Kenyan Drake – April 17, 2019
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
RB Kenyan Drake
(What’s your impression of the new coach, the new approach?) – “We’re just out here working. It feels good to be back out here in helmets. With a new coach coming in, we’re awarded an opportunity to come out (and) have an extra minicamp. Just getting to run around, get on the ball, play against the defense, just take advantage of the extra time we have is definitely something that I’m definitely taking advantage of.”
(RB Frank Gore is gone. Have you had a conversation about what your role might be this year?) – “No, I’m just taking it one day at a time, honestly. (I am) trying to go out here and get the plays cemented in my brain, come out here and run them, get everything worked out with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick, the line, my fellow running backs, receivers, making sure everything is smooth when we start working on air after this week.”
(A lot of folks were proud of how you handled last season because you came in expecting you would handle the ball a lot more. How did you deal with it?) – “I like taking everything one day at a time, keeping everything within the realms of my control. If I can’t control it, it’s out of my hands. The only thing I can control is my attitude, my effort. I come to work every day to put that work in and get better. That’s all I can worry about.”
(Are you at the point in your career where really everything is in place for you – the confidence the health, the knowledge, the experience? Do you feel that way?) – “I take advantage of the opportunity of being in this league for four years. (I have) been able to stay healthy, take care of my body. New coaching staff coming in, so it’s almost like a clean slate to get a new offense under my belt, continue to build my repertoire of knowledge for football in general. I’m definitely confident in and comfortable in the position I’m in because now I’m getting my routine down. I’m able to take that extra step and understand that people are going to make mistakes right now, but as long as you don’t make the same mistake twice and continue to build upon everything that you want to work toward and get everything straight.”
(Any personal goals you set for yourself this season?) – “Right now, I’m just trying to continue to work on April (17th) right now. That’s the thing I’m working for.”
(There will be other guys that come in between now and September. As of now, how does it feel being the old guy in the running back room?) – “It’s definitely interesting. I feel like having Frank (Gore) come in last year and him being 35 – 36 this year – it gave me the opportunity to look at somebody that epitomizes the longevity. To be able to stay healthy, eat right, take care of everything I need to take care of from a personal standpoint and a professional standpoint, I feel like I can play in this league for a long time. I just want to take that step each and every day.”
(I’m going to say a bad four letter work: tank. That’s been talked a lot about this team that maybe that’s the best approach to be real bad in order to get real good. How do you feel about that word and that approach?) – “It’s not in my vocabulary. We’re all here professionally – athletes and football players and coaches – to win. Any opportunity to go out there and not give our best effort, I feel like everybody should play for another organization, play for another sport in general. Football is a team sport. It’s built upon the fact that every day you come in, you grind, you’re going to sweat, you’re going to put those tears in, so I really don’t understand the fact that people would work hard to purposefully lose to do what? I don’t see a gain in that. Right now, like I said, we’re focusing on getting better each and every day and when that opportunity comes, we’re going to go out there and try to win football games.”
(Speaking of a clean slate, how important is that to you?) – “It’s important to really take everything in stride. Whether the situation was somebody was still here or a new coach or whatever the case may be, I’m controlling what I can control. Putting everything into perspective, I’m accepting the challenge.”
(What has stood out to you about Head Coach Brian Flores in the short time that you’ve been with him?) – “He’s definitely very serious and very personable. I’d love the opportunity to continue to get to know him as this offseason and the season approaches. I feel like he’s going to put everybody in the best position to continue to win games.”
(What do you think about Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea and how he plans to use you?) – “How he plans to use me is yet to be seen, because I have to put myself in the best position for him to use me as much as possible. At the end of the day, I’d love the opportunity to go out there and prove myself on a daily basis, put my head in the playbook, make sure that I put myself in the best position to go out here and help this team win games.”
(What do you want to improve on?) – “From an entire basis … It’s not anything specific. I’m trying to make sure I become a complete player understanding that within every task, there’s a lesson to be learned. Focus on the details, becoming not necessarily a ‘rah-rah’ leader, but every time I step on this field I’m a person this team can count on.”
(Do you have to fill that role that RB Frank Gore had as the veteran of the running back room?) – “I appreciate everything that Frank did. I’m just trying to make sure at the end of the day I’m putting myself as Kenyan Drake, the opportunity for people to see me as not necessarily what Frank did or anybody else did just putting my stuff on … and helping this team win games.”
(Have you watched some RB James White? I don’t know if he’s a good comp in terms of how they utilized him. He’s obviously an excellent receiving back. What do you notice when you watch Patriots running back film?) – “I definitely notice. Obviously, they get the ball to the running back in check-down situations. (Tom) Brady always does a great job of finding outlets that lead to getting 5-, 10-yard gains, 3-yard gains. Eventually that adds up when you have an athlete as versatile as James White. You can make a person miss and take it the distance any time. To be able to watch film like that in terms of getting out into the defense and figuring out a way to get into the zone and use leverage to my advantage to free up space for me to make plays. Each and every day I’m trying to get better and better.”
(In Year 4, do you have chance to prove yourself as a three-down, premier back?) – “I feel like that’s a daily occurrence coming out here … not necessarily not making mistakes, but like I always reiterate, it’s not making the same mistakes twice, going in the film room, taking what I learn in class out here to the grass and really just being particular with everything I’m trying to work for. It’s not something specific. It’s completeness of trying to figure out how I’m going to put my stamp on this team.”
(A lot has been said and a lot has been written about this being a contract year for CB Xavien Howard. It’s also a contract year for you. How aware of that are you and what’s your approach to that?) – “I’d be lying if I said … Obviously, it’s not the reality of the situation. But I understand that what I do right now is going to affect that when it comes. I’m just putting the work in right now in the weight room and film room, on the practice field, at home watching film, putting myself in the best positon, so when I come out here there’s no hesitation, there’s no what ifs. I’m coming out here trying to put my best on the field. At the end of the day, I can only look myself in the mirror and say I gave my best and my best was what I put out here.”
