Jesse Davis – December 13, 2021
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Monday, December 13, 2021
G/T Jesse Davis
(Obviously you know what is happening with the running back room, what are the challenges to develop chemistry or have them get a feel with some of the younger backs – and in RB Duke Johnson’s case, not necessarily younger because I think he’s the oldest back in the room – but some of the backs that you guys generally don’t go with?) – “For us, it’s not too much of building chemistry. It’s more of them trying to build chemistry with themselves, I think. I’m confident with these young guys and especially with having Duke back there too as a vet. We’re just focused on trying to get ourselves better too up front, trying to get our looks right and trying to get our chemistry down too. I think we’ll be all right.”
(During this stretch of five straight wins, I did the numbers and I crunched it up – you guys are averaging 28 carries per game. Good number? Great number? How do you feel about that?) – “As long as we are getting wins as a team, I think that’s the biggest thing there. Obviously, you want to run the ball. As long as we can get it down the field and not take negative plays, I think that’s the ultimate goal there.”
(I’m taking an informal survey here, national signing day is Wednesday – what was signing day like for you?) – “It’s a life-changing thing for any guy or woman going through that. Obviously, a full ride scholarship to a D-I program. Couldn’t ask for anything else really at that time.”
(Did you know that morning that you would be signing with Idaho or was it up in the air?) – “Yeah, I had a couple offers. I think it was Eastern Washington and then Portland State and Idaho. Idaho was close. I liked the head coach there. It was Robb Akey, who is awesome, and that’s what kind of sold me on the program. It was good for me and I enjoyed my time there.”
(What’s the season been like for you? New fatherhood, I’m also in the new fatherhood club and it’s quite tiring, and then having a young unit that looks towards you for leadership and you guys having early struggles and a new position. What has this season been like?) – “Every season is different, no matter who is returning and who’s new. It’s all about building chemistry with your team and teammates. Obviously, we’ve had our challenges and I think we’ve just put our head down and go to work. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, we try to fix the negatives and we try to move forward and get our praise from the good. Every season is a challenge.”
(What have you learned from this season?) – “Mostly just fight through all the adversity and try to get better each play. I try to tell the guys every play get focused, get up, get set, let’s go to work and just focus on the play. Adversity is probably the biggest thing we had to fight through.”
Byron Jones – December 13, 2021
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Monday, December 13, 2021
CB Byron Jones
(How concerned are you about the fact that there have been three positive breakthrough cases in the past week?) – “That’s something that everyone is dealing with on each and every team, so the next guy up, that’s always the mentality. I think it gives guys, young guys, an opportunity to step up and show what they got. Hopefully we get those guys back as soon as possible but we’re looking forward.”
(I know you all are vigilant anyways about this with the way Head Athletic Trainer Kyle Johnston and Head Coach Brian Flores and all the players have handled things, but was there an additional message from Flores today about you guys have to be even more careful in light of what’s happening with breakthrough cases and variants?) – “Throughout the entire season it was the same message. We understood that other teams were having outbreaks. We were getting pretty lucky for the first two, three months, and we’re just trying to take it day-by-day. Guys are smart. They understand don’t go out too often, wash your hands, take care of each other and get to Sunday.”
(This one is kind of out of left field, I know, but national signing day is coming up in a couple of days and I’m wondering for you as an NFL player, if I could take you back to national singing day for you, what was that like?) – “It was amazing. It was incredible. For me, I understood that I had an opportunity to go to a really good public institution at the University of Connecticut and I was starting a new chapter of my life and it was going to be for free at no cost to my parents or me. It was incredible. I knew it was a new beginning for me. It was a new chapter and I’m just incredibly fortunate to get that experience, really. It was my only offer but it was the only one I needed.”
(Did you know that morning when you woke up what you were going to do and were you still under pressure from other schools or anything?) – “Oh no, UConn was my only offer. I was a two-star athlete coming out of Connecticut. I didn’t get many looks but it all ended up working out for me. It was a beautiful experience at the University of Connecticut and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
(I know one of the important things that this team has done successfully is not look too far ahead but do you guys, after that [five]-game winning streak, look at the fact that you’re still in it, that you still have reasons to play for, you still can achieve a lot of your goals and do you talk about that at all?) – “No, the focus is really just on the next game. I’ll tell you what, this NFL season has been crazy where teams have started out extraordinarily well and fell apart as the season went along. Our focus is just on the next game. We kind of keep it simple that way. It’s too hard to open your vision because you can get got on any given Sunday at this point. We are focused on the Jets at this point.”
