Eric Studesville – May 31, 2018
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Thursday, May 31, 2018
Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(So what do you think of your room?) – “I think it’s a talented room. I don’t really know exactly what…”
RB Kenyan Drake
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but you’ve got 10 pushups right now. (laughter) I don’t care if you’re talking to the media. No, we need them pushups. (laughter).”
Eric Studesville
“I got them. They’re on the books. I got it. (laughter). I got to do them. We’re all one. It’s one group. I got 80 the other day. That hurt. I haven’t done 80 in a long time. It’s a good group. It’s a good, young group. I don’t really know … We’re working through each other. (I’m) learning them; they’re learning me; I’m learning them. But I like the group so far and where we’re going. We’ve got a long way to go, but it’s a good start.”
(What is your plan for RB Frank Gore? Obviously, he’s got 14 billion yards. Does he really need to work that hard in the offseason to prepare for a season?) – “Absolutely. I think everybody’s got to work hard. All of us have to work hard to get ready for the season. What that work is, it’s different for everybody. Frank has got a good body of work out there, obviously; but his preparation is still critical to him having continued success and to be able to help us. Everybody’s got to work. We’re all going to work in different ways to get ready.”
(As a running backs coach, how impressive is RB Frank Gore’s production at his age?) – “It’s amazing, really. You look at how many guys he’s outlasted in this league, to have that kind of production year after year; but you also see when you work with him every day what kind of pro he is, how important it is to him. He takes great pride in his craft. It’s fun to be around that.”
(Obviously you have a prior relationship with Head Coach Adam Gase. Can you talk about that and what was his role in him getting you here?) – “Our relationship is because we worked together in Denver and that was a plus, certainly. Hopefully he wanted me to come here because he felt like I was the best football coach to come help him coach the running backs. That’s what I hope. I came here not as his friend, but to help him win. That’s my commitment that I made to him. So, that’s number one on my list of things to do is just the relationship is what it was, but I want to come help him win.”
(I know it’s early, but what sort of role do you foresee for RB Frank Gore in this offense given that you have RB Kenyan Drake here as well?) – “We don’t know that yet. I think that’s going to play out over time. What we’re going to do is we’re going to get everybody ready. We’ve got to learn the offense. We’re still in the playbook. We’re still in the installations. We’ve got to get everybody up to speed to where they all know it, we’re all confident in our assignments and then let them go play, and they’re going to sort out what those roles are as we go. I don’t think we have that set right now. We just have to wait and see how it goes.”
(What impressed you about RB Kenyan Drake when you watched film of him from last season?) – “We watched film and then we saw him when I was in Denver. I was impressed with how physical he was running the ball inside, particularly in our game against Denver last year. I thought he ran the ball really well inside. Obviously, his speed, his ability to finish down the field and his speed, is something. He catches the ball really well. I think he’s overall, a really good football player.”
(You mentioned roles and I guess the expectation is that it’s RB Kenyan Drake’s starting job and then RB Frank Gore helps him out and so forth; but do you see it that way?) – “I don’t have that in my brain right now. I think what we’ve got to do is we’ve got to continue to work, learn our system, learn our craft, our assignments and then get everybody out there and let them compete. The guy that gives us the best chance to win, that gives the Miami Dolphins the best chance to win, that’s who’s got to be the guy who’s out there for us and helping us win football games.”
(Can you talk about RB Kalen Ballage and what do you see in him?) – “I think we’re just scratching the surface. I don’t really know. We’ve only had him for three weeks here, but he’s a talented young guy. He works hard. Physically he looks the part for sure, but there’s a lot more things that go into it. So we’re just at the beginning stages of really developing him; but I’m excited about the opportunity.”
(Can you talk about the hurry-up, no-huddle offense? Are you a big fan of it? Have you used it much in your coaching career?) – “Yes. We did that in Denver and I am a big fan of it. I think it changes … Anything you can do that keeps defenses off guard is a good thing. Whatever we’ve got to do to give ourselves a chance to win football games, I think is to our advantage.”
(Have you worked out or had any interaction at all with RB Kalen Ballage or RB Buddy Howell before the draft?) – “Kalen I just saw at the Combine. Buddy was here at the local workout and we really liked what he did at the local workout. That’s why we got him here as a free agent.”
(What’s RB Buddy Howell’s skillset that stands out?) – “Buddy is a solid, good, dependable back. He’s a smart guy. He picked up all the things that we did on the Miami day when we had a workout here, so we got a chance to spend time with him, got a chance to put him on the board and see what he knew about football. He’s a football guy, so I think that gives you a chance.”
(RB Buddy Howell and RB Kalen Ballage, I know they don’t figure in major right now, but does that allow you to do different things with them?) – “I don’t know how anybody figures in right now. That’s what we’re doing. We’re developing and we’re going to keep developing everybody and see. They’re going to determine their roles. They’re going to show what they can do and demonstrate what their roles will be. They’ll earn their role on this football team in time.”
(What’s one thing that’s surprised you about RB Frank Gore at age 35?) – “What surprises me about Frank at age 35? I think his passion for the game still. Frank is a student. He loves to watch tape. He loves to talk about football. He’s still into it. He’s not bored with meetings. That part of it I think, for a guy that’s been in as many meetings and done stuff as long as he has, to still have that love of the game is awesome.”
