Tony Lippett – May 24, 2016
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Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Cornerback Tony Lippett
(On how far he has come from one year ago) – “It’s still a process. I still try to go out there every day and get better and learn from the veterans we have now, learn the system and learn from the defensive coordinator (Vance Joseph). So, it’s a process still.”
(On his comfort level at the cornerback position) – “I’m (more) comfortable than I was last year. Every day, I’m still out there working to try to get better and try to become more comfortable every day in practice. I’m feeling pretty comfortable right now, but there’s still room to grow.”
(On whether he is competing with CB Xavien Howard to be a starter) – “I don’t know. I’m just out there trying to get better every day, practice and) basically compete. You can never go wrong with competing. Competition is always good. That’s basically where my mind is at – competing every day.”
(On whether there is an opportunity to compete for a starting role) – “I can’t predict the future. All I can do is predict today and the next day after that. (I am) going to go out there and compete and let the marbles fall where they fall.”
(On whether press coverage suits his playing style) – “I would probably say I’m getting more comfortable with it every day. (Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph) harps on it every day as far as press (coverage). He loves it. He’s always in the DB (defensive back) meeting room. That’s what he wants to do, and that’s what, basically, all of us are trying to do every day – get better at that so we can understand his system more and compete at a high level.”
(On where he has made the most progress since last season) – “I would probably say I became (a) smarter corner as far as knowing … I became a little bit more comfortable with it (by) learning from last season and with all that happened and the players we had and things like that. I learned from them. I learned the schemes and basically learned the lingo of the cornerbacks a little bit more.”
(On where there is room for improvement in his game) – “Everything – every phase of my game, everything I can work on. That’s what I continue to do every day.”
(On when he stopped thinking about himself as a receiver) – “I’d probably say the day I got drafted. They told me I wasn’t playing receiver, so you have to convert right then and there.”
(On whether he still thinks about being a receiver) – “No, I’m kind of comfortable where I’m at. I like where I’m at.”
(On whether his size is an advantage as a cornerback) – “I would probably say it is. But at the end of the day, you still have to be able to do what the smaller corners do. You still have to be good with your eyes, good with your hands and things like that. That’s what I’m trying to do every day.”
(On how previously being a receiver helps him as a cornerback) – “It helps you. It helps me on the field as far as splits and separation and knowing how a wide receiver tries to create leverage against a corner and things like that. I try to use that. And it happens so quick (that) you have to really think about it in a split of a second and try to make something happen. That’s what I try to do out there.”
(On whether previously being a receiver has any drawbacks now) – “I’d probably say sometimes when …. I’d probably say when the ball is in the air or when he breaks and I turn around and look sometimes, because as a wide receiver when I broke, that’s probably what I did. I try to decrease that – decrease the habit of doing that – and try to get better every day.”
(On the biggest challenge of switching from wide receiver to cornerback) – “I’d probably say being patient. Being patient is a big thing. (Whether you are a) small corner, big corner, it doesn’t really matter. Patience is a pivotal trait that you have to have at corner. I try to work on my patience every day, work on my technique and compete.”
(On when he has to be patient as a cornerback) – “Being patient at the line of scrimmage. Being patient if that ball is not coming your way. Being patient as far as every phase of being a corner.”
(On whether his receiving background helps him when the ball is in the air) – “Yes, I’d probably say that. When the ball is in the air, I try to turn back to my receiver ways. At the end of the day, I’m trying to get the ball or deflect the ball or something like that. I’d probably say it helps me on the field somewhat.”
(On using his size to his advantage) – “I’m still learning. I’m still learning every day. I’m learning from (CB) Byron (Maxwell). I learned from watching film as far as corners around the league. I watch film a lot. I learn from (Byron Maxwell). At the end of the day – every day – I’m trying to become this big corner (and) use my strengths and understand what I need to do out there. That has always been my goal, and that’s what I try to do every day.”
(On whether there are other cornerbacks he models his game after) – “I watch a few corners. I watch a lot of people. It doesn’t really matter (whether they are) short or tall. I watch a lot of corners.”
(On the importance of lunging as a cornerback) – “I’d probably say the importance is not lunging, because sometimes when you lunge, you can get swept right on by and the receiver can be on top of you real quick. That comes with having patience, and that’s what I try to do every day is have patience and not lunge. When you get tired, don’t lunge just be technique-sound (and) at the end of the day, you’ll be in a good position if you do those things right.”
(On the 2015 rookie class and their contributions last season) – “We thought about it last year, but it’s a new year. We’re all trying to get better. We’re all probably a little bit more comfortable than we were last year. But at the end of the day, we’re going to continue to try to get better. We’re not known as the rookie class anymore. We’re all tight with each other (and) everything like that, but we all push each other day-in and day-out to go out there to compete and be the best. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
