Jordan Howard – March 26, 2020
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Thursday, March 26, 2020
RB Jordan Howard
(Why the Miami Dolphins? Why the decision for the Dolphins?) – “I just thought it was a good opportunity for me. I feel like this is an up-and-coming team. I’ve heard from people about the exciting things they are doing. I know a lot of people were trying to say they were trying to not be competitive last year but they beat a few good teams last year late in the season. I definitely feel like this is a team that’s on the rise.”
(I know you didn’t play in that game, but when Philadelphia played down here against Miami last year, what did you learn about the Dolphins in that game, and was it different from what you thought previously?) – “I learned that a lot of people were saying they weren’t trying most of the games and thought it was going to be an easy win for teams when they play the Dolphins but they showed that they had a lot of fight, because they could’ve given up at some point in that game and let the Eagles back into that game, but they just kept fighting and fighting and they pulled it out. I definitely feel like the heat down here will help us against teams.”
(When you were in negotiations with the Dolphins, did they give any assurances as to what your role would be? Do you see yourself or have they told you that you would be the featured back?) – “No, we didn’t talk about my role or anything like that. I’m just going to come in and be the best teammate that I can and be whatever they need me to be.”
(I’m just curious how you and other athletes are doing with coronavirus and things that are going on. How are you guys staying in shape and prepare for training camp and things like that when you can’t even go out and travel? I know a lot of the players travel to different parts of the country for training.) – “It’s definitely been difficult. A lot of the places people are training have been shut down. A lot of gyms have been shut down. For me, I’ve just been doing a lot of running. I haven’t really been in the weight room, so I’ve just been running outside mostly.”
(How would you describe your running style?) – “I’d describe my running style as rugged, pretty physical. I like to make the defenders feel me. I’d rather hit them than them hit me. I definitely try to make them quit, that way by the fourth quarter, they don’t really want to tackle.”
(How’s your health at this point? I know you suffered a shoulder injury last year, are you back to 100 percent?) – “Yeah, I’m back to 100 percent now. It took a while, but I’m finally back to being 100 percent and can’t wait to get back to playing football.”
(How much experience do you have being on Zoom meetings, particularly being that you are the leader of the meeting, and what do you think of it?) – “I like Zoom. I did it a few times earlier. When I was finishing my degree last year, I had to do a few Zoom meetings. So, I’m kind of familiar with it.”
(You weren’t able obviously to take visits during free agency. How much harder did that make your decision when this was all going down?) – “I don’t really feel like it was a hard decision because I’m just here to play football. I don’t really care how the facilities look or anything like that. That didn’t really have an impact on my decision.”
(When I watch you play, what I see is toughness and determination. I’m kind of wondering if you can take me inside to where you get that from – that mindset, your history. Where does those elements come from?) – “The more I played, I felt like that was the best style for me. That’s what works best for me. I’m not a make-you-miss guy. I can make people miss sometimes, but that not really my game. I stick to what I know. I’ve always just loved watching Marshawn Lynch run. The way he ran, the way he fought for every yard, he made it a struggle for the defenders to bring him down.”
(I was looking at some of your numbers. You were top five in rushing touchdowns and rushing yards since you’ve been in the league. What do you think about the value of opportunity and do you think that this provide an opportunity for you to be the guy that you’ve shown throughout your career?) – “I’m not sure about the opportunity. I’m just trying to come in here and do whatever role. I’m never scared of competition. Competition makes everyone better, so I embrace completion.”
(Where are you riding all of this coronavirus out? Are you at home? Where is home? Are you in isolation? It’s got to be tough. I know it is for us, to be stuck in the house all day.) – “Yeah, I’m in Aventura in isolation. At least I’m in good weather right now.”
(What do you think about free agency as an opportunity for teams to get better? The Dolphins obviously signed a bunch of guys including you. What do you think about that?) – “I definitely feel like free agency along with the draft is a good opportunity for teams to improve, to find players they feel will fit their system, especially with new coaches. They don’t always get to pick as soon as they get there. I feel like this is a chance for (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores to mold the team into his image.”
(I know there has been talk about maybe a shortened offseason, maybe it’s OTAs or minicamp. How do you think that will impact players having a season if you didn’t have those spring and summer workouts?) – “I don’t think it would impact the current players. I think it will impact more the rookies. They have a bigger learning curve for them because they won’t get that physical time. They won’t be able to go through those reps and things like that to build a routine. I feel like that’s who it would impact the most.”
(How have you been able to maintain your conditioning during the coronavirus?) – “I’ve just been doing a lot of cardio and a lot of running. I haven’t been doing too many weights, but I’ve definitely been getting a lot of running in.”
(I’m wondering how bizarre this offseason has been for you. I know you’ve covered the coronavirus thing; but just all things considered, how bizarre has this whole offseason been for you?) – “It’s been pretty chill for the most part until the coronavirus started hitting. Other than that, it’s been pretty chill, pretty simple, pretty much the same. The coronavirus has made things pretty weird.”
