Kendall Fuller – June 5, 2024
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Wednesday, June 5, 2024
CB Kendall Fuller
(How’s the first few months as a Miami Dolphin been for you?) – “It’s been fun, just being around the guys, getting in the building, getting adjusted out here and moving in, just little stuff like that. So it’s been fun.”
(What’s your impression of what Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver wants?) – “I mean, he just wants guys that are going to fly around, especially right now. Everybody – we’re all learning a new system, there’s going to be some mistakes. But just guys going out there, playing fast, playing physical and the more we go on, the more we’ll start executing more and more. But we’ve been looking good, flying around. So it’s been fun to watch.”
(How are you physically in this stage of your career?) – “I feel good man. I’m all about routine. I think at this point, so many guys have their routine that works for them. And you just stick to the routine and trust and know that’s going to get you to where you need to be.”
(How do you balance fine tuning individual things that you want to work with in practice but also try to stay within the structure of a new system and trying to learn that?) – “I mean that’s part of football. You got to learn what you can do different techniques that you may have to how it fits in with the system and what you’re being asked to do. So you learn that as you’re out there and while you’re out there on the field – that’s what this is for. That’s what you do in training camp and in practice and what you practice for, to see what works and see what doesn’t work.”
(Do you think that in training camp you’ll get the chance to take some reps both from the outside and inside position?) – “I’m not sure. I mean all of us are flexible guys that play multiple positions. So whatever the coaches want to do, wherever they’re looking, whatever they’re thinking is where any of us go.”
(Have you got the chance to hang around CB Jalen Ramsey a little bit this spring?) – “Yeah, this week all of us have been hanging around a lot and things like that. Me and Jalen (Ramsey) both came into the league the same time, played with some players, shared some of the same coaches. So just laughing and talking about some of that and things like that. It’s going to be fun just to get to know everybody, not just players but staff members, equipment staff, everything like that.”
(How much value if you could measure just being out here on the grass with the guys, you and CB Jalen Ramsey getting these reps together, what’s the value of that before heading into the summer break?) – “I mean ultimately, it’s just fun. Just to be able to come out here with these guys that you’re ultimately going to be going to war with, it’s definitely fun. All of us are – for the most part, a lot of us are going to be out here in the summer just working out doing our own thing, but an opportunity for us to get up and keep on building that camaraderie. Especially once you go through training camps together, grinding through the season, so it’s something we’re all looking forward to and none of us take for granted.”
(How would you describe Cornerbacks Coach Mathieu Araujo coaching style so far?) – “He’s good man. Young, a lot of energy, but also a lot of knowledge. It’s been fun working with him. Very detailed in things that he’s looking for and things he wants us to do. Just brings good energy, has high expectations for us and tries to hold us to those expectations. So it’s been fun working with him.”
(This is your first live reps against WR Jaylen Waddle this week. What have you seen?) – “Speed. A lot of speed, but also just everything from his releases. Just the preparation in all his routes, making sure everything looks the same. He’s definitely what I’ve seen on tape from the last couple years.”
(How does the talent level in the defensive backs room compare to some of the groups that you’ve had over the years?) – “I mean it’s great talent. It’s the NFL man. You play with so many talented guys at every position, whether that’s starters, whether that’s dudes like Jalen (Ramsey) who will probably be a future Hall-of-Famer, guys third or fourth on the depth chart. That’s probably the biggest difference between college and NFL, everybody has talent. Everybody can play. So it’s just fun to build the relations here with these guys.”
(How do you think training camp will help with regards to your group going against WR Tyreek Hill, WR Jaylen Waddle, WR Odell Beckham Jr., guys like that?) – “Yeah, I mean just working and just competing. Competing, getting each other better, learning from each other – that’s what training camp is for. We’re competitors, but we’re teammates at the same time. We go get a rep, one person wins, one person loses. Talking about it, learning, seeing where you can do better. Seeing what the other person saw and things like that, so it’s going to be fun just to compete.”
(Will I notice you jawing or even getting physical with your own guys due to the competition or are you not much of a talker?) – “Nah, I’m not much of a talker. Especially when it comes to the trash talk. If I’m talking, I’m communicating with the guys on defense.”
(As far as the focus of this defense, you have that championship DNA that you and CB Jalen Ramsey bring to the team. When you look at that at this point and knowing the stuff that it takes to get to that level, how comfortable do you feel saying this team has that level of reaching that point?) – “Yeah, I mean you can feel comfortable, but at the end of the day we have to keep on working. If we were sitting here after minicamp – if anyone sits there after a minicamp, especially with a new system, saying, ‘Oh yeah, we’re where we need to be,’ no team whether it’s a new system or old system is where they need to be in June. That’s going to be up to how we work in training camp and throughout the season and things like that. But with the coaches that we have, the guys that we have and the intent that everybody has for that being our goal and the intent to work towards that is definitely fun to be a part of.”
(How have you been adjusting to being in South Florida? Enjoying the weather?) – “Yeah, I train out here every summer so I was somewhat familiar with it. But definitely it’s different training in South Florida than playing football in South Florida. That’s been fun man. Just getting around and having the little stuff like F1, the tennis tournament, things like that so just being able to do things and getting around your teammates like that so I’ve been enjoying it.”
(So you would say Miami is pretty much the best place to play in the NFL?) – “I mean there’s so much going on. I tell people you definitely have to be locked in and you have to be focused, but it’s also somewhere that as athletes, you have to be able to get away from football and it gives you the opportunity to do that.”
(CB Jalen Ramsey had some pretty high praise for you, he said you guys go way back. He was saying you are going to have big shoes to fill. Can you tell us about that?) – “Yeah, I mean Jalen (Ramsey) and Xavien Howard – Xavien Howard was here for eight years, he played tremendous football. I’ve always been a fan of him. All of us came out the same year, so I’ve always kept up with those guys, Jalen, ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) and just the level they’ve been able to play at for so many years. But my biggest thing is just going out there and playing football. I’m just doing what I can do to get out there and make plays that help us win games, and that’s the only thing I can focus on.”
