Jakeem Grant – June 6, 2018
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Wednesday, June 6, 2018
WR Jakeem Grant
(What does this year hold for you?) – “I don’t know. I’m just out there working and trying to get better each and every day. I’m just out there trying to compete. I’ve got Devante (Parker) in front of me right now and I’m just always competing against him and competing against every receiver out there, just showing everybody that I’m here this year and I’m ready to roll. That pushes everybody to be great. As a collective unit, that’s all we want to do is to be great.”
(When you see that they brought in a couple of guys obviously and a couple are coming back, how is this all going to work with so many talented receivers?) – “To tell you the truth, I have no idea. Whenever we did that, I was just happy actually, because I’m a guy that like to compete. When they brought in Albert (Wilson) and I saw him for the first time, I was like that’s a guy that’s almost the same height as me. So I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to compete.’ That just added fuel to my fire, not just because those guys came in but because I want to get out there and show coach that I have the big-play ability and I am a receiver and not just a specialist. I was attacking the game just like that and just showing him each and every day that I’m a receiver and you can depend on me, just like you bring guys in and things like that. I love that Danny (Amendola) and Albert are here because they add more weapons to our offense and things like that. I’m going out there and competing against those guys just like I’m competing against Devante (Parker), (Leonte) Carroo, Rashawn (Scott), Isaiah (Ford) and such. I love that those guys are here. They bring a lot of energy and a lot of playmaking ability.”
(As far as WR Danny Amendola, have you learned from him? Thus far it’s early, but Xs and Os, technique or intensity?) – “Definitely. I would say the big thing is learning coverages from him. He knows the defense inside and out. I’m picking his brain every single time we’re in our offensive meeting because we’re sitting right next to each other. I’m like, ‘Danny, what coverage is that?’ Just understanding that, being on the outside looking at the coverages, you get a read on them and then know if you have to convert a route or not. Also, in the return game as well, just picking his brain. He’s been around the league for a long time and it’s good because we went to the same college. We already have that brotherhood right there. Having a veteran guy like that in the receiver room is great.”
(What do you think of a guy that throws his helmet at practice in May at practice?) – “(laughter) It’s all good. That’s showing that his love for the game is real. Him doing that, it shows that he wants to be nothing but great. He plays with a lot of attitude and swagger. You can’t ask for much more from him.”
(Where has your game grown since you’ve been in the NFL? CB Cordrea Tankersley just said that he thinks you’re the toughest deep cover. We’ve seen you play on the outside. We’ve seen your hands improve in the return game. Where do you think your biggest growth is going to come?) – “I’d say route running, hands, everything he said. I look to perfect everything. I feel like in previous years, I didn’t have it all down. Now that my head is all the way in the playbook, I feel a lot smoother and I feel a lot of confidence going into OTAs and into mini-camp. It feels great because now I don’t have to think about what I have on this play or what I have on this or that. Knowing what you have, that builds confidence. This is going into my third year. I’ve got to make the most of it. I’m just improving all the way around. Like you said, hands, route-running, being able to get in and out of breaks and just becoming a threat and being available so the coaches can rely on me to put me in the game, knowing I can make that big play.”
(CB Cordrea Tankersley talked about how strong you are. Can you talk about some of the offseason work that you did? You were doing a lot of work down in Lubbock.) – “Yes, I was doing a lot of work and a lot of explosive movements. Basically, I have to have an edge. Being a short guy, I have to be strong. Going in there and blocking safeties and all things like that, they’re coming downhill flying and I have to be able to hold my ground. I have to be strong with that and also getting off press releases and fighting hand-to-hand and being able to hold my landmark. I have to be a strong guy. I already have the weight and the size against me, so I have to be a strong guy. A lot of people always say, it’s only because you have three kids. That’s daddy strength. (laughter) If that goes with it, I’m cool with it. I always pride myself on being one of the strongest guys on the team, pound for pound one of the strongest guys on the team. I just pride myself on being strong.”
(Did the end of last year give you an edge and confidence that you can play in this league?) – “Definitely. Toward the end of the season, I started hitting the playbook really hard. Coach started giving me a chance and throwing me in there and I knew that I had to make a big play. I let them know that this is who I really am. I can make these plays and I can do this and I can do that. That built confidence in me. Once that happened, I just let it roll over into the offseason and just training and training and saying, ‘Why can’t you do that almost every play that you’re in?’ That’s been my mindset every time that I go out and train.”
