Kenyan Drake – June 7, 2016
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Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Running Back Kenyan Drake
(On if pass protection here is different than college and how he is progressing in that area) – “It’s really about the speed of the game itself just trying to … Especially in this kind of offense, we run an up-tempo offense so you get the play, you have to analyze the d-line real fast, get the call from the offensive line, get the Mike point from the quarterback and kind of just get it (all) very fast. That’s been a little challenge for (me), personally; just trying to stay up on (the) game with the protections. When I first came in, we were getting protections that were simple enough and very similar to college; but as OTAs kind of advanced, they just started throwing a whole bunch of stuff in there and it starts blending in with each other. Like Coach (Offensive Coordinator Clyde Christensen) was saying, if you don’t get those reps on the field and get those reps in the film session at home (and) in your playbook, (then you need to) come back and make sure you have a better day the next day.”
(On if people who say that he is a receiving back are selling him short) – “I don’t know. People can say what they want to say, honestly; but I know my game and (I’m) coming in and just trying to help this team win games, point blank period. Being a receiving back or being an every-down back, which I know I have the capabilities of being, I just want to go ahead and prove that I can be a contributor to this team.”
(On if he feels as comfortable returning punts as he does returning kickoffs) – “I still haven’t gotten a ton of punt return reps. We haven’t really done a lot of punt return … I guess what you could say is that kind of team period. We would have more punt returners back there, like two or three people back there catching punts while I’m doing punt coverage drill or other drills that I need to work on. So it’s more my ability to learn the other things right now than the returning (part) of the special teams.”
(On if he stays in touch with former college teammates such as Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry and Buffalo Bills LB Reggie Ragland) – “Yeah, all the time. I talk to them, if not every day (then) every other day – especially on the weekends when we have a little down time – to just talk about our experience so far. It’s interesting just being in the position that we’re in because we were a tight-knit group, especially that junior class (and) senior class that went through the ranks over at Alabama, the things we went through. To just kind of lean back on each other when we have rookies here, but it’s always nice to keep in touch with old teammates and old friends. Like I said, we’re really close and we talk pretty much almost every day.”
(On who he specifically talks to from Alabama) – “Specifically, actually them (Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry and Buffalo Bills LB Reggie Ragland). I hit up (Jacksonville Jaguars RB) T.J. Yeldon. He was one of my good friends. I’m still close with him, just to see how he transitioned his rookie year going into the league. I keep in touch with other guys still back in college, just to see how they’re doing and how the team is progressing. I try to focus on what I have to do, obviously; but at the same time, I’m still curious about everybody else and trying to see how they’re progressing in everything they’re doing.”
(On the best piece of advice that Jacksonville Jaguars RB T.J. Yeldon has given him) – “Just stay composed, honestly. At the end of the day, the speed of the game is going to be faster. There are going to be a lot of plays that you’re going to have to learn and get used to; but, at the end of the day, you have to understand your abilities as a player. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have the ability to be here. So you just have to understand that there are going to be growing pains. When you make a mistake, just try not to make it constantly. Learn from that mistake and continue to improve as a player.”
(On if he’s ever sat down and had interaction with some of the veterans such as DT Ndamukong Suh, DE Cameron Wake, C Mike Pouncey or T Branden Albert) – “I haven’t personally had any set-aside conversations (with) them but they’re very cordial people and approachable people. I know if I had the chance to do so, they’d welcome me with open arms. At the end of the day, it’s more about me just watching their habits more so than talking with them one-on-one because watching those guys out on the practice field is pretty amazing to see how they work, how hard they work, just the professionals they are in their craft. I just try to mimic them in that sense because they are who they are for a reason because they come in and they’re the first people to be here and the last people to leave. I want to mimic that work ethic and apply that to my own game.”
