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Jaylen Waddle – September 29, 2021 Download PDF version

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

WR Jaylen Waddle

(You were one of the best in yards after the catch in college, probably one of the best we’ve seen in college football in years. I know a lot of them came on deep throws and some on shorter throws where you eluded guys. Where are you with YAC as a NFL player? Are you happy with what you’ve produced? Are you sort of antsy to get more as far as yards after catch?) – “Honestly, I feel like I can do more after the catch. I’ll try to do more after the catch. That’s pretty much where I’m at. I’m not dissatisfied or anything like that but I feel I can do more.”

(Can you walk us through the safety against the Raiders? What happened from your perspective?) – “We just didn’t execute the play well at all. Just execution all around. We just didn’t execute really.”

(Were you expecting to get the ball there?) – “You always – hopefully. You always want the ball. I think just execution all the way around. We just didn’t execute well. “

(It’s tough to make the decision so quickly, but did you think you should just let the ball go and not catch it and live another down?) – “I always want to catch the ball. (laughter) To be honest, I wouldn’t be like – I wasn’t going to let it go past (me) or anything like that because it’s just like an instinct to catch the ball. Nah, I wouldn’t say that.”

(How would you self-evaluate where you are right now three real games in?) – “I think there is room for improvement. A lot of improvement, just all the way around, honestly.”

(Do you feel like there is a sense of urgency in the building to kind of pick up where you left off, the way you finished that game, and kind of build on the momentum that you guys were carrying through the end of the game?) – “I think we just want to play good football all the way around through the whole 60 minutes, honestly. You can say momentum throughout the game, but I think we just want to play one full game that we just leave it all out there.”

(We talked about yards after catch at the start. What’s the key to getting you going in that way? Is it the play design? How do you set yourself up, when you’re starting a play, for a better end result?) – “I think it starts with executing the play – getting the play started and doing your ability to try to make someone miss. That’s honestly where it starts.”

(Are NFL players as fast as you thought they’d be or faster than you thought they’d be? Because at Alabama, you were just out-running people left and right.) – “I think it’s the NFL, so it’s the best of the best. Everyone is really good.”

(Are you pleased with how you’ve been able to get open? You have a large volume of catches so you’re getting open.) – “You’re always happy with that. (laughter) You’re always happy.”

(How do you feel looking back at a game where you had 12 catches but your yards per catch wasn’t really high?) – “To be honest, I don’t really look at that too much, like they tell me or anything like that. I really don’t look at it too much. I feel like we can do more. I can do more. The unit feels like they can do more. We’re just honestly going to try to do more.”

(What’s this process like? I don’t know if you’ve ever been on a team that’s 1-2. I know not for many, many years if ever. Obviously you guys are building towards something. I get all of that. But how unusual is it to be going through real growing pains when you’ve never really – the teams you’ve been on haven’t really gone through something like this?) – “I feel like we’re building, honestly. With us losing the game, I feel like we’ve learned a lot. We’re a young team. We’re just going to try to continue to get better.”

(Other than not having to go to class, what have you noticed is different about being an NFL player as opposed to college?) – “Just everyday life?”

(Yeah. Anything that has to do with anything. What’s different?) – “Nothing really. You be here pretty much all day. (laughter)”

(So that’s what’s different?) – “Yeah. You’re here all day, but that’s your job.”

(I know Hurricanes players have talked before about having a group text. Do you just text directly with DeVonta Smith or do you have a text chain with all of the Alabama rookies where you guys check in with each other every Sunday night, Monday or Tuesday?) – “Did you say all of the Alabama rookies?”

(There are a lot of them.) – “(laughter) We have a lot of group messages, but I don’t think we have one with just all the Alabama rookies.”

(Or most? Do you just text with DeVonta Smith? Or do you have a few of you guys?) – “Yeah, I keep in contact with almost everyone. But the group messages, I know that all of the receivers, we always text.”

(Do you talk about your games that week, or is it just non-football stuff?) – “Non-football stuff.”

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