John Jenkins – August 7, 2022
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Sunday, August 7, 2022
DT John Jenkins
(I watch defensive linemen and offensive linemen one-on-ones. I’ve noticed you have the tendency of driving your man backwards consistently. Is there tricks to the trade to be that dominant in a one-on-one drill?) – “Me personally, I would love to give you a good answer on that, but I’m just bigger than a lot of those guys. (laughter) I just get the good lean and then it’s over with afterwards. I try to work on things I’m not good at. You can only push a guy for so long so many times in a full game. I try to work on things I may be able to use in a game, like catch them off guard with a swipe move or a dominant rip of some sort, and then try to do a little something on top of that. If I get that good lean, that good push, it’s over with afterwards.”
(DT Christian Wilkins singled you out as a guy who has had a tremendous start to camp and we’ve seen you dominate 11-on-11s and one-on-ones. Did anything change this offseason? Obviously you’re a vet, but how are you feeling overall at this point in your career and entering another year?) – “I like to say this thing in a group always. There are two things I always say. I always say ‘be yourself.’ When somebody says something, let your comments be yourself. The other thing I always say is enjoy the process. I think to last this long in the league, if you’re not enjoying the process, then there is no reason for you to be here. I think that’s really motivating me to be relevant. And the guy. Like everybody is here from last year. I was with Christian in 2019 and with Zach Sieler in 2019. And I’ve had the opportunity to be with DT ‘Rae’ (Raekwon Davis) and Benito (Jones) and build a relationship with those two guys, so we’re still here. It’s a good thing to have the same room that you were with last year. I enjoy that process and trying to get better. We’ve got a brotherhood with ‘Og’ (Emmanuel Ogbah). So that’s one of the things. And I appreciate Christian. It’s a lot for one of your teammates to recognize you and give you that type of appreciation.”
(Some of the fellas trimmed weight. Did you stay stable or did you try to trim a little too?) – “I trimmed. I trimmed. It may not look like it, but I trimmed. (laughter) It’s tough. I’ve been somewhat of a journeyman – let’s be real with each other. Some teams, they want me a little heavy. Some teams want me light. And then when I get to a team that wants me light, I’ve got to work. I’m just a workaholic. Regardless of what my role or situation is, whatever they need me to do, I’m going to get it done. That’s how I try to go about it. I’m working on my six pack. It’s not there yet but it will be. You all will be impressed. (laughter)”
(How do you balance mentorship with relating to guys that may be seven, eight, nine years younger than you?) – “Listening. Listening. I was fortunate enough to have some good vets when I first came into the league. ‘T Armstead’ (Terron Armstead) is here. (Thomas) Morstead. Those two guys I was with in New Orleans. When me and Armstead got into the league, I had Jonathan Vilma, Kenyon Coleman, Jabari Greer and all of those guys. Rest in Peace Will Smith. I had all of those guys who were champions and led by example. One thing they did – even though they made us do a lot of stuff – they listened to us. I think having a young group that wants to be better, that wants to do good, you can see with their work ethic. So now for us old heads, we have to listen to how they go about things and how they react to things and how they approach a lot of things. Then once we understand their angle, we can guide them on the right path. As you see when you are here, you see these guys actually busting their behinds and it’s competitive both back and forth. It’s an up and down flow – offense, defense, offense, defense. I enjoy that. I like that. I think that’s one of the things being a vet is being able to listen to the locker room, being able to listen to the guys individually, and being able to help them find a solution to get better, and want to do good and stay on a positive direction.”
(When you have a practice like today where QB Tua Tagovailoa easily moves the team down the field during a scrimmage-like situation, but then gets back in there for the final situation and has to score and throws an interception to S Jevon Holland in a play where it seems like he had to scored. Do you as a defensive play look at that as we win or we lost?) – “We won. Look at it like this, at the end of the day, we’re a team – offense and defense. For us as a defense, being able to stop adversity in that sense is a good thing. For the offense to get going like that, then we go back to the film and we look at what could we have done better. To make us fight the way we were fighting is a great thing. I understand your question, but I look at it as a defense and as a team, we won. Because to see Tua be able to do his thing like he was doing at practice, we have good days and we have bad days. We’ve just got to be more consecutive with our good days than our bad days. I think now that we’ve got that out of the way, everybody is going to go back to the film, break it down and make something happen different next time.”
(I asked LB Sam Eguavoen earlier, when you hear the fans cheering for QB Tua Tagovailoa making those deep passes to WR Tyreek Hill, he said that ‘it causes beef.’ I wanted to know your perspective on that.) – (laughter) “I enjoy it. Ever since I’ve been in the league, it’s always been that type of competitive nature. You talk junk to one another but you’re brothers at the end of the day. When you see that at practice, and everybody can shake hands and have love for one another and respect for one another after the fact, it’s a great practice. Because at the end of the day, it’s an entertainment business. The fans and you all are entertained. You’ve got a smile on your face asking the question because it was good entertainment, right? (laughter)”
(From your years of experience in the league, how is the wide zone scheme that Mike McDaniel is installing with his offense and the offensive line, how is that challenging for defensive linemen?) – (laughter) “It’s different. It’s different. I’m used to the old San Fran with Frank Gore and the I-backs when they are coming downhill. And then it was gap scheme. The league is very trendy. A lot of things change every year. It’s a good thing because of the fact that we have to be more cognizant that we can’t just let our feet be in quicksand. We’ve got to be able to react because you never know what we’re going to get. Going against that everyday will allow us to be prepared for whatever team is out there and whatever scheme they have because now we’ll be able to adjust.”
