Charles Harris – June 6, 2017
Download PDF version
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
DE Charles Harris
(What have you gotten out of these OTAs?) – “Reps. Just reps. Technique – without the pads on and stuff like that. I’m able to move fast without the weight of the pads and everything. So I’m really just getting the techniques down and fundamentals.”
(I know this is no pads and quite often, as Head Coach Adam Gase said, you guys know that passes are coming. But it appears your first step has been successful so far. Have you learned anything about your first step? Has it surprised you or are there things you need to work on in that aspect of your game still?) – “I’m not elated. I’m not surprised or anything with my game right now. If anything, I feel like there’s a lot of stuff I have to work on. Every day, post-practice, I’ve got things that I have to work on. I go in there and watch film with ‘Coach T’ (Defensive Line Coach Terrell Williams) and all of the other guys. He always points out things we can get better at. I feel like none of us can get to that level of complacency where we’re like, ‘Okay, we finally got this down. I’ve got something down.’ I feel like even when it comes to my first step, I’ve noticed it’s not as efficient, as consistent, as some of the older guys, some of the vets – Cam Wake and stuff like that – but it’s something I have to work on every single day. It’s something you have to focus on each and every play.”
(We’ve been enjoying watching your battles with G/T Laremy Tunsil in practice. What has it been like going through it?) – “It’s been competitive. Tunsil is a great player. He’s a great tackle. It’s funny because I remember the first time I went against him, he actually gave me a message. He actually told me what to do. It was my first rep. It was the first day of OTAs. I think he had like reach-blocked me or something like that. He said ‘you have to buck me and set the edge,’ basically. I was like ‘Dang.’ In my mind, I was like ‘Dang, I appreciate it.’ Of course, in that moment I wasn’t thinking about it; but that just speaks to the character of him. Just everybody wants to get each other better on both sides of the football.”
(Does any of that surprise you that’s the environment you’ve come into here where it’s generally pretty supportive and the guy even that you’re going against is trying to help you?) – “Yes. I feel like everybody is in college. When you make that transition from collegiate to NFL, you’ve got your college coaches, college GAs, guys that have been in the league talking about how competitive it is and how some guys might tell you the wrong play to try to get you kicked off or something like that. So I think it is very surprising with the mindset that other people are placing me or told me about the next level. But the environment right here is great. Everyone right here is supportive. It’s a bit surprising but it’s also something that I appreciate and that I love about this place.”
(Do you guys have like a goal to be the first guy to get a sticker? The rookies?) – “No, not really. I mean the d-line – me, Praise (Martin-Oguike) and (Cameron) Malveaux – we all just talk about each and every day about how many sacks you’re going to get. Just little competitive things like ‘I’m getting three today; I’m getting four today.’ Stuff like that. But the logo itself, I don’t think anybody is really focused on it. It’s something that’s going to come with due diligence. Really, just each and every day we compete, we’re competing against one another and pushing each other, telling each other ‘You’ve got to do this better on the next play.’ After practice, we’re each coaching each other, helping each other with our hands and things like that. Even in the rookie class, we were helping each other develop as much as we can because we all came from different colleges, different d-line coaches and things like that. It’s great for us to be able to actually communicate with one another and teach each other.”
(Do they want you doing anything with your body as far as gaining any more weight? Doing anything at all?) – “To my understanding right now, strength and conditioning wise, right now we’re in OTAs so we can’t really bulk up too much and can’t really lose weight. Right now it’s more about maintaining. We’re also getting more flexible, stronger and things like that. I think that really comes over the summer. Heading into this break we have coming up, I feel like that’s where the real training will begin. Until then, I haven’t really talked to the coaches about the strength and conditioning aspect.”
(Have you spoken to DE Cam Wake about his diet? Is that something you think you can adhere to?) – “Yes, I spoke to him about it. Cam’s an interesting guy, to say the least. The diet aspect is so important. Nutrition is so important. I talk to (Team Nutritionist) Mary Ellen (Kelly) all the time about my nutrition and things like that. Everyone doesn’t have to be like Cameron Wake to be as great as Cameron Wake; but I feel like some of the things that he does do, in terms of nutrition, I’ll try to reiterate. The other stuff, the hardcore stuff, I don’t know. It’s pretty hard.”
(What are you talking about?) – “Like dairy. I love my cereal. I love my milk; I love my cheese. Stuff like that.”
(DE Cameron Wake doesn’t eat dairy?) – “I don’t think eats cheese like that. He doesn’t really care for cheese. That’s one thing.”
(Besides DE Cameron Wake’s diet, what other things can you pick his brain about each and every day?) – “Really, technique. The things he does on the field. Also, pass rush. Of course he’s a great pass rusher, so some moves that he does. What is he seeing? What does he look at pre-snap? Also post-snap, how does he learn from the play itself and then go onto the next play? What does he take away from it? Some things like that.”
(You mentioned after you were picked, just all of the admiration you had for DE Cameron Wake. How do you balance the admiration you have for him knowing that, theoretically, you’re here to compete against him?) – “Don’t get comfortable, I guess. Don’t glorify somebody too much because anybody can get beat. Anybody can get their position taken. I feel like that’s how you kind of look at it. I don’t know. Of course I have adoration for the man but, at the same time, each and every day I’m trying to get a job too. I’m trying to make sure I get my reps too. I don’t know. I don’t think that’s really something you have to do intrinsically. I don’t think there’s a certain way you do it, it’s just you either glorify somebody too much or you don’t.”
(And from DE Cameron Wake’s perspective, he knows you’re coming here and working to try to take snaps from him, theoretically. Have you been well received by him? Is he kind of taking you under his wing at all?) – “Yes, him and (Andre) Branch. Both of them, for the most part, have been great in regards to showing me the ropes and showing me everything I need to know. There’s no type of animosity or anything like that.”
