Michael Deiter – September 2, 2021
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Thursday, September 2, 2021
C Michael Deiter
(I know you probably don’t take a moment to appreciate the moment because you push yourself hard and you’re just looking at what’s next ahead, but was there any moment this week of just being maybe proud of yourself for winning this competition? Obviously it was a competitive battle at center.) – “Maybe for a second it was cool, but I’m more focused on keeping the job and making sure that I’m playing well. Obviously it means a lot for them to trust me to go out and play center but I need to make sure that they made the right decision, so that’s what I’ve got to focus on.”
(What do you think you showed that proved to coaches that you should be the guy?) – “I just try to work hard every day and make sure that I was on my assignment and make sure that I was communicating well because at center, you want to make sure you’re communicating well, getting everything dialed up up front and then just competing and working hard to help this team win. I guess I did that.”
(What’s the biggest change between the 2021 starting center Michael Deiter versus whatever year it was you were a starting center the last time?) – “I would say just way more experience, obviously. It’s been probably five years since I was last playing center but more experience, more confidence. I’m playing with a good group of guys. I’d say more excitement but definitely more experience, more confidence, the ability to go up there and make calls and trust it and cut it loose.”
(You’ll see C Ted Karras on the field next week. In your transition to center last year, what things specifically did you watch about him to learn about the nuances of playing center, which have helped you?) – “Ted was definitely a detailed guy. He was in there watching film and talking with guys, meeting with quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends and all of that. He was just super detailed. He’s also a little bit intense and that was something that was good to see. Detailed and intensity and I definitely try to mimic that for sure because he brought great detail and great intensity every day. It definitely paid off for him. He was a leader and was helping guys out and controlling things, and that’s definitely something I try to mimic and keep that going.”
(Obviously the quarterback/center relationship is important. In what ways have you and QB Tua Tagovailoa’s relationship developed?) – “It’s definitely grown a lot because last year, the little bit of work we got together, there wasn’t much communication there. Like, ‘hey, what do you need? The snap’s good. Should we work cadence? This look versus that look? All of that stuff.’ Whereas this year, after every series we’re talking. ‘How are the snaps? How are the cadences? Should we mix anything up? Anything different we can get to on this look versus that look?’ We also went golfing a few times. Every aspect of that relationship off the field and on the field. It’s been cool to spend more time with him and grow with him.”
(Where is this line’s evolution? How would you assess your progress so far?) – “I wouldn’t say we’re at any point in any journey but we’re getting better and that’s all we need to focus on. We know we can be way better and we want to be way better and more consistent and all of that; but we just need to keep working every day to get a little bit better every day. Then maybe at the end of the year, I can say we’re finally at the point we wanted to be at. But right now we’re not at any point in our development or anything like that. We just need to get better, more consistent and all of that.”
(How would you describe the role that the offensive line’s performance will play in the offense’s success over the course of the entire season?) – “It will be super important. I mean you can’t have great skill players, a great quarterback and all of that and then have a line that isn’t helping the offense. It will just hold them back and we need to be a group that doesn’t hold them back but helps us excel. That just starts with consistency, playing smart, good technique and all of that. We just need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to make this offense go and not have it be the o-line that’s holding them back.”
(There’s been, I guess, some criticism of the O-line in the past. Do you guys use that as motivation, as tools to try to…?) – “Sure. But really, the guys in the room are critical of themselves. You don’t need to get on Twitter and see you’re getting roasted to be like, ‘man, I need to play better.’ It’s watching the tape and understanding and listening to your coaches say ‘hey, this is what we need to do better. This is what was bad. This is what needs to be better. All of that stuff – that’s the good criticism that you get from your coaches, that you get from watching your tape and just learning from it. You definitely don’t need to get all mad about something going on on the Internet to think, ‘I need to play better because someone was talking crap about me.’”
(You said you played a little golf with QB Tua Tagovailoa. How did you shoot out there?) – “I didn’t play very well and Tua, he just started playing this summer, so we both looked a little brutal out there. But it was a good time. We definitely can get a lot better, for sure.”
(It seems like golf has been a common theme. G Solomon Kindley was talking about how guys maybe having some Top Golf outings and he said he wasn’t very good out there too.) – “Nuh uh. He struggles. (laughter) We all need to get better at a lot of things and for sure our golf swing.”
(Who are among the better golfers then?) – “Reid (Sinnett) is a good golfer. Jesse (Davis) is coming along. Some days I’m not half bad. Some days – every like 10th shot – is pretty. Jason (Sanders) is a great golfer. He’s definitely the best.”
(It’s often the backup QBs and the kickers, huh?) – “Yeah. It makes sense.”
(Did you ever get to skate with the Florida Panthers?) – “No. And I want to, so that would be cool. (laughter) Offseason. I’ll just come sit in the corner and dish out pucks if they need me to.”
(Do you remember at one point that you were told by Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre that you would get first-team snaps? Because we’ve seen you obviously throughout the offseason, throughout training camp. I would imagine when they signed C Matt Skura, you might have wondered if you would be competing with him. What was the point where he first told you that you’re our guy for now, and you’re getting first-team opportunities?) – “There really never was a point where it was like ‘hey, you’re the guy,’ or anything like that. It was you, Matt (Skura) and Cam(eron Tom) are all going to get reps with each group and it will all shake out from there. I interpreted that as you’re getting a chance. But you all are. It was never a ‘you’re going to start here and we’ll see how it goes’ (thing). It was all you’re all going to get work from every group and we’ll just go from there.”
(What’s the biggest difference I guess for you shifting from guard to center?) – “It’s definitely just mental. I mean I’m doing a lot more talking. You have to see defenses at guard but now I have to look at a lot more and I’m getting all of our calls out and things are adjusting on the fly and all of this other stuff. I would say mentally – it’s just a lot more mentally but physically sometimes it’s almost a little easier. But mentally it’s a lot more just getting guys right. At guard, I’d be looking at Dan Kilgore, going ‘what do we got?’ And now I’m the center where the guards are wondering what I’m about to say.”
(At what point did you start to feel pretty good about your chances to be the center?) – “I don’t know. I always felt good about my chances if I was getting opportunities. I would say all camp I’ve felt ok about it. I was just worried about playing good and making sure that I’ve got the same opportunities the next day; and if I did, I didn’t want to waste it.”
(We’ve heard a little about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s cadence maybe getting stronger. Do you have to get your voice stronger to kind of…) – “For sure. I’m definitely not a loud, yelling guy. Especially when we’re at away games, it’s going to be a lot of guys looking down the line and wondering what the call is. I’ve got to get loud and get some bass to me.”