(On if he is intimidated or ‘Wow’d’ by some of those guys) – “Of course. It’s very humbling to have this opportunity to be here (and) to sit in these seats on a daily basis. Understanding that moving forward, when you started off in little league to middle school ball to high school ball to even college ball, you kind of knew guaranteed that you had a few more years to play. But when you get into the league, nothing is guaranteed anymore. So to understand that these guys have established themselves to be the brand they are, the players they are and to have the longevity that they have. That’s something that you want to have is longevity and that’s the complete mystery that you have in the NFL. Just anything I can take from them from the standpoint of just watching them and just seeing how they work on a daily basis to keep my longevity up. At the same time, especially in a position that is notoriously known for not having longevity – running back – I want to do anything in my power to stay here as long as possible.”
(On what his specifically targeted goals are for him personally this season) – “You come in and you just want to help this team win games. That’s my No. 1 goal is coming in and helping this team win games. The depth chart is not any of my concern, especially right now in OTAs when we don’t even have pads on. Everybody is really just going through the same steps. I just look at it as a chance to get better every day (and) compete, in the sense that you’re competing to push each other to be the best that you can be. So depth chart isn’t really my concern.”
(On what he thinks can separate him from the pack to make him an NFL starter) – “Hopefully, just consistency. If you come in and look around the league at any running back, (Alabama Associate Head Coach/Running Backs/Special Teams) Coach (Burton) Burns, my college coach, he always used to say after we come in on Mondays after a game, he’d (say) ‘Who gets 100 yards every game? Why do they get 100 yards every game and everybody else doesn’t get 100 yards every game?’ It’s the work they put in Monday through Saturday to get to that point. I think coming from Alabama, coming from a program like that, my work ethic (and) my versatility will give me the ability to put my stamp on this game and hopefully be one of those guys that Coach Burns goes back and tells those guys, ‘Every week, he gets 100 yards and he can be a 1,000-yard back every year.’ I feel like that’s everybody’s goal.”
(On if he still staying in the rookie hotel) – “The earliest we could move out was May 25th or 26th – something like that. I’m still in the hotel now because I’m currently in the middle of trying to get a new house. I could have moved out as early as then but I didn’t have my (new) place established yet so within the next few weeks I’ll be moving out.”
(On how much he has gotten to know G/T Laremy Tunsil and what has surprised him about Tunsil) – “He’s just a very down-to-earth guy, honestly. Very cool, very well-mannered in a sense. That doesn’t really surprise me but when you have a guy who comes in high-profile like that, you expect … not necessarily for them to have an ego but for them to understand … they know they’re good. But he understands that he’s coming in, just like everybody else, to put the work in and to earn whatever spot he needs to get. You can talk to him about anything or with anything and I think that’s what I admire about him the most – he’s very down to earth and you can talk to him about anything.”
(On if he played any late-night video games with G/T Laremy Tunsil) – “No. It was just a mutual respect, honestly. We’re here to do what we need to do. So we weren’t going to stay up too late or whatever, especially back in rookie minicamp. But every time I see him, he says ‘Hey,’ and I say ‘Hey,’ things like that. Just having people like that in the locker room who are very cordial and very well-mannered, it’s definitely a good root to have in a good locker room and a good team.”
(On how many challengers he’s had from his teammates since he won the Madden championship at the NFL Rookie Premiere) – “I’ve literally only played one game (since then) and ironically I lost that game. I got a lot of mess because of that but it’s a video game. I’m not going to win every game just because I won a little tournament up in L.A. (Los Angeles). I’m supposed to win every game now, so that’s a little unfair to me, but it is what it is. I haven’t played since because obviously we were focused on this; but it’s all fun and games.”
(On who he lost to in Madden) – “ (WR) Rashawn Scott.”
(On if he is excited to see his Madden rating) – “I already know my rating and it’s not good. I don’t want to talk about that.”
(On if he can point to anything specifically that he learned from Alabama Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Lane Kiffin that will help him in the NFL) – “Being a running back, but not just being a running back that has tunnel vision in the offensive scheme. Just knowing different formations and knowing the idiosyncrasies of being a football player, I guess in general. Especially those last couple years, I have more knowledge of those last two years than previous years of just knowing formations, knowing where I’m supposed to be lining up as a running back in the spread or even at other positions. Just knowing the offense around me, that’s going to give me the best chance to be a very versatile player.”
