that definitely stuck with me. So definitely the mindset of what can I do to prevent injuries, what can I do to heal if there is anything to come up. Taking care of my body from the jump was something that I was really into, something that I knew was important to me, and then kudos to my mom and dad for some good genes as well. (laughter)”
(Tell me about the mentality of somebody who specializes in short yardage. Do you get out of bed aggressive every day? Tell me about that mentality and that kind of attitude that you need.) – “I definitely am not an aggressive – not a person that rolls out of the bed with that mindset. (laughter) But it’s definitely something that when you take pride in something, when you understand how important it is and how important it can be and pivotal it can be for your team and for the trajectory of the game, that’s where you emphasize on different things and watched a lot of tape of different backs. I think I was also blessed with a certain type of running style and technique that allows me to break tackles and do some things. So yeah, just working on the craft and seeing everything from different angles. There’s probably 10 different ways that you can get tackled on every single play and you kind of have to have an escape route for at least 8 of them to have some type of success.”
(You agreed to terms on the Thursday, the week of free agency meaning that you could have spoken, if you had wanted to, to General Manager Chris Grier, Head Coach Mike McDaniel or Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville. Did you talk to any of them before agreeing to terms here and what did they convey to you as far as why they liked your game and why they thought you would be a good fit here?) – “Yeah, I was able to and that’s also a part of why I was excited about coming over. It’s one of those things you look at, it’s an exciting offense, it’s an exciting team to be a part of. So it definitely is one of those things where I look at it and I see a lot of benefits from me being a part of this offense. And of course, (Mike McDaniel) told me to bring my big boy pads down to South Beach, so I understand. I’m going to bring a different level of physicality and that’s what’s expected of me and what I need to bring to the table so yeah, I’m excited about that part as well.”
(The role of short yardage that Chris Perkins just asked you about, it’s been an issue here the last couple of years. The conversion rate has been among the worst in the league, you obviously have a good track record of that. Did Head Coach Mike McDaniel specifically mention that to you as a role he thought you could help?) – “I can’t tell you that he did; I don’t necessarily remember if that was a specific part, but I do know that the physicality and me being a bigger bruiser type of back is something that was mentioned when we talked. So yeah, definitely expect to be in a role of using my pads and using my physicality and bringing that little spark to the offense.”
(Have you ever watched any Boise State or Miami Dolphins Jay Ajayi film?) – “Yeah, I have. Of course, being a Boise State alum, you bleed blue. So definitely was watching a lot of Jay (Ajayi) and just seeing his time in the league and his time at Boise and the way that he runs and his running style.”
(Are there any similarities? He went for over 200 yards in consecutive games as a Dolphin and what I remember is just his sort of relentless approach. Have you ever seen any similarities in your approach or running style?) – “Yeah, I would say so. I kind of lead with that mindset. The key phrases that I have always stuck to coming from college when I was at Boise State, my running backs coach Lee Marks, he told me ‘downhill, fast, physical,’ and those are kind of the three terms that have stuck with me and how I want to play and how I want my running style to be recognized as. Growing up, I watched a lot of Jamaal Charles, Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson, so I would say that I took little bits and pieces from their game and shaped it into my own. Those are definitely some relentless type of guys there.”
(How would you describe your running style?) – “I would say downhill, fast and physical. Those are the three words that I would definitely just pin to the way that I run and how I want to run every single time.”
(I read where you are fluent in Spanish and have been for quite a while. Does playing now for a team whose locale features a lot of Spanish-speaking people add any appeal to you?) – “I think it’s definitely a plus. I’ll be able to practice my Spanish and keep it up. I’m excited just to be a part of the culture down there and get an understanding, get a feel for everything that comes with being a Dolphin.”
(I know earlier in your career you spent some time with Dalvin Cook in Minnesota. I just wanted to know, what was the biggest thing that you took away from him within the running back room and that you keep with you to this day?) – “I would say, honestly, one of the biggest things is to have fun. He was a guy that just made it fun. He’s a guy that just every single day came in with a smile on his face and was ready to work and was ready to go out there and have fun. I think coming into the league as a rookie, I was ready to work, work, work, work, work, but he got me to slow down and say, ‘Hey man, have fun with this.’ My time with him was legendary and was a lot of fun so I would say be that six-year-old kid that fell in love with the game back in the day is something that I keep in the back of my mind.”