(You’ve been around WR DeVante Parker. It’s your third year together now. You can talk a lot. He doesn’t talk so much. What can you tell us about his mindset going into this year?) – “(laughter) He doesn’t (talk) at all. I call him the monster. I feel like he turns it on. I feel like he’s a complete beast and I feel like he has to get out of his comfort zone and just go out there and be the beast that he is. I feel like he’s a very sharp route runner. (He has) great hands. Of course everybody says the injuries and stuff like that; but DeVante Parker is a beast. I’m telling you right now. If you throw any ball up there, any ball his way, he’s coming down with it. You can see previews of his big-play ability and I feel like this is going to be a great year for him. He’s attacking the game much stronger than he did last year. He’s up there running. He has one of the top speeds going into it. We have this little speed testing and his top speed is up there with the top. His approach this year is way different than it was last year.”
(Can you see WR DeVante Parker feeding on a lot of the doubts that have been around him the past couple of years?) – “I think he definitely wants to go out there and prove to people that he’s better than what people thinks he is. He’s not a guy that’s continually getting hurt. Mostly he’s just focused on his game and just perfecting his game and just wants to go out there and give it his best and give it his all. There’s no telling. He’s going to be great. Without doubt, he’s going to be one of the top receivers in this league. I feel that personally because I sit there and watch him day in and day out and his grind. I feel like he can go out there and do it all.”
(Can I get names, spelling and ages of your kids?) – “Jakeem Jr. is five. Kaley is 3. Kylie is 3. Those are twin girls. Those are my babies. That’s what keeps me going.”
(I know you said you embraced the signing of WR Danny Amendola and WR Albert Wilson; but that does give the team four receivers that have started a lot of NFL games. Did you wonder at all where you might fit in? Did you and Head Coach Adam Gase have any discussion about it or any reassurance that you’ll still be given a chance?) – “I never had a discussion with (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase about it. Typically when you get two guys to sign with a team, of course you’re going to wonder where you fit in. But that wasn’t my main focus. My main focus was, ‘Okay, they’re going to bring two guys in? It’s time to compete. It’s time to bring out every trick in the book and show these guys that I belong on the field.’”
(What’s the fastest miles per hour you even ran on the GPS thing?) – “I have no idea; but I always average every practice in the 20s. That’s my job. We always do it every single day, to see who’s the fastest and who had the fastest miles per hour in the receivers room. I’m always in the top three, so as long as I’m in the top three, I’m good.”
(Who’s the fastest person on the team?) – “Me, of course. Hands down. Neither one of them – not Albert (Wilson), Kenny (Stills), neither one of them. No.”
(What distance is this? The 40 and 100?) – “It doesn’t matter. You pick the race. It doesn’t matter.”
(Is there a race in the future?) – “Is there a race in the future? If you guys want a race, there could be a race.”
(For charity, it would be good.) – “Yes, for charity.”
(What race?) – “It doesn’t matter. As long as we’re not running a marathon, a 400 or anything like that, I’m good.”
(You would lose the marathon?) – “Yes, definitely.”
(You’re admitting that?) – “Yes, I’m admitting I’d lose the marathon because, I’ve got short legs. (laughter) My lower back starts to get tight. Yes, I’ll just worry about running 100 meters.”
(What was your initial reaction when they signed you Texas Tech buddy WR Danny Amendola? To get a chance to play with him.) – “My first initial response was I texted him. I was like, ‘Bro, you’ve got to be kidding me. You’re not going to be here in Miami with me.’ He was like ‘Yes, bro. I am.’ I was like ‘Man, that’s crazy.’ Because I never got to play with him. I’ve always watched him, watched film on him and everything like that. I watched him in the NFL. I’m like, ‘Man, I get to see this guy I’ve been looking up to since I’ve been in college come and play right along with me.’ It felt great. I get to pick his brain in the return game and as a receiver. I get to learn things from a veteran guy that I know. I was happy. I was truly happy because he was coming and we had that brotherhood. I met him plenty of times when he came to Lubbock. I was like, this is going to be awesome playing alongside of him. That was it. I was happy.”
(Your dance moves we saw out there. Can you give us a scouting report?) – “I was just loosening up out there. Dancing, doing everything, just having fun. I think that was the biggest thing that I wasn’t doing last year. I was on edge trying to show the coaches that I can do this and do that instead of trying to get out of my shell. That’s me this year – being me and letting people see who I really am instead of being up-tight and trying to make play after play, and that’s when mistakes come in – trying to impress people too much instead of being yourself. That’s me. You’ll see a lot of dancing out of me, a lot of joking, a lot of doing this, a lot of playing; but when it really comes down to it, I’m just showing you all who I really am.”
