Zach Sieler – August 29, 2023
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Tuesday, August 29, 2023
DT Zach Sieler
(What I was going to ask DT Christian Wilkins was in the very beginning when you guys got together here and met, was there a moment where your friendship took off or was it kind of a slow build? Like how did that come to be?) – “I’d say it was that first offseason here. I got here with like, three, three-and-a-half weeks left (of the season) so it was just trying to – my head was spinning, just trying to learn Miami’s defense at that point. And then that first offseason, we kind of slowly grew together, learned each other, how he plays, how I play. And then just from there, it’s kind of built to where we’re at now as you see.”
(S DeShon Elliott was saying that you being waived in Baltimore could’ve been the best thing for you. What do you remember going through your mind when that happened, when you were waived and then ultimately you were picked up by the Dolphins?) – “Yeah, it was stressful. Obviously it was terrible. Look at today. Today is one of the worst days in football in my opinion. Guys out there giving their all every day in camp and then – it’s what it is. It’s the fact of the matter. It’s the business. It’s the nature of the beast. But it’s tough whenever that happens. I really just prayed a lot and just kind of sat and then just kind of figured it out. We didn’t really know much. The only thing I heard was maybe Cleveland was a little interested and then once waivers ended that next day – I think it was a Thursday – my agent calls and said, ‘hey, you’ve been claimed.’ I’m like, ‘all right, where am I going?’ He’s like, ‘I don’t know yet.’ And then half an hour later, Miami called and said, ‘hey, there’s a flight at 8 or 9 o’clock, tell me what you want to get on.’ So I flew out at 9 o’clock that night and been here ever since, so I think God has a plan for sure.”
(One game, you actually helped them win.) – “Yeah, that Cincinnati game. I actually played a little bit in the Giants game the week before. We did New York – the Jets, then Giants back-to-back. But yeah, Cincinnati was really my first game I got some serious reps in it.”
(Let’s maybe back up a little bit more and just open it up. What’s your reaction to the contract extension?) – “Blessed. It’s one of those things you just dream about it and you work every day towards it and it’s one of those things that I’m kind of like just don’t talk about it and just work. Things will come and just go from there. And then to be able to get to this point in Miami and just to stay here and be with the team, the guys I love, the staff, the coaches, everybody. It’s really something special.”
(How was the phone call to Mom and Dad after the contract extension?) – “It was pretty good. Mom was tearing up and Dad really was just speechless. So it was pretty crazy.”
(So now we know you’ve moved out of the trailer. That was a long time ago. What’s the plan for yourself and life and maybe the ranch you got?) – “So the ranch, we’ve got one more year left on the lease. We’ll definitely be out there – there’s back and forth. We’ve got a spot down here we love. Definitely for sure keeping that. And then my wife and I, we’ve kind of set around Nashville in the offseason/post-football. We kind of love that Nashville center of the country area right there. Not too cold.”
(Now that you’ve been taken care of, how bad do you want to see DT Christian Wilkins get his so you guys can stay together long-term?) – “That’s my guy. There’s nothing more I’d love than play with Christian (Wilkins) for a long time, even longer. We’ve been very fortunate to have three, four years together now – me, Christian, (Emmanuel) Ogbah, Raekwon (Davis), (Defensive Line Coach Austin) Clark up front. That’s something special in itself, but obviously any extra time we can get would be incredible for Christian and ‘Rae’ (Raekwon Davis).”
(How much did you learn about the business of the NFL from this process?) – “A good amount. Just kind of seeing the inner workings of it. And I wasn’t too – I really told (Drew) Rosenhaus like, ‘Hey, look, you guys do this, I just want to worry about football. I don’t want to get distracted on anything else. I’m in camp. My main goal is getting better each day at football.’ So kind of near the end of it was when we were just talking about kind of realizing how things went and just how the pressure on us and on management as well.”