Willie Gay Jr. – March 24, 2025
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Monday, March 24, 2025
LB Willie Gay Jr.
(You’ve got the size of a typical outside linebacker, but you can play outside, too. How did New Orleans use you last year for those of us who didn’t see? Their defensive schemes, was it a combo of both? How do you see Defensive Coordinator Antyony Weaver using you from your discussions with him?) – “I haven’t talked to Coach Weaver yet. But the way the Saints used me and the way I’ve been used my whole career for the past five years, like you’ve said I’ve been used as an inside backer, outside backer, rushing the edge, blitzing up the middle, pass dropping, man coverage on tight ends and running backs so there’s really not much that I can’t do when I’m on the field. Like I was saying the day I signed, whatever Coach Weaver has for me, I’m ready to do it. I don’t put many limitations on my game. Obviously, I can get better at a lot, so just looking forward to seeing how I’ll be getting utilized.”
(Where are you at? That looks like a country barn on the outside.) – “Yeah, I’m out here on the land, out here in the field. (laughter)”
(Where is that?) – “It’s in Mississippi, back home.”
(Did you buy a lot of acreage?) – “Yeah, I did last year, man. I bought like 90 acres.”
(90 acres, now what are you doing with 90 acres?) – “I’m trying to start farming, man. That’s like my second love.”
(What are you going to farm?) – “Shoot, everything. I’ve got some chickens in the back giving me eggs every day – like seven eggs a day, man. Saving money on eggs now, I’ve got some cows coming this summer. I’ve got my garden getting started up a couple acres over there, so it’s coming along. This time next year, it will be up and rolling.”
(I would think 90 acres you could build a whole town on it.) – “No, I think exact it’s like 87 (acres) but yeah man, it’s a lot. It’s more than I can handle right now just by myself, so my mom helps me out and my brother and my dad. Just something to do, I ride the four-wheelers every day out here, things like that. Gives me something to do.”
(How many houses are you going to put on the land?) – “This one came with it; it’s like a little barn-dominium style house. I’m going to build one up on the hill probably in the next three or four years, probably two or three years. I’ve got my plans, man. I’ve got my vision for it.”
(You won back-to-back Super Bowls in Kansas City. What were some of those traits of championship teams that you noticed? What were some of those traits that were not exactly there in New Orleans, not to bash New Orleans, but what are some of those traits?) – “No, it just is what it is. Like I said in my interview the day I signed, and like you said not to bash New Orleans or any other team, but it’s just certain ways, certain teams, certain coaches run their organizations. Half the time, it’s not even the talent that you have. I mean it is, but it starts at the foundation which is the people in charge – the coaches, the owners, the GMs and things like that. If I have to give credit to the Chiefs, I’d say Coach (Andy) Reid, he put things the way he wanted them to be ran. He put them in detail and said ‘This is the way it’s going to happen,’ and if it didn’t happen that way, he was either going to get rid of you or you weren’t going to play, or you won’t be a part of the team. It’s things like I said the other day, everyone looking the same, everyone wearing the same gear. Nobody is bigger than the team, there’s no superstars. Obviously I had Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and the other guys, but even those guys, they never missed days of practice. If we wore black socks, they wore black socks. Nobody is trying to stand out amongst the crowd. Things like that I noticed was different when I went to New Orleans, once against not to bash New Orleans – it’s great city, great team and all. But just something that I noticed was different and when it comes down to it, you realize that the details like that matters come the end of the year.”
(I know you played inside linebacker, outside linebacker. Do you have a preference, or is it wherever coach needs you to play?) – “It’s wherever, man. I love inside; I love outside. I love football, so let me just put it like that. I was an athlete before I was anything, so wherever I can get on the field and go make a play at, I’m cool with.”