(This is the first time you guys seemingly get an opportunity to play the young rookie, QB Zach Wilson. What are the challenges that come with playing a young, inexperienced quarterback?) – “I’ll tell you what, the guy he is impressive. He’s a gunslinger, man. He’s taking shots down the field. He’s making really smart decisions. He’s making plays for his team with his feet. He’s impressive. He’s impressive for a young guy and we have our hands full but that’s an exciting challenge, playing against these young hotshots. These guys are good and it’s exciting to get a chance to play against these young guys that are coming up that are going to be perennial starters in this league. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Brian Flores – December 13, 2021
Monday, December 13, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I wanted to ask with RB Myles Gaskin and RB Salvon Ahmed ending up on the COVID-19 list last week, can you shed some light on the timeline of the return of those tests? Obviously, you guys had your last walkthrough last Wednesday. And is there any concern that this might not be an isolated case?) – “Yeah, so those guys tested positive last week. As far as timeline, exact days, whenever they ended up on the (transaction) wire, I would say that’s the day. I don’t have that exactly in front of me. What was the other part of that question?”
(Is there any concern that those aren’t isolated situations?) – “Per protocol, we test once a week. The guys tested today. We just follow the protocols as we normally do. But there’s no feeling that this is that type of situation. But again, I also don’t have a crystal ball here and with everyone coming off of the bye week and kind of getting away, part of our discussion was being safe and understanding that there is still a pandemic out here. We’ll follow the protocols and practice the guys who are here.”
(There was a report that RB Lamar Miller was going to be brought in for a workout. Was that connected to the guys being on the COVID list or was that already intended?) – “It was certainly connected to the guys being on the COVID list. I think when guys go down, there’s no [inaudible]. Just getting a workout and seeing where he and some other players were physically. If we have to make a move, we’re ready to do that.”
(A few of us last Wednesday saw C/G Michael Deiter in what appeared to be a walking boot. Did he have a setback at all? Will he play this week? Also, it would not be a Monday if I didn’t ask you about WR Will Fuller and whether he was going to practice this week?) – “Deiter, he’ll be out at practice today. We have a walkthrough today and I expect him to practice this week. Will Fuller, I do not expect him to be here this week.”
(On that note with WR Will Fuller, is there something more at play than just the multiple bone fractures of a finger here?) – “He’s not going to be at practice this week. We’ll take it day-to-day, week-to-week. We’re not going to get into any specifics about his situation but he won’t be here this week.”
(I wanted to ask you a question about your views on free agency being used to supplement rosters. Obviously you guys have done it a number of ways the past three years. What do you view free agency’s purpose is and benefit for?)- “It’s, as you said, a way to, one of a variety of ways to fill and build a roster. There’s different types of free agents. Exclusive rights free agent, restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents. Obviously via trade, via waiver wire. There’s a number of ways to try to build a roster and free agency is just one of them. What was the rest of that question?”
(You guys have done, like last offseason, you guys undid a lot of deals. This offseason, there were a lot of lower end deals and trades and things like that. How much do you think it has benefited or hurt your roster, your team, as it presently stands?) – “Honestly, my focus right now is on today’s practice and not what happened last year, last week. If we go through every free agent deal from last year – we have the guys we have, we’re working with them and that’s kind of what my focus is.”
(Housekeeping to wrap that up there, two other guys – RB Phillip Lindsay and RB Malcolm Brown. Do you believe either one of those guys or both of those guys can practice this week?) – “Hopeful that Malcolm can return to practice. I think he’s got a couple more workouts and hopefully we can see him this week and then the same with Phillip.”
(Unrelated question, we’re going to talk to DE Emmanuel Ogbah later today. I wanted to ask you how would you describe his contributions to the team?) – “I think he’s played well. I think his leadership, his work ethic and his professionalism are something that we like our young players to watch and emulate. He’s a true professional and I think he brings a lot to our team.”
