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Tony Oden – May 9, 2019 Download PDF version

Thursday, May 9, 2019

Safeties Coach Tony Oden

(How has the offseason been so far in terms of getting your guys accustomed to new schemes and getting to know some of the players as well?) – “It’s going well. Guys have been energized. (It’s a) fresh start for those guys. They’ve been practicing hard, studying hard, asking good questions. I’m not surprised by it. I expected it out of them, so I’m not shocked in regards to that. It’s been good.”

(Personally for you, how does it feel to be back in the same place coaching in the secondary with the Miami Dolphins and having new coaches around you to learn those personalities on the defense as well?) – “It’s the best-case scenario for me. I obviously don’t have to move my family. That helps. Having familiarity with the players that we have, that’s one less thing I have to learn when you move on, and just learning new things. It’s kind of like you get re-energized. It kind of locks you in so you can focus a little bit. You can’t take the little things for granted. You can’t assume that you know because I’m learning along with the players that we have, but you have to learn at a pace fast enough where I can teach and instruct and motivate them as well. It’s been fun.”

(Speaking of learning, how difficult do you think it was and how do you think S Minkah Fitzpatrick was able to play so many different positions as a rookie. Is that a credit to his athletic ability and his mental strength as well?) – “Without question. It’s probably more to his mental ability. I think the mental beats the physical probably 10 to one. A lot of times, you may not have the athleticism, but if you understand what’s coming on and you understand the game, you can position yourself. He happens to have a good mix of that. I would say that his third attribute is his mother and father have done a phenomenal job with him. He is cut from a different cloth in regards to his work ethic and those kind of things, so he has the trifecta. With that being said, he’s still a young guy. He still has a long way to go, but the good thing about him is he works hard every day. He doesn’t take anything for granted and he wants to get better.”

(What’s it like for you, being on the defensive side? Last year, you come from an offensive-minded head coach and now you have a defensive-minded head coach. Do you feel like there’s more eyes on you and the defense or is it basically the same? How would you characterize it?) – “I think the biggest thing for me, when you have a defensive head coach, hopefully we get some more breaks on defense as opposed to everything being towards the offensive perspective. (laughter) No, I think it’s pretty much the same. When the season gets here, things make change; but as of right now, (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores is doing a phenomenal job of setting a culture for the entire building. He’s kind of sharing the wealth with regards to his experience and his presence in a whole bunch of different meeting rooms. I haven’t seen a difference just yet in regards to how much time is spent. They’re both very busy. I’m glad coach is here. Just listening to his expertise, his knowledge of the defense and his vision has been refreshing as well.”

(How would you say Head Coach Brian Flores, on a scale of one to 10, his importance of fundamentals that he has stressed? It seems to me from the outside looking in, it’s pinned at 10. What is it like for you guys?) – “It’s all fundamentals. At some point, you’re going to have to rely on it. Your athleticism is not going to be a factor at some point in a game or at some point in your career. In certain situations, you’re not going to be able to out-athlete everyone or out-scheme everyone. It’s going to be if your eyes are right, you get aligned correctly and you’re playing with the proper pad level and the proper technique. That’s what’s going to get you out of tough times. When you get older, that’s what’s going to put you in a position because you have learned the proper body mechanics, the proper progression with your eyes. It all goes back to technique, in my opinion. I’ve been wrong before. I’m sure I’ll be wrong again; but to me, it’s technique, because that’s what’s going to separate the difference between the good ones and the great ones, the difference between you knocking the ball down and intercepting the ball. That’s the difference in how fast you get there. It all falls back on technique.”

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