Jerome Baker – June 11, 2021
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Friday, June 11, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(I want you to blink twice if you want a new contract, if you’re uncomfortable with playing on your rookie deal.) – “I don’t even know how to answer that. (laughter) But I’m out here. I’m just doing my thing. All that stuff is going to figure itself out.”
(Can you speak a little bit about whether the Dolphins have spoke to you about a long-term future with the team or if that’s something you guys have talked about?) – “I guess. (laughter) I mean, we haven’t really talked about anything. I’m just going into this year and…“
(Can you see yourself playing in Miami for a long time?) – “Oh, yeah. I want to play here for the rest of my career. I love it here. I love the fans. I love the organization. I love everybody here. Yeah, I definitely see myself playing here for a long time. Do you see the hat? Do you see the hat?”
(I was actually going to ask you where I could cop a bucket hat.) – “So look, you’ve got to hit up (Equipment Manager) Joe (Cimino). Joe doesn’t give them out, but he plugged me today. I was like, ‘Can I get a buckie?’ It’s a little small, but I made it work. But I got you. We can talk. I got you.”
(What was that lighthearted moment right here before you went in the locker room with QB Tua Tagovailoa? I know we always ask you about Tua – I’m not really asking about Tua but I’m just saying what was that moment like and what’s it like having him here for a second year?) – “John did one of his – it’s a little skit he did. He basically just made fun of everybody. And me and Tua, we’ve been talking and hanging out this offseason, so it was pretty funny because it was pretty accurate. It was just a funny moment, but you can tell this team is excited to be with each other and ultimately next week, we know what’s ahead of us so we’re just getting our laughs in before we get all serious and back to work. It’s all good.”
(This is Year 4 for you, Year 3 since Head Coach Brian Flores has been here. What do you – we’ve used the word “rebuild” with this team. Where do you think this team is at now next and what’s next for the Dolphins?) – “It’s still early, but we can be as great as we want to be. Every day, we’ve got to go in there and ultimately just get better; and just ultimately just do what we’ve been doing – playing together, having fun with each other, playing great offense, great defense, just playing as a team. The sky’s the limit, honestly, for this team. We’re young, we’re hungry and we definitely have some things we need to work on; but ultimately if we just play together and play as a team, it’ll definitely be a good year for us.”
(Why was it important for you to be here for these voluntary practices even though your contract situation is a little unsettled?) – “Why was it important? I love this team. I love being out there. I just love being on the team; and just being out here, getting back to football, it ultimately helps me in the long run. The contract stuff is the contract stuff. I really don’t care for it right now. I honestly just missed being out there with all the guys, especially all the personalities we have, the new guys. And ultimately just learning and getting better. I love to play football. That’s honestly why I’m out here. That’s what I love to do and I just want our team to get better.”
(This morning, Head Coach Brian Flores talked about different ways that guys can lead, and you’re one of the more tenured members now of this team. I’m wondering if you can describe your approach to leadership?) – “For me, ever since I was young, it’s always been the same. I lead by example and I kind of just do what the team needs me to do. If you need me to be the guy that yells today, I’ll be that guy. If you just need me to be that guy to just lead by example, I’ll be that guy. But ultimately, I think I’m just a lead-by-example guy. I just try to do the right things. I try to do what’s best for the team and that’s always been my approach. I don’t see it changing any time soon and I think that’s what’s gotten me here thus far.”
(To kind of follow up, Head Coach Brian Flores talks a lot about guys that want to be here – team-first players. In your experience as a football player, do you find it easier to lead those kind of guys when you have that kind of team-wide mindset like that?) – “Oh yeah, it’s definitely easier. It makes the game more fun. It’s more enjoyable and guys that love football that want to be here, it’s just something about it that it’s easier to talk to them, it’s easier to communicate to them, it’s easier to be out there, to trust them. It just makes everything easier, that definitely you have that love for the game and you love being out there. So it is definitely a good thing.”
(What’s the next step for you in terms of the things that you want to add to your arsenal?) – “For me, it’s really locking in the run game. I definitely know all the chatter of all of that, but I definitely look at myself in the mirror. I know what I need to do to get better and for me, it’s locking in on the run game and being one of those linebackers that secures the inside, not just in the passing game, but in the run game. That’s just my own personal goal, but ultimately what I want for this defense is to be one of the best in the league, and we definitely have the coaches, we definitely have the organization behind us and ultimately we’ve got to go out there as a defense and prove it every year, every game.”
(I’m sure you are aware of WR Will Fuller V’s reputation around the NFL for getting deep on defenses and his speed. Have you been able to see that yet in one of these OTA practices, what that’s like?) – “A little glimpse. You don’t really see the top-end speed just yet. You don’t expect guys to really open it up fully yet, but I’m definitely excited. I’m definitely (excited) just to see all the new guys and see what they bring to the team. I’m excited. I’m definitely excited and that’s why I love this game so much. It’s very fluid, so new guys come in, guys just want to get better and just want to help the team win and for me, it’s another guy to compete against, so I’m definitely excited.”