(Can you maybe talk me through that because you hear players say not making a distraction, but it sounds easier than maybe it probably is. Like how do you go through that knowing that this is potentially life-changing money?) – “Yeah, for me, it was really just keep my routine. Don’t change anything. Just stay focused on each day and just try not to think about it. Obviously it’s there and you’ve got to answer calls here and there with what’s going on, where it’s at, where we’re going. But really it was just kind of focusing and staying locked in and trying not to let that change how I play or change who I am because that’s how I got here.”
(You hear about players getting cut all the time. Including today, it’s happening in this building. For a lot of them, you never hear from them again. It’s a small percentage who get an extension – an eight-figure extension like you have. What inside you, what has gotten you to this point coming from that point in Baltimore?) – “I mean, obviously, none of this could have happened without I think my faith truly, knowing there’s a plan and, like I said, not stressing too much on what’s happening. And just focusing on what I can control. That’s a big part of my thing is what I can control, what I can do for the team, what I can do for myself every day. Rehab more, stretch, massage, lift, whatever I need to do to stay healthy and stay on the field and to play my best ball to be able to get to this point that I’ve gotten to.”
(If a late-round pick or an undrafted guy gets cut today and texts you or calls you, what are you telling the guy?) – “I’ll tell him just keep your head up. It might be over. It also might – tomorrow you might get a chance, you might get picked up and have a chance somewhere else. Make a good impression. Don’t burn any bridges. And really just keep working. I mean, it’s what it is. So I’d just tell them whatever they need, let me know, anything from here on out.”
(DT Christian Wilkins mentioned that you always wanted a platinum grill. Have you begun that process of searching for one?) – “(laughter) I might have to. I have not yet, though, no.”
(Are we talking mouth or truck?) – “Oh, you’re talking grill. See I’m thinking cooking grill. I got a Traeger, I’m good. Yeah. (laughter) I didn’t even think about that.”
(Did Ferris State hit you up for a new gym yet?) – “They actually just got one. They just got one. Actually it was in the talks when I was there my first year. They just got it a year or two ago. Maybe last year. But it’s pretty nice. They’re moving up. Back-to-back championships, they’re doing their thing.”
(Heard a guy on the radio today, Miami sports talk radio. Your contract came up. Leroy Hoard said he’s been to Ferris State and he said it’s one of the best party schools in America. Is this accurate? Is it actually a very fun school?) – “Ferris is incredible. I loved every moment there. It’s in the middle of nowhere. There’s nothing going on, nothing really – the school is it. So we loved it there. We enjoyed our time there. It was a good time. I love all my guys there. I’m still super close with all those guys. We always make a trip every year. When there’s not a long going on, you’re just kind of forced to grow together and I think that’s why their team has done what they’ve done, because you become so close on the football team. There’s not a lot of distractions.”
(What comes to mind when you think back to those YouTube workout days at Ferris?) – “Man, it was crazy. It wasn’t even – YouTube was lucky. We looked up ‘Muscle Farm,’ ‘bodybuilding.com.’ Any workouts we could find and it was just us in there. Like we didn’t know what we were doing. We were doing like 8×2 bodybuilder stuff and it was the absolute opposite thing you should do for football. But just keeping that mindset and that process has been the biggest thing for me and a lot of those guys, they’re quick to remind me, ‘hey, remember what you were back then.’ I’ve got a buddy in Amsterdam now. The first thing, he goes, ‘bro, I used to start in front of you.’ (laughter) I’m like, ‘you did.’ He always reminds me of that.”
(Has WR Jaylen Waddle been out to alligator hunting?) – “No, he hasn’t. No. We’ll definitely try to get some guys at the end of the season this year to do something fun up there.”
(Are you still involved up there?) – “Yes, we are.”
Mike McDaniel – August 27, 2023
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Sunday, August 27, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Opening Statement) – “I’d like to start today recognizing August 27th and what it means to the Miami Dolphins. It was a year ago today that we lost such a valuable member. I think the people that Jason (Jenkins) touched in this organization, in the community, it’s so visceral and real that I’d be short-changing the reality of a lot of people in this building and a lot of people really across America that lost someone so dear to them. Our prayers are with the family, that they continue to progress while mourning. It’s a day that’s not lost on any one Miami Dolphin or all the other people that he’s touched in the National Football League and across the country.”
