Nik Needham – August 26, 2020
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
CB Nik Needham
(I wanted to get your thoughts on how different this year has been for the secondary than last year. It seemed last year every week there would be a new DB who was signed and they would potentially even play that Sunday. Here you have a lot more depth and competition. What’s the difference been for you?) – “The difference is just I think for me coming into my second year, just the game is kind of slowing down a little bit for me and just in training camp, we’ve had the same guys out here – all competitive, all willing to work, all trying to give it their hardest – so it’s just been a real competitive camp this year, for sure.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores talked a little bit last year about recognizing some talent in you pretty early on during camp. He mentioned some things you hard to work on to get off the practice squad. Then you get called up and have that immediate impact right away. I’m curious what are some of those things that you worked on and is there anything in particular this offseason you worked on the same way?) – “This offseason, last offseason, it’s the same things – just getting in shape. Last year I came into camp at 205 and I wasn’t able to run at my full potential and finish a whole practice through that heat. Definitely this offseason that just came up right now, I was more focused on that and didn’t want to let that happen again, so I came in and had one of my best overall body compositions; so I was a good body weight and body fat. That’s what I was focused on – just eating right and really taking it more professionally.”
(We heard a little bit about I guess the emphasis on turnovers and getting hands on the ball, and they told us a little bit about the point system. Can you kind of take us behind the scenes on the point system and how things are going in that realm for the DBs?) – “We get points for scoops – it doesn’t matter if it’s an incomplete pass or not. He wants everybody focused on getting to the ball, get to the ball, get to the ball. So any ball on the ground he wants us to scoop and interceptions – obviously that’s the biggest key to change the game – so we do like a little pushup contest and then at the end of the year, we’ve got another contest. It’s the ‘hood’ versus the ‘burbs’ – those are the names of the teams. It’s all about getting to the ball though. It’s all mainly focused on getting to the ball, stripping out the ball, trying to force as many turnovers as we can and that’ll help us win a lot of games.”
(We talked to CB Noah Igbinoghene the other day and he mentioned you by name and a couple other guys. What’s it been like working with him and just being in the same secondary with him?) – “It’s been cool. It’s crazy that he’s only 20 years old. The dude’s physically gifted, for sure – 205, runs a 4.3 – so I’m in awe of him as well. I’m like, ‘damn, that’s crazy.’ But no, he’s a great player – physical, always willing to learn and a great teammate to have, for sure.”
(Before I get to my question I want to ask what your weight is now. You said you slimmed down. What is it now?) – “193.”
(It seems that Head Coach Brian Flores is pretty good at pushing buttons. Do you remember an instance last year where he may have kind of played some games with you and helped you become a better player?) – “No, I just didn’t – I failed my first conditioning test, which was very embarrassing for me because I was one of the only ones and that was just being out of shape; so it was like a little team joke. Everybody was calling me like fat and stuff, so in my mind I was like, I can never have that again. So I was just always pushing my hardest to never be that guy again. Like I can’t be the only one like that. I was talking about how I got a gut at DB and stuff, (laughter) so we used to make little jokes like that so I was like, never again. I can’t have that happen, so I set my mind to it. Spinach. (laughter)”
(I want to ask you about CB Byron Jones but before I do that since we’re getting all these statistics, I know CB Noah Igbinoghene probably has like the most ridiculous body mass index. You mentioned BMI. What are the numbers for you?) – “I think I was 193 and 7.3 percent body fat; but like that’s what I’m saying, that was my ideal and best one I could be at because last year I was like, 205, 10 or 11 percent body fat. It’s just maintaining that and keeping that. I’ve felt it on the field as well. It’s definitely paid off.”
(The CB Byron Jones question. Obviously he’s got a lot of years of experience. What, if anything, has he said or what have you observed that’s kind of helped you?) – “Just how he approaches everything – practice, meetings – anything he does, he treats it just like the same thing and he just attacks it. He’s very focused. He’s very, very focused and he’s very intellectual; so he gives me a bunch of tips, smart tips that I can use on the field and just from his experience in being out there. He’s played like, 59 games – that’s a lot of experience out there – so anything on film he sees, he’ll give little tips on how he’d play something in the game or something of that nature. So I just use that all in my tool box.”
(Last year you started a good amount of games. What did you learn from that and did it humble you a little bit to begin this camp as a backup?) – “We’re all just working out there, but I just always came in and just worked – worked my hardest – and whatever Coach (Brian Flores) tells me to do, I’m going to do that. So I just try to do it to the best of my ability. I’m not really worried about positions or anything like that. Wherever they need me, I’m willing to go and give it my all.”
(Regarding the change in weight that you were talking about earlier, did that include a major change in diet? Is there something you gave up that you really miss?) – “Like I said last year, just not as much fast food and really locking in. I didn’t think that eating a bunch of nonsense really affected me like that, and I would watch guys like Chad Ochocinco – said he eats McDonald’s before every practice – so I’m like, ‘oh see, it doesn’t even matter;’ but to me, it definitely matters. I’ve heard there’s only a couple people like that in the NFL that can do that; so I definitely learned it didn’t work for me, so I had to figure that out the hard way.”
(Just kind of following up with what we were talking about with the point system if I ask a two-parter on that. One, what’s sort of the delineation for what you get point-wise for interception versus hand on the ball versus PBU and all that stuff?) – “Picks are the most. I think it’s five points for picks. For a scoop – if you get a scoop of a fumble – it’s like three points; and then PBUs is one point. We’re trying to get to pick, but – and also if you drop a pick, that’s missed opportunity. I think that’s minus-five as well, so we’ll holding everybody accountable. If the ball touches your hands, you need to make a play on it.”
(Okay and then I guess you said the teams – the “Hood” versus the “Burbs” – how did that come about and which team are you on?) – “That was ‘Coach G.A.’ (Gerald Alexander). He brought that here. He just had two team captains. It was Byron (Jones) and Bobby (McCain). Byron’s captain of the Burbs and then Bobby is team captain of the Hood, so Bobby had drafted me I think in like the fifth round or something (laughter) to the team. But yeah, that’s how it went down.”
(I’m curious to ask you about the competition you’ve seen – not just in the NFL in general but this year in training camp – coming out of UTEP, obviously you’re not going to find DeVante Parkers and Preston Williams down there. What have you learned from those guys but also your experience last year going up against some of the league’s best as you played so many snaps at cornerback last season?) – “I’ve definitely learned – definitely from DeVante (Parker) and Preston (Williams) that you can be draped all over them; the quarterback is still going to trust them to make a play on the ball. He’s going to throw it up there to only where they can reach it, so you’ve got to be good at playing the hands and sometimes you may not even be able to look back because you don’t know exactly where that ball is going to be placed because they have such a long reach and extension. And that’s also what I learned in the NFL. Just because you’re all over a guy doesn’t necessarily mean he’s all the way covered. They’re still NFL receivers, too, so they can make plays on the ball no matter what.”
