Transcripts

Emmanuel Ogbah – December 30, 2021 Download PDF version

Thursday, December 30, 2021

DE Emmanuel Ogbah

(I know obviously what happens in March is the absolute last thing on your mind, but I wanted to ask you, I know you mentioned to us a couple of months ago you told Drew Rosenhaus not to say anything to you about extension thoughts once the season started. Has he broken that rule just in terms of presenting to you what the Dolphins’ best offer is?) – “Nah, I told him before the season I don’t want to be distracted with that, with that talk. Like I told him, handle his business and I’ll handle mine on the field. That’s what we are both doing.”

(Is it still your hope to be here long term with the fun you’ve had and how good you’ve been these last two years?) – “Oh yeah, that’s definitely been my goal, to stay here a long time and stay for the rest of my career. But whatever happens, leave it in God’s hands.”

(Early on this season, the story seemed to be how close this unit was getting to these sacks without you actually getting there as often as now. Obviously we see a lot more of those. I know we’ve asked you what it’s meant for you but for the whole unit in general, what’s been the key to now converting more of these sacks?) – “Just keep staying the course and just keep going, just keep attacking, not trying to do too much. Everybody has their own responsibilities that they have to handle. Just go out there and do your job and not try to do too much. I would say that’s what helped us out.”

(The double-digit sack artists in this league are considered the premier guys. You’re one away from that. How important would that sack be or getting to that level for you and also is there some sort of honor to having the NFL’s leading sack unit?) – “For sure, as a defense when you are leading the league in sacks as a defense, it’s always good for our defense because we’re doing a hell of a job. But for me, getting double-digit sacks, I mean if it’s going to help the team win games, then that’s what I’m going to do. I go in each game just trying to make plays so if it comes, it comes and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t come. I don’t put too much thought into it.”

(This Titans offensive line between COVID and injuries, they have had different lineups they’ve had to go with. I’m just curious from your perspective how challenging it is to prepare for multiple guys that you might see in the game up front?) – “It’s definitely challenging but that’s what film is for. You study every week your opponent and you see who you think they are going to have up there. You have to study each guy and know what each guy’s struggle is and that’s where you just go ahead and just focus on that. That’s usually what I focus on.”

(In the game on Monday, I saw S Brandon Jones was down there setting some picks on the stunts. What does that say about him that he can go down there and set a pick on a big 310-pound offensive lineman?) – “This is a multi-role defense, the more you can do, the better it is. B. Jones, he comes down there and he can blitz, he can run some games with us. He can do it all for us.”

(As you guys have been having a lot of success, a lot of sacks in recent weeks, have you seen whether the offensive linemen that you are going against or quarterbacks say or do anything kind of in frustration?) – “We love seeing QBs be frustrated when we give them different looks and we are attacking them. It brings joy to us. That means we are doing our job and we got to keep going, keep doing that.”

(What area would you say you’ve had the most growth in this particular defense? Where would you say you’ve developed the most in this defense?) – “I would say playing inside. Coming into this scheme, I didn’t really play inside that much. But just learning with the coaches, learning how to play inside better, taking on double teams, rushing the passer inside, it improved my game tremendously.”

(So you didn’t play much inside in Cleveland?) – “I did but not as much as I do here.”

(You feel like you played more inside here than you did in Cleveland?) – “Yes.”

Xavien Howard – December 30, 2021 Download PDF version

Thursday, December 30, 2021

CB Xavien Howard

(Obviously you’re familiar with QB Ryan Tannehill. Y’all got history together from practices. He’s not a quarterback that you can kind of confuse with those blitzes so how do you feel like you guys can get under his skin and get in his head?) – “Got to put a little pressure on him. I feel like the front’s got to put pressure on him. Just dealing with him as a teammate, just being here, just knowing some of the weak things for him, so I feel like that’s one of them that we’ve got to do.”

(I’m sure you got plenty of picks off of him in practice when y’all used to play. What do you think it’ll be like if you get one off of him Sunday?) – “It would be great, but we’re trying to take it one day at a time, I’d say. I feel like he’s definitely improved over the years just seeing him play and I’m expecting to see him do a lot of great things when we play him.”

