Jay Ajayi – May 31, 2016
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Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Running Back Jay Ajayi
(On how the running back room will replace RB Lamar Miller) – “I can only speak for myself and my objective is to be the starter of the team. That’s what I’ve been doing day in and day out – working to be that starter. I can’t speak on everyone else’s opinion, but I know that I want to be that guy.”
(On how much he has to prove this season) – “I know what I want to accomplish. Everyone else has opinions on what I can do and if I’m worthy enough, and I know how good I am. I know how great I can be. That’s my mentality coming in, day in and day out – to work, so that when I step out on that field, I can produce the way I know that I can and be the great back that I know I can be.”
(On how he is a better player in Year 2 than as a rookie) – “I feel like as a rookie, I went through a lot of things that some rookies haven’t had to go through such as the short-term IR (injured reserve) and not being able to go right away. Then coming back and actually put in positions to be on the field and make plays for the team. I think I definitely got to learn a lot through those adversities. Being able to come out for my first game playing and have success, that really helped me with confidence out there on the field. Now going into Year 2, having gone through a bunch of that stuff, I definitely feel more comfortable out there on the field. I feel like the game has definitely slowed down a lot more for me. It’s now (about) working on the details, working on consistency. That’s really what I’m harping on – being a lot more consistent with my game.”
(On RB Kenyan Drake) – “He’s bigger than I expected. He’s a big guy. He’s fast. I think that he’s going to bring talent to the room as well. I’m excited to continue to see him grow and see what he can do when we start really rolling in training camp.”
(On RB Kenyan Drake’s size and whether he can be used as a receiver) – “I just know for (his) size, he’s bigger than what I expected him to be. For his role, that’s what (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase decides. From what I’ve seen so far, he has been doing a good job.”
(On working with Head Coach Adam Gase) – “It has been really good. We started in April working with him, and it has been really great learning all (of) his offense and all the little details. It has been really fun. He’s a coach that makes you excited to go out there and play for him. He makes practice fun. It has been (a) really good time going out there, grinding with the team and getting better as a unit. We still have a long ways to go as an offense and getting where we need to be, but we’ve been doing well so far. We need to continue improving each practice we step out there.”
(On how he defines a great running back) – “I’d definitely say there are guys in the league that have done it the right way and have shown greatness at the running back position. I look at the way they play – and their style of running – and I try to take different things from those guys and add it to my game. For me, I know that I want to be up there when it gets down to it at the end of the season and be a guy that people say, ‘He did a great job for his team. He ran hard. He scored a lot of touchdowns (and) made a lot of big plays for his team.’ That’s what I want to be. I don’t want to be a hindrance to this team. I want to be a contributor, a guy that makes big plays for this team and scores touchdowns.”
(On which running backs he compares his style to) – “Guys like Marshawn Lynch is a guy that ran hard every time he touched the ball and made huge plays for that team. Time in and time out when he was called upon, he did his job. Guys like that … ‘A.P.’ (Adrian Peterson) right now … He has been doing it for years. When I talk about consistency, he’s a guy that I look at who is very consistent. You can count on him every game. It’s things like that I try to take and put it to my game (while) at the same time being a unique runner – being myself and having an identity of my own – and trying to go out there on the field and make big plays.”
(On the confidence G/T Branden Albert has expressed about his play) – “It gives me a lot of confidence. I’m excited for this opportunity. That has always been my thing – when I get the opportunity, I have to make sure that I take it, because opportunities can be very limited in this league. Hearing (Branden Albert) say that I’m going to hit it makes me want to work harder. When I run, I run for my teammates. I try to make plays, try to break tackles and make people miss for my teammates, trying to gain yards, trying to score. It’s all for them. Whenever I get a good run – and I come to the sideline – my teammates pat my back like, ‘Keep running like that,’ that just makes me want to run even harder. I feel like I’m a very selfless guy, and I want to make big plays and be a great running back.”
(On G/T Branden Albert’s health this offseason) – “Definitely looking at him, he looks lighter. I know from speaking with him, he says he feels a lot better than he has been in the past, last year. I think health is going to be a big key for how well we do on our offensive line. It’s been really great to have a lot of those guys back healthy. I know last year they were going through a lot of adversity (and) playing hurt. Some guys were out a number of weeks. I think as healthy as we can be on our o-line, we’re going to be a pretty good offense. It has been really good to have all those guys back out there (with T) Ja’Wuan (James) being back healthy, ‘Pounce’ (C Mike Pouncey) finally getting back out there. ‘B.A.’ (Branden Albert), he says he’s feeling good. It has been really great to have all those guys back on the o-line and seeing what our o-line should look like for the upcoming season.”
(On whether he believes one running back can carry the load in today’s NFL landscape) – “There are teams that do it one way and teams that do it another way. That would be up to (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase’s scheme (and) how he wants to get it done. I know that I can only focus on myself day in and day out and control what I can control, and that’s going to be my mentality and level of play. I’m constantly working on raising my game every practice, so (that) when my number is called – and (regardless of) how many times my number is called – I’m going to make big plays when that happens.”
(On G/T Branden Albert) – “I think overall, when you have a guy like ‘B.A.’ (Branden Albert), he has been playing in this league … Probably since I was in high school he has been in the league, and he has been playing at a high level. His leadership (and) those qualities are definitely needed out there (with) his strength in the pass game and the run game. He is one of the premier left tackles. He didn’t make it to the Pro Bowl by accident last year. We always want a guy like that out there on the field helping anchor down that left side.”
(On how he maximizes yardage as a running back) – “I definitely believe that … I pride myself on not trying to be brought down by one guy. Sometimes, the play isn’t always blocked up as best as it should be, and I feel like that’s when the really great running backs showcase their abilities whether it’s making guys miss, breaking and tackling and getting those yards back or making a big play out of it. I think that throughout my career – just from college up until a little bit last year – trying to break those tackles and make plays sometimes out of nothing, I definitely pride myself of being able to do that.”
