Christian Wilkins – August 20, 2019
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Tuesday, August 20, 2019
DT Christian Wilkins
(A couple preseason games now – how has that been for you and are you making adjustments now that you’re a pro?) – “It’s been good because the biggest thing right now as a young guy and as a rookie, and just even as I’m getting my feet wet, is repetition. Everyone else at this level has more years of experience and repetition, so that’s how I’m going to catch up. Getting as many reps in practice and in the game is all huge and is all really important, so I just try to make the most of all those reps and make them all count – work on not just doing things just to do them, but being intentional with them and working on things to improve my overall craft so I could put my best performance out there when it comes Sunday.”
(How do you feel coming from a championship program like Clemson has helped you adapt to the NFL in knowing where you’re coming from?) – “Yeah, I definitely feel like Clemson has helped me tremendously, just the way we ran things there. There’s a reason why we were such a successful program at Clemson because we ran it like a pro team. Just the demand from the coaches, the level of competition I’ve been going against. Obviously, guys are better here in the NFL. Everyone’s great here in the NFL, but I feel like Clemson definitely prepared me – just having the right mindset every day and bringing that. That definitely helped me tremendously getting ready for this level.”
(In that same breadth, how has that prepared you to be a leader? We were talking to DT Davon Godchaux yesterday. He was like, “it doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or a veteran. Anybody can be a leader.” He looked for you yesterday to get some juice. He was like, “Christian, I need some juice right now.” You’re the guy that generated that.) – “No, definitely. Like you said, I feel like leadership is universal. It doesn’t matter what’s the circumstance – how old you are, how young you are, whatever. I feel like if you can be a spark and be a bright light, then that can be you. Yesterday was one of those days, and hopefully I can begin and continue to take on more of a leadership role because I want that. I feel like I try to do the right thing so that I can be respected and looked at as a leader so I that’s how I try to carry myself.”
(How does that help build your confidence knowing that veterans are leaning on you sometimes for some things?) – “That’s definitely big. That’s definitely big for my confidence and knowing that and just learning that they’re respecting me enough to look to me as a leader – a guy to bring some juice, bring a little bit of energy because that’s what I’m all about. It’s just all genuine for me. I just love playing the game, loving being out there, so I always try to have fun with it, and that’s how I approach each and every day. So that’s good that a lot of those older guys, a lot of those veterans are starting to look at me like that because that’s what I want.”
(The third preseason game is the one with the biggest spotlight on it. Do you feel coming into this game a little more intensity?) – “Well, I try to – well, this is my third game in the NFL, period. So they’ve all been pretty intense for me. The way I’m approaching those games, I try to approach every game the same, I try to approach every practice the same so that the game’s easy. Just bring that intensity, bring that focus, bring that mindset every day just to improve, be the best and be the most dominant out on the field. Whether that happens or not, we’ll see what happens; but that’s my mindset, and how I try approach each and every day, each and every week, each and every game. I have that mindset each and every week. It doesn’t matter if it’s the third preseason game, which is like the big ‘dress rehearsal’ usually (or not). I just try to bring it every day.”
(I know it’s preseason, but how sweet was it to get that first sack?) – “Oh yeah, that was pretty cool. Hopefully there’s many more to come. I keep working hard, so if I can get a few more of those, it felt good and I like that feeling. I just love – the biggest thing is not just for my own gratification or anything like that, but I just love being able to help with the team as much as I can. If I’m doing that, then I’m helping the team win. Even if I’m not doing that, if I’m just doing the right things – playing my gaps, staying on blocks so the linebackers can make plays, whatever – I’m just always happy to do things that help the team ultimately.”
(Did you see Clemson’s preseason No. 1 for the first time in school history?) – “I did see that, actually. I just saw that yesterday. Then again, what’s preseason rankings? The season hasn’t been played. You can’t win a championship in the preseason. You can’t lose it, either. Nothing like that – well, maybe you can lose it. You’ve just got to bring it every day and have that right mindset. Just like anything at any level, all the preseason hype – none of that really matters. It’s all about performance come the games and preparing each week and going up against different teams and different opponents, who can be the most consistent throughout the year, so that’s always the most important.”
(How much do you stay in touch with those guys back there – your teammates, your former coaches?) – “Oh, I’m very in touch with them. I talk to at least a couple of my former teammates, a couple of the coaches every week or so. I definitely talk to a lot of my young guys there. I just actually caught up with some of the coaches throughout the last week or so. They’re always checking in on me. I’m always checking in on them because I take pride – I’m a proud Clemson alum. I hold those guys to a high standard, too, because I feel like we left it off in such a good place. They’ve got to do their own thing their own way; but we set the bar so high. So it’s not any pressure on them to live up to it or do it how we did it. (They can) do their own thing their own way, but there’s a lot of weight, there’s a lot of good pressure now at Clemson. So I always try to make sure those guys, whenever I can, are doing the right things; but also still focusing here and making sure I keep the main thing the main thing.”