(In just watching some of the games around the league yesterday and really all season long, it really seems like no lead – two scores, three scores – is safe in today’s NFL. But over your win streak, you’ve managed to not just hang on to games but also sustained two-score leads in I think four of those five. What do you think is the key to closing out those games and not letting teams hang around and come back late like that?) – “Good execution. I think at the end of the day, that’s what it boils down to really in all three phases. I think you’ve got to play well at the end. That goes without saying. I think that’s when you get your opponent’s best shot, you give them your best shot and you’ve got to execute.”
(I just wanted to ask, with you guys having the walkthrough on Monday, it’s a little wrinkle in the schedule because you guys are coming back from a bye. How important is this first walkthrough to touch up on some things that guys may be rusty on and set the tone for the rest of the week?) – “I think anytime you have a few days off and you’re out of the routine, you’ve got to get them back into the routine. I think today’s kind of walkthrough, jog-through, get out there, get a sweat, get back in the huddle, get the correct terminology, verbiage. It’s been a while since we’ve been in a huddle, a few days. Get out, get a sweat, run around, run a route, get to the top of a route for the receiver, or the top of the route for a DB, or put hands on somebody, or put hands on a sled. I think knocking a little bit of the rust off is what we’re trying to get accomplished today. We’ll get started on the Jets and some of the install and what we want to do there on early downs, and take it from there. Get off to a good start this week. That’s really the goal.”
(RB Phillip Lindsay missed the last game with an ankle injury. I know the bye week has probably benefited him a lot. How much is this week a good time for him to get healthy considering what you got going on in the backfield?) – “I think having the extra week to get healthy is helpful for him. Another week of terminology, verbiage and things of that nature. I think it’s always good.”
(During the winning streak, you guys haven’t trailed once by more than three points. How important has that been in helping you play the style of offense you guys want to play?) – “The goal is always to play from ahead. I think that’s what we try to do really all year. The focus isn’t on the last five weeks, it’s on today. That’s where I’m at. It’s on the Jets. I think they played us well the last time we played them. I think they’ve got some talented players. They play hard and they gave us some issues the last time out. That’s where my focus is, and trying to help our team, put our guys in the best position to have success next week, next Sunday.”
(With how you guys have been playing, did the bye week come at a bad time for you guys? How much are you guys looking forward to getting back to work, and the business at hand, especially the way you guys have bene playing as of late?) – “We took the bye week to recharge the battery. I think guys were excited to be back in here today. I definitely felt that in our meetings this morning. The schedule is the schedule and whatever it is, it is. I don’t put too much – ‘I wish it was here or I wish it was there.’ It was where it was. We kind of use the bye week to heal up, to do some self-evaluation and we treated this one no differently. It’s a little later in the year, but I think we come out of it trying to recharge the battery and we’re anxious to get back out there.”
(As a coach, how was it for you knowing that you guys were in your groove? You don’t really have to rest the mental aspect of it. Maybe your voice from yelling at guys and whatnot, but just for you in particular?) – “To me, the bye week was at [inaudible] – no issues there. Just come back to work today, practice and try to go execute next week.”
(We can look at the stats and say that WR Jaylen Waddle is having a very solid season, especially for a rookie. But for what we don’t see, the way he practices, his attentiveness in meetings, what he asks, how he understands, how he processes information. How would you assess his learning curve in that area and how he’s handled all of that as a rookie?) – “I think he’s done a good job. I think he’s taken in all of the information, I think he’s learned multiple positions, I think he’s been out there at practice pretty much every day. I think he’s gotten better every day. I think he continues to get better and I think he wants to get better. I’ve been pleased with his development over the course of the season and hopefully that continues.”
Michael Palardy – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
P Michael Palardy
(Congrats on the award Michael. What’s it mean to you?) – “It means a lot. It’s my first time getting it. I’d be foolish to sit up here and take the credit for it. A lot of it has to do with Coach (Danny) Crossman, Coach (Brian) Flores, the guys on my punt team, the gunners. Those guys work their butts off. This is more of a unit type of award than it is for myself. I’m only as good as they are and vice versa.”
