Byron Maxwell – September 7, 2016 (Conference Call with Seattle Media)
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Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Cornerback Byron Maxwell Conference Call with Seattle Media
(On how he is enjoying Miami) – “It’s great. I love it. Miami – the sun is out (and) that’s all you need, really.”
(On the challenge of being on three different teams in three seasons) – “Getting used to new people, a new locker room, having to work with different attitudes, different personalities every day you go to work. You got to get used to how to work with people and how to talk to them. It’s very challenging, but you also learn a lot, too.”
(On Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll stressing that players be themselves and whether it has been different for him with other teams) – “Every place is different, but Pete definitely does a great job of letting you be yourself and trusting the players to believe that it’s important to them. He does a great job at that. It’s unique.”
(On whether he is looking forward to going back to Seattle and playing) – “I am. (It is) where it all started. I had a great time there my four years. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I know I got a special bond with some guys there. I’m excited to play in that stadium.”
(On which Seahawks players he stays in touch with) – “All the guys in the secondary. That was a close team. I got love for a whole bunch of guys, not just in the secondary, coaches included.”
(On what it will be like on the visiting side at CenturyLink Field) – “I don’t know. That’s going to be a different experience for me, obviously. I guess I’m looking forward to it. I’m trying to mentally plan (on) how to handle the situation. It’s going to be different, a lot of emotions, but (I) still got a game to play, still got to come in and do business. That can wait afterwards, after the game.”
(On whether it will be a change to be on the field and have CenturyLink Field quiet) – “You’re going to be able to communicate, talk (to) other DBs. You’ll be able to hear them and everything. It’s going to be weird going against ‘Russ’ (Russell Wilson), too (after) cheering for the guy for so long.”
(On making the decision to leave Seattle and sign with Philadelphia as a free agent in 2015) – “At the end of the day, we all love this game, there’s no doubt. We put so much time into it. You want to be compensated. You want to feel like … You want to get paid like everybody else. That’s all it really was. Of course I didn’t want to leave, but sometimes you got to do things you don’t want to do.”
(On whether he thought at any point last year that leaving Seattle was a mistake) – “No. It is what it is. I guess you take the good with the bad. Looking back at it, it was definitely a learning experience for me. You got to hopefully learn from every situation that you’re in.”
(On what he learned from his experience last year) – “I learned how to be a better leader. That was really my first time in a leadership role. (I learned about) being a better leader and how to handle adversity (and) being the guy that everybody looks to. So, it was different. But learning, it was good though.”
(On whether Miami’s defense suits him better than Philadelphia’s) – “It was a lot of things in Philly; but yes, definitely. (With) the players we got here, we got a lot of depth in Miami, and that’s going to work wonders for us. We definitely do things (that are) corner-friendly here, so yes.”
(On whether there are aspects of Seattle’s defense that are unique and if he had to change his play in Philadelphia and Miami) – “It was four years, so it was ingrained in you. So yes, definitely (there are) things you got to change and you got to work on.”
(On the technique differences between the teams he has played with) – “(With the) Seahawks, you’re in charge of one thing. Seahawks, you do a lot of different things. It’s really about contact. They teach you about contact with the Seahawks. Every other side, it’s a little different. Philly was a little different. You had a lot to think about before the play, actually (like), ‘What’s my assignment?’ Stuff like that.”
(On adjusting to Seattle’s technique coming out of college) – “It was definitely a big adjustment. I was looking at ‘Sherm’ (Richard Sherman), and he wass probably the best at it and Jeron Johnson. I had to study a lot of them – their film – to learn it. It’s a hard technique to learn, to be patient (and) just sit there.”
(On how helpful CB Richard Sherman was early in his career) – “He helped me a lot as far as how he approached the game – first of all – how he sees a game, his vision. He knew concepts, and he knows how to play the ball in the air. I realized that was a big thing.”
(On how the Seahawks’ scheme is different from Philadelphia and Miami) – “It’s different. It’s just very different. It’s hard to explain.”
(On not having the crowd noise at CenturyLink Field on his side as a visitor) – “I’m going to be on the field when they’re quiet so I won’t have nothing to worry about.”
(On whether it will be strange not to have the crowd noise at CenturyLink Field in his favor this week) – “You’re going to be able to communicate easier. I don’t want to say it’s easier playing on the road, but as far as defensive backs, it’s a little easier, because you can communicate what you want as far as no busted coverage and stuff like that. It’s easier to get things across the other side of the ball to your teammates.”
(On whether he is particularly excited to see a specific Seahawks player this Sunday) – “All the guys. It was a great locker room. There are some great guys in there. I’m excited to see the whole Seahawks organization. There’s a lot of people in there I love.”
(On whether there is a particular receiver he wants to matchup against) – “No, not at all. I know what those guys can do and what they’re capable of. It’s one of those things that I just want to play ball and come out with a ‘W’, obviously.”