(It looks like you played and practiced a couple of years with WR Tyreek Hill in Kansas City. What was that like?) – “(inaudible) It’s hard to find somebody that fast again in this lifetime. It’s next level, man. He’s a good guy. He was cool, down-to-earth type guy. Even my rookie year when I first came in, I didn’t know anyone, they barely knew me but he never treated anyone different. Just a good all-around guy, and obviously you see what he can do on the field. Shoot, I was seeing it as a 22-year-old rookie. It’s amazing, so I’m glad to be back on the same squad as him.”
(Do you feel like the nine playoff games that you started are helpful in the locker room?) – “To spread some knowledge about it, yeah because there’s guys who’ve been in the league 10-plus years and have only played in two or three playoff games. I’ve had guys ask me how it is and how is the feeling of it and what to expect, how to go about it. A lot of guys know how to go about the game already, but playoffs, man – playoffs are different. Everybody is out to get you, especially if you’re already the top dog. I think it’s definitely helping me, and it’s going to help me in the long run too – the knowledge and experience that I have from the playoffs already.”
(Did you play in the subzero degrees Chiefs vs. Dolphins game?) – “Yes, I did. It was horrible. Never again.”
(It was bad for us in the press box. What was it like for you?) – “Man let’s just say, in every career that anyone has, there’s always that one day that you just wish you could never ever have to live again, and playing in something that cold is something that I never want to experience again. Like 20 degrees is fine, 15 (degrees), cool – it’s cold, not that 30 (degrees) is even normal, but shoot man, -20 windchill, bro it’s like… (inaudible)”
(I wanted to ask you about the Chiefs and something that could apply to the Dolphins. From the outside, it appears to me that the Chiefs turned into a defensive team once WR Tyreek Hill was traded. Chris Jones got paid, you guys had you and L’Jarius Sneed and everybody out there. Is that an accurate statement? And how does a team make that switch? It seems like it’s a different type of mentality. How does a team do that and how could you bring something like that to the Dolphins defense?) – “It’s really not even that we switched to a defensive team, because Chris Jones has always been Chris Jones, and we had guys like Nick Bolton and the whole defense was stacked with talent. On the offensive side, you still got those amazing guys like Patrick (Mahomes) Travis (Kelce), (Isiah) Pacheco, we had some good guys that even played behind those guys. But it’s like this – it’s a team sport. So when the offense is down, the defense plays good; if the defense was down, a lot of times the offense was playing good the previous years before my last Super Bowl. But that Super Bowl, the last Super Bowl that we won against San Franciso, that was the year the defense was actually holding up for the offense a lot more than previous years. I wouldn’t say we turned into a defensive team; it’s just one of those times we had to win games – defense had to step up more than usual. That’s something that will happen with any team. You realize your high scoring offense is not scoring as much, defense has got to make plays. Whether it’s just getting three and out to give the offense a chance, and that’s kind of what it turned into. I feel like that switch can flip for anybody.”
(I’m doing something on guys who are second year players in the league. What you hear sometimes is after your last year in college, you’re training for the Combine and the Pro Days and you’re not really working on football and then after your rookie year, you do work on football so you see a big jump. Do you agree with that statement and was that the case with you?) – “Oh yeah. Heck yeah, I remember going through my rookie year – you work on football but the basics. You get into it, like once you get on your team and the draft process is over with and you’ve been training for the 40-yard dash for three months and things like that, then you really get into it. Me personally, I felt like I was behind. I put my all into getting ready for the Combine and just trying to make sure everything was perfect. I got into my rookie year and it felt like everything was moving in slow motion – well I was moving in slow motion and everything else was moving fast. It’s like, ‘Damn, I need to catch up,’ or ‘I need to do this,’ or ‘I need to get better here,’ or ‘I need to get bigger,’ or ‘I need to get stronger.’ Year 2 came around, and obviously, like you said, I was ready. I knew what to expect and knew that the talent level was off the charts now. It’s not like college where you’re going to play good and bad each and every week – there is talent on every team. Going into Year 2 was definitely a jump for me because I knew what to expect and I had a whole offseason to get ready for it. That’s accurate, for sure.”
(You’re an established veteran. You’ve won championships. Why did you choose Miami?) – “Shoot man, if I’m being honest Miami chose me and I’m just thankful to be a part of it. Last year didn’t go the way I – it never really goes the way we want it go in life in general, but I was just down to the wire in free agency. I was just hoping for an opportunity, and thank God Miami chose me. Like I said, any team that gives me an opportunity, I’m going to take it and they did and shoot, I’m thankful to be here.”