(If I could follow on that, they’ve got a really good receiver on the other side with Titans WR A.J. Brown. I’m curious what you see in his game and if you get matched up on him, what are you looking at?) – “I feel like him and Julio (Jones) and (Nick) Westbrook(-Ikhine), he’s a sneaky guy that I feel he really do a good job. They’ve got a good receiving corps, I’d say. Very physical guys and we’ve just got to be ready to come play Sunday.”

(This Dolphins defense is now leading the NFL in sacks. Obviously the guys up front in blitzing have much to do with that. How much is that a total team effort that also involves the coverage?) – “It’s definitely a team effort. Guys get sacks [inaudible] on the back end, just doing their job on the back end. So it’s totally a team effort. We’ve just got to keep adding to that.”

(Last time you guys played Tennessee was the 2018 opener game that lasted like seven hours because of the two rain delays. Was that the weirdest game you’ve ever played in when you look back at that game? Like how crazy that was, how long it took?) – “Yeah, I remember that game. That was a crazy long game. We were in the locker room waiting, then went outside and came back in. There was a lot of stuff going on.”

(I’ll just follow up. I asked you earlier about Titans WR A.J. Brown. I wanted to ask you specifically about him. What in his game, when you watch him on film, stands out?) – “I feel like he’s very physical. I feel like he attacks the ball and also I feel like that’s Ryan’s favorite target. He’s definitely a top receiver I’d say in my book, and I’ve got to give him much respect as watching him on film and knowing what he’s good at. I’ve just got to do my job.”

(When you do face physical receivers, what’s the difference in terms of your approach or mindset going against guys who want to muscle up on you?) – “I feel like I can’t be aggressive. That’s their game I feel like they’re good at – being physical, pushing guys off and doing that. So I feel like I’ve got to do a little bit of jabs and stuff like that. I just can’t really just try to be physical because that’s what they’re good at, so I’ve got to do different. With physical guys, I try to add that into my gameplan, but also I know [inaudible] got to do it and not just doing it the whole game. I feel like it’s just like boxing. You can’t come with the same approach when you fight in a ring.”

(I don’t think we’ve talked to you since you were named to the Pro Bowl so just your reaction to that. Getting another one under your belt.) – “It was great. It was a great feeling getting that – accolades and stuff like that – but right now the focus is on Tennessee and just trying to win every week.”

Nik Needham – December 30, 2021 Download PDF version

Thursday, December 30, 2021

CB Nik Needham

(Did you hear from anyone you haven’t heard from in years after the pick-six on Monday Night Football?) – “Yeah, a couple people like that. Good and bad people, so it’s all good. (laughter)”

(Not giving any names, but can you elaborate? Were they former UTEP teammates? Coaches? What types of good and bad people?) – “Nah, just people I’ve met throughout the years, even dating back to like early high school and stuff. It was cool though. It was all love. It’s not like bad people. It’s just people I’ve never really talked to. It was like you weren’t talking to me back then, so it’s whatever. (laughter)”

(Do you regret throwing the ball as opposed to keeping it for your home?) – “No, I actually have the ball. That’s what a lot of people do not know. They think the ball is gone but I have it. Mack (Hollins) actually caught it when it came down, so that was cool. Then he gave it to me. In the moment though, yeah at that point I didn’t really care. But then after, I was like ‘Damn, I hope somebody got that.’ (laughter)”

(Will it be displayed in your home? Have you figured out where you’re going to put it?) – “Not yet but I definitely have to save that one, for sure. I gave my first pick to my mom and my second one to my dad, so I’ll keep this one, for sure.”

(That was my main thought as you entered the end zone. I was like what were you doing throwing the ball away?) – “(laughter) I had a bunch of people hitting me like, ‘Man, good play but what are you doing? What are you thinking? You’ve got to keep that.’ I was like, ‘I’ve got it, man. Relax. Don’t worry about it.’”

(How are you sure it’s that exact ball that WR Mack Hollins caught?) – “Because you can see it in the live roll. It disappears for a couple of seconds and then it comes back down and he just catches it with like one hand.”

(I wanted to ask you about all the things this team has asked you to do this season. I know it’s been a journey for you the last three years to master your job, earn your job, keep your job. What’s it like to be finally trusted?) – “It feels great. But like I’ve said, I’m not trying to worry too much or focus too much on stuff like that because the only thing I can control is my attitude and effort and play on the field so at the end of the day, I can make plays. (If I) do that, then they’ll have more trust in me. For me personally, I just want to make more plays or do more, do anything I can do to help the team win more. I’ve just got to focus on this next week coming up.”