(Thanks for that memory of Jason Jenkins. It is a day that we can’t forget. I wanted to ask you naturally about WR Daewood Davis. I know he’s released from the hospital. What more can you tell us about his situation and have you had a chance to talk with him?) – “He just recently got in the building. He’s in the concussion protocol. We’ll continue to evaluate him. He’s doing better than last night in terms of strength and stuff. Like I said last night, there were certain things that we were worried about that were avoided. But we’ll continue monitoring him extensively as he’s in the protocol. I know there’s certainly a lot of guys that are very, very, very happy and relieved to see him.”
(Hoping also for good news on RB Salvon Ahmed and DB Elijah Campbell. Any sense on if Elijah’s leg injury is long-term and is Salvon also in concussion protocol like WR Daewood Davis?) – “So Salvon is not in concussion protocol. He’ll be day-to-day. Elijah, after we had talked at the press conference, there was a little apprehension amongst the medical staff that it could be his ACL. Fortunately, it is not. We’re kind of assessing the extent and all I can really tell you is there’s a season’s chance for him. He avoided one thing, but there was a substantial injury that will take him into the season.”
(How pleased are you to get the extension done with DT Zach Sieler. Can you speak to his importance to the team?) – “I was fired up and so were a lot of his teammates just because Zach epitomizes such an important thing within the journey of the NFL player. You’re talking about a guy that has earned every cent that he’s paid. He’s been cut twice and I think the timing, as far as it relates to the team, couldn’t be better for so many guys in the next 48 hours that aren’t able to make the final 53 (man roster). I think that is something that’s real and can feel in the moment like your dream’s over. I think he’s a great example of worrying about what you can control and we’re happy to get that done as well as the locker room’s happy for him too.”
(Getting DT Zach Sieler’s deal done first, what does that say about where things stand with DT Christian Wilkins?) – “Fortunately, there’s a good amount of players on this team that we want to keep around. They’re really independent of each other. What it boils down to is you have an organization and a player and his representation being able to come to an agreement. With regards to Zach, we were able to come to an agreement. That’s independent of Christian and speaks nothing as to anything but that. It’s just we were able to come to an agreement, both parties, and that’s really the length of it.”
(How’s it going coach?) – “Good. I apologize for my somber speak. These are my least favorite days of the entire calendar year to be honest. I don’t mean not to be excited.”
(I had a question about yesterday’s game with QB Skylar Thompson. Just him showing poise after throwing those two interceptions. What were some things that you discussed with him on the sideline, if any, just for him to get things going and leading to the team’s scores on offense during that game?) – “I think another caveat to that story that made me happy about the way he responded was that the second interception was something that pretty much I don’t put on him at all. There was a protection missed assignment. So in those situations, I’m most worried about a quarterback recognizing people that aren’t accounted for in protection. When they aren’t accounted for, you have to make split-second decisions. And when he let the ball go, he didn’t see that defender. That’s something that if I have a quarterback chasing ghosts on jobs that were expected to be done by other players, then they’re going to be very ineffective. So I was very worried about him naturally (letting that) snowball and affect his play, and what I was able to talk to him about was, ‘Hey, listen’. He immediately came to the sidelines and was like, ‘Yeah, I didn’t see that guy. We busted protection’. I was like, ‘Perfect, okay, so if that’s the case, should that play, that last specific play, factor into anything as far as the next drive, the next play, the next assignment, read, footwork and decision?’ And he said no. So to me, that that shows mental fortitude at a high degree. He went out and responded and made some good plays. We need to minimize turnovers on offense, always with the turnover differential being the number one indicator of wins and losses. But that’s with everyone. And sometimes it’s not as simple as the quarterback threw an interception. The second play, or the second interception for sure, I don’t put on him. And I was glad that he didn’t put it on himself.”
