Hunter Long – August 7, 2022
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Sunday, August 7, 2022
TE Hunter Long
(Every time we talk to Head Coach Mike McDaniel, I feel like I learn something. Some of the stuff I’ve never heard put in that way. Today he talked about how a lot of guys on the offense, especially linemen and tight ends are unlearning techniques they’ve used their entire life because they’re participating in a scheme where they’re coached not to get beat but to attack. Can you kind of add to that?) – “Yeah, I can. Every coach and scheme is a little different. They coach a little different. This scheme, I mean they emphasize playing fast and I think that’s what we’re all trying to pick up on and some schemes, I mean, it’s more front a guy up. This scheme, you’re just supposed to run off the ball and we’re getting there. Everyone has tendencies from what they’ve learned in the past, what you learned in college or what you learned from different coaching staffs. This coaching staff likes it one way and we’re definitely on our way to getting there.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel explained that even on the run, a player has to attack a person or an area and every time you block it’s like you’re running a route. What advantage do you think that might potentially create for offensive players?) – “Yeah, it puts a lot of stress on the defense. Everyone knows that in offense, the run game helps the pass game and the pass game helps the run game. So the better we fly off the ball in the run game and the more we run the ball, the more targets we’ll have in the pass game and vice versa. So it all works together and this offense is coming together and it’s a lot of fun to play in.”
(Is it encouraging to know the amount of success that tight ends have had in this scheme?) – “Yeah, obviously. I mean ‘Coach Embo’ (Jon Embree) is a great coach. He’s an awesome dude. He’s definitely getting us better and everyone sees the history of this offense and what the tight end does in it and obviously we love that.”
(Do you think your experience at Boston College with the multiple different offenses you had there – you had the pro-style offense and the more spread-style offense – do you think that’s kind of helped you pick up faster here?) – “Definitely. My offense my last season there was pretty similar in terms of scheme, but just the more offenses you can learn, the faster you pick up on things. The ways you learn yourself and techniques you use to learn an offense fast, I think that’s probably what helped the most.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel explained that when he was in San Francisco, you were actually on the club’s radar. I don’t know if you knew that. Do you recall any – you meet with every team, of course – but did you meet with them?) – “Yeah, I met with them, talked with them.”
(…blackboard stuff?) – “I couldn’t tell you. We meet with every team a million times, so it’s a blur.”
(I guess the concept is you fit into the scheme…) – “I mean the scheme just requires an all-around tight end and we’ve got a bunch of those guys and I like to see myself in that category and I just try to come in every day and give this offense my all. Where they put me, they put me; and I’m going to try to exceed at that.”
(On his outlook for his second NFL season) – “I think I’ve grown a lot. Obviously rookie year, you have a lot of stuff coming at you, moving to a new place, trying to get your life set up along with trying to perform on the field. I feel a lot more at peace this year off the field, so it’s allowed me to focus a lot more on the field and just process things faster and play faster, so it’s been really good.”
(I remember last year you were in a boot at the joint practices in Chicago. How much more fun is it going to be to participate in joint practices on the field?) – “It’s going to be a lot of fun. Obviously it’s more fun to hit guys in different-colored jerseys than your own jersey, so it’ll be fun to compete against them and continue to progress as an offense and just get better.”
(The vibe that I get is positivity, and I’m sure that there’s some moments where coaching points are stressed. How does that vibe with your approach and mindset – the positivity that’s around here?) – “Yeah, it just motivates everyone. The body follows the mind and obviously we’re in the dog days of camp and that can get to you, but they say the body follows the mind so if we stay positive and keep moving and keep attacking every day, then we’ll move a lot further along than if we came in dragging and just trying to get through it.”
(You touched on it a little bit. Your rookie year, was there something in particular you learned that you could only possibly pick up by going through it one time?) – “Yeah, I’m not sure if I can pick out one particular thing, but definitely. The more reps you get at anything, you’re going to improve and pick up things whether you know it or not. Just the all-around game, the game at this level compared to the college level is night and day and just the more reps you get, the more you see defenses, the more you see these players; you pick up on things as you go so it gets you better.”
