Solomon Kindley – August 22, 2020
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Saturday, August 22, 2020
G Solomon Kindley
(I wanted to ask you what’s it been like working with guys like G Ereck Flowers, G/T Jesse Davis – guys with experience under their belt – and how they’ve been able to help out the rookie group?) – “Those guys are vets. They’ve been teaching the ropes of the game. Me coming in as a rookie (and my) first year being in the NFL, they’re just teaching me the ropes of how to play football and do the stuff on and off the field.”
(I wanted to ask you about your progress. You came in maybe slightly under the radar because two offensive linemen were drafted ahead of you and yet people are noticing you, you’re getting reps. I’m sure you’re obligated to say that there are things you can improve on. Every player says that; but in general, how do you feel about your progress and has your confidence grown in this past week?) – “I’m just blessed to be here. I appreciate the Miami Dolphins for picking me up. Like I said, I’m blessed to be here and like you said, every offensive linemen – every player – has got something to improve on every day, so I’m just working at that. I’m trying to get better and I’m trying to prove myself that I belong where I’m at right now.”
(What are some things that you’re learning from the guys beside you on offensive line whether it’s C Ted Karras or G/T Jesse Davis or even G Ereck Flowers? What are some things you’re learning from the vets that are helping you rep by rep, day by day that are helping you kind of take the next time as you go on here in training camp?) – “They’re just teaching me how to be a pro. They’re just teaching me how to be a pro – eating right, studying the film, writing down all the notes that need to be done when the coach is talking to me in a meeting, making sure I’m 30, 45 minutes to meetings early or I’ve got to lift, getting up early, getting my day started; and then not only that – teaching me a game of football, like stuff that most people won’t see that I’ve got to see. Me and Ereck (Flowers) stay after practice every day, just working hard and getting better on every aspect of the game.”
(I wanted to ask kind of what’s the relationship like between the other two drafted rookies. You guys have a rare room of three guys coming in the same class. Can you tell me what that’s been like?) – “It’s crazy because I think Austin (Jackson) said the other day, ‘could you all imagine all three of us would have been at the Miami Dolphins at the Combine?’ Because at the Combine, they split us up into groups and I was like No. 28, Austin was like No. 30 and Rob (Hunt) was like No. 25; and we were all with each other the whole Combine. Look, God blessed us to be in this position that we’re in. Like I said, those are my guys. Those are my boys. I’m glad to be with them.”
(So I’m watching you move around out there and you move really well for a guy listed at 339 pounds. It’s really impressive to watch and I want to go back to your first job as a lifeguard. You’ve also got an impressive hoops resume. I guess what I want to ask you is, do you attribute that agility to the other sports and how do you train nowadays to maintain that movement ability?) – “Like you said, being a lifeguard, getting in that water and doing a lot of laps and doing that type of stuff in the offseason, it really helps a lot; but a lot of people don’t believe that I was a lifeguard. So just using that and just taking the lifeguard and playing basketball – because basketball you’ve got to move your feet, you’ve got to run up and down the court; that’s a lot of conditioning. All of these attributes – every game, it comes down to playing football. It all comes down to playing this sport that you want to play, so I just buy in and just use all that together.”
(You seem like you have a really great energy about yourself. Why do you take such pride in being so positive and having this attitude that you have that you’re sharing with us here today?) – “We could be here today; we could be gone tomorrow. I’m just – like I said – I’m blessed for the opportunity and that’s how my family and my mom and my dad raised me, so I just keep a positive attitude because you never know what could happen tomorrow.”
(Going back to the lifeguard question, you said some people don’t believe you. Have you had some interactions with your teammates about the lifeguard thing?) – “Oh, yeah. I got in the pool with a few of them before camp even started and when we were doing the Zoom calls throughout the offseason, they were all like, ‘Solomon, you can’t swim, you can’t do this,’ so we finally got in the pool. I promise you, I smoked everybody. I smoked everybody. It wasn’t a challenge between nothing against anybody. I promise. You can ask anybody on the team, I smoked (them). I promise. (laught)”
(Tell us the truth. Are you 339 pounds because you look like a big man?) – “(laughter) I’m 335. I weighed in at 335.”
(A few minutes ago you talked about things that you’re learning, especially from the veterans out there. What’s one thing that maybe you’ve learned in the past several days where you kind of told yourself “man, I never really thought about that?” You never thought about this being part of the NFL. What comes to mind?) – “Small technique stuff like stepping this way when this block’s coming, putting your hand up on this type of pass pro, making sure your eyes are right on the outside (line)backer. Those are the things in college where it wasn’t too big; but now in the NFL, your opponent, they’re studying what you’re doing every time. They’re studying what you’re doing every time, so those little things can get you beat, and also if you do all those things, that’s going to make you great.”
(One more time about the lifeguard situation. It’s real interesting so I’ve got one more question for you. So a two-parter: how big were you when you were a lifeguard like size-wise?) – “I had to be a few more pounds bigger, but I just had a little bit more baby fat – fresh out of high school – I hadn’t got into college yet. I had a little bit more baby fat, but I wasn’t too much more.”
(So you were 300-plus?) – “Yeah, I was 300-plus, definitely. (laughter) I’ve always been 300-plus.”
(So do you still have a lifeguard certification? Can you still be a lifeguard at this point?) – “Every year when you become a lifeguard – my brothers did. All my family is lifeguards. You’ve got to go do a certification test, so all I’ve got to do is take that test and fill out a few questions, put my name on it and I definitely can be a lifeguard again.”
(I wanted to ask you in regards to football, how important is it for you to start and be a player who gets some prominent time on the field here especially as a rookie?) – “I’m just blessed. I’m just blessed for the opportunity. Whatever the coach needs me – to win – wherever he puts me at to help my team produce and do the right thing, that’s what I’m going to do.”
(You’ve been going up against DT Raekwon Davis a little bit in practice. You went up against him as well at Alabama in college. What’s that battle been like and how are you guys kind of learning and helping each other out as pros?) – “He’s a stud. He’s a stud. Like you said, I’ve been going against him for three years straight in the SEC. Raekwon is Raekwon. Raekwon is a very good player. He helps me out on certain stuff on the field and I help him out with certain stuff on the field and that’s just that.”