Pharaoh Brown – March 24, 2025
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Monday, March 24, 2025
TE Pharaoh Brown
(Just generally speaking, why Miami? What attracted you Miami and what were some of your first impressions of Head Coach Mike McDaniel?) – “The opportunity kind of attracted me – what do they say? Sometimes beggars can’t be choosers. Nah, I’m just playing (laughter). Oh man, that’s hilarious. He’s an offensive-minded guy, I played for a defensive-minded coach last year and the last couple of years so it’s kind of a different ball game when the head man is a defensive guy. So as an offensive guy you want an offensive-minded guy to be running the show, so that’s exciting. First time meeting Coach (McDaniel), very smart. You can tell that he loves ball and knows a lot of ball and I’m excited to be able to learn from him.”
(So the Dolphins need to improve their run game and in order to do that, they need run blocking help from the tight ends and receivers. What have you been told about that? What have you seen on film? What’s your plan to help in that area?) – “I haven’t been told anything as far as that area. I think everybody around the league right now is trying to be better at running the ball after the show that Saquon (Barkley) put on last year. When you look around at all these teams that were in those big games where everybody wanted to be, they had a great run game. So I think that’s the emphasis around the whole league and me being good at blocking and a good blocking tight end, I think it’s going to be a collective of the o-line, the receivers, the tight ends, the fullbacks – I mean running the ball is one of those things that’s so cool because it takes the whole collective to get done, and once it’s done, it’s kind of like a beauty. I’m just ready to obviously learn the new offense and get in tuned and be able to help wherever I’m plugged at.”
(Have you always liked physical contact, even going back to peewee? Did you hit people, or did you play quarterback or something?) – “Hey, quarterbacks are just soft, I guess? That was the key then, if you just played quarterback, you was soft? (laughter) Man, when I was coming up all the drills that I was brought up in playing football is all banned now: nutcracker, bull in the ring, like we was really playing ball. I remember being young and I’m in the middle of the ring and guys running at you and you got to come meet them. It’s kind of like a fight in the backyard. It’s like you’re going to run and meet them. If you don’t even run and meet them, hitting them is just not good enough. You got to go run and meet that contact. So that’s kind of like how I was brought up, so that was just always football. It didn’t matter if you played quarterback either. The quarterback was getting in there where I played at so yeah, but that’s all banned now so a lot of people might not know what I’m talking about. This is some kind of stuff you don’t want to try at home.”
(So that leads perfectly into what I was going to ask you about, and it’s physicality and mentality. You being a blocking tight end, it’s kind of inherent in that title and that job, you have to be physical. You have to be aggressive. How do you impart that physicality and aggression on to your teammates? Do you talk to them? Do you do it by example? How do you impart that to your teammates?) – “I’ve never gone out and just think like, ‘oh, I’ve got to impart this.’ Everybody has their strong suit and there’s different ways to skin a cat. Some people might do it more finesse, some people may do it more physical. When I’m helping teammates, I’m just trying to help them wherever they’re at and I’ve been in a lot of different situations, been in a lot of offenses, had to a lot of different things. When I was at Oregon, I wasn’t a blocking tight end. I was undrafted so I had to find niche to be able to stay in the league, because when you’re undrafted, ain’t nobody paying you to come catch no balls. That’s down the line, that’s like being ‘so you undrafted but you’re going to be the scorer on basketball,’ like nah. You better get these rebounds, play some defense or something, you’ve got to be kidding me. You ain’t about to take no threes. (laughter) So that’s just kind of how I was able to find my niche to make a career out of this thing and I just try to help all of my teammates in whatever way I can, but I’m not set out to, ‘I got to make this team more physical.’ Like I think energy feeds off of energy, right? So once they see it and the momentum and just the energy, I think you kind of see that in teams, so hopefully it can be infectious.”
