Jason McCourty – June 4, 2021
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Friday, June 4, 2021
DB Jason McCourty
(Head Coach Brian Flores and S Eric Rowe, who I know you know from New England, they both talked about the leadership skills that you possess. I’m wondering if being in a new environment, being around some people that you need to get to know, what’s your approach and how you can impart leadership in a positive way onto some of the younger guys?) – “Yeah, I think it’s natural. I think what you said to begin with is first and foremost, it’s important just to get to know guys. I think a part of leadership is listening and serving, and you can’t know how to do that until you get to know the guys around you. This is a really good time for myself to be down here, get to know the guys in the locker room and get to know not only them but the support staff, the people in the cafeteria, just everybody in the building. It helps to build comfort when you’re walking around and you know someone’s name, you know who to request, you know who to ask what. That’s kind of all a whirlwind right now. For me, I’ve had to do it twice – I guess three times. It started in Tennessee, then I had to do it in Cleveland and then doing it in New England, and now here in Miami. So just getting acclimated, getting to know guys. I think as the days develop into weeks and months, you start to get a feel for what the team needs. You get to know a guy, you can learn a little bit about his own personal journey, his battles, and you can help them not only on the field, but in life as well; because I’m a good amount older than a lot of these guys in the locker room. I’m just looking forward to getting to know guys and just being able to be a helping hand where I can.”
(How did this come about? Were there other teams that were interested? Was your connection with Head Coach Brian Flores really a difference-maker? How did this come about?) – “Just the free agency process, I think obviously you guys have seen with a lot of people that it’s been a little bit different with this year post-COVID, with the salary cap dropping and the whole nine. A lot of guys were signing a lot later. For me, I’m sure you guys saw I took a visit to the Giants. I was talking to ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) and obviously I know (Defensive Coordinator) Josh Boyer and all of those guys throughout the process. This just felt like a really good fit for me. I think it came down to obviously some familiarity with those coaches, but then just kind of knowing guys down here, from Eric Rowe to Jamal Perry to Elandon Roberts, Emmanuel Ogbah. I got a chance to play with a lot of the guys that were on the defense here and there was some familiarity there. I think I’m a good fit here and I’m looking forward to getting to know the guys here and getting to know the system and what it’s like to be a Miami Dolphin and just try to help in that way.”
(With your position, obviously you played some cornerback, you’ve played some nickel. How comfortable are you being a safety, being the centerfield guy free safety, sort of like your brother. Obviously you’re twins, but do you feel like that’s the next evolution for your game?) – “I think for me, over the last three years in New England, I got a chance to line up at every position in the secondary – from nickel, to corner, to free safety, to sometimes strong safety, to sometimes on third-down packages, kind of a dime linebacker spot. I think for me, more important than comfort with any specific position, it’s just building comfort in the defense. Obviously I played for ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) as a coordinator in 2018 in New England; but the Miami defense isn’t exactly the New England defense. So for me, rather than focusing on becoming a free safety or cornerback or nickel, it’s how can I learn the entire defense to understand, ‘ok, when the free safety is moving this way, he’s doing that because the corner is now thinking this way and the nickel is going to be moving in that direction.’ I think the more I can understand the totality of the defense and why the moving parts are moving the way they are, the more I’ll be able to learn for myself and be able to play better, and the more I’ll be able to help the guys around me as I understand the defense as a whole.”
(What is it like coming down from a rival to another divisional opponent? Obviously you get to play your brother twice a year in different jerseys.) – “It’s fun. It’s different. Obviously I walk into the locker room and you see the DeVante Parkers or Jakeem Grants. Those are the guys you’re game-planning for for the past three years twice a year, so it’s different. Now you’re getting into the locker room. But I think the thing is in our league, you’re used to it. Every year, the only thing that’s constant in the league is change. Every year you see guys coming and guys going; and for me, it’s just trying to get in and know the guys. You play against them, you know them from their jersey number and what they look like on film, but then you walk in the locker room and you see a guy and you’re like ‘he kind of looks familiar.’ Then we go out there with the jerseys on, and you’re like ‘oh, that’s Allen Hurns,’ or whoever the case be; because now you’re getting to put the numbers in the game with the face. It’s definitely different. ‘Dev’ (Devin McCourty) is already talking trash to me about the Week 1 match up. I want to come here, I want to have fun and I want to help this team win football games.”
(I was going to ask if you have anything at stake or any early bets on that Week 1 match up?) – “Nothing too early, but I told him the family is already going to be more on my side because who wouldn’t want to come down here and visit rather then going up to the snow where he’s at and visiting. (laughter)”
(As you were talking at the very start of the earlier question about leadership, it struck me that you sounded a little bit like Head Coach Brian Flores. I couldn’t help but wonder if whenever you’re playing days may end – and I’m not rushing you out the door, so don’t get that idea –but whenever that time comes, do you possibly see coaching in your future because you are such a well-known leader?) – “I have young kids. I would love to coach them one day. I don’t know if my wife is going to be on board with me staying at the facility until the early morning hours game-planning and getting ready for the upcoming opponent. But obviously I have a deep love for this game and a passion for it, and also a passion for helping people. My wife told me early on in our college days, never say never. You don’t know what the future holds, but I can’t envision myself coaching at a high level right now.”
