Christian Wilkins – December 26, 2019
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Thursday, December 26, 2019
DT Christian Wilkins
(We see that you’re leading all rookies in tackles at the d-tackle position. Is that something you’re aware of? Is it something that you’re kind of proud of hearing through your rookie season?) – “It’s cool. I’m really just focused on playing my game and doing what I need to do for this team. In today’s day and age, you can’t help but hear things. People are always talking or social media or whatever; so yeah, I was aware of that, but it wasn’t something I was chasing. I just try to do what I can for my team and play my best each week.”
(Running onto the field after the offense scores, after K Jason Sanders scores – why is that so important to you?) – “It’s very important to me just because that’s always how I’ve played the game. I play with the same excitement, the same fun, the same energy as I did when I first started playing football in the second grade. I feel like seeing my teammates have success not just when touchdowns are scored, but even on defense – guys make a big play, I’m running over there. I’m trying to be there for them like, ‘yeah, keep it going.’ Just try to be there for them just to celebrate the good plays. It’s just always something I’ve done and I know it’s something I’ll continue to do.”
(That’s just you being you, right?) – “That’s right.”
(What was the reaction like when the offensive players, they kind of just see you running to the field at first? I’m pretty sure they aren’t sure what you’re doing out there and then you’re just congratulating them, right?) – “Well luckily I’m on the PAT and field goal units so I kind of have more of an excuse to run out there. So they kind of see that, too; but they realize I’m there before really a lot of other guys on the offense who’ve been on the field are there, so they kind of have fun with it. I think they enjoy it. I don’t know. Probably not because I usually hit them too hard or celebrate too hard. (laughter)”
(So that’s something they have to get used to. They have to get used to you, you celebrating how you do?) – “Yeah definitely, because it’s going to happen as long as I’m their teammate. It’s going to be a thing I do.”
(What’s that process like when you see the team about to score? You go run and get your helmet…?) – “Yeah, so as we’re moving the ball, moving the chains and we’re getting into field goal range, I get ready to go. I take my coaching points first from the coaches or whatever and then that excitement slowly builds up. Then if we don’t score or something happens, then I’m like, ‘oh…’ When we do score, I’m definitely very excited and happy.”
(How do you think your teammates have taken to that?) – “I feel like they kind of just accept it. That’s just who he is, what he does. They make fun of me here and there just like, ‘you don’t know how to celebrate. You celebrate too much.’ But I feel like it’s all just in good fun and they just take it for what it is.”
(Another guy who QB Ryan Fitzpatrick highlighted today who is happy for teammates as he is for himself is WR Albert Wilson. You guys are cut from the same cloth, do you think?) – “Oh, yeah. Definitely. I like Albert a lot. That’s a good dude, a really great guy. Just to see the fun and excitement he plays with, I feel like it’s infectious for sure.”
(How important is an attitude like the one that you guys have? Do you think on any team…?) – “I feel like you definitely need that because this game can get so serious and feel like such a job at times. For me, it doesn’t feel like a job because I try to approach it with the same fun-loving mindset I’ve had all my life playing this before it was a job and before I was getting paid for this. I still try to bring that and help guys realize like, ‘this is what we’re doing. This is fun.’ This is our job but it’s like, we’re playing a game. I always try to keep perspective.”
(How much have you learned this year?) – “How much have I learned? More than I learned earning two degrees at a top-20 public institution in college in four years. (laughter) This year’s been so big for me just learning everything on the field, off the field, just how to manage things, learning different techniques and just learning so much about the game and just trying to process so much information. It’s a lot. I’m definitely finding a lot out about myself through this year, through the good times, the bad times, the things happening on the field, off the field. I’m just learning a lot.”
(What are some of those things you’re learning about yourself?) – “Again, there are just a lot of things I’m learning. Just a lot of life lessons, a lot of just different experiences, things I’ve never been exposed to or accustomed to, and now I’m learning how to deal with those things.”
(You mentioned after the last game that you took more pride and joy in the sack than even the touchdown. Expand upon that a little bit.) – “Touchdowns are cool and all. Everyone’s going to pat you on the back for a touchdown. They see that, they think it’s like, so cool, so great; but there’s nothing like the grind of a sack, especially being a d-lineman. You just take a lot more pride in that. Touchdowns are pretty, but once you get a sack, the work you’ve got to put in to get one – it’s ugly. It’s an ugly grind. (There is) nothing like getting a sack. Just the pure emotion that comes out and everything. There’s nothing like it.”
(Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham talks about destructive blocks…) – “Block destruction.”
(You’ve had an improvement in that area. How much confidence does that give you about what you might able to do in the future?) – “Definitely. Again, just as I alluded to earlier, I’m just learning a lot and just figuring things out from a technique standpoint. There’s just so much I’m learning, so just building that confidence, knowing that I can do it and that it can be done; again, moving forward I just know what I need to work on to continue to prove and just be more consistent with things.”
(The touchdown and the sack – JJ Watt did it and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw the touchdown to him, too. Did you know that?) – “Oh, I did not know that. Oh wow.”
(Only three players in the last 10 years…) – “That’s a pretty cool stat…”
(Vita Vea, you and JJ Watt have had a sack and a touchdown in the same game and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick did it with JJ Watt.) – “Oh wow, I did not know that; but I think I get more style points because it was a one-handed catch, so… (laughter)”
(I don’t know. You dropped it, man.) – “Hey no, but it still counts the same, does it not? (laughter) I lost style points for the drop – for the fumble – but I did get a lot of style points for the one-handed catch.”
(How mad would you have been if TE Clive Walford recovered the fumble for a touchdown?) – “Oh. (laughter) It would’ve been one of those bittersweet moments. I would’ve been celebrating with him of course, but it’s like – I would’ve been like, ‘dang!’ As long as we got in, I would’ve been happy.”
(With all you’ve learned how much better are you now than you were before you got here?) – “Oh, a lot better. Just even watching tape of me from like Week 1, Week 2, it looked like playing Baltimore, playing the Patriots; I’m like, ‘who is that dude?’ Or like even in preseason, I’m like, ‘my goodness, that is just bad ball.’ Then seeing me the last three or four weeks, midseason, it’s like, ‘okay, I can recognize myself.’ It’s hard to (watch) seeing what I did in preseason and the first few weeks of the season. It’s like, man, I did some things some well but a lot of things not so well. You definitely see the strides I’ve made, so it’s definitely encouraging.”
(Does it have you excited for what’s ahead?) – “Oh, for sure. I’m always going to be hungry, always looking to get better each day, each time I get an opportunity to go out on the field.”
(When you think about how competitive the team has been despite adversity and all sorts of things, how excited are you about the future of the franchise, thinking about 14 draft picks – I know that’s not your business, but thinking about, “hey, there’s a wave of positivity coming.”) – “No, definitely. There was a lot that’s been going on this year on the field, off the field, just so many things. It’s encouraging still – the things we’ve been able to do and just the positive energy and the focus we’ve been able to keep in this building regardless of everything going on. I feel like guys have done a great job all year just coming each week whether a win, loss or draw; we came in every week with a positive energy, refocused, got after it. You couldn’t tell we only had four wins. We’re still preparing like we’ve got a chance to go to playoffs. That just definitely says a lot about the guys in the locker room and just the coaches, how tirelessly they work each week to get together a good game plan, so it’s just definitely encouraging and it’s great to see you’ve got those type of men in the building and in the locker room, for sure.”
