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Christian Wilkins – October 2, 2019 Download PDF version

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

DT Christian Wilkins

(Head Coach Brian Flores said he was pretty upset with you about that play – the penalty play – and Defensive Line Coach Mario Hobby said you were trying to assert yourself but maybe not in the right way. What’s something that you learned from that play?) – “Well definitely the first thing is that I can’t do that. The bigger picture – the bigger deal – that doesn’t just cost me; it costs my teammates. (It was) just another learning experience, a rookie mistake. Just learn from everything. I didn’t know you couldn’t really do that. I didn’t know there would be a flag or anything like that but now I do know that, so it won’t happen again. (It was) definitely just another learning experience for me.”

(Do you remember the content of the conversation you had with your head coach?) – “I don’t. It was loud, though. (laughter) He definitely wasn’t happy with me, nor was I happy with myself because again, it cost myself and my teammates.”

(What were you trying to do?) – “Just make a play. Things happen fast so you just try to make a play and try to play hard. Stuff happens. That’s football.”

(Head Coach Brian Flores also talked about how you’re going to be a core member of the organization for years to come and that’s part of why he wants to make sure that you do everything right.) – “I definitely understand that. He’s got high expectations for me, and I’ve got to have high expectations and standards for myself and he’s going to hold me to a high standard. I’ve got to match that, too. So I definitely understand that and he’s got to nip it in the bud right away. I definitely respect him for that and it was necessary.”

(Head Coach Brian Flores said, “Christian is going to be the face of what we want to be about.” What does that mean to you?) – “That means a lot. That definitely means a lot that he thinks that highly of me. It just speaks into what he thinks of me as a player and as a person, too, and I kind of want that because I feel like I like that expectation. That’s what I want, and that’s what the expectations and the standards I hold myself to as well, to essentially be a guy that my teammates respect, the coaches respect and everyone on the outside respects as well, too. That’s what I want ultimately.”

(How would you assess how you’ve played the first four weeks?) – “I feel like throughout the four weeks, I’ve definitely climbed. I’ve made some strides and gotten better each week, I feel. It’s just a work in progress each day, each game. I just try to put my head down, work, grind and get better.”

(How has it been for you – so much success in college – has it been a little bit frustrating the first four games, just the way it has started?) – “The biggest thing is I’ve just got to focus on being the best that I can be, so that way I can help this team as much as possible and then everything else will take care of itself. Definitely, I just try to work each and every day to get better, and everyone else on the team should to ultimately get to what we can be.”

(Does the bye week come at a good time considering the situation?) – “(It is) definitely just a time to reflect and look back on those four games but don’t dwell on them. Just look back to get improvement, to make more strides and then once we get back, once we get going, just lock in on the next team, the next opponent each week and try to win each day and win the week.”

(As a defensive tackle, it’s kind of a strange position because you’re not always asked to make plays, but I’m sure you want to. Are you kind of itching to get that first sack and all that?) – “I’m learning fast that the big plays are hard to come by, so you’ve really got to work and stress, and that’s why I’m trying to stress myself in practice and really lock in on my technique and just really working on my craft so that why I can make those big plays and help this team as much as possible.”

(I noticed in the last two games, there were a few plays where you took a guard or a center and you moved him – maybe on a bull rush – five or six yards back. I’ve never done that in my life. I’m wondering what that’s like when you are moving another man six yards at the line of scrimmage?) – “Would you like me to show you? (laughter) No? Okay. (laughter) It’s definitely a good feeling because the guy across from you is a pro, too. There’s like an extra sense of – I don’t know. That’s a lot of what football is. Can you win your one-on-one matchup? Can you move a man against his will? No matter what he tries, can you move him? Can you get him out of the way? Can you dominate him? Can you defeat him? It’s always nice when you can do that, but you want to be productive with it as well, make plays and whatever you’re being asked of, hopefully you can do it to the best of your abilities.”

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