(How much do you appreciate the work of the guy that was just in here, WR Mack Hollins?) – “Unbelievable. These guys are the ultimate professionals and I can’t be thankful enough for what they do daily. They challenge me, they push me, they want me to be great – coaches included. As well as I do for myself. I want them to be great as well. They can only make plays if I make plays. I can’t be thankful enough for the work they put in. This is more of a unit thing than it is a me thing. I’m super appreciative for them and all the work they put in daily.”
(There was a time when your numbers weren’t as good as they are now, when the Dolphins actually brought in a punter for a workout. How aware were you of that at the time and did that light a fire underneath you?) – ‘I’ve been playing in this league long enough to know that those things are possible throughout a year. That’s really not my decision to make. But that doesn’t change my approach, that doesn’t change the things that I do on a daily basis. Of course, I want to be as consistent and as effective as I possibly can. If I’m effective, then the team is. I think ultimately, the goal is to make an impact on the game. Sometimes that’s deep punts, sometimes is shorter ones but it’s field position. Coach (Brian) Flores preaches field position and Coach (Danny) Crossman does as well. It’s a big emphasis that we put on our punt unit, but every special teams unit really. Ultimately that’s the approach I take daily, whether I’m hitting the ball well in a game, in practice or whether I’m not. It doesn’t change my outlook, it doesn’t change my approach. I care about my job, and I work hard every day to make sure that I execute on Sundays because that’s what matters.”
(Did you change anything up at some point in the season?) – ‘No, nothing. Just sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way, sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want it to but you continue to work. Yes, you want to evaluate yourself but then you go back to staying true to yourself and continuing to work, persevere and continue to do those kinds of things. That’s what I’ve been doing all season. This time compared to earlier in the season hasn’t change. Nothing has changed. I’m doing the same thing, I’ve approached every practice, every game the exact same way.”
(Do you feel you’re hitting the ball more consistently these days?) – “Yeah. I never walk out to practice on the field or in games on the field and am not confident in myself. I always have been. I think I always will be. Obviously, the numbers speak for themselves but we always preach consistency. In a specialist game, consistency is absolutely vital and that’s what I try to do. I try to go out, practice and be as consistent as I can. On gameday, be as consistent as I can. And let the results be what they may.”
(As K Jason Sanders’ holder, how have you seen him handle the ups and downs of his season? Last year you weren’t here he was practically automatic, and this year it’s been a little bit more…) – “It’s the same thing. I think, again, Jason has been playing long enough and has had success in the league to where the reality of sometimes things don’t go our way, but that doesn’t mean that we completely change everything that we’re doing or we change the approach that we’re taking. Jason does that on a daily basis. He continues to work his tail off. He is an ultimate pro and the thing that’s amazing and the reason why guys stick around long in this league, and I believe Jason is going to and has, is their ability to work through adversity or things maybe not going as well as they want them to. That’s kind of the mark of a true professional and that’s who Jason is. That’s who Jason is and he challenges me, I challenge him, we challenge the guys around us and we want to be great. That’s what we’re here for. We want to be great. He wants to be great, I want him to be great, I want to be great, he wants me to be great and everybody around us. Jason’s outlook and approach doesn’t change on a daily basis.”
Mike Gesicki – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(How in the weeds do the self-scout projects get? What are some of the detail things that just might not be obvious at all to us?) – “We just came in here today and just kind of – I know you’re trying to avoid that – but we were talking about how teams are covering us on third down, what we’re seeing in the red zone, some of the attraction that some guys get. Just stuff like that. It wasn’t too individual-specific or anything like that. More big picture and things that we do well, things that we can improve on. Just that kind of stuff.”
(Any plans for the bye week?) – “Yeah, plans for the bye week. I will be enjoying some downtime. I’m going to head back up to New Jersey for a couple days and then I’ll be back down here on Sunday. So a little reset, but nothing too crazy.”
