Christian Wilkins – December 26, 2022
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Monday, December 26, 2022
DT Christian Wilkins
(I know pressure can bust pipes but they also make diamonds. This loss, the last loss you had, closes out 2022. You’ll get a chance to move on on the first of January. How do you look to bounce back?) – “Well, it’s definitely going to start with each individual looking at themselves in the mirror and checking to see the things they can do better and the things they can do well. That’s really where it starts is just that accountability. Then it’s going to be the leaders on the team making sure that everyone is doing what they need to be doing and handling their business so that we can shake this. It’s not like – there’s little things here and there throughout the game that we can improve upon that we need to do better. And we need to do that collectively as a team and as individuals. It’s not one person’s fault. It’s not this, that or the other. I see things and hear things. We win as a team and we lose as a team. It’s not one specific person doing this or doing that, and I’m not going to allow that to be the thought process of a guy on the team. Everyone has to look in the mirror and see what they can do better.”
(How do you hold everyone accountable? You’ve been on this team for about four years and it seems like every time the season comes to a close, it’s kind of like a letdown. How do you hold everyone in the locker room accountable?) – “Like I said, it’s just going to start with belief first of all, that we can do all of the things we set out to do at the beginning of the year. And then the leaders on the team are going to have to bring guys along and make that decision. The only way I know to get out of something is to work. That’s all I know. That’s how I was raised. That’s how I operate. You just got to go back to work and improve for New England.”
(The last couple of years, there have been big games that didn’t go your guys’ way in a must-have situation. You kind of run into one of those on Sunday and then against the Jets in Week 18 as well. Can you draw from those experiences the last couple of years?) – “Yeah. You’re not necessarily thinking of it as a must-win. You just try to approach it as ‘Alright, this is the game at hand.’ You’re not thinking of – you can’t win two until you win this one. So we’re going to put our all into New England this week. That’s what it is. Yeah, there’s a few guys who have been on the team the last couple of years who can definitely learn from it and just use that. But really it’s a new year, a new team, a new season and things like that. So you’re just going to have to bring it and do your best all week so you can win on Sunday.”
(You had two pass deflections in the game. Did DE Emmanuel Ogbah pass something down to you? What was the key to that?) – “Definitely just staying consistent. Just doing my best to rush, push the pocket, win and then if not, read my indicator. If he’s looking like he’s going to try to make a throw and I can get my hand up, I’m going to do that. I had an opportunity for a few more. I always try to find ways to affect the game as best I can.”
(Of all the things that Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer puts as priorities for you all as a group, where do you think you all have fallen short? Takeaways? Third downs? What would be on top of your list?) – “I think we can definitely do a better job of takeaways and things like that. The things you said. Just really, we’ve got to – when we have to be our best, just be our best. I’m not saying that we haven’t done that, but that’s a point of emphasis that I always can go to. When it’s third down, when it’s red area, it doesn’t matter what happens in the game. Wherever the ball is spotted, we’ve got to be our best. And in those high-pressure situations or those more meaningful situations, like the red area, two-minute, third down, things like that, you’ve got to be at your best.”
(Did you get to see Dabo Swinney after the game?) – “Yeah, I did. That was cool. I got to see him today actually, too. They were here. It feels good to see some familiar faces. It was good to see that paw in South Florida.”
(Did you watch any of Clemson’s practice or did it overlap with your meetings?) – “I wasn’t able to get over there.”
(Is there anything Dabo Swinney told you that stood out?) – “No. He was just proud of me. Just continue to do the things that I’m doing. He just said I hadn’t changed since college. Just work hard, play hard and keep that going.”
(Are you going to be able to go to the Orange Bowl?) – “We’ll see. I’m a pretty process and routine oriented person so if that messes up my schedule and my routine, I don’t know if I’ll be able to shake it. But we’ll see what happens.”
(Going back to the 2015 Orange Bowl game, do you ever recap on that 31-yard fake punt reception?) – “I do remember that. I do recall. (laughter) Since Clemson has been announced to the Orange Bowl, I’ve seen a lot of the social media people talking about it like the last time Clemson was in the Orange Bowl, Big Man Wilk (had that catch) down the sideline. (laughter) It was a big play and whatnot. It was cool to see the videos. You reminisce for a second.”
(Do you ever reminisce about playing in Hard Rock Stadium in your college senior year and now you’re in the NFL?) – “Definitely. It’s definitely just cool. I even thought and said in college that this was one of my favorite stadiums to play in. I played at least two or three times at Hard Rock (Stadium) in college and now I get to play there every home game on Sundays. It’s definitely cool, and the perspective to think about where I was and where I am now. It’s cool to keep it all in perspective.”
(You’re about to play in Gillette Stadium. You must have some mystique in your mind growing up?) – “Absolutely. I say it every year, every time we play in New England, it’s no secret I was the biggest diehard fan of those guys. But now I’m the biggest Dolphins fan. (laughter) I’ll have a lot of family and friends there. It’s back home. It’s a home game for me. I always get a little nostalgic and a little more emotional driving in on Sunday to the stadium because it feels like home. It is home. It means a little bit more for me.”
(I tweeted yesterday that I would take DT Zach Sieler in a short-yardage situation against anybody in the NFL. Would you agree with that?) – “He’s been doing that for years. That’s kind of how he got his start in this league. In those short-yardage situations, even when he wasn’t playing much, he knew how to get a stop on short yardage. His game has developed so much and it’s been so fun to watch and fun to see. We constantly joke now about how bad Zach used to be and how awful you have to be to be a Division II walk-on. (laughter) The distance traveled is great and I owe a lot to Zach too, because my career wouldn’t be where it is if it wasn’t for my guy.”