(Does it force you to move more?) – “Oh, yeah. It forces us to move. For me personally, I have to be more of a student of the game. It was real simple for me personally, but now the way Mike (McDaniel) orchestrates the offense, and Frank (Smith) – I was with Frank in New Orleans – the way they go about things is different. I’ve got to really hone-in on my technique. If I don’t do something, even though I’m the oldest in the room (Defensive Line Coach Austin) Clark will be on my ass. ‘Jenks! Jenks! Jenks!’ It’s good. I enjoy that and it allows us to be better players at the end of the day.”
(You mentioned the weight loss. Was it last year the coaching staff wanted you heavier and this year lighter? Was that the motivation?) – “Man listen, when you’re a nose tackle, there is always going to be some form of ‘Hey, you need to get down or you need to do this.’ It’s the game. We’re moving more now than we were last year. It is what it is. I’m a nose tackle. There is nothing pretty about my job. I’ve got two guys on me all the time. I’ve got to free the linebackers. It is what it is.”
(Is it a challenge fluctuating weight at your position? Do you feel the difference?) – “No. I just work. I’m zoned in. I just move. Because at the end of the day, when everything is said and done, I’m going to get the six-pack and then we’re not going to be talking about this weight. (laughter) It really doesn’t bother me. I just like to get the job done.”
(You brought up your career journey. What are the pros and cons of going from one team to another? It was like four teams in four years.) – “I’ll make the comparison like that. I was a JUCO player being from Connecticut. So when you’re a JUCO player, you only have like a year to be relevant to get big-time offers. That’s how I look at it because when you go to a new team, nobody knows who you are. They may have heard of you, but they don’t know you. I have to do something or try to show up some way somehow, for the team and the organization to trust me. That’s how I take it. Being a journeyman, you have to do something. You have to standout. Coming from Connecticut to Mississippi Gulf Coast – shoutout to Mississippi Gulf Coast – you have to be relevant within a short amount of time in order to have an opportunity. That’s how I look at it.”
(You were with the Dolphins two years ago so obviously you did something that they liked for them to bring you back. Can you speak on that?) – “I’m a worker. I’m quiet. You don’t hear anything about me off the field unless I’m trying to do something positive or I’m cycling on A1A. (laughter) Then outside of that, I like to come here and try to be a mentor to the younger guys. I can remember Christian (Wilkins), his first year when I came here in 2019 and we played Baltimore (in Week 1) and so on and so forth. I remember a lot of these guys. I remember Zach (Sieler) when he first came in. We were calling him Sack Sieler, but when he first came in, he didn’t even know – I’m telling Zach, ‘Hey, shoot this gap!’ I think the organization knows who I am and understands me as a person and as a player where they can trust me and feel comfortable enough with me like, ‘Hey, I know John is going to be a good role model or have some type of positive influence in the locker room and on the field no matter what the scenario is.’”
(Would you like to coach in the NFL or college ranks when your career is done?) – “Right now, it’s too early to say. It’s too early to say right now. If the opportunity presented itself and is with somebody who I know, then maybe. But I’d like to take a… When it’s said and done, I’m going to need the (exhales). I’m going to need that. (laughter) But I enjoy – I can see why a lot of these coaches coach. Helping kids come in the league and helping them understand their opportunity and being able to help them take full advantage of their opportunity and change their dynamics and their generational dynamics.”
(Would you be a good coach?) – “I think so. I think so.”
(I see you have the current logo and the throwback logo. I just was curious as far as which one do you prefer?) – “(laughter) I like them both. I like them both. I’m a supporter of the brand, total – the whole brand. I’m an old guy. I’m older than (Defensive Line Coach Austin) Clark, so the throwback is – I like the 90s.”
(Would you be opposed of the team wearing that in a complete season? Are you open to whatever the jersey schedule is for the year?) – “I’m going to be honest with you, I’m a nose tackle. There’s not a lot of swag where we’re at, bro. (laughter) On the field, there’s not a lot of swag. So I couldn’t even give you a dope answer on that one, because I’m a nose tackle – the swag is not with us right now.”
(You mentioned DT Zach Sieler and DT Christian Wilkins a few times and that 2019 season, their first year here with the Dolphins. What stands out to you the most about their growth from then to now?) – “Their bond. I look at it like – have y’all ever seen the movie like the – I haven’t seen the old one, but the new one, Miami Vice with Jamie (Foxx) and they have like a bond. They beef sometimes. You’d catch them and they’re beefing, but they know how to work and feed off of each other to get the job done. I see them taking charge. I actually see that. I see Zach (Sieler) calling and orchestrating the defense and pointing out little things here and there. Christian is – he doesn’t talk. He just zones out and then shoot the gap or do what he needs to do and Zach feeds off of it. I think that’s one thing I saw when I came back is the chemistry that they have and that they built while I was gone.”
(I was just saying that some of the d-tackles have the arm sleeves, so you might have to get that on.) – “Yes, I’m going to work on that. I’m going to work on that.”
(I’m talking about for the drip with the jersey, they have the arm sleeves.) – “Oh, right, right. I’ll work on it, man. See, I play with no gloves, it’s like my hands – I’m just old school. (laughter)”
