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Ja’Wuan James – December 13, 2018 Download PDF version

Thursday, December 13, 2018

T Ja’Wuan James

(This season, where do you feel like you’ve made the most improvement?) – “I’m going just to go ahead and say everything; but I’ve still got to continue to, though. There’s a lot of stuff I need work on and be more consistent on, whether it’s my hands in pass protection or being lower in the run game. I feel like each week there is something else to improve on and my game is not all of the way perfect or anything like that at all. Every week I’ve got to work on something.”

(How much emphasis did you put on cutting down on penalties?) – “We put a big emphasis on it, especially with ‘Coach Wash’ (Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn) and everybody. I think they put up stats the other day of the penalties we had as an offensive group and I was up there, too. So I was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to correct this and get this right.’”

(How much does the running impact you when you do commit them in practice?) – “(laughter) We slowed down on that. Now we do individual-like little things and stuff like that, but in (training) camp and throughout the offseason, we were running laps and stuff like that. It makes you think about it for sure.”

(Are you doing more pulling this season than you did last year?) – “Yes.”

(How much do you enjoy doing it?) – “Whatever they call I’m going to do. Whatever they call.”

(Do you think your skill set is particularly well-suited for that?) – “Yeah. That’s why I think they do have me doing it and it’s working right now, so whenever they call it, that’s when I’m ready to do it.”

(You’ve obviously played well as an NFL right tackle over several years, but has this been your most consistent year in your mind?) – “Honestly, I just think week to week. When the season is over, we can talk about that; but right now I’m just focused on getting better this week for my opponent I’m playing right now and trying to build off of what I’m doing every week.”

(There’s a play call and you’re pulling. You come around the side there and there’s a 200-pound cornerback staring at you. What’s going through your mind at that point?) – “I wasn’t used to doing it. I’ve only done it so many times. The first time I did it, McCourty, I want to say, surprised me because I didn’t even know they cut you. I talked to him after the play. He was like, ‘Man, you’re too big. I had to cut you. I wasn’t just about to go up with you.’ So then the second time I came around, I’m just turning around trying to hit somebody. Now I’ve got to be more aware. These guys do see it on film now, so they’re going to be ready and they may go low and other guys may try to go up high with me. I’ve just got to make sure I protect myself and then open up the hole.”

(What’s it like when you get a clean shot on a guy, especially when you outweigh him by about 100 pounds?) – “It’s good, especially when you’re picking up some steam. They really feel it. I like to be physical and that play allows me to be.”

(You’ve obviously had to learn techniques from a whole bunch of different offensive line coaches. The way that Offensive Line Coach Jeremiah Washburn coaches, is that well-suited to how you like to do things from a technique standpoint? Has it been a good match with you guys?) – “’Wash’ was here in ’16 and we do a little bit of stuff from then – (former Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Chris) Foerster’s group – but also he’s brought in a little of his things, and then stuff (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase sees and he talks to us about. So I feel like it’s forever evolving. It’s never like set in stone. We’re doing so many different styles of running now that we’ve got to practice those type of techniques. I feel like we just always continue to learn and continue to sharpen anything that we do.”

(Where do you think has been the biggest area where you’ve improved over the last couple of years?) – “I’d say just the game of being in it now this long, it’s slowing down a little bit in the sense of you can see more. I’m not just focused on my defender. You can see nickels coming now or a certain split, or with this guy and they might do this. They’re communicating. They might run a game now. So just the little things throughout the game where you can now not just focus on your job but focus on other stuff around you that might help your job.”

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