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Jaylen Waddle – December 22, 2021 Download PDF version

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

WR Jaylen Waddle

(Obviously you had to miss last game. Can you tell us how you’re feeling – hope you’re feeling well – and what that was like with the first time in your NFL career having to miss a game, watch it, what you were doing and how happy you are to be back?) – “Yeah, I really wasn’t doing much. I was just at the house just chilling. I was in quarantine. I was at the house chilling, cheering from afar.”

(I wanted to ask you about the one game at a time mentality. Why are you personally so receptive to that message from Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “Because it’s true. Every week there is a new task at hand, a new team. That’s just how we look at it every week, just trying to take it one game at a time, one play at a time and do our job.”

(Did you have any symptoms with COVID and how disappointing was it to have to miss a game?) – “Nah, I was cool for real. What was the second question?”

(How disappointing was it when you had been on such a roll to have to slow it down and park it for a week basically?) – “Yeah, it was very disappointing. I watched enough games last year when I was in college. I was very anxious to come back and try to help out.”

(If you watched, I would imagine you watched the Sunday night game between the Saints and the Bucs. What did you come away thinking about the Saints defense and the challenge for you guys on offense?) – “Just always what I know. They’re a great group. They all play together. Veteran team. Veteran back end for sure. They’re a great group and it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

(I wanted to ask you, did you ever match up with DB CJ Gardner-Johnson when he was at Florida?) – “No.”

(So I guess I’ll ask you then, what have you seen on tape from him? He’s one of their bigger playmakers. What have you seen from him on tape with the Saints?) – “He’s a fast, physical guy. They really depend on him to do a little bit of everything in the run game and then he does some covering as well. He’s a great player.”

(Your ‘Waddle’ celebration was the clubhouse leader for best celebration of the year and then this past Sunday, DT Christian Wilkins broke out the worm. I was just curious from your perspective, how would you rate the touchdown celebrations standings at the moment?) – “I feel like Christian rehearsed that. That definitely was like a routine he had planned for that. But I give it a 10/10 for sure. Watching that on TV was hilarious. He did his thing.”

(This is your first game after Christmas. How are you going to celebrate Christmas and does it interfere in your plans for the game on Monday?) –“Nah, I’m going to go Tua’s (Tagovailoa) house for Christmas. Hopefully he’s got some gifts for me. (laughter) He doesn’t even know I’m going over there. I’m just going to pop up out of the blue. I might just pop up at a whole bunch of people’s house. (laughter)”

(To get food again like in Thanksgiving?) – “Yeah, just to get food, show my face. You know. (laughter)”

(This Monday Night Football game – growing up, was Monday Night Football something that you tried to watch, enjoyed watching, any memories of that Monday night stuff?) – “Yeah, Monday night is a big game. Obviously, it’s a big game. Everybody is watching. Nothing really else is on TV so it’s a big primetime game. Always watch them. Same thing with Thursday nights. It’s a late game, a primetime game.”

(It’s crazy, now they got games on Tuesday and games on Saturday.) – “Yeah, they got games almost every night this week.”

(It’s fun to watch but in terms of your pregame routine, pregame ritual, when there is a big game, is there anything that you change up at all? What is your routine?) – “Nah, not for real. Just throw in lunch in there and it’s pretty much the same.”

(The Dolphins offense seemed a little out of sync early Sunday before getting it together mostly with the run game. Can you feel how important you are to this offense? Were the guys when you walked in saying, ‘Good to have you back,’ because it seemed like they were a little out of sync without you to start on Sunday?) – “Nah, not really. I think they played well actually. I think it’s always good when things aren’t going well and then you overcome it. I feel like that’s good for an overall offensive standpoint. Everything is not always going to be good and what we practiced and how we think it’s going to go. It’s always good to have things like that and overcome it. I think they played well and I’m just excited to be back.”

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