(I know that you have a very positive relationship with Head Coach Brian Flores. Can you kind of fill us in on what it is that you believe makes him a unique person?) – “I got a chance to be around ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) in 2018 and then obviously my brother has played for him for a lot longer, so he’s talked to me about ‘Flo.’ I knew who ‘Flo’ was going in and for me, just getting to know him, he’s genuine. And I think that, as a player, when you have a coach and you have somebody that’s always genuine, that they do what they say and they mean what they say, it goes a long way. I think as players, things aren’t always going to go the way we want them personally, whether it’s playing time, whatever decision it may be, what defense you run or offensive play you call or how the rotations work; but I think if you have a guy that’s honest and is consistent, you can respect and you can really give your all and be willing to play for him. That was the vibe I got from ‘Flo’ in 2018 and it was a joy to play on his defense and be able to go in there and contribute, and I’m looking forward to now getting to know him as a head coach and being able to see how it all goes.”
(I want to ask you with such a young roster, especially one on defense that needs a leader to step up, how weird is it to be the new guy who’s going to have to step in and kind of be one of the more vocal guys and vocal leaders?) – “I haven’t even really thought that far into it. I feel like every situation is different. I had a chance when I left Tennessee to join a roster in Cleveland with Emmanuel Ogbah, and I think he was in his second year at the time, and that roster – they all called me ‘Uncle Mac.’ (laughter) That’s how much older I was than a lot of the guys in the locker room. It just develops over time. I think who we are naturally and how teams come together and how guys build chemistry, I think it just happens. And when it happens organically, I think guys gain respect for you. For me, I’m coming in obviously going into my 13th year, so there’s going to be a level of respect that guys are going to have for me just knowing that, ‘hey, he’s been able to do it for a long time;’ but I think for my part, you don’t walk in the building right away and think that you’re going to start telling a guy what to do. I think for me right now, I’m in the process of learning from the guys here, whether it’s a rookie who’s maybe been here for a little while, maybe got to do a little bit more meetings because the rookies are able to be around more. There may be things in this building that they know more than I do. Or how do I get here, where do I go there? So I think part of being a leader is understanding that you don’t always have to be in front. You don’t always have to be the one that speaks up, and I think a very important part of it is when you’re on a young roster is empowering young leaders. And I think that’s something I got a chance to always talk to my brother, Matthew Slater and those guys being in New England the past three years, about being the older guy when you talk about legacy and passing it on, and what are the young guys on the team that you’re trying to build those leadership qualities that you see to try to push them to become more vocal or really step into that leadership role because you want to see them progress and start to build on their careers the same way that those were older guys when I was a young guy in the league that were helping me progress and get to where I am today.”
(I also wanted to ask you – a 13-year veteran – I’ve been doing this long enough to know other than the terminology, the defense doesn’t really change. So why are you acting like you don’t know this defense?) – “(laughter) For sure. You come in and you know some things; but like you just said, the biggest thing is terminology because you don’t want to be here – you don’t want to be that new guy where you get there and they call something one thing and you’re the one guy out there calling it what you called it in your old team because after the first day or two, guys are looking at you like, ‘bro, either learn the defense or go ahead and stand on the sideline.’ (laughter) So I think that’s the biggest thing, is like, ‘all right, this in my mind, I may associate to this is this coverage, but now that I’m here, I have to call it this.’ And then obviously there’s going to be some new things that are put in as we all evolve and try to get better, so it’s just about understanding those things. Then I think two, it’s just learning to play with the guys around you. When you’re on a team for a little while, you know the defense and you both know it, but is he more comfortable doing this role in a defense or that role in a defense? How can we put ourselves in the best position to hey, when we get in and we get this call, ‘hey, you’re better at blitzing, you go ahead and take the blitz; I’m going to go ahead and take the coverage.’ It’s those small nuances that the more you get to play with each other, you get to see what guys like and what they’re used to.”
(I wanted to go along those lines. I saw you out on the field today a lot talking to those kind of guys – young guys – a lot. So are you telling them or are they telling you, in this case in particular because like a previous question, I’m sure you know this defense pretty well.) – “Ongoing conversations. We could be talking about what we’re doing for dinner, what are the weekend plans. I think it’s all about getting to know guys, so it’s an ongoing conversation. I may be asking him a question. I may be explaining to them. I think one thing as an older guy, you learn your stories can become valuable for a lot of things that guys are going through or questions they may have. I might not have gone through it, but throughout these 13 years, I might have heard three different guys who had a similar story that you get to share. So a lot of times, I’m talking to guys, I’m telling a story – either something I experienced or something secondhand that I learned from somebody else. I think this time is special when you get a chance – like you guys mentioned me in Year 13 – I’m an old guy. You don’t know how much longer you’re going to play. That camaraderie, those conversations, those relationships you build are the things that you’re going to miss most so you try to take advantage of that as much as possible.”
