Allen Hurns – June 16, 2021
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Wednesday, June 16, 2021
WR Allen Hurns
(Tell me what a typical Dolphins Sunday was like for you last season. Did you watch the games at home? Did you watch it from the stadium? Were you nervous rooting for the Dolphins and was there ever a time where you said, “Gee, I wish I would have played this season?”) – “I watched it at home with my family. I just had my baby boy in October, so it was a great time. Just watching the game at home and seeing a different perspective. It’s kind of interesting watching it from a different perspective because there would be times where I could see a play, but I don’t know exactly what’s going on. I could say that, ‘Okay, he should’ve had this catch’ or ‘somebody should’ve made this,’ but at the end of the day, I don’t know. So that’s a good thing from watching it from a different perspective.”
(And was there ever a time where you said, “Gee I wish I would have played this year or was there never a time where you questioned that decision?) – “There was never a time. Spending that time with my baby boy, that meant everything to me. That was the reason I opted out, so I never second-guessed that.”
(I don’t have to tell you as a veteran that the NFL can be a business; so as such, how much consideration crossed your mind going into the decision to opt out that “Hey, are they going to hold this against me?” Was that ever a consideration for you?) – “No, not at all. I already knew what was at stake when I made that decision; but I when I came to making that decision I did what was best for me and my family. I weigh all my decision-making and I talked to my agent, talked to everybody I knew; but at the end of the day, I feel like I was making the best decision for me and my family.”
(And second, can you tell me a little bit more about your baby boy? It’s not every day that a football player has a child during the season and you get to watch him grow up, so what’s that like?) – “Man, it’s something that you can’t much explain. I had him October 21, but just being there, being able to help out; that has meant a lot. Just seeing my baby boy grow up. Those first couple months, it’s always tough with the no sleep thing; but with me not playing, I was able to help out. And just being there, building that chemistry, getting that bond, helping my girl out and things like that, it meant everything to me. So as far as being out for a whole season, it kind of flew by because having all the times with your baby boy and your family, it means a lot.”
(You opted out for health reasons for your family and I’m just curious with the vaccination now, where do you stand on what’s going on inside teams and everything like that as far as your vaccination?) – “I got vaccinated in March.”
(Is there any concern inside teams or because some players are and some players aren’t and you’re working with them and…?) – “As far as me, I did it to protect me and family. If there’s people who don’t want to get it, to each his own; but I felt much safer – me getting it and me being around the guys and things like that.”
(What is your son’s name, since we’ll probably all going to be writing about it?) – “Chase Hurns.”
(I wanted to ask you, obviously you got a lot of time and opportunity to spend with your son. What do you think it’s like for – I don’t know if this is your first child while you’re in the NFL – what do you think it’s like for other guys who have children and then really – you get to watch the baby be born then, “I got to go to work, I’m out?”) – “Man, I know it’s tough. I know it’s tough. Even me now – he’s seven months now going on eight and me leaving in the morning, it’s kind of like, ‘Dang, man, I’m leaving my baby boy.’ But I know it’s tough, especially I kind of think about if I did play last year those first couple months, when you’re not sleeping and waking up every two hours; as far as us athletes, we’ve got to get our sleep and things like that. So I can only imagine how it is; but as far as us athletes, we find a way to make it work. I know there’s times where you’re missing the family at home and those guys, but you’ve got to do what’s best for your family. Sometimes that is going to work each and every day; but me having the opportunity to opt out, I feel like I did what’s best for me and mine.”
(To follow up, what did you do to keep your body in shape and to pick up where you left off football-wise?) – “I continued to work out. I never stopped working out. That was one thing that I wanted to do because I knew if I were to take a whole year off, it would be so tough getting back in shape. But even then, with me working out, I wasn’t having practice and things like that so there was going to be some rust coming back, getting familiar with route concepts and things like that, picking up the playbook. But me being here each and every day, being around the guys, I got familiar quick and I’m just getting on the same page with them.”
(I wanted to ask you about the conditions out there the last couple of days and I know you’re a South Florida guy through and through. I‘m wondering if you have certain tips on how to deal with the rain and did you kind of pass that along to any of your teammates that maybe haven’t played in those kind of conditions before?) – “As far as receiver, you’ve just got to take your gloves off because the gloves will get slick. As far as any tips, I’m going to have the same struggles they are. You can never get used to pouring down rain. There’s nothing you can make easier. Just as far as footwork and receivers, be more patient and not trying to rush your routes because you could slip with the wet grass.”
(It’s been your first week formally working with QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Jacoby Brissett. What are your observations on the two quarterbacks? QB Reid Sinnett there as well, but mostly on Tua and Jacoby?) – “Those guys are doing a good job. They both look really comfortable calling plays in the huddle, taking control of the offense. That’s the main thing I look for when I come in the huddle. Those guys are confident. They’re able to make all the throws and things like that; so us being out there, everybody getting on the same page, we’re just building that chemistry and taking it one day at a time.”
(And if I could just follow up really quick on that, what was it like to end practice today on a good note there to celebrate at the end?) – “It was great. Great feeling just being back in the end zone. It is a great feeling always, but me just getting back out there, being with the guys – it feels good. Like I said, I took a year off, but being back, seeing the guys, being out there with them, competing; that’s what it’s all about.”
(I have two quick ones for you. The first one is what was the feeling like when you did get back to the facility after that one year off? What were the emotions like? What was the feeling like?) – “I kind of felt like a rookie. Just coming in, trying to figure out like what we’re doing, what’s next and things like that. Not familiar with the schedule and things like that, so just filling in, following the older guys or the guys that have been here like ‘Vante’ (DeVante Parker), ‘Keem’ (Jakeem Grant) and things like that. Just getting in line with those guys; but it felt good just being back out there, competing with those guys. Us as a receiver group, we’re all together. There’s never any jealousy and things like that. We all compete with each other. We’re always with each other when it’s time to work out, whatever it is, so that’s what I love about us.”
(And also, can you tell us how you wound up with No. 8 after wearing No. 17 your first year here?) – “Yeah, that number was given to me. I didn’t pick it.”
(I just wanted to ask you a little bit about your time you got to spend with your child. What a blessing it is to have all that time, so I’m just curious of all the daddy duties that there are – bath time, story time – what was your favorite part of getting all that time at home with your child?) – “My favorite part probably was just putting him down for a nap in my arms. Just seeing him just sleep. Watching a baby sleep is like the most precious thing for me. Even when they’re crying and you can console them, that means everything especially with them being so young. That won’t happen forever. As time goes on, they won’t want the cuddles and things like that, but that moment means a lot to me just being there. Of course, not the changing Pampers and things like that. That wouldn’t be my favorite, (laughter) but anything for my baby boy.”
(One last thing on the game day experience for you last year. Was it at all like watching a Hurricanes game for you in terms of when something bad happened, would you get frustrated and ever curse? If something good happened, would you get really excited? How was that watching the Dolphins from home experience like?) – “For sure. For sure, like a Hurricanes game. You’ve got emotional ties to it because you feel like you’re a part of it. Just watching those guys with the highs and lows, the main thing is just keeping that faith, trusting my guys. It was a great season. They had highs and lows, but at the end of the day, I was riding with them no matter what.”
(Going back to your decision to opt out, there was so much uncertainty last spring when the pandemic was first breaking out. It seemed like nobody knew what they could do, should do and how contagious this thing was. Knowing how it turned out that the league was able to get through 256 games and there weren’t any games canceled or anything, if you had to make the decision all over again would you make the same decision do you think?) – “One-hundred percent.”