(I know everything with players is week-to-week. Fans of course are different. Fans are thinking, “oh my goodness, the playoffs are conceivable.” Is that something that at all – even on a bye week – could enter your mind and do you feel that’s been a void in your NFL – your young NFL career so far?) – “Yeah, I mean if you know anything about Brian Flores, I am not even allowed to think about what I’m going to have for dinner tonight. (laughter) So I haven’t had lunch yet, so that’s really what I’m focused on. (laughter) And that’s kind of where we take it from there. So we’re not looking too far ahead and we’re not looking behind. Just kind of focusing on the present and what we’re dealing with right now.”
(What are you going to have for lunch?) – “That’s a great question. Do you know the menu downstairs? There’s some pizza. Jackie makes a great sandwich down there. There’s definitely some options.”
(What have you noticed from QB Tua Tagovailoa … [inaudible]?) – “The same things that impressed me last week and the week before and in the preseason. He’s really the same guy. He’s doing the same things. He’s playing well. He’s playing confident. He’s being a good leader. He’s playing tough, making good decisions. The list goes on and on, so I think his numbers speak for itself and I’m happy that he’s having the success and finally getting a positive narrative around him as a professional and as a player because he deserves it.”
(He revealed you guys were at Heat game yesterday…) – “Sure was.”
(Do you like going to the Heat? Do you like going to any other teams here in Miami?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I love basketball. I grew up a big basketball guy so any time we can get out there and go watch a game, that’s fun. I’ve never been to a hockey game before, so maybe I’ll go to a Panthers game if we have some time. But yeah, I love to go out and check out some other sports, enjoy ourselves and hang out.”
(Were you a Nets fan?) – “I grew up the world’s biggest New Jersey Nets fan. Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson – the big three. That was my squad growing up. Had season tickets when I was sixth grade. Me and my dad would go to the games. A lot of fun.”
(Kerry Kittles once helped me jump my car. I had a dead battery once.) – “Really?”
(Yeah, it was late after the game and my car battery was dead. And who’s going to help? Kerry Kittles. And he was a player so keep that in mind if you ever see a fan in need.) – “I will put some jumper cables in my truck. (laughter)”
(Are you no longer a Nets fan because they’re now in Brooklyn?) – “I am not against the Nets. I’ve kind of gotten away from – when I was a little kid, I literally watched all 82 games. My friends were like, ‘yo, it’s Friday night, let’s go hang out.’ ‘No, I’m watching the Nets play the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. That’s what I’m doing.’ So that was my thing. I’ve gotten away from that, but I do still love watching basketball.”
(Who’s your favorite player?) – “Growing up? Vince Carter. That was my guy. I always say that a lot of people, like I would never be starstruck if I met somebody. Like I would never ask somebody, ‘hey, can I take a picture with you?’ If I met Vince Carter, I’d be like, ‘Yo, can I take a picture with you? You’re the man.’ I grew up, had a Fathead of him on my wall. That was my guy. I have his jersey in like every single color.”
(Even from the Toronto days?) – “I have some Toronto, but primarily the Nets.”
Raekwon Davis – December 8, 2021
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
DT Raekwon Davis
(The run defense has been very good and it’s coincided with you returning so you have a big role in that. Are you happy with how you’ve done against the run?) – “Yeah, I am. I am. Just trying to keep that same routine going and trying to stop the run basically.”
(A question we seem to ask you every year this time of year. How much trash talking have you been doing with G Solomon Kindley this week?) – “Oh, a lot. ‘Solly,’ it’s hard for him right now. It’s so hard for him. I can only imagine how he’s feeling. But you know, I try to uplift him and keep his composure up day-by-day.”
(I was going to ask you what I asked S Jevon Holland about what Co-Offensive Coordinator/TEs George Godsey was saying that on both sides of the ball they’d like each guy to work on one or two areas to improve. What would that be for you?) – “Just the same thing, to self-scout myself. Just try to get better and keep developing. That’s it.”
