Josh Sitton – May 23, 2018
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Wednesday, May 23, 2018
G Josh Sitton
(It’s been awhile since your days at UCF. Is this a little bit of an adjustment period getting used to the heat in South Florida after playing in Chicago and Green Bay?) – “Oh, absolutely. That was probably the biggest thing I was thinking about when I was signing down here was getting back used to the heat. I’ve been up north for 10 years now, so I’m used to the cold. Somebody … I think Ja’Wuan (James) was asking if I would rather play in 95 or 5 degrees and I said 5, and he was just shocked. Yes, it’s just what I’ve been used to; but I’ll adjust.”
(What do you have to do differently to prepare for practicing in this kind of weather? Do you remember what you did in college? Is there something you have to do that’s totally different to prepare yourself to go out there for a couple of hours?) – “I mean hydrating is the most important. When you’re in the cooler weather, you can drink a couple of bottles of water before practice and you’re good to go. Down here it’s a constant thing. You have to stay hydrated every day, all day. It’s just a matter of keeping the fluids in you. I’m sure there will be an adjustment period of what I have to do after practice with my body, like ice tubs and things like that. They’re things that I’ve always done but you might have to do it a little bit more. I’m sure there will be a period of getting used to that.”
(We’ve heard a lot from your coaches about the emphasis of the working relationship between you and T Laremy Tunsil. As the veteran in that relationship, how do you approach that with him?) – “I don’t know. I’ve kind of gone about what I do the same over my career, and I think I’ll continue to do that. I try to help out young guys, whether it’s the guy right next to me or the guy at the 3-spot, or whatever it is. I have guys that I’ve played next to when I was young, specifically Mark Tauscher, Scott Wells, Chad Clifton and guys like that, that kind of took me under their wing and taught me a few things. My approach is my door is always open and Laremy has been good about talking to me. I think we’ve already gotten off on the right foot with the communication and that relationship.”
(I know it’s early but do you have a sense yet of just watching T Laremy Tunsil and T Ja’Wuan James a little bit, knowing C Daniel Kilgore, of what this offensive line could be good at?) – “It is early but I know that we’ve got a talented group of guys. (We have) two first round tackles and some pretty good players on the inside. It’s only our second practice, so it’s kind of hard to tell everybody’s strengths and weaknesses but I think that we’ve got a group of guys that can compete. I think we’re going to be pretty good. We’ve got a couple of guys that have played that are backing up right now and you can’t put a price on that experience. So to have guys that can come in with game experience is extremely important.”
(How would you describe what you’ve seen and heard from QB Ryan Tannehill so far?) – “He seems like a great leader. He always takes command of the huddle. He takes command of the meetings, so from that aspect, everything has been positive. Like I said, it’s only been two practices; but I’ve seen him make a few throws, especially on the run. He rolled out yesterday after a play-action and threw a dime piece running to the left. I was like, ‘Damn, that was pretty impressive.’ I’ve seen some good things from him so far.”
(I don’t know if you heard but Head Coach Adam Gase just mentioned, when he was talking about you, that he thought you brought some swagger to the offensive line. What’s your reaction to that? And does an offensive line benefit from swagger, do you think?) – “What’s swagger? (laughter) I don’t know about that one. I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not. (laughter)”
(I think he meant it that way.) – “All I know is that I bring some vet leadership and I know how to win in this league. I’ve done it for a long time. I think this whole group, as an offensive line, can be really good, and that’s exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do.”
(What have your impressions been of Head Coach Adam Gase and the entire coaching staff here so far?) – “Anybody that can wear jeans a flip flops, like myself, I’m a big fan of. (laughter) Coach Gase has been great. Since I got to meet him on my visit here, I’ve really liked him. I was obviously with (Offensive Coordinator) Dowell (Loggains) and ‘Wash’ (Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn) in Chicago, and I’ve had a good relationship with those guys. So it’s nice to come in and have a couple of familiar faces. The scheme, I really love it so far. Hopefully that continues. Everything has been positive from the coaching staff, yes.”
(You’re getting ready to start your 11th year in this league. This isn’t a business where longevity often exists. Can you just reflect a little bit about how gratified you are to be able to do this for this long?) – “Yes, I’ve been blessed. Most of the time, injuries are what takes guys out of this league. I’ve been extremely lucky from that standpoint. I’ve had great coaching and great players around me that have always helped me out. I’ve just been lucky to stay healthy.”
(Do you think you’ll get pushed to the point with this heat that the beard and the long locks have to go?) – “That’s a good question. I’ve thought about it. I’m going to see how OTAs go and then it might be gone come training camp. (laughter)”
(Have you thought about that during drills? Do you feel that hair on the back of your neck and you’re not sure how well this is going to go?) – “Oh yes, because I used to have short hair back in college and I grew it out when I started up in Green Bay.”
(I take it that’s not a decision you’d make lightly.) – “No, I would not. I would probably cry. (laughter)”
(There are a lot of teams in the league that go into OTAs unsure who might be starting at one, two or even three offensive line spots. It appears there’s a pretty good sense of who your likely top five would be. What kind of advantage is that in terms of you all building continuity as a group over the next three months?) – “Well, I don’t know that any of the spots are for sure right now. I think we’ve got a group of eight or nine guys that can really come in and be able to play this year. That’s what this time of year and training camp is for, is to figure out who is going to be playing. My honest answer is that there’s going to be a competition at a few spots. There’s that many good guys in that room.”
(Have you done any group outings or planned any? Is that type of thing important at all with building communication among the offensive line?) – “Oh, absolutely. I think it’s extremely important. We spend so much time here at work just constantly talking about work. To get out of here and just BS about other things and get to know each other and get to know each other’s families, it just helps build that relationship. When you’re on the field, you can start trusting the guy next to you a little bit more. Yes, we’ve done a few things.”
(Once you were eligible to sign, you didn’t wait long. A lot of teams were interested in you. What ultimately sold you about the Dolphins? Just reflect a little bit about how rewarding it was to be in such demand.) – “A lot of the decision had to do with ‘Coach Wash’ (Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn) and (Offensive Coordinator) Dowell (Loggains) and being familiar with those guys and being familiar with the system. I loved how they coached in Chicago and when I came here and met (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase, I kind of had a feeling that I was going to end up signing pretty quickly. I knew I liked him right away. Honestly, I look back at the season they had two years ago. I forgot how many games they won in a row, but I think they won nine out of 10 or something like that. You can see the foundation of a good football team here. I want to win. I’m in the last few years of my career, so I think I wanted to be in a place that I could win and I think we can.”