(How would you describe the level of confidence that this team is playing with right now?) – “I think they’re playing with a pretty good level of confidence, winning some good games in a row and just keep trying to stack the wins week by week and just keep listening to what ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) has been saying all year like we’ve been trying to do. Just focus on the little things and pay attention to the little details because in the end, it plays a big part in the long run. If we can just all focus on just executing the little details, we can try to keep this rolling.”

(There’s been so many guys making contributions on defense, especially during this winning streak. Today we got the news about LB Jerome Baker getting the player of the month award. What’s your reaction to that, especially given how it seems like everybody is contributing?) – “Well, my first year, I could see that Jerome Baker was a baller. They were showing me some clips of him making plays. I think he’s just excelling at what he does. I think as a team though, I think we’re all just accepting our role and everybody accepts their role and is doing that and playing their part in the defense and not trying to do too much or do everybody else’s job or try to make every play. I think everybody has just found their little niche and their little role and is doing well and succeeding at that. We’ve just got to keep doing that.”

(Not that you play for this, but I’m sure it’s nice to get national recognition for the defense.) – “Yeah, it feels good. We knew what kind of defense we were in the beginning of the year and things just weren’t working out well at the beginning of the season. But now we’re all clicking on the same page and we’re showing the world what we can do. We just want to keep going out and executing well, and taking it onto the next week.”

(I apologize if this got asked. I jumped on late. What happened to the football on the pick-six? I saw you threw it up into the air. Did you get it back?) – “Yeah, I threw it up and then Mack (Hollins) caught it. It bounced down and I ended up getting it. Somebody thought I threw it in the stands but yeah, they ended up telling me the equipment manager had it.”

(I saw that and I was wondering if you’d regret doing that but I’m glad you got it back.) – “Yeah, I was telling everybody – everybody was hitting me up like ‘What are you doing?’”

(So heading up to the Titans on Sunday, what kind of challenges do they present for you guys in that defensive secondary?) – “They’ve got some big-bodied receivers. A.J. Brown, Julio (Jones). They’ve got a good, strong run game. A veteran quarterback who has seen every defense, so he knows what he’s getting. We’ve all got to be on the same page and make sure that we’re giving them some different looks and try to switch it up and just make sure we keep executing and try to get some turnovers. Turnovers are big in games like these.”

Jevon Holland – December 29, 2021 Download PDF version

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

S Jevon Holland

(I know you’re a guy that generally likes to keep things light but it seems like even at the short portion of practice that I saw today, you were kind of dancing and having fun. Do you see that as a whole from this group, just knowing that you guys have turned this whole season around and that there’s important games to be played? What’s the atmosphere of this team right now?) – “The mood of the team, everybody is excited to play the Titans. It’s a big game. They’re a really tough opponent. They’ve got great offense, defense, special teams. They’re really well-coached. This is what we do. We play football and enjoy the time that we have. Just having a good time while doing it.”

(I know that the message from Head Coach Brian Flores, the message from the top down is just to focus on what’s in front of you, take things one day at a time but you personally, do you hear the situation that you’re in knowing that you have to win these final two games to get to the playoffs or do you just try to block that out?) – “No, I have no idea what you’re talking about actually. We are focused on the Titans and that’s it.”

(Speaking of the Titans, we saw WR A.J. Brown come back last week and have a big impact. I know you won’t really matchup as far as lining up across from him but you’ll have a big impact in that defensive secondary. I was just curious, it seemed like the 49ers knew where it was going, the Titans wanted to go back to A.J. Brown in that game. What makes him so difficult to stop even when maybe you know the ball is going that way?) – “He’s a large, athletic, consistent receiver. He’s one of the best in the league and you see that week in and week out. We just go to game plan for it and go out there and execute. He’s a hell of a player. He’s been a hell of a player in the league, has a great career, so I’m excited to play him. I was growing up watching him so it’s going to be a good time, I’m going to enjoy myself.”

(I just wanted to ask you about some of the challenges as a safety on the COVID list. You had it last week, S Brandon Jones this week. I know you’re in Zoom meetings but what more can happen to prepare you last week, Brandon this week? Does Defensive Backs Gerald Alexander get on the phone with you guys, safeties on the COVID list who can’t actually be at practice? Does he talk to you guys at night just to give you more information? What is that like?) – “We’re just meeting on Zoom, like you said. We’re not in the meeting rooms. We’re actually still on the Zoom meeting calls while on the COVID list listening and understanding the game plan just in case that we do test back in. There’s really no drop off and we did that specifically for that reason so that everybody can stay on top of everything. There really isn’t a lack of communication or need for extra communication.”