(Now that we’re two weeks away from the start of the regular season, I wanted to follow up on the situation with WR Tyreek Hill. Have you gotten any indication from the league in terms of where they stand with a potential suspension? Whether they close the book on it and no he will not be suspended, or where things stand there?) – “I mean you’re just trying to layer my, whatever day it is today, Sunday. As far as I know, nothing has been brought to my attention. My focus right now is on things that we can control. The things that we can control are very difficult decisions with a roster that has more NFL players than NFL spots.”
(You mentioned this is one of your least favorite days. You also seem to be someone who really values players’ dreams and helping them fulfill their dreams. So over the next 48 hours, how do you get the best 53-man roster, while at the same time as a human, ending so many people’s NFL dreams?) – “I think it goes back to a concrete look at what my job is and who I’m responsible for, which is a lot of people. When push comes to shove, it’s the job of Chris (Grier) and myself, that’s a job at this point in the year that nobody wants, so you have to make the tough decisions. And in that, you find a little solace, but it’s very, very minimal. Because again, you’re right; the journey of an NFL player is not lost on me at all. I don’t take for granted anything that really – you have all the investment in the world from these guys that are doing everything in their power to be a part of the team. When guys are circumstantially falling short, because I mean, there’s a ton of really tough decisions where sometimes your roster makes you let go of a guy that you’d never think you’d let go of, but one position has an abundance of players, there’s another position of need that you have to kind of pull from that. So it’s very convoluted. Thankfully, there’s so many very talented and capable people in this building that Chris and I don’t make that decision alone. Although we have to together make the final decision, the input of Vic Fangio, the input Frank (Smith) and Danny (Crossman) and all the position coaches – we have a very talented coaching staff – and then all of the people that Chris has under his wing. It’s a collection of people. You try to take in all the information, and then you just know that you have to do what’s best for the team and that’s your motivating factor, but there’s going to be residual casualties for me of emotion that is ever present. That’s why, again, it’s the least favorite time of the entire season, the entire year, calendar year. A roster that has a lot of talent makes it that much more difficult.”
(So more so than tax season and say a trip to the dentist, this would be No. 1?) – “Way more so, it’s not even close. It’s in conflict. You’re trying to make people the very best that they can be, and then in turn, you have to tell them, ‘Well, hey, that wasn’t good enough for the 53-man roster.’ Even if they’re very sensible and understanding of the competition, it really hits people in the gut. It’s not easy. But you have to keep in mind that I was hired to be a head coach, and within that isn’t all bells and whistles and skips. These are things that somebody has to (do). There’s what, 90-man roster (down to) 53, that math, even for some of you guys are math deficient, I think you can see how difficult that is. It’s not something I take lightly in the least.”
(A question as it pertains to your backup quarterback situation. What is QB Mike White’s situation regarding the concussion protocol? And have you seen enough to publicly announce your No. 2 quarterback?) – “As far as Mike White is concerned, he cleared concussion protocol on Friday. And with regard to an announcement of the No. 2, I think it’d behoove the players involved to tell them first, and you’ll probably be getting some buzzworthy notification of that in a press conference maybe next Monday.”
(I thought you guys were going to win the challenge. On the initial replays last night, I said, “Oh, that’s obvious.” And then the more replays I saw, I said, “Oh, maybe it’s not quite so obvious.” Has anything changed about the replay advice, protocols that you guys have in place for this year? Fewer voices, more voices, anything like that?) – “No, ultimately that decision always is mine. But in terms of the streamline of the information given to me, we have adjusted how we do things on a game day, being able to streamline the voices and having very valuable people in the box, making sure that their voices are heard, but then delegating one person to make sure that their eyes are on television copies and all the replay access that we have at all times. Someone outside the coaching staff, that their sole purpose is to give me aid in that so guys know speak through them to me.”
(RB Jeff Wilson Jr. and OL Liam Eichenberg, are they both probably in good position to be healthy for the season?) – “Both guys are some of my favorite battlers of my career. Liam for instance, has definitely shown his teammates how far he was willing to go last week in practice and was dressed for the game in case of emergency. However, in a competition of a lot of able bodies, I didn’t think it was fair to him to be three-fourths competing and the one-fourth just trying to make it to the next play. He’s getting better. It was an extremely painful thing that he’s gone through. And very similar to Jeff Wilson. Both of those guys would have gone last night if it would have been up to them. However, the injury with Jeff as well, he’s going through some very painful midsection things on top of a finger he was dealing with. All of the things were compounding, and I didn’t think either one of them, it would be a fair representation of them to play in that game. So they’re progressing as they know they need to.”