(The other part of that is, this is a team that had been accused of being soft and they need to be more physical, more aggressive and one of the aspects of that is supposedly they can’t play in cold weather. You were raised what, Cleveland, I guess. You’ve played in cold weather cities. Is there anything to that? Is there a difference in playing in cold weather than warm weather and can a team be not good at playing in cold weather?) – “I mean I’m not sure who ‘they’ is that are giving this information that you know like people are soft in the cold weather. I haven’t seen or been a part of that, but I mean no matter where you’re from or where you’re playing at, I grew up playing there, but it’s cold. I’m cold, it ain’t like I ain’t getting cold. If it’s cold out there, it’s cold out there, boy – 30 degrees is 30 degrees, it doesn’t matter if you – that negative wind chill get to kicking, I don’t care if you’ve lived there your whole life, bro, you’re going to be bundled up, you know what I’m saying? So I think it’s actually harder to play in the heat if I’m being honest with you because everybody’s not adjusted to that humidity and stuff like that. So the cold is cold for everybody and I’m not a believer in – you are who you are, you know what I mean? And people is who people is and it’s not like something like, ‘I’m going to make you tougher,’ or ‘you’ve got to go play in this freezing weather to be tougher.’ Some games you might just not win that game or some games you know what I mean, you didn’t handle the weather that good. Buffalo lost games in Buffalo when it was snowing to teams that weren’t from the snow, you know what I mean? All these northern teams would be undefeated if that was the case, I should say.”
(Just to ask you more about what you mentioned about you had to find a niche to stay in the league, did it occur to you then early in your career, “I need to become an elite in-line blocker” and what coaches helped you develop that skill?) – “It never occurred to me, it just happened. I mean I always blocked, but once you get to the league, you kind of get pigeonholed and boxed in into a certain category of what you can and can’t do. My whole career, I was always trying to prove that I could do both, that I could do more because I was never really getting my fair shot and fair opportunity. Just going through a lot of self-reflecting and just trying to clear the resentment and things that I had mentally and going on with me it’s just like, you know what? I’m already a Hall of Famer, you know what I mean? Like I’ve changed my family’s life, my neighborhood, like I’m a Hall of Famer when it comes to this Brown family and for me, that’s all that counted. So when I was like, I’ve made a career out of this thing by doing it, so now I’m like, I’m going to lean into this and I’m going to be the best Y-tight end, the best blocker, the best pass blocking guy, you know what I mean? And the ball comes to me, I’ll do what I do when I get it. That’s how it’s always been. Now it’s just like leaning into that and knowing that I am enough and just, it’s a lot of things from when I’m younger to I’m older that really matters, you know what I mean? Now, I want to be elite, and I haven’t felt like I’ve put my full self together yet and best is still out there so I’m just excited to keep working and really go out there and show the whole world – and myself more importantly.”
K.J. Britt – March 24, 2025
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Monday, March 24, 2025
LB K.J. Britt
(Obviously you’ve had starting experience with the 11 games in Tampa and before that. Did the Dolphins give you any idea if you’ll be in the mix to compete for a starting spot? Obviously they have LB Jordyn Brooks and LB Tyrel Dodson as well. Also what do you like about Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver’s defense?) – “Coach Weaver, man, I was just looking at his defense. He runs a good defense versus base – 3-4 and then sub 4-2-5. I’m just grateful for this opportunity to just come play football. For me, I view the game a little different from guys. I love the game so much; I just can’t wait to get down there and get to Miami and help this team however I can help them. Ready to win some games.”
(Has what your role would be come up? Have they mentioned competing for a starting job or was it not mentioned at all?) – “They really didn’t say so. I’m just really excited to get down there.”
(Let’s imagine that it’s fourth-and-1 at the Dolphins 1-yard line and it’s in the fourth quarter and the opponent is probably going to run the ball. Imagine that situation and tell me what’s going through your mind.) – “We got to get off the field, win the game. As a linebacker in this league, you’ve got to have some killer instinct. So fourth-and-1, they come out in heavy personnel, I know they’re going to run the ball, so it’s balls to the wall to make sure the defense gets the call and let’s play.”
(I noticed that LB Anthony Walker Jr. and yourself, you guys traded places. He goes to Tampa and you come from Tampa. Do you have a house that you can sell him?) – “I’m going to keep my house, man. (laughter)”
(What about him, does he have a house that you can buy?) – “I don’t know. I haven’t really talked to Anthony (Walker Jr.), so I don’t really know him like that but congrats to him.”
