Jevon Holland – September 18, 2023
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Monday, September 18, 2023
S Jevon Holland
(What did the defense show last night? You guys did this without LB Jaelan Phillips, you guys get the turnovers, you guys get the sacks. It seemed to be the kind of performance you want, but what did the defense show?) – “Just resilience. In the season, you take tough plays, tough situations, Jaelan going down, guys get hurt and the next guy’s got to step up whether it’s somebody that’s been playing or somebody that’s coming off the practice squad. Regardless, they got to step up and take advantage of their opportunities. That’s just what we preach here is next man mentality. You got to be ready when your number is called.”
(Can you take us through that last play?) – “That was a heads up play by Mike (Gesicki). That was super smart. Through my eyes, I was playing my coverage, I saw ‘Beth’ (Justin Bethel) on the tackle and he’s holding Mike, and I see Mike try to reach for it, so I’m running. I’m thinking he is going to try to reach for it the whole time and I’ll knock the ball out. Then he tosses it back, ‘boom’ a lineman catches it, and I’m like, ‘alright, let me try to take his legs out.’ I hit him the first time, and I’m like ‘damn, this dude is heavy.’ (laughter) Then I just keep trying to tackle him, and then I see ‘Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel) there, Eli (Apple) comes and hits him. Then when I fell, I was on the guy’s back and I saw it’s like real close. I’m like, ‘there is no way he got it.’ And then they go to replay, and it’s a turnover on downs. It felt good.”
(Obviously every gameplan is different. How much was changed from Week 1 to Week 2 overall in terms of strategic from Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio compared to executing better as a group?) – “I think we really hit the details. Instead of trying to change everything, we just set back into what we were doing before and really emphasized detail. When you miss details, that’s when chaos happens. We try to just revert back to the basics and really emphasize that if we just play our technique and we rely on that when things get tough, then we’ll be fine.”
(You have a 2-0 start now. DT Christian Wilkins said that being able to be one of the top defenses and just strong on that front, how do you keep that momentum going now that you made that big drastic change from Week 1 to now Week 2, with two wins, opening up at home?) – “It wasn’t that much of a drastic change, honestly. Like I said, we were just really focused on the details. I think keeping that and progressing forward with that mindset, I feel like whatever we change, whatever we decide to implement that week, as long as we’re really tuned in on the fine techniques and how we’re supposed to execute, I think that’s the biggest opportunity for us to continue to have this momentum. It’s going to change week by week. Each team is different and it’s hard to win in the league. If we just kind of focus one day at a time on how we can improve on that day, and continue to stack those days, it will fall in our favor.”
(I know you haven’t gotten into film study yet, but a pretty dramatic contrast in style from QB Mac Jones to QB Russell Wilson. Two totally different players. what’s the challenge for this week?) – “Russell Wilson is a household name. He’s one of the best. My mom loves the Seahawks, and I grew up watching the Seahawks, and now he’s on the Broncos and I get to play him. For me, it’s cool I get to study a quarterback of that caliber. The same as studying Aaron Rodgers like I did, and Tom Brady like I did. I’m excited for the game. Each team has different challenges and I know the Broncos have a hell of a team. I’m excited to play them. I got friends on that team. I’m looking forward to it.”
(Last week on my desk I saw a sticker that was put there advertising your cookies.) – “Yes, sir. So I got cookies coming out this week for the home opener with Blueprint cookies. Fifteen percent of the proceeds are going to the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center. We got a whole bunch of different names. QuickDraw Coco, it’s more like a Samoa cookie. Disappearing Delight, which is like my mom’s brownie recipe that I changed into a cookie. Snickerdoodle Snowman which is gluten free and vegan. It’s a snickerdoodle cookie with buttermilk whipped cream on the top. And then Brown Sugar Cinnamon Oatmeal. I love brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal for the morning, so I just made it into a cookie. (laughter).”
(Is it the one in Ft. Lauderdale?) – “It’s Ft. Lauderdale and Plantation.”
(Are you a baker?) – “I am a baker. My own personal baker. I make tiramisu and peach cobbler, but I also cook too. I learned from ‘Beth’ (Justin Bethel). He’s a hell of a baker. He makes all types of different treats and stuff.”
(How did all of that come about, the partnership?) – “My best friend that I grew up with in Pleasanton, his mom, who is like my second mom, is best friends with the people that started Blueprint Cookies. He works there now. That’s why he moved to Florida. He was asking me if I wanted to do a deal. Of course, why wouldn’t I want to make my own cookies? When they told me I could donate to somebody, or some type of organization, I chose the animals because animals don’t have opposable thumbs, and they need help.”
(Do you have a name for your cookie brand? Is it like Jevon’s Sweets? Do you have a sweet tooth?) – “Nah, it’s a Jevon Holland Blueprint Cookies collab. But all of the cookies have a specific name like the QuickDraw Coco. Like my account is Quick Draw Jev. Go ahead and follow that. (laughter) And then the Disappearing Delight, my mom calls them disappearing brownies. That’s where that name came from. Snickerdoodle Snowman, my nickname is snowman. And then the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Oatmeal.”
(Are you going to let your teammates try them out first?) – “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. They are going to be sold on game day too, so you guys go ahead and cop that. Limited addition though. Limited addition, so get them while you can.”