(Just having a player like S Eric Rowe, I know he’s been helpful to you this year being able to step in and he’d play a lot anyway but if S Brandon Jones is not there, what has Eric meant to your development and learning the NFL this year?) – “He’s meant a lot. Him and ‘J-Mac; (Jason McCourty) both, they basically played the same role for me as two northern stars that I can follow in two different ways. ‘J-Mac’ has been in the league for a super long time. ‘E-Rowe’ (Eric Rowe) has been in the league for a long time but he’s taken a different path. Both of them, but Eric for real has meant a lot to me in my development and confidence back there.”

(A lot of times it looks like offenses are very confused by the looks you guys give them and send pressure. From your standpoint, how hard was it to learn what you guys are doing upfront so you’re not confused at what your responsibility is? When you’re sending blitzes and sending different books…) – “My understanding of the defensive front or the offensive front?”

(Defensive. The defense. Like what your assignment is when you’re disguising and when you’re doing different looks to confuse the offense.) – “No, that’s just kind of built into the defense. As a safety, I consider myself one of the quarterbacks of the defense. I want to understand everybody’s role so that I can best fit myself to confuse the offense. It’s not necessarily a difficulty, it’s kind of just as a professional knowing the defense, really.”

(Obviously you guys do more than a traditional defense. I guess my question was, was it more difficult than maybe your time at Oregon at all to pick up some of the different disguises, different types of packages that you guys want to run here?) – “Yeah. Oregon, I was in college and I played nickel in Oregon. This is the NFL. I don’t mean to sound like that but this is the NFL. It’s hard. It’s hard, so yeah. It’s a lot more difficult now than it was before.”

Isaiah Ford – December 29, 2021 Download PDF version

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

WR Isaiah Ford

(How has this expanded role in recent games gone for you? Obviously somewhat due to whether it be injury or some COVID, but just handling the expanded role and your role here?) – “My approach is the same. I think I’ve kind of said that over. That’s the way you have to be. Prepare as if you are going to play. Prepare as if you are the starter even if you’re not getting all the reps because realistically, you’re only one play away. When that opportunity comes, you want to be able to make the most of it and preparation helps you build that confidence in being ready, so I think that’s all I’ve tried to do.”

(You guys all play multiple positions in that receiver room and there’s all kinds of stacks and bunches and motions. It just seems like a lot. I was curious what the coaching point or if there is a common theme among all the receivers to be able to compartmentalize all those roles and play the versatility you guys have in that room. Is there a common theme or is there a coaching point you guys go back to for all that?) – “I think the biggest thing is just learning conceptionally. I think a lot of times, or at times, younger guys will sit there and say, ‘Hey, well I’m an X,’ or, ‘I’m a Z,’ or, ‘I play in the slot,’ and they stick to that position. I think in our room, we can all move around. We have Devante (Parker) in the slot and we can put Jaylen (Waddle) out wide. I think him being able to pick that up and everybody else in the room being able to do that as well helps us to be able to help each other to where if somebody didn’t hear the call correctly, we can help Tua (Tagovailoa) get lined up. We can mix and match and so it’s hard to just know where someone is so a team can game plan for that person if they’re move all around, so it helps us be a better offense.”

(A couple of things, we’ve seen a lot of motion in this offense, we’ve seen Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey have some real creative play calls the last month. What has stood out to you about George Godsey as a play caller?) – “Just giving the defenses a bunch of different things to look at and then building plays off of plays. I think that in this league, everyone has pretty much seen everything so being able to come up with different ways to run similar plays, similar concepts and even simplifying them enough to where we can go out there and execute them has been the biggest thing. We’ve just made enough plays to win these games, bottom line.”

(I was going to ask you about WR Jaylen Waddle. Obviously, what a great rookie season. What surprised you about him? We all knew about the speed obviously but has anything surprised you about him?) – “Not really. We had a similar receiver coach, or we had the same receiver coach from college my last year and then his coach his past two years (at Alabama). I pretty much heard the same things that he was hearing. Jaylen is extremely talented. The sky is the limit for him and you can just see his confidence growing more and more with each catch, each rep he’s getting. He’s an awesome player.”