(Are you watching HBO’s Hard Knocks to keep up on Oakland Raiders DT Clelin Ferrell a little bit?) – “Of course. Yeah, of course. Watching Hard Knocks – ‘Cle,’ (Clelin Ferrell), (Oakland Raiders WR Hunter) Renfrow, (Oakland Raiders CB) Trayvon Mullen, all my guys – I’m just sitting back dying laughing because, I mean, they’re getting ‘Cle’ at his finest. I’m sure there’s a lot of other stuff going on where they can’t put it on TV or they definitely should not. I’ll definitely be watching tonight. I don’t have any cable at my house right now or any WiFi, but I’ve been watching on my phone. I got the HBO GO app or whatever, so I’ve been able to watch that way which is good, so I’ve been able to keep up with my guys. ‘Cle’ obviously was my brother on the D-line, one of my best friends. Renfrow, again, one of my best friends. Mullen was a great teammate of mine. I always just like to keep up with them and check on them when I can. They actually don’t get enough TV time. I want it just to be strictly them, so I can just watch my guys and keep up with them. (laughter)”
(Did he ever ride horses around you before – Clelin?) – “No, I never did that. I don’t know how I’d handle that. One, I’m a little heavy, so pray for the horse. (laughter) Two, I’m not the best with animals either. Whether or not I like them, I’m just not the best around them. It gets a little hairy in there with me and animals. It’s like, ‘hey, what’s up? How we feelin’ about each other?’ So that’s how it goes, usually.”
(I wanted to ask you about your relationship with Head Coach Brian Flores because after the Atlanta game, you said he was nervous, and then in Tampa, he sent you the message, “he needs to play with his pad level – Christian, if you’re listening,” so what is this relationship between you and him?) – “Well, he’s from Brooklyn. Isn’t the saying in Brooklyn, ‘spread love. It’s the Brooklyn way?’ With me and ‘Flo,’ there’s no love. (laughter) All hate – that’s all it is. (laughter) No, I feel like we have a really good relationship actually. We have a good relationship. He has such a demand for me, holds a high standard for me and has such a expectation for me, and I try to match that with just my energy, my play and just who I am every day on and off the field. I feel like we’ve got a good relationship because – just like, we’ve kind of got that thing like we’re both rookies right now. I was his first-ever first pick or whatever and all that stuff. I think he likes me. I don’t know, (laughter) but I just definitely feel like we have a good strong relationship. He loves to coach me. I like to just try and buy into his beliefs, his thoughts. He’s been around a lot of success, so definitely try to buy into what he does and says. Every time I see him, I’ve got to mess with him. All day, every day.”
(See, that’s what I was getting at. Why do you and Head Coach Brian Flores have it?) – “Again, I just feel like because my natural personality is more laid-back, loose, fun, playful, and he’s a coach so he’s always serious, focused, locked in. He sets the tone. So whenever I see him, I’ve just got to poke fun at him or say something that’ll make him laugh. I’m like, ‘Coach, lighten up. Can I get a smile or something?’”
(Does Head Coach Brian Flores always smile?) – “Yeah, whenever I see him, I just kind of give him that look.Then we just laugh and keep it moving. That’s kind of our relationship.”
(Is anybody else able to mess with Head Coach Brian Flores like that?) – “I mean, I don’t know. I really don’t pay attention to everybody else when it comes to that; but every chance I get, I definitely make sure I poke some fun at him or try to make him laugh or something.”
(Is Head Coach Brian Flores funny at all? Like is he funnier than you think?) – “He tries his best, (laughter) but his best isn’t good enough. We’ve got a tough crowd in the meeting room. He always tries to get the team laughing in the meeting rooms, but we’re a tough crowd. We’re just kind of just like straight-faced the whole time.”
(Do you laugh to make Head Coach Brian Flores feel good?) – “Right. Yeah, yeah, right. We’re all trying to make the team right now, so maybe we should laugh a little harder. (laughter)”
(You obviously were a very good pass rusher at Clemson. We saw one of your pass rush moves on Friday. Did you and Defensive Line Coach Marion Hobby have a discussion about just how many of your pass rush moves have you guys thought could work at this level, as opposed to how much had to be refined, changed, added to as a pass rusher?) – “Not really a conversation necessarily about – and it’s not about how many pass rush moves you have. Number one, it’s more so how effective the moves you have can be and just learning how to rush at this level. It’s a little different. I feel like, well one, obviously guys are more talented, better technicians, more savvy and things like that, so it’s about how you rush guys, not just moves that’ll work. He coaches me up every day like, ‘oh, you can’t do this. Oh, yeah do this. I know you like this move,’ or whatever. Just little tools here and there that I’m trying to learn and improve on. It’s tough because when you get used to doing something for four years, it’s hard to kind of work out of it, so I’m still battling that a little bit. Just all of my bad habits, I’m really just trying to work and grind to get out of those as fast as I can, so I can be more successful at this level.”
(Are there moves you had at Clemson as a pass rusher where Defensive Line Coach Marion Hobby said, ‘this is just not going to work at this level. Let’s not try this. Let’s focus on these two or three other things?’) – “Not per se – I mean, you can’t just run down the middle of the people. Just little stuff like that. Guys are grown men at this level. You can’t bull-rush everybody. Yeah, there’s certain guys you can; but that’s probably like the most where it’s like – he tries to just give me little tools and a little tutelage here, so it helps my overall game.”
