Raheem Mostert – August 17, 2022
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
RB Raheem Mostert
(I don’t think we’ve really seen Head Coach Mike McDaniel that animated before after a practice. Can you give us some insight as to what was happening there?) – “Yeah, yesterday, as a team, it wasn’t particularly our standard. Especially, like you said, in a meeting he told us when the defense gets scored on a lot in the red zone, that affects everybody as a team. We all took it personal and as you can see, today was just an example of how to overcome those things like with what happened yesterday. That’s why he was a little bit more animated today because he saw the type of practice he wanted moving forward. We have a standard for this team and that’s to win, first and foremost. But we want to come out here each and every day and try to be one percent (better). That was the big thing.”
(Have you seen that side of Head Coach Mike McDaniel before?) – “Oh, yeah. Yeah, I’ve seen that side of him before. It’s something that’s new to you guys but it’s familiar to me. Just to see him be the way he is and exude that energy towards everybody else, especially for the team, is truly something special.”
(What is that like to see? What is Head Coach Mike McDaniel like when gets that way? Because we haven’t seen him like that.) – “When he gets to that point, it’s authentic. I think that’s the biggest thing. When a head coach comes in, you want to see how, especially as a player, you want to see how authentic that coach can be. He hasn’t changed since Day 1 since I’ve met him. Clearly you can see that too as y’all are getting to know him. That’s just the type of person that he is and he’s going to continue to be that way for as long as I know him and as long as you guys know him.”
(What’s communication like between you guys as teammates after something like that happens?) – “When we sit down in the locker room after Mike (McDaniel) tells us we didn’t have a good day, we just go back to the drawing board. That’s the best thing you can do. Just go out there and try to figure out what the solution is for those problems that we caused on the field. That’s the best way that we can handle it. Then we’ve got to come out here and just execute as best as we possibly can.”
(Through the first three weeks or so of training camp, how have you seen QB Tua Tagovailoa grow in the scheme just knowing what is asked of quarterbacks?) – “First off, kudos to Tua (Tagovailoa) because he’s been dealing with a lot ever since he got into the league. But now you see the side of Tua where it’s something that hasn’t been touched in quite a few years. He’s upbeat. He’s more happy. He’s definitely soaking all of this in and he’s actually playing football. Not to say that he wasn’t in the past, but in regards to this offense, it allows him to open up a little bit more and to have fun and make those plays and throws. Like you see, you have Tyreek (Hill) right down the middle and he barely got it off of him. Jevon (Holland) came out of nowhere and just batted it down. To him, that’s still a win because he’s able to make that connection with players and go out there and do what he does best.”
(I’d have to imagine that confidence early in your career, when you kind of bounced around, maybe waned a little bit at some point. When you get that confidence back, what does that do for you as a player?) – “That confidence, it’s definitely – you can have your highs and your lows but when you gain your confidence and you understand … it’s like anything you do in life. Whether you’re a reporter, a businessman or somebody that owns or operates some type of business or entrepreneur, you want that confidence because that confidence is infectious. It spreads throughout everyone. That just shows that you’re a better person in regards to whatever you’re doing in your life. Especially for players, when you start building that – I didn’t build that confidence until I got my first touch in 2018 being a running back. After that, the confidence just went through the roof. That’s all it took. Just the opportunity that you get. So like I said, when you see Tua (Tagovailoa) out here, he’s happy because he knows the opportunity that lies in front of him and it’s all up to him and how he can progress. That’s just like any player out there.”
(You mentioned S Jevon Holland. Could he be a three-peat for the orange jersey?) – “We’ll see. He broke it down for the team. We’ll see if it’s a three-peat. It would be the first one, that’s for sure. I’m excited about his playlist. He always has some good songs on his playlist.”
(Can you kind of summarize what the message was from Head Coach Mike McDaniel? I know he was a little fired up.) – “Like I mentioned earlier, he was a little fired up yesterday just because as a whole, it wasn’t to our standard. So when the defense is getting scored on in the red zone, that’s something that I don’t know if they’ve emphasized just yet as far as red zone defense. But when they’re getting scored on, that affects not only the defense but the offense as well because we’re all a team. That was his big message yesterday was, ‘How are you guys going to respond to tomorrow’s practice?’ And as you could see, we responded very well in regards to making plays and doing what we have to do. There’s always growth and room for improvement.”
(How would you evaluate where the run game is right now? Are you on track with the goals you’ve set?) – “I would say we’re on track. It’s still fresh. A new line and stuff like that. We’ve still got some pieces that we have to work out but all in all, the run game is getting up there. We’ve just got to continue to make those connections in the blocking scheme and everything else that comes with the run game – the running backs and even the quarterback has to do proper footwork. A lot goes into it but we’re picking up speed and we’re doing well so far.”
(How are you feeling? Are you fitting in?) – “Yeah, I’m fitting in. This is my style of offense. I’m fitting in very well. I’ve just got to maintain and the primary goal for me is Week 1. I’m not too sure what the preseason lies for me, this game or next. (Coach McDaniel) and the training staff have a good gameplan for me. I’m just going to ride the wave like I normally do and when the time comes, then I’ll be ready.”