Tua Tagovailoa – December 29, 2021 Download PDF version

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

QB Tua Tagovailoa

(As you guys are at 8-7 and kind of find yourself in the position where you just need to win these final two games to make the playoffs, I guess what can you kind of draw back from your time at Alabama playing these kind of high stakes playoff-type games whether it was in SEC Championship games or college playoff games?) – “All those games are electric. They’re fun. I would say it’s just a different stage where all these games mean a lot getting towards the ending of the season. I would say all of these games are big-time games and we’ve got to do all that we can to prepare the right way so that we can hopefully go ahead and get a win this week.”

(You guys did something that no NFL team has done in history. You had a seven-game losing streak and a seven-game winning streak in the same season and I’m just curious as one of the leaders on the team, how is it that you think the guys in the locker room were able to keep belief when you were 1-7 to put you in this position now where you’re 8-7 with an opportunity to go to the playoffs?) – “I think the belief has always been in the locker room. It’s really just the execution from all of us – being able to play together. There would be times where the defense plays really well and we’ve got to pick it up on offense – we don’t play as well as we should and vice versa. Or maybe something happens where penalties take a toll on the game for us as a team. So we just weren’t playing complementary football – like we’ve been saying – the way that we’re kind of doing now. That’s that.”

(I always enjoy asking about the opposing team’s safeties and kind of how they make your job more difficult. Tennessee has an All-Pro in Titans S Kevin Byard. What have you seen from him and how he kind of makes that defense clicks as far as disguising coverages and everything they do?) – “Like you said, he’s a Pro Bowler so he’s really good at what he does. In the back end, he’s their communicator. He gets guys aligned in the back end. He communicates out where everyone needs to be, who’s pressuring, who needs to replace him, all of that. So he’s the captain for them in the back end and I think he’s done a really good job so we’ve definitely got to be aware of where he’s at and who he’s covering at all times and look pretty much elsewhere for our matchups.”

(Titans QB Ryan Tannehill will be on the other side. For Dolphins fans that brings a lot of extra meaning to this game as if it needs anything extra. For you, do you just forget about the opposing QB and focus on who you’re going against, which is the actual Titans defense?) – “Yeah. I mean Ryan (Tannehill) is not playing corner or he’s not going to be pressuring me, so I’m not going to be watching film on Ryan. But I have a lot of respect for the things that he’s done throughout his career, his football career being here and also what he’s doing there at Tennessee. But yeah, we’re focused on what their defense can do to stop us. Not looking at Ryan playing defense.”

(I’m wondering whether any of your coaches, whether it be Head Coach Brian Flores, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville, Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye, have had discussions with you since the game on Monday night about making sure you get in your head to slide when you’re scrambling as opposed to going up against a guy like CB P.J. Williams for example on Monday night?) – “I mean, yeah, literally everyone. It’s not just the coaches. Everyone. (The senior director of football communications) comes up to me and asks me why I’m not sliding. (laughter) It’s weird. I don’t know if (she) has ever played football and she’s telling me to slide. It is what it is. Just being out there, it’s different. For me, in that scenario, I wanted to get a first down so PJ Williams fell off the guy that he was covering and that’s what happened. At the end of the day, it’s football.”

(They’ve got a really good player up front with DT Jeffery Simmons on the other side. I’m curious as a quarterback, what does interior pressure do you for you versus maybe traditional edge pressure as far as how you are in the pocket and trying to do what you guys want to do offensively?) – “Interior pressure wreaks havoc really on the game both in the run and the passing game. In the run game because the holes aren’t going to be there, the runner’s got to bounce it out forcing their edge players – which really, their contain players are more than likely going to be out there. And for the pass game, stepping up, it’s hard to step up into the pocket with interior pressure. But I’m pretty good friends with Jeffery. We played against each other while he was at Mississippi State and I was at Alabama. Great player, good person, but we do understand that it’s going to be a tough task for us offensively to know where he’s at at all times and get him blocked.”

(You mentioned you’re good friends with him. Do you tell him to take it easy on you this week?) – “Yeah, no matter what you tell your friends, it’s competition.”

