Jakeem Grant – November 1, 2018
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Thursday, November 1, 2018
WR Jakeem Grant
(You’ve done this a lot even while you were returning, turning a smaller gain into a large gain. Was there anything added, if not obviously a package of plays, was there anything added as far as mentality for you of ‘I want to be able to replace some of what WR Albert Wilson gave us?’) – “No, not at all. I’m going to continue to do what I’ve been doing and just continue to get better each and every day. I wasn’t going to do anything more, anything less. Just continue be me every day.”
(All you guys are pretty close. Did you guys feel good for WR DeVante Parker knowing the bad luck he’s had this year?) – “We have a saying against bad luck, don’t believe in it. Injuries come in this game. Unfortunately, he was going through some injury stages earlier in the season. Now, he’s healthy and he’s ready to go, and he put on a big performance last game.”
(I know you guys are confident players, but can confidence like that, can you feed off of something like that?) – “Yes. Even with the loss, it just shows you that with that being said, he can go out there and make big plays like that and continue to make big plays after big plays. A lot of people were down on (DeVante Parker), saying that his injuries and stuff like that. Nobody on this team was lacking faith in him. We all knew that once he got healthy, he was going to do exactly what he did on (Thursday).”
(Have you guys tried at all to boost QB Ryan Tannehill’s spirits or has there been no need to among the skill position players who spend a lot of time with him?) – “No, not at all. Ryan is one of the most confident guys. He doesn’t need to boost his spirit. Whenever he gets ready and gets healthy, we know exactly what time it is. A guy like that, you don’t have to go up to him and tell him ‘Hey, come on, we’re here for you’ and stuff like that. Ryan knows that we have his back and he has ours.”
(Do you feel like the offense has withstood the injuries to him and WR Kenny Stills and WR Albert Wilson? Do you feel good about how the last two weeks went?) – “Yes. I would say just as far as just communicating, just having that chemistry and continuing to play for each other. It sucks when guys go down but like we said, we have a mentality of the next man up. We’re going to continue to play like that. Obviously we hate that we lost a couple guys, but we have to get back on track.”
(You guys are a little night and day, home and road. What’s the difference of that, why is that?) – “I don’t know. Somebody set up our schedule I guess. We do a good job at home, play good games at home, seem to come out with victories and we just have to transfer that over to road games. We won one road game this year and I feel like this is the second half of the season, so we have to win those road games because those are going to be big for us.”
(How much more fun or different has it been for you this season as involved as you’ve been on offense?) – “It’s been much more fun to me this year, just being able to be out there on offense, make plays on offense, doing it on special teams. It’s just showing people that I’m not a special teams player. I’m a receiver and then I’m a special teams player. I’m going to continue to push that message and continue to get better at both.”
(How important was that for you to get that out there?) – “It was very important because a lot of people like to label me as a gadget guy. No, gadget guys only come in for a couple plays. My snap count is way up there with starters and everything. I’ve started games and all of those things. I’m out there almost every possession. So, a gadget guy, no. I’m a receiver and then a return specialist.”
(You were that before. You started as a return specialist and then kind of a gadget guy. I don’t know if that’s exactly the right term, but you were used about that much. Now you’ve kind of had your breakthrough it seems like.) – “I feel like I was never a gadget guy.”
(What would be a better term for that? I don’t mean to offend you when I say that.) – “It’s cool. I feel like it was just I had to build that trust in the coaches in order for them to leave me out there and to know what I’m doing on every single play. I feel like a lot of that was on my part. I didn’t gain the coaches’ trust during the time that I needed to for them to put me out there and leave me out there for longer periods of time.”
(It takes a lot of patience for you, though. A lot of guys would come in and maybe not progress into that next level of getting some snaps in the offense and now where you’re at as a regular part in the offense.) – “I’m patient. I’m very patient. The thing is about me, I strive for perfection. I want to be great. I always go to the coaches and ask them ‘what can I do better? What is it?’ Once they let me know, I’ve honed in on my craft and I’ve just continued to perfect my craft so they can see that I am a receiver and they can trust me and leave me out there to make big plays.”
(Can you point to a moment, game, practice where you felt you were really at the point where you had gained their trust?) – “Not a moment. It was just consistently making plays, doing the right thing. It just carried over from offseason workouts, spring ball and going into camp just continuing to make plays after plays, and just showing the coaches that I know exactly what I have and I understand the concepts of the offense. Just doing things of that nature, it just built that trust in them. Being consistent with catching the ball, doing the things and being in the right place at the right time. With that, I was gaining trust in the coaches and the quarterbacks.”
(Do any of your long touchdowns stand out above the others?) – “Not really. I love touchdowns, don’t get me wrong. I love them. But I don’t really worry about the stats. My goal is to get a touchdown every game. If you get a touchdown every game, that’s saying something.”
(What do you think about this ‘bully’ nickname that they gave you?) – “I like it. They gave it to me because of the physicality that I have in the run game. I think it all comes mentally, just not wanting to let your man to make the tackle. I’m selfless. I want to see the backs shine and make that touchdown block. I don’t think it’s all about catching passes and doing that. I feel like a big block is just like a home run catch to me. That’s what I like. I love to see other guys like ‘K.D.’ (Kenyan Drake succeed). I make a great block for him and he springs one down the sideline and scores a touchdown, that’s big for me. I feel like I just scored. With that being said, that’s how I earned the name, just being physical with the DBs and just not letting them be able to make the play.”
(Have they all at one point or another wanted to fight you?) – “Definitely. It’s all good, though. I don’t back down from anybody, don’t fear anybody, but respect all. Fear no one and respect all. That being said, I’m going to continue to play like that and be I guess, what they say, a bully.”