(You mentioned the skill set that you bring, I just wanted to ask a little bit more about that. What was it about the Dolphins defense that made you think like, ‘Oh, I can add this to this,’ what is it specifically?) – “It’s real similar to where I’m coming from. I’ve been in Tampa the last four years. I’m really comfortable in the 3-4; 4-2-5, it’s the same. It’s going to be different terminology, I know the learning curve, but it’s going to be something that I’m comfortable doing. It’s not a 4-3 or something like that where I learn a different scheme. It’s going to be something that’s real familiar to me so I’m excited about that.”
(You come with a reputation of being an aggressive player, a run stopper. Tell me about that mentality, where does it come from? How does it benefit you in the NFL?) – “I guess it comes from – I’ve been playing linebacker since I was five years old, throughout high school, college and now the NFL. I’m from Alabama. Alabama was a really heavy run high school league that we were in, so just stopping the run is something that my head coach always used to instill in us linebackers. Just playing ball, loving ball and just using all of my resources. There’s so many other great linebackers out there who play their game. Whatever you’re good at, there is always room for improvement in each and everything that we do. If you’re good at something, it helps you. Like I said, I guess my pedigree.”
(I’m doing something else on draft day experiences and I’m asking guys about their draft day experience. You’re interesting to me because if I’m not mistaken, your junior year at Auburn was really good, All-SEC, but you only played two games as a senior, didn’t play much as a freshman or sophomore. Tell me about your draft day experience, tell me about how important the Pro Day was, how much pressure was on you, was it a good draft night experience? Were you disappointed? Tell me about that.) – “I was ecstatic, grateful. Like you said I really only played one year of college ball. When I played that year, like you said, I was All-SEC. We were a good defense, everybody on that defense had a shot to play in the NFL. I think it’s still seven or eight of us in the NFL from that defense, so just being a part of that, and like I said, that was my year. That was my time to shine. I sat my freshman and sophomore years because the room was older before me. I played a little bit my sophomore year and started rotating in, and like I said my junior year was my spot. My senior year, I had a draft grade to come out my junior year after I played in 2019 and they were saying I could be a third round or so. I wanted to get my degree so I went back to school and got my degree in business management with a focus in supply chain. I was excited for my senior year and it didn’t go as planned. I tore my UCL in my thumb and ended up having to have my whole hand repaired, so it just put me down. I still put my name in the draft, still got some good information, some good feedback from the league and I got drafted in the fifth round. I was excited. Like I said, I get to live out my dream. It doesn’t matter how you get there, everybody’s story is not going to be the same. Everybody’s story is not going to be picture perfect or clear. This was my story; I was excited for it and grateful that God blessed me with this opportunity. I wish I could feel what I felt that day every day, and I’d be all right.”
(Just a question about the lessons that you learned from past playoff experiences. What’s some things that you find can be the difference between being a playoff caliber team and one trying to get over the hump?) – “Playoff caliber teams, it’s a player-led teams. Coaches can put everybody in the right spot, but if the players don’t want to play, it’s going to be all on us. Everybody has got to come together as one and get the job done week-in and week-out. We always got to come ready to work. It’s a lot to go into it because it’s a sacrifice. There’s no cool guy status, everybody has just got to play ball. That’s one thing that just being in the playoffs the last four years and playing in a lot of playoff games – everybody in the league has that formula and it works. Everybody has just got to come together and be as one and play ball.”
(There was a perception around the league – we’ve heard from former players on social media, even current players – that this Dolphins team, defense specifically, can be soft, can play soft. As a linebacker, what is your responsibility to change that tone and make sure that that is not how the team or that side of the ball is coming across?) – “Want to. That’s how you play the game physical, that’s really not something you talk about – you got to want to. Coming from my background and looking at how we play ball in little league, it doesn’t change. My dad was my little league coach. He preached physicality because the one thing about this game is if you hit somebody in the mouth – everybody has got a plan until they get hit. You can kill a lot of noise with the tone that you set, and it’s something that we’re looking forward to.”