(Speaking of the college game, I’m sure you’re aware that Mario Cristobal is at Miami now and he’s got a reputation as being a very good recruiter. How do you think that effects the talent that comes out of this area? Everybody knows it’s a top talent. Alabama likes to come here as well. How do you see all that developing?) – “Him and Coach (Nick) Saban are going to be going neck to neck, I guess. They’re both good recruiting coaches. Both of them are great coaches. They do recruit well.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(What’s the self-scouting process going to be for you? I know guys have talked about doing that this week. Is it all looking at mannerisms to make sure that you don’t tip off defenses? How in depth will you go with that?) – “I would say that is a part of it. I would also say for myself, just finding ways to get completions, get the ball out of my hands on third down. If you looked at previous film, there have been some guys that have been open that I’ve missed. Just trying to eliminate that period of missing guys, whether it’s in the flat, whether it’s an under route, an over route, whatever it might be. Just going through my progressions faster.”
(How did you enjoy the experience of going to the Heat game, being shown on the big screen, getting a Heat jersey?) – “That was cool. It was my first experience of going to a Heat game. I thought that was cool. The love and support from the fans there at the game. I also knew there were teammates there after I was shown on the big screen. I got a lot of text messages. I wasn’t aware that I wasn’t the only Miami Dolphins player at that game.”
(Can we ask who else was there?) – “Mike Gesicki, Jacoby Brissett, Durham Smythe and a bunch of those guys. It was literally a last-minute decision. I asked one of my guys what there was to do around because we had a bye week and he said that there might potentially be a Miami Heat game. The game started at 7:30 and I told him at about 6:50 that I wanted to go. (laughter) So thanks to him and the people that he got to get us into the game.”
(Was that your first NBA game and have you been to a Major League Baseball, or National Hockey League game?) – “That was my second NBA game. My first NBA game was at the – I believe the Army All-American Bowl and we went to watch the Spurs play. This is my second NBA game. I’ve never been to a baseball game. I’ve been to a hockey game, a Panthers game. It was a fun experience. I like it though because it’s cold. I don’t like being hot, especially after you’re cheering. It’s nice.”
(Inter Miami, have you been to an Inter Miami game?) – “I haven’t, but I do have friends that I train with that have gone to some of them. They’ve taken their kids and they’ve enjoyed it a lot. There are a lot of people that go to those games too. I might have a better chance of going to those games and not being recognized because everyone is so much more focused on the soccer players and whatnot. It might be more enjoyable to go to those games.”
(You don’t like being recognized?) – “I just want to enjoy. (laughter) I don’t go out as much too. The reason I don’t is because of that. I try to go out as much as possible. Every time my mom is in town, I go out to Winn Dixie near my house. I get my mom flowers every time she’s in town. (laughter) That’s the reason I go.”
(Do you get a lot of people coming to you?) – “No. I wear a hoodie, wear a mask and glasses. (laughter) It’s good, but that’s really it.”
(It’s difficult living in Miami trying to hide.) – “Yeah, but the cool thing about Miami is that there are a lot of celebrities out there. It’s almost like it’s nonchalant. They see you like ‘oh, that’s Tua. Let’s go eat Subway.’ (laughter) I think that’s how it is.”
(The next time we see a hoodie, masked figure at Winn Dixie, we’ll know it’s you.) – “No, no, no. I’m going to change it up. Play the game.”
(How does it compare to Tuscaloosa?) – “Tuscaloosa it’s just hard to hide. No one looks like me in Alabama. (laughter) You can’t hide.”
(Do you have any plans this weekend?) – “Yeah. I am going to go golfing. I’m going to go golf and enjoy the bye week with some of my teammates. There might be some last-minute decisions made whether I fly out to go see my parents or spend some time with my brother. Who knows?”
(How’s that golf game coming along?) – “I played yesterday. I shot all right. I shot an 88. It was pretty decent. It was at Fort Lauderdale Country Club. It was good fun. It’s getting better but still a lot of shots that I wish I could have back.”
(A lot of your teammates have pointed to your confidence … [inaudible]?) – “I think we’re getting the ball out. We’re completing the balls. I’m not too sure from my standpoint. I know there are a lot of things that we can continue to fix. There are things that we could continue to get better with. To me, that’s the way to go with it. Don’t be satisfied. Just continue to find out what we can do better.”
