Jaylen Waddle – April 29, 2021
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Thursday, April 29, 2021
WR Jaylen Waddle
(Obviously you get an opportunity here to reunite with QB Tua Tagovailoa. Has he talked to you yet and how exciting is that opportunity to present itself to reunite with Tua?) – “I haven’t talked to Tua yet, but I can tell you I’m excited just to get back with him, get everything down, get our timing down and things like that. Luckily for me, we spent time together at Alabama, so we’ve just got to keep going.”
(What was the draft process like for you and what were some of your early conversations like with Head Coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier?) – “The process was great, and our conversations were – I wouldn’t say confidential, but just private and stay between just us.”
(We hear so much from Head Coach Brian Flores about players with high character. Just wondering, did you trying to play in the national championship game, showing you wanted to be out there with your teammates – do you think that went a long way with coaches and more specifically, maybe even the Dolphins? Is that something that came up as a positive in your pre-draft meetings?) – “Honestly, I just played because I love to play the game, so I wasn’t really thinking on how I came off to anyone or anything like that. They never really spoke about it or anything like that or anything. I’m just trying to be me. I play because I want to play, not to come off any type of way … or anything like that.”
(I wanted to ask you more about your partnership with QB Tua Tagovailoa. Normally when rookies come into the NFL, there’s a little bit of time that you have to get used to your quarterback. How do you feel your chemistry is going to go right off the bat since you’ve played with him before?) – “It’s there, for sure. It definitely needs to improve. It’s something that we’re going to try to improve on, so it’s good to be familiar with him; but I’m coming to work and I know he is, too. So just getting it down and just going and having at it, day by day, just trying to build it and build it more.”
(We’ve heard all the talk about your speed and WR Tyreek Hill comparisons pre-draft. How would you describe your game and what you think your impact can be on this league?) – “Yeah, I get a lot of comparisons to Tyreek (Hill), just because of my small size and being able to be a runner; but I want to be my own player and try to play the game that I play and try to do my own style and not try to emulate someone else’s style. So I think I’m going to try to be the player that I always have and try to make plays for the team, and just try to put the team in position to win.”
(How can you make QB Tua Tagovailoa better?) – “Make him better? I don’t know if that’s a thing or anything. I feel like it goes both ways. He’s going to make me better. I’m going to make him better and we’re just going to push each other and try to get better each and every day.”
(Just curious how you see yourself kind of fitting into this particular offense, what you might know about it and how you can impact this particular team?) – “I’m just going to do my best to do what the team asks of me and try to be the best player and do the things that the team asks of me at the highest level and the level that I know I can play at. I’m going to try to do whatever my coaches want of me.”
(I’d like to ask you a little bit more about your speed. Where do you think you rank right now in the NFL among the fastest players?) – “Who’s telling? I don’t know. That’s not something that runs by my mind or anything like that.”
(Just overall what does this moment and being drafted in the NFL, what does it all mean to you?) – “It’s special. Just getting that call, it’s something special. Honestly, I’ve never had that mixed-emotions feel ever in my life, so it was a lot of hard work that got put into making this moment happen, so just seeing it all come into action is something special.”
(Can you talk about what playing at Episcopal High School has meant to you to get you where you are today and the fact that two of your teammates are going to join you in the NFL Draft here at some point?) – “Yeah, EHS (Episcopal High School) is special. It’s always a special place in my heart. I’ve always loved the game, but I really truly fell in love with the game being there, being around the guys, and like you said, we’ve got two more players – actually three with Jhamon Ausbon from (Texas) A&M that’s going to be drafted and going to be in the NFL. It’s just great. I played alongside great players and we all went our separate ways, but we can meet up all on the big stage.”
(You kind of went a little viral after you got picked leaving all your family behind in the draft room. What was that moment like for you? Can you kind of talk us through that moment?) – “It was special, just walking out there, having that moment. It’s just special just to share it with your loved ones, for sure. It’s something that you can’t even describe.”
(I know you were coming off that ankle injury in college. Where are you health-wise?) – “I’m good. I’m ready to go.”
(WR Devonta Smith just got drafted at No. 10. What did it mean for both of you guys to get selected…?) – “Where did he end up going?”
(Philly.) – “He went to Philly? Y’all said y’all were going to remind me. (laughter)”
(But what does it mean for both you and WR Devonta Smith to go in the top 10 and obviously you passed by him on the way to the stage?) – “It’s just a moment you get to share with your brother. ‘Smitty’ is like my brother, man, so it’s just tremendous. It’s a lot of emotion. I almost saw him like, tear up, and ‘Smitty’ is not like, a real emotional guy. So it’s just a special moment. You just share it with your brother – Pat (Surtain Jr.), ‘Smitty,’ Mac (Jones), (Christian) Barmore. It’s something special. It just makes the moment even more special and even more emotional.”
(I wanted to bring up a point that QB Tua Tagovailoa has now played with four quarterbacks taken in the first round and possibly a running back that’s going to be taken in the first round. Were you guys the best offense, in your opinion – weaponry – in college football history?) – “Yeah, I’m not really big on trying to compare and stack up teams on teams – teams from other decades and other things like that. I can tell you that we were really good. (There was) a lot of talent in that room and on the team, especially on that side of the ball. But I don’t really want to get into the best or anything like that. But I can tell you that we were really good.”
(Tell us about your experiences in South Florida. How much time did you spend here and what are your impressions of the area?) – “I got to spend time there for bowl games, and like I said, my good friend Pat (Surtain Jr.) is from the South Florida area, so I’ll go out there and hang with him from time to time; but I’ve never really spent a good amount of time there. I’m excited to get around the culture, get around the people there and get around my teammates, try to build bonds and just get ready and try to do well for the organization.”
