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Jakeem Grant – August 14, 2016 Download PDF version

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Wide Receiver Jakeem Grant

(On if anybody reached out to him after the game) – “Yes. A lot of my family members, coaches, and former coaches, as well that I played for in college and high school.”

(On whether Texas Tech Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury reached out to him after the game) – “Yes, he did. He actually did. He told me, ‘Good game,’ but he also critiqued me, too. He said there’s a lot of things that I need to do better on – to improve on – and that’s why I like him, because he critiqued me on games where I think I did good, and he felt like I could do a lot better.”

(On what it was like to have Texas Tech Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury at a Dolphins practice) – “It was like seeing him all over again playing at (Texas) Tech, having him out there, and he’s giving me advice on routes and other things. It felt good to see him again.”

(On whether he pats himself on the back after a performance like Friday’s) – “I never pat myself on the back. I feel like I’ve been there before. I feel like I need to improve more, and that’s just one step up the mountain. I still have a lot of the mountain to climb. I still have to go out there each and every week and my performance has got to be better than the last.”

(On what he believes was the best part of his play from Friday night) – “Going out there and playing fast and being able to not think so much. I felt like everything was … Being out there in punt (returns), that was my first time doing it. I didn’t understand, ‘Oh my God, I put my team in bad field position.’ I let that play go, and I was like, ‘You know what Jakeem? You just got to play. You just got to be you. Go out there and have fun and continue to do what you’ve always been doing.’ I felt like once I let that go, I just felt, ‘Play fast and don’t think about it and let the game come to you.’”

(On returning to his coaches and teammates on the sideline after making a play) – “It is a good feeling from your teammates, patting you on the back (and) saying, ‘Good job. Good play,’ and all this, but you can’t let that go to your head. You got to go back out there and make an even better play.”

(On how he feels health-wise) – “I’m feeling great. (I am) just sore from the game, but I get in the cold tub and get all that bad energy out of my body and get rolling.”

(On what punt returning feels like since he has never done it before) –  “When I walked out there, it was nerve-racking thinking, ‘What if I call a fair catch?’ and ‘What if I don’t?’ (It was) one of those types of deals – the first time experience – but once I got out there, I was like, ‘You know what? Do what you’ve been doing in practice and continue to be yourself. Don’t do nothing out of body experience. Go out there and have fun.’”

(On what Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi told him during the game) – “He was telling me, ‘Calm down and be comfortable and do exactly what you’ve been doing in practices. You caught a million punts, so don’t worry about dropping it. Make good decisions – smart decisions – and make that other punt… put it behind you.’”

(On whether the coaches have emphasized securing the football) – “Definitely. Most definitely. (Wide Receivers) Coach (Shawn) Jefferson gets onto me every day about, (making) sure I look the ball all the way into the tuck, because I’m a fast guy, so I get ahead of myself trying to make the play before I ever catch the ball. Right now, that’s the biggest emphasis on seeing the ball all the way into the tuck and not trying to make a play before it happens.”

(On if he spends extra time with the jugs machines to practice securing the football) – “Yes, I definitely spend extra time with the jugs. I try to do everything I can to make sure that I secure the catch and make sure that I’m not running before I get it.”

(On whether there was any doubt he would run the kickoffs out) – “No doubt! (laughter) I always want to bring them out. I always get … Every time I kneel, I always hear my mom’s voice saying, ‘Why’d you kneel the ball? You could bring that out!’ The only time you don’t want to bring it out is when you feel like you didn’t catch it clean or it’s wide in the end zone and the timing is off. But every single time, I’m looking forward to bringing it out.”

(On whether he thought he was close to scoring on one of the punt returns) – “Yes, I thought I had it! I felt like – (when) I went back and looked at the tape – I should have just broke back to the left and then took the kicker’s side. I’m not saying any bad things on kickers, but they don’t have a lot of experience in tackling. I should have just broke back to the kicker’s side and made him miss, and it would have been an easy touchdown.”

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