Malcolm Perry – November 5, 2020
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Thursday, November 5, 2020
RB/WR Malcolm Perry
(How happy were you to play last week, and where would you say you are in your transition to receiver? Do you feel good about the progress you’ve made and how much progress do you have to make?) – “I was extremely happy. It was finally fun to get out there, get on the field and experience my first NFL game. It’s good to get that under my belt. As far as progressing as a receiver, I think I’ve come a long way from training at Navy to the pre-draft process and stuff like that. Like everybody else in the locker room would tell you, they have a long way to go. There is room for improvement. That’s my mindset going forward.”
(We all know you as a very prolific runner in college. Have you been taking some snaps in the backfield this week as a running back, and could you see yourself doing that, if asked to, on Sunday?) – “I come out to practice every day and do whatever the coaches tell me. Whatever the game plan is, that’s what we plan on doing this Sunday.”
(We spoke to WR Jakeem Grant just a few minutes ago and he said that the receivers worked after practice with QB Tua Tagovailoa working on some timing. From your perspective, what are some things you can take away from staying after practice and putting in the extra work like that?) – “You can’t get anything right unless you work at it. Especially with Tua coming in recently, we’ve been working with him since he’s gotten here. We’re not too far off, but there is some fine-tuning to do. The reps after practice are extremely important, just as important as the reps in practice. We’re etting with him and trying to get things right every day.”
(Last week the coaches said that it was your performance in practice that week that earned you the opportunity and earned you plays in the game. How much do you think it was your chemistry that you have from working with QB Tua Tagovailoa previously, and how much of that was just, ‘I was just balling last week?’) – “It’s always good to have that history with somebody, all the way back to camp, throwing and catching with Tua. It’s good to have that, and also coming out to practice every day with the mindset that you want to get better and take every rep like it’s your last rep. Just having that mindset mixed with the history of Tua is good to have.”
(How much, when you do those Wildcat snaps, is it similar to you playing quarterback back at Navy?) – “There are some similarities, but obviously it’s the NFL. It’s a lot different than playing a ECU or whoever we’d be playing at Navy. There are some similarities, but it’s a whole different league here.”
(Going back to the overtime you guys do after practice, roughly how much time do you guys spend out there and whose idea was it to put in that extra work?) – “It depends on the day. It depends on how practice is going and if we need to work on something. It can range from five to 30 minutes depending on what we need to work on. It wasn’t really anybody’s idea. It’s just I feel like we all kind of got together after practice knowing we need to work on something. It kind of became a trend and it’s day-by-day how long we stay out there.”
(Regarding QB Tua Tagovailoa, what have you noticed about his demeanor? How would you describe his approach or sense you get from him this week, especially having a game under his belt?) – “I don’t think it’s changed much. He’s always been the same guy. He’s always confident. He’s always hard-working and he has a great personality in the huddle, outside the huddle and in the locker room. Not much has changed. It’s good to have a game under his belt and kind of get the feel for things. He hasn’t changed much. He’s a pretty consistent guy.”
(Talk about what you did during the time you were not active in practice – being sharp, staying prepared – so when you were activated, you’d be ready?) – “Just taking the scout team reps. Like I said, taking every rep like it’s your last rep, going as hard as you can and giving the defense a good look. Then also in the meeting rooms, staying on top of my stuff, studying at home and then after practice, getting the extra reps in that I may have missed out on during team periods.”
(What veteran slot receivers did you study on your own or that Wide Receivers Coach Josh Grizzard suggested you study? Did you know in your heart that you could be an affective NFL slot receiver or is that something you won’t know until you start getting a lot of game action?) – “I don’t think I went out of my way to idolize or look up to any other slot receivers in the league. I’ve been too busy focusing on what the Dolphins ask me to do. I think Isaiah Ford was a great role model. I looked up to him a lot and tried to model my preparation and practice after him. He worked hard. That would probably be the guy that I’d say I looked up to as a slot receiver in the league. And if I didn’t think I could play in the league, I don’t think I’d be here today. I definitely think I do (belong). It’s just a matter of time and a matter of reps that I get to my full potential.”