(What gives you more satisfaction – you nail a golf shot these days or you throw the perfect pass?) – “It depends. Is the perfect pass a touchdown? And is the hit going in the hole? (laughter)”
(Inaudible) – “I’d take them both if I could. I’ll take them both. To me, there is nothing better than maybe hitting your 8-iron 160-yards out and you see it land on the green and it starts rolling and it disappears. (laughter)”
(Have you had one of those?) – “No. I’ve never had one of those. (laughter) But I’m just saying – I’ve had a nice chip and it’s went in. Other than that, that’s it.”
Jevon Holland – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
S Jevon Holland
(I know we asked you a Mario Cristobal question last week. I had one for you. Players who you know who would ask you what does it require to play for him, what qualities does he value that are essential for players to have to want to play for him, you would say what?) – “That’s a good question. I would say players that have dignity, honesty, respect, they’re hard workers and they buy in. That’s really what it’s all about. That’s what was reiterated to us, just about buying into the process, trusting it and believing in what the coaches have for us and going out there and executing.”
(What does Mario Cristobal mean to you and what has he given you as a player?) – “He’s given me a lot of sense of direction and leadership. When I came in, I was a young player when I had a leadership role put on my shoulders and he encouraged me throughout my career at Oregon to step into that role, wear it with pride but also be one of the guys that younger guys can look to as somebody who gets there early, leaves late, does that extra 1/8th so that I can perform on the field but also help my team win in any situation possible. Definitely about pushing me and understanding how to buy into a culture, really believing that and not just trying to do what I want to do. Be a team player, there’s no I in team as the saying goes.”
(I know Mario Cristobal has been busy and you’re busy too, but have you talked to him or been like, ‘Hey, we’re both here?’) – “Nah, I haven’t reached out. It’s common knowledge obviously that I’m down here. He actually texted me a couple weeks ago just congratulating me on having a good season and continuing to, like I said before, he wants guys to continue to work hard and that’s what he reminded me. Always stay humble. Never be complacent. I’ll probably reach out to him pretty soon when everything dies down because I know it’s going crazy.”
(Was he involved in recruiting you?) – “Coach (Mario) Cristobal specifically was not involved with recruiting me. He was on staff when Coach (Willie) Taggert was the head coach. That was my main recruiter. Coach (Keith) Heyward actually, who was the safeties coach when I was there. But when Cristobal, it was like this whole movement of Cristobal in and guys were like we want Cristobal as the head coach. I went on my official (visit), met with him, talked to him and after that I was like ‘yup, this is the guy really.’ It was almost like we were recruiting him to Mr. (Rob) Mullins, so that he could be the head coach, if you put it that way.”
(What was it about him that you guys wanted in a head coach?) – “He just wanted us to become better ourselves. He was a player’s coach. People enjoyed him, enjoyed the way he coached, enjoyed his energy on the team. He was electric. You see that on the field. He’s a fireball of energy whether we’re losing, winning, regardless. He’s going to go out there and coach us as hard as he can.”
(Any plans for the bye weekend?) – “Yeah I got plans but I don’t know, there’s a camera on me and people are going to pull up on me. I don’t know. (laughter). Nah, I’m just playing. I’m going to be at Animal Kingdom and Universal Studios. Yup, Orlando.”
(What rides do you ride?) – “I don’t like roller coasters. I don’t. They make my stomach hurt. (laughter) But I do like the sightseeing and all the different cool stuff at Disney (World) and stuff like that.”
(You’ve done so much well obviously in your rookie season, I know Co-Offensive Coordinator/TEs George Godsey was saying, on both sides of the ball, the goal is for every player to be given one or two things to improve on over this week-and-a-half. For you, what’s one area where you think you’d like to take another step in your growth?) – “With the bye week and us not having an opponent, I want to really scout myself. That’s really what it is. Just go back and watch my tape because how we’re watching tape on other teams, other teams are watching tape on me. So to see my mannerisms and see where either I lack or need to improve at and go into next week a better myself.”
(I know you’ve talked about how valuable it was to have your dad stop the tape once the remote control was developed as you all were watching TV growing up. Does he still do that watching your games and send you a flurry of text messages after game saying I want you to this differently, that differently? Does he tell you on the phone after games?) – “Nah, not no more.”
(He doesn’t do any of that?) – “Nah, I mean he probably does it for himself but he knows I’m a professional athlete. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t do it myself and he knows that. He doesn’t do that no more.”
