Christian Wilkins – August 18, 2022
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Thursday, August 18, 2022
DT Christian Wilkins
(I heard you got a dirty mouth from somebody.) – “Oh, you guys are predictable. I knew somebody was going to say something. (laughter) I wouldn’t say dirty. I would just say I’m very myself – animated, some people would say extra, some people would say annoying. I’m just having fun out there. I’m just having a good time. Just having fun out there, that’s all. That’s just what it is.”
(I think yesterday’s practice in particular, you really tried to set a tone and assert yourself a little bit more. What made you want to do that?) – “A lot of that is definitely calculated. It just felt like we’re in day whatever at training camp, we’ve been going at it. Being in the position that I’m in, you have to recognize when there is a day or there is a time where guys will get a little – just human nature. You’ve been going hard just practicing against each other in training camp, and you are kind of like, dang let’s just get to the game. But no, you’ve got to find a way to get yourself going so that everyone else can get going too. It’s all definitely calculated to bring a little bit more juice and energy to practice.”
(Calculated from previous days? Or that day you felt something that made you want to do that?) – “Personally, I thought that I’ve been having a good camp but I could definitely be better and bring it more. I just haven’t been that part of myself. You just feel it. It’s a hot day – the hottest it’s been at training camp and you’re like ‘No, I won’t let that creep in for a minute. Let me just find a way to bring something extra so that way everybody can feed off the energy and raise the level of play of the guys around me.”
(Who are some other guys that bring that energy out here?) – “On our side, ‘E-Rob’ (Elandon Roberts) brings it every day. I love what he brings to the team, I love his leadership. Jevon (Holland) is obviously a heck of a player but he has some great leadership skills. There are a lot of guys on our defense who bring that. There are a lot of guys on our offense who don’t back down from that. They accept that, they welcome that, they embrace it. That’s what brings the level of practice up.”
(Who are some of those guys on offense?) – “They’ve got a lot of guys everywhere. Guys on the o-line who don’t back down. When I get going, they want to shut me up. They make sure that they are on their stuff. That’s the camaraderie we have, but it’s all love. It’s all respect. It’s just competitive nature.”
(How does coach try to push players like yourself and some other players that were here before he got here? How does he try to influence you guys to take the next step so you don’t linger on things you have done in the past?) – “The biggest thing is that he encourages us to be ourselves. He welcomes us to be ourselves. He’s a good leader, he’s a good coach, and he has his way. He’s a players coach, so he invites you to be yourself. That’s the number one thing. If you’re not yourself, and you’re trying to confine yourself in a way that he wants, it’s hard to be the player that you can be if you’re not the person you can be first.”
(What can CB Mackensie Alexander do?) – “You already know his strengths. He’s a good player because he went to Clemson, so that’s No. 1. I think he’s a veteran presence on this team now. He’s played a lot of ball, played a lot of good ball in the NFL. He’s a Florida boy. He’s going to come in and work. He’s a smart player. I was able to be around him for a year when we were in college together, and that’s one thing he always did was work hard and he always knew what to do. I can imagine he’ll bring a lot of the same things to us.”
(We talked to CB Xavien Howard and S Jevon Holland at the start of camp about one defender who would open our eyes, and they both mentioned you. Why do you think your teammates view you as ready to be the guy to open everybody’s eyes?) – “I definitely appreciate that by them. I really can’t tell you other than the fact that I try to come in here every day and work hard, and make the other guys around me better. I just try to each and every day hone-in and focus on my technique, maximize my strengths and get better at my weaknesses. That’s just what I try to do and bring it every day. If you continue to do those things day after day, play after play, I guess people take note of those things. I just try to be the best teammate I can be, the best player I can be.”
(I know as a player you want to be well-rounded, but is there one element of your game you feel like you focused on and anticipate will translate into the season?) – “Really just playing the game within the game. The mental aspect of it. Not just beating guys and dominating them physically but more so taking a holistic approach to the game. Knowing what the offense is trying to do, how they are trying to attack us as a defense, where I can take my shots, when is a good time to make this adjustment or that adjustment. Just play a different game within the game.”
(One of the guys we watch out here is Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark. The way he celebrates when you guys make plays. He brings a lot of juice and energy. What would you say about how he provides that?) – “I love Coach Clark. He’s a heck of a coach. He brings it every day and he holds us to a high standard. He’s been doing that since day one that he’s been here. He holds us to the highest standards. He knows how great we can be and he’s going to push us to be that great each and every day. It doesn’t matter how hot it is, how many plays we’ve worked – none of that. He just wants us to be our best each and every play. He’s such a good coach teaching technique. My technique has gotten a lot better. A lot of guys on the defensive line’s technique has gotten better. He brings that juice – good, bad or indifferent.”
(Anything you know now that you wished you knew coming into the league?) – “More so, like I always talk about just about the process. You’ve just got to stick with the process because there are going to be a lot of things that are new to you, things are going to be going fast and things you’re going to have to adjust to. You’ve just got to stay with the process and never waver, never grow weary of doing the little things right and then eventually, you’ll reap the benefits of that.”
