Andrew Van Ginkel – November 2, 2020
Download PDF version
Monday, November 2, 2020
LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(I’m sure someone else is going to ask you about your fumble return; but I want to ask you about the gash you got on your face. What happened? Did you catch a cleat to the head, it looked like you were bleeding pretty good?) – “Yeah, I just caught a cleat to my helmet, and then my helmet came up. It’s nothing too serious. Just a little bloody.”
(Where would you put that in terms of pain from football you’ve experienced?) – “I don’t know. Honestly, it was just numb so I didn’t really feel too much pain. I wouldn’t say it was up there. Probably on the lower end. I’ve definitely had some injuries that were a lot worse.”
(What was going through your mind when you saw the football? Running down the field, I saw you taking a couple glimpses up at the scoreboard as well too. Take us through that moment and what was that like for you celebrating afterwards as well?) – “I didn’t even know what to feel. I was just numb. I was so ecstatic. When I picked it up, I was just thinking I can’t get caught. I just took off running as fast as I could, and just seeing (Seattle’s) D.K. (Metcalf) the other day, that was going through my head. (laughter) I just gave it everything I had to get to the end zone.”
(Focusing on the defense as a whole, as big as your play was, there was so many other big plays. What were your thought on the entire group’s performance. It really kept you guys in the game for the entirety yesterday.) – “I thought the defense played great, and it’s something we can continue to build off of. There were so many plays that we wish we could have back that didn’t really go our way. I dropped a pick, or whatever the case may be. There’s just little corrections that many fans or a lot of outsiders don’t see. We’ve just got to continue to build and continue to get better off of it.”
(You still played 25 reps on special teams, and that is one of the themes on this team is a lot of guys who play offense and defense will play prominently on special teams. I’m just curious if you can walk us through that mindset of contributing in all three phases and not taking special teams any lighter than you do any of your defensive assignments?) – “Right. That’s a big portion of the game that doesn’t get as much appreciation for it. I know ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) takes pride in that, so I take pride in that as well. It’s a big part of the game. Any time you can flip the field or score touchdowns, it’s a huge momentum swing. It’s just part of the game that goes unappreciated. I take pride in that.”
(How much fun are you guys having playing defense right now, especially when you see the confusion you’re creating on a guy like QB Jared Goff like you did yesterday?) – “It’s a blast. The coaches do a heck of a job putting us in the right spots to succeed and to be able to make plays like this. Any time we can make a play and just go out there and have fun, that’s what we enjoy doing. It’s awesome.”
(You made your NFL debut 50 weeks ago or something like that – last November. There certainly was not the same amount of fan fair as QB Tua Tagovailoa making his debut. Did you have a chance at all before the game or after the game to talk to him, to maybe calm his nerves, and how do you think he handled the moment?) – “Getting your first start or first playing time is definitely not easy. There is a lot of pressure and a lot of things that go into it. For me, it’s just going out there and doing the little things right, and just relying on your practice and what you’ve been doing to get to that point. It’s something that you’ll continue to get better and improve on.”
(When we talk about a defensive identity, I know it’s an on-going process and it will continue throughout the rest of the season, but what do you think this defense’s identity is now? When you think about the things you’re doing really well, what are the main things that come to mind?) – “I would say our energy. Week in and week out, coach said a few weeks back – just playing for one another, and having fun, and brining the energy. Whenever someone makes a play, go be with them and celebrate. I’d say that’s a big part, building momentum and relying on one another. I think energy is a huge part of it.”
(After the game yesterday, Rams DL Michael Brockers was very complimentary of your guys’ defense and his perspective from the sideline just wondering how you guys were continuing to apply that pressure on QB Jared Goff. In your role, how appreciative can you be that the cornerbacks, specifically CB Byron Jones and CB Xavien Howard, it seems like for the majority of the game they were getting their assignments done?) – “It’s awesome. You can’t have a pass rush if you don’t have DBs guarding or covering guys in the secondary. It goes hand and hand, and vice versa. Just seeing them lock their guys down, getting picks and pass deflections is huge. Knowing that upfront we can go and get after the quarterback. I’d say it works hand and hand together.”
(There was a really nice photo of you and Head Coach Brian Flores on the sideline after you came off with the touchdown on the Dolphins Instagram page. I just wanted to ask what was that moment like for you and coach, and some more of the celebration you got from the teammates from the sideline?) – “It was awesome, just seeing how happy he was for me and just living in the moment. It was a big play in the game and a big momentum shift. Just seeing all of the teammates and coach, just coming around me, it’s awesome. It’s something that I’ll never forget.”
