Transcripts

Search Transcripts
Christian Wilkins – May 24, 2022 Download PDF version

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

DT Christian Wilkins

(How would you assess OTAs so far?) – “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been good. The guys have been working every day, trying to be our best. It’s been competitive. There has been some days, some plays where the offense has dominated. There has been plays and days where the defense has dominated. It’s just been fun and competitive. That’s all you can ask for. Guys who are coming out here in the spring, when we don’t have to be out here, just competing and that makes it fun.”

(What’s your reaction to LB Melvin Ingram joining the team?) – “It’s obvious that Melvin has been a good player in this league for a really long time. Anytime you can get a guy like that, with his experience, with his performance on the field, I think it’s always great. I’m excited to have him.”

(Have you met him yet?) – “Yeah. I got a chance to meet him and talk to him a little bit.”

(Is there a tangible difference for you to have continuity going into this year with the same defense and a lot of the same faces on the defense?) – “Absolutely. It’s not like you have it on a complacent sense. You have it in a – you can rebuild, but it doesn’t take as long to get where you feel like you need to get to. There are certain things like chemistry, like certain plays in certain times where me and Zach (Sieler) don’t even need to communicate. We just know what we’re doing and it’s just like I know you’re going to be there, or ‘E-Rob’ (Elandon Roberts) knows I have times and places where I take risks or I take chances, and he knows he’s got to make me right and things like that. It’s fun to play with guys and have some continuity.”

(I know you guys are going against him in practice, but what is it like going against WR Tyreek Hill on your team now?) – “He’s obviously been a really good player in this league for a little while. What we’re trying to create is a competitive environment here where everybody is competing against each other. He’s really good at what he does. He makes the secondary better. He makes the quarterbacks better. He makes everybody better. He pushes the guys in that receiver room.”

(What have been your impressions of going up against OL Connor Williams and the versatility he brings?) – ‘He’s versatile. He can play a few different positions. I think he’s a nice piece to add to the o-line room.”

(Have you been following this NIL madness in the NCAA?) – “Somewhat. Not too much. Everything is out there, everything is on your phone and people always talk about it, so you kind of hear about all of that.”

(Do you feel you kind of missed out a little bit?) – “Yes. Yes, I did. (laughter) I might have stayed in college a fifth year with all the money they’re making. (laughter). I’m just teasing. I feel like I’ve missed some opportunities, but it is what it is. I’m happy that those guys are able to get a few dollars.”

(Do you feel like the newness is sort of over with Head Coach Mike McDaniel? Are you guys at a point now in the process where everything is just normal, you’re not getting to know  each other so to speak?) – “Yeah, so to speak. But I feel like we were all professionals since day one. We came in, we all bought in. We gave him a chance, he gave us a chance to show what we got. It just felt natural since day one. Guys came with the right mindset and started competing since day one. That’s been a lot of fun.”

(What were your thoughts on other teammates’ playlists?) – “I personally think I had the best one because I had a little something for everybody. But I think the other guys are pretty good. I can really vibe out to anything or enjoy listening to anything. It’s kind of just background noise when you’re practicing.”

(What did QB Tua Tagovailoa have on his playlist?) – “Tua had a mix of everything too. It was nice. He mixed it up. I thought his was really good.”

(WR Tyreek Hill said yours was more like for his kids.) – “Yeah, exactly because I had to start out with the musicals. You know that’s my thing, so I couldn’t disappoint there. That was fun.”

(When you look back at film of yourself from last year, what stands out for you? What do you expect to add to your game next year?) – “I felt like I definitely improved last season. But there is still so much – I’m not even scratching the surface of where I think I can be. I try to make it a conscious effort each and every day to come in and get better at something. I have a focus of the day and I try to lock in on that and be dominant at that for that day. And eventually, as you get more reps, you focus on that more times, and you’re going to get better at those things and in those areas. That’s just my mindset every day.”

(What was the focus today?) – “I’ll keep that to myself but I’m always going to try to improve on something.”

Search Transcripts

Weekly Archives