Tony Lippett – June 5, 2018
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Tuesday, June 5, 2018
CB Tony Lippett
(How tough has this process been coming back from a major thing? Where are you now as far as close to 100 percent?) – “I’m really close. It’s been a tough grind, but it’s been pretty good. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about the body. I just try to put one foot forward every day and just keep grinding, getting better every day and just trying to get back to 100 percent.”
(What has been the hardest part?) – “The hardest part was probably during the season, just not being out there and not being able to play and just seeing everybody grind, seeing the team doing their thing and sticking together and things like that. That’s the hardest part for me because I always want to be out there.”
(If you suffered this injury 15-20 years ago, you might not play again. That was just the nature of medicine then. Are doctors telling you that you’re on track to be the same player you always were?) – “Oh, yes. I’m definitely on track to be the same player I always was. I’m just knocking off the rust right now and I’m just grinding every day, getting better every day. I’m going out there and competing and just knocking off the kinks.”
(Did you ever have a “why me” feeling? Because you did start 13 games and have four interceptions in 2016 and you seemed ready to take the next step, and then the Achilles.) – “I’d probably say I had that as soon as it happened. Then when I went into the training room, I was just like I’ve got to take it one day at a time and just grind. I couldn’t really have a “why me” and a “poor me” feeling because I feel like everything happens for a reason. God put me here to make things happen and just take it one day at a time and just continue to grind. So that’s what I just did every day.”
(Did you ever talk to DE Cameron Wake and guys that have been through it before, in terms of things to do and how to speed up the process?) – “Yes, I talk to Cam all of the time about his whole process through it. I talked to Brent (Grimes) and all of those guys just kept me upbeat on where they were at Month 4 or Month 5 or when they first started walking again, first started running, and when it felt better down the line. I’ve always just asked for advice from them and a lot of other players around the league that had this injury or witnessed it up close and personal. I’d probably just say they help me out as much as they can.”
(Other than “hello”, we haven’t really spoken since you got hurt. I don’t even know if I know what happened. How did you get hurt?) – “(laughter) It was just in practice one day. I just went up, a regular jump for the ball, and I just came down and I just knew something wasn’t right. It just happened.”
(How are you approaching what you would like, ideally, your role to be on this year’s club?) – “Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time. I’m just getting better, knocking off the rust, and just trying my best to be 100 percent when we get back to camp and when we get back now. I’m just grinding right now through these days and just going out there competing.”
(You’ve got a lot of young guys in that room at the corner position. Guys that are one, two or three years in the league. Is that a little different for you guys, just having everyone so close in age?) – “I would say yes. It’s weird having a younger group; but I feel like we’ve got some experience. We’ve got a lot of experience in there and we’re knowledgeable and all, so we’re not that young, young group that didn’t have any experience out there. We all just try to knock knowledge off of each other and continue to pick each other up every day, and just go out there and know we’re competing for one goal, and that’s to make this team better and win.”
(You saw QB Ryan Tannehill when he was playing well in 2016. How does he look now compared to back then?) – “He looks good. I was with him every day when we were rehabbing and things like that. He’s a competitor. He looks good. He loves being back on the field right now and that’s what we need. We need a great leader up front that’s going to call the shots and make plays and be confident doing it. “
(What did you see in him during rehab? Determination? Frustration?) – “I didn’t see any frustration. I just saw him attack every day like he was still in season. He was still going to meetings. He was still doing this. He just attacked every day he could and he just grinded. It made me grind even more.”
(What did CB Brent Grimes tell you may be the last thing to come around for a cornerback after this injury?) – “The last thing to come around? Probably just the long speed. That’s probably the last thing he told me.”
(Do you feel any weirdness? Does it feel strange, painful at all? Or can you not even tell you had surgery?) – “No, you can’t really tell at all. I mean sometimes it gets sore, but I don’t feel pain or anything badly. It’s just getting used to doing this again.”
(We saw you sit out one day. Do you work every day or is it every other day?) – “No, I work every day. I just had a little soreness that one day; but this is practice seven? I’ve been in the other six of them. I’m just trying to get out here and grind, get better when I can, and just take it one day at a time.
W(hen you were playing your very best in the 2016 season, tell me about some of the things you had figured out that were working?) – “Really, watching the film and knowing your opponent. I would say that and knowing the game plan and just watching a lot of film. Basically, like I said, get better one day at a time, work on your technique in practice, know what the team is trying to do to you, know what the players are trying to do to you and take all of that in. Then you go out there on Sundays and try to execute the game plan and execute what you’ve been watching all week.”
(There’s a controversy going on with the Eagles not going to the White House. I’m curious, as you were growing up as a sports fan, did you pay attention to those White House visits, and did you say “that will be me one day visiting with the President at the White House?” Was that a goal?) – “I mean I didn’t pay that much attention to it, but I always saw when teams would win the championship or something like that and go take a visit to the White House or something like that. I would love to do that because it’s the result of you winning the championship and things like that; but, the rest of it, I don’t really know.”
(Would it be sad if that tradition ended?) – “I don’t know. I guess we’d have to find a new tradition. I don’t know.”
