Kenyan Drake – August 14, 2018
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Tuesday, August 14, 2018
RB Kenyan Drake
(What are your thoughts on the end of training camp?) – “I feel like we had a really good two weeks out here. (We had) a lot of competitiveness. We’re looking forward to getting to this game up in Charlotte. I felt like the offense really came together; the defense really came together. We just want to continue to mesh as we go into the season.”
(What are your thoughts on how the no-huddle offense has worked in practice and briefly against Tampa Bay?) – “You just have to rep it. (They’re) very short phrases so you have to hear the phrase, know your responsibility and just go out and execute. The more you do that and the more comfortable we get into it, the quicker we line up and see what the defense has to offer and maybe switch to another alternate play. As the preseason and the season goes on, we’ll continue to be well oiled in that and hopefully that will help us make a lot of big plays.”
(Are you guys better at the no-huddle offense and if so, why?) – “Yes, we’re better at it just in terms of it being the third year for a lot of people that have been in this offense under (Head Coach Adam) Gase. So it’s real familiar. I know myself included, just going back to my rookie year, it’s like night and day in terms of going out there and executing and knowing exactly what to do down in and down out. (I’m) being able to see what the defense has to offer so I can make up (my mind) in where I have to be in a certain given situation. I feel like it’s just experience.”
(What’s the biggest difference and the benefit you noticed in having the offensive line together the whole camp when you go out there and play?) – “I feel like in any situation, having the o-line out there and all of the receivers and everybody out there full hands on deck, it really builds that camaraderie. It builds that familiarity where you can go out there and understand that you’re going to have that guy for 16-plus weeks. It’s really cool just to build that camaraderie and go out there and execute it on a daily basis so when you go into the season, it’s the same thing from camp to the season.”
(What happened yesterday with DT Gabe Wright?) – “Just a misunderstanding in terms of things got out of hand. It really is what it is, honestly.”
(Were you surprised that DT Gabe Wright was released?) – “I was definitely surprised but that’s not a decision I have to make. That’s a decision that the head man and everybody else upstairs has to make. It was really out of my hands.”
(How much of a benefit is it to learn from a guy like RB Frank Gore?) – “It’s definitely very beneficial. That guy with that type of experience and how he comes out, it not only permeates from his experience but also him just coming out here and running around at his age. It shows that if you take care of your body and you do what you need to do on a daily basis year in and year out, you can come out here and be successful for however long you want to.”
(To know that you’re the featured back going into this season, how different is your mindset with that?) – “I just try to take every day for what it is and be where my feet are at. It’s really kind of being in a routine to where I know I can put my best foot forward at the end of the day. (That includes) eating when I need to, having the right hydration, the right setup to where I can be available for 16-plus games this year so I can help this team win games and make plays.”
(What do you expect to get out of this second preseason game?) – “Just continue to build confidence going out there with the rest of my teammates. The ability to go out there and continue to make plays. I might not get 20 carries in the second preseason game but making the most of the carries and making sure that I execute the game plan accordingly.”
(Is it nice to get past the training camp stage?) – “Yes, the work is going to continue regardless, so I feel like I’m going to put that work in. We might not be up here as long up until 8 o’clock but I’ll still try to be up here as long as possible to get the most out of the day. I feel like that’s the mindset that I have, becoming more of a professional as my career kind of progresses. There’s no rush to get out of the facility. I can take care of my body and take care of my mind and make sure that I put my best foot forward each and every day.”
(How important is keeping your composure because obviously yesterday the team had some breakdowns. As a team, how important is it?) – “Obviously it’s very important. It’s kind of hard … Hindsight is very 20/20. First, when it comes to the severity of somebody getting cut in that situation and two, we’ve been banging for two weeks now. It’s easy to sit from the outside looking in and being like, ‘You should have more composure. You shouldn’t do this. You shouldn’t do that.’ But anger and tempers flare and things of that sort. You just have to, in that moment, have the ability to be proactive with how you can look forward to make sure that I’m here the next day. It is what it is. It’s a very unfortunate situation and I wish nothing but the best for him.”
(You’ve been in thousands of practices in your life and I’m sure you’ve seen that happen before. Have you ever seen anyone hurt? And are you alright?) – “That’s the thing too. You have to always have your teammates best interests at the end of the day, whatever the case may be in terms of mild tempered, me getting involved in something, coming to somebody’s help, me starting something, me trying to finish something. At the end of the day, you have to always think ahead and think about the future actions of what you do. That’s on and off the field. At the end of the day, you just have to make sure that you put your best foot forward to be who you want to be and who you want to represent for this team and for yourself.”
(It doesn’t sound like you’re holding any kind of grudge here.) – “No, I don’t have any grudge at all.”
