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Andrew Van Ginkel – December 1, 2021 Download PDF version

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

 LB Andrew Van Ginkel

(You’ve had a good season, but it seems like you’ve certainly raised your game like a lot of guys on the team have over the last couple of weeks. Do you feel like you’re playing better, that you’re taking your game to another level?) – “Yeah. I think as long as I can keep improving as the season goes along, and take it day-by-day, and week-by-week, and try to help this team win, that just starts with me getting better and doing my job.”

(Where do you think you’re making more of an impact over these last few weeks? Is it in the run game? Is it in the pass rush? What area, do you think?) – “I think just overall in my whole game, I feel like I’m just getting my confidence up and being in the right spot and doing what the coaches ask of me and feeding off of the players around me and having fun. I think that has really helped me grow as a player and build my confidence.”

(The stats have you with 17 quarterback hits and two sacks. How do you look at that? Is that a sense of pride that you are getting to the quarterback almost as much as anybody on the team? Or is it sort of ‘I’m that close to getting a sack?’) – “I always try to nitpick my game. You always want those sacks, so when you’re not getting there, you try to figure out a way how you can get there a split second faster. Maybe it’s going for the ball or different ways to disrupt and try to get those sacks. When you’re short like that, you always try to find something that you can – maybe a better get off or something that can help you improve that.”

(Have you worked on any one particular thing?) – “Just all of it together. That’s just what I pride myself on, trying to get better each and every game, and each day.”

(How much did your responsibilities change this year with LB Kyle Van Noy departing, with DE Shaq Lawson departing? Were there new responsibilities you took on and what can you say about what type of responsibilities there were?) – “There are a lot of different moving pieces that go into this defense. We have a lot of versatile guys that can play different positions. It’s just accepting the role that I’m put in and being able to excel at all of those spots.”

(Was more put on your plate in terms of were some of LB Kyle Van Noy’s responsibilities given to you where you had to learn new things in July and August?) – “Honestly, no. they do a good job here in making every spot interchangeable and making sure a lot of guys know a lot of positions. If there are injuries or if something happens, you have guys that can fill different voids.”

(What have you seen in LB Jaelan Phillips development and the success he’s having?) – “I think it’s all of the little things that not everybody sees. He’s in here early, he’s getting extra treatment, extra strength (training), meeting with them. He’s coming in on Tuesdays and getting work in on off days, which I think is phenomenal of him. You don’t see a lot of rookies coming in and taking care of their body. It starts with that and even in the film study. He’s got a good base so he can build off of that foundation.”

(Can you talk about the unison that this pass rush has come with where it could be one guy coming on the initial pressure and somebody else is getting the sack because of it? Just the way you guys are complementing each other?) – “I think we have a lot of different guys that can move inside, outside, that we can give different looks and it puts a lot of pressure on the o-line and the quarterback. I think that helps a lot.”

(How would you describe the improvement of this defense over the past month?) – “I think it’s everybody buying in and setting that high standard, and everybody coming in and buying in and doing their job to the best of their ability. Trusting that the guy behind you and the guy beside you that they are going to do their job.”

(I got to ask you about fatherhood. How is that treating you?) – “It’s awesome. There’s nothing like it. I feel like he’s learning something new every day. He just continues to grow and he’s growing like a weed. There is nothing better.”

(Can you tell us about your My Cause My Cleats initiative this year?) – “I’m supporting the Susan B. Komen Foundation because my cousin was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Just bringing awareness to that and to her, to know that I‘m supporting her all the way down in Miami. She’s back home. If there’s any way I can support her and support anybody that has been through that struggle.”         

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