Julian Hill – August 14, 2024
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Wednesday, August 14, 2024
TE Julian Hill
(Where do you think your game’s improved? We’ve seen a lot of good things from you, long TD catches, we know about the blocking, where have you improved as a player from Year 1 to Year 2?) – “Trust in myself. I’m not being so worried about outside noise or worried about trying to be somebody that I’m not. Really just believing that what I’m capable of, I’m capable of, and I can do whatever I set my mind out to do. I put the work in, I work extremely hard and just going out there and showing that.”
(We saw a lot of these things last camp too. What’s the key now to translating that onto the field into regular season games?) – “Just trusting my work. That’s something Coach McDaniel talks about all the time in meetings – trust in what you’re doing on the field. In other words, if you’re not, you’re wasting your time. So I’m just going to make sure that I trust myself and again, we’re not working out there for nothing. So I’m making sure I put that work in, and when it’s time for the game time I get to hit another opponent, I’m going to be ready to go.”
(Did Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach Jon Embree ever give you a project this offseason? Did he ask you to review every one of your snaps? What did he ask you specifically?) – “Yeah, he asked me, ‘Watch George Kittle.’ He’s one of the best blocking tight ends in the league, watch him in his route game, watch him in his run blocking, because they have a very similar offense. He’s a very similar play style, similar body. So just watch him, watch how he gets after it, watch how he blocks the end, watch how he catches the ball. He’s one of the best YAC tight ends in the league, watch how he makes the play after the catch, and just really work on my second step in the run game, work on getting off the ball, work on eye discipline, where my hands are going, catching the ball because a lot of time we always want to get up field and make a play. Focus on catching the ball, JUGS and all sorts of things. I’m very thankful. A lot of stuff is working out, it’s panning out.”
(What’s different for you now, this camp, to where you were last year at this point? I mean I know you were an undrafted rookie, probably a lot of nervous energy going into your second exhibition game. What’s different now?) – “It’s almost like it’s anything. When you go to high school and you’re a freshman, it’s all new. You go to college, you’re a freshman again, and it’s all new. You come here and you’re a rookie, it’s all new. Now I know what the buildings look like. I know who the cafeteria people are. I know who the coaches are, so I’m not walking around figuring out new things, trying to find my way around. I kind of got my routine down. I know how to get in, get out. I know how to make the right plays on the field. I’ve trusted, and again, second year in the offense, man that’s all you need sometimes. So that’s the biggest thing, I know my way around the facility, I know my way around the guys. Trusting the guys now, having the coaches trust me and whatnot.”
(What kind of boost did having the orange jersey today give you? And how long have you been working on that playlist?) – “It’s an honor. I remember again, retrospect to last year looking at all the guys, even this year, I call them the ‘OGs.’ All of the guys, the older guys that have been in the league for a while that have earned that orange jersey – man, I looked at those guys last year and I was like, ‘Man, I want one of those,’ because it represents something. It represents a guy who embodies what a Dolphin means. So me just to put that on, for the coaches to give me that, it was a surprise to me, especially being a young guy, but I was extremely honored just to wear that and the playlist, I had to make sure. I didn’t know how important the playlist was before today. (laughter) In warmups, every old guy coming out there was like, ‘Is your playlist good? Alright now, you better make sure.’ So that orange jersey, you better make sure your playlist is right.”
(When do you find out you’re the orange jersey guy?) – “So you get a random message either the day before or the day of. Literally it’s a surprise – nobody knows when it’s coming, nobody knows when it is.”
(So they just say, “OK we need your playlist?”) – “Yup, yup. Again man, it’s an honor. First thing I said was, ‘Man, God doing his thing,’ and I’m excited. I got my playlist ready. Tua (Tagovailoa) loved the reggae I had going on, (Bradley) Chubb and Jaelan (Phillips) liked the Young Thug. I had a flavor for everybody. The coaches liked the old school Tupac I had going on, so it was a good playlist. (laughter)”
(So what happens to a guy that has an absolutely trash playlist?) – “I think you’re going to know about it. (laughter) Again man, I told Alec Ingold in warmups, ‘Man, I did not know how important this playlist was.’ It’s pressure. You get that orange jersey, you better come with it. Not just the playlists but even stepping up on the field. All eyes on you now. You’re going to be noticed on film. You’re not in the white – so you’re going to be spotted out in front of everybody, so you better make sure you come correct.”
(We know how important blocking is coming from the tight ends in this offense, but do you guys talk about wanting to produce more in the pass game?) – ”For sure. As tight ends, we always want to do whatever we need to do for the team. For me especially, I want to make sure whatever Coach tells me to do – if it’s go get some damn water, I’m going to get that water. If it’s block this guy, I’m going to block that guy. If it’s run this route, I’m going to run this route. We always want to make plays on the field, but sometimes you just got to do what your job is requiring of you in that moment, and sometimes that’s all you need in a team sport.”
(What would a first NFL touchdown mean to you?) – “Oh, man come on. That would mean everything. In college I didn’t catch my first touchdown until my senior year of college. So that will mean everything, but I’m not tripping on that. The fact that I’m just out here, I’m on this field, at this podium – I thought the podium was somewhere else, I didn’t know even know it was right here. (laughter) So just to be right here in the moment, a touchdown would be everything, but just representing what I got on my chest, it means a lot more.”