(I wanted to ask you about WR Mack Hollins’ impact on the offense. You guys talk about guys making the most of their opportunities and Mack has had limited opportunities, but it seems like he’s made an awful lot of big plays. I wonder if you could describe that impact he has for you guys?) – “Mack (Hollins) has made a great impact for us. As you can see, every time he’s downed the ball on the 1-yard line, that Gritty is amazing. So those are some big plays. I don’t know if those are the big plays you’re talking about, but he’s done a great job with the Gritty. I thought that was amazing. But yeah no, Mack has done a great job for us with a lot of the deep balls that he’s been given. He takes advantage of his opportunities when he gets in, so I think he’s done a great job with that.”

Mike Gesicki – December 29, 2021 Download PDF version

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

TE Mike Gesicki

(TE Durham Smythe wore your shirt today. What do you think?) – “I think it’s a good look. I think he should wear that shirt more often honestly. (laughter) I do appreciate his support. I’m not entirely sure what the occasion is, but I do appreciate it.”

(I think it’s the career high receiving yards. He did say it’s the first time he’s worn it.) – “It definitely is the first time he’s worn it. Rumor has it he’s also wearing it on the trip this weekend, so I’m looking for that as well. (laughter)”

(QB Ryan Tannehill is going to be on the other side. There was some crossover between you and him earlier in your career in Miami. What did that time mean to you and what will it be like seeing him on the other side?) – “I like Ryan a lot. I’m happy for his success. He’s a good guy, a good player. Like I said, I’m happy for his success and I’m looking forward to us competing against his team this week.”

(We’ve seen a lot of motion from this offense. We’ve seen creative play calls from Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey the last few weeks. What has stood out to you about George Godsey as a play caller? Obviously you know him well as your position coach for four years.) – “George has done a very good job as well as Eric (Studesville) of implementing different things into our offense and being creative, and at the end of the day, doing whatever it takes to get a win.”

Durham Smythe – December 29, 2021 Download PDF version

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

TE Durham Smythe

(Fun to see the continued evolution of you as a dangerous receiving threat in this offense. I know you’re always happy to do whatever is asked of you of course, but has there been some satisfaction in the expanded role in the receiving game? Do you feel like you’ve needed to prove yourself in that way over three years to convince the coaches to give you more of that role, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey, etc.?) – “I think you hit it on the head with the opening of the question. I try to do what’s asked. That’s kind of been my mindset really dating back to college because offenses are always changing. Some years you’re going to run the ball more. Some years you’re going to have to throw the ball, so I just try to do what’s asked of me. It is always nice every now and then to have something kind of show up from a statistical standpoint, but I’ve always just tried to do what’s asked whether that’s in the run game, pass protection, being a receiver – whatever it is – special teams. So that’s my mindset and that’s kind of what it’s always been.”

(Was there ever a conversation the last year or two with Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey where it was conveyed that you would be looked for more in the passing game because clearly these are career numbers for you and you are being targeted more than ever before?) – “Not directly. I think like I said, each year the offense evolves in a different way so you have to be ready to adapt and play the role that you’re needed to play. I think that’s just the evolution of our offense this year and that’s kind of how it’s been. Everyone has to roll with the punches. You have to be able to adapt in this league and be able to do what’s needed. So I think that’s just kind of how it’s been.”

(I have two different things on two totally different topics. The first one I’ve got to ask you about the t-shirt. Did you have that specifically made or how’d that…?) – “I was hoping someone would ask. Let’s give another view of it. (laughter) I just wanted to obviously pay the respects back. Mike (Gesicki) hit his career high for a season in receiving yards this past week so thought it was worth a shoutout there. I didn’t have it personally made. This I think is for sale somewhere, but this was given to me from Mike last year so I’ve held onto it. Unfortunately this is the first time I’ve worn it. He’d probably be pretty angry to hear, but maybe I’ll break it out more starting now.”

(Totally different topic. You were a rookie in 2018 when Titans QB Ryan Tannehill played here his last year. I wanted to ask your recollections of playing with him as your quarterback.) – “Yeah, he was actually in the locker right next to me in 2018. Great guy. Great football mind. He’s one of those guys that can look at a defense and tell you a lot of things just by really subtle things the defense does. So it was nice having him honestly around my rookie year as a guy who could teach us a little bit coming right out of college. He’s a great player obviously. Has been for a long time and like I said, it was nice having him around for our rookie year.”

Search Transcripts

Weekly Archives