(With training camp and the preseason kind of coming to an end, I know one thing that was really big for you and the offense was building off of what you did last year. In the preseason games specifically, we’ve seen a lot of screen passes. I was curious how that kind of complements and can complement what you all did so well in Year 1?) – “I think you’re always trying to find ways to – it comes down to the base principle of taking advantage of overplay. There’s different mechanisms in Year 2 that you’re able to kind of get to the nitty, gritty details of how to execute the plays. You’re very correct in that, that did fall in the offseason assessment of things that we could improve upon. That’s taking advantage of the space created when you are able to engender some explosive plays. Whether those show face in the regular season, I think the more things that defenses have to think about, the more advantageous it is for the offense.”
Mike McDaniel – August 26, 2023 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 26, 2023
Postgame – Jacksonville
Head Coach Mike McDaniel (transcribed by Jacksonville Jaguars)
COACH MCDANIEL: The collection of the two NFLPA representatives, Doug [Pederson] and myself made the right call in that the two teams agreed that football shouldn’t be played anymore tonight. And without a shadow of a doubt, I know that was the right call. So, I’m proud of the collective group for doing the right thing. Our guys are hurting but relieved.
What’s the process from here? I assume he’ll [WR Daewood Davis] stay here overnight. Is that correct?
COACH MCDANIEL: I believe that’s protocol. There was a lot of individual players that I was attending to. So, I haven’t crossed that T with Kyle [Johnston] yet, our head trainer. But that will come in the looming moments.
How would you describe the atmosphere around the team, how shaken his teammates must have been?
COACH MCDANIEL: The emotional roller coaster was real just because there was a lot of guys in the game, including himself, that people — really his teammates were pumped for, to be in the game and get opportunities to make plays. And there’s not really a playbook for things of that nature. You could see in the collective faces of both teams their mind wasn’t on playing football at all. So (I) thought it was inappropriate to play football.
You decided to play the starters today. What did you see with the offense with Tua [QB Tua Tuagovailoa]?
COACH MCDANIEL: You know, I saw some good and some bad. Overall, I thought as a unit there were some good things. There were some individual shortcomings that you hate to see for that group because they don’t get the whole game to make it right. But I think I was happy with the intent, but overall, you try to score on every drive. So, that wasn’t the case. We have some good tape to learn from.
On the fumbled snap in the first drive and if that has been an issue during training camp?
COACH MCDANIEL: It’s something that you have corrected because it doesn’t matter what anyone does on the play if that’s the case. Since the last preseason game, every first play of practice has been in the shotgun to try to give him reps at that because he’s obviously — you know, there’s like 600, 700 shotgun snaps in the season — so he obviously executes it well. But it’s just something that he’s working through. And I think that the silver lining, it’s better that that happens in the preseason, but it’s a non-negotiable correction.
Can we some other injury updates on players? We saw Elijah Campbell [DB Elijah Campbell] carted off and Salvon [RB Salvon Ahmed] take a shot to the head and didn’t come back in. Do you have any updates on them?
COACH MCDANIEL: With regard to Salvon, he cleared the neurological test after the game, but he’ll be getting more tests tomorrow. And I’ll actually get some feedback on Elijah tomorrow as well.
What did you see on that final play?
COACH MCDANIEL: You know I didn’t really see it at all. Since it was a catch/PBU point of attack, I took my eyes immediately down to the call sheet probably before he went to the ground because I was planning on going it on 4th-and-2. And then I actually heard someone say he wasn’t moving. So that’s when I immediately ran out there. So, I didn’t see any of the impact on the ground at all.
We obviously saw you and Doug [Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson] and Christian [DT Christian Wilkins] out there conversing over what to do. Was the league also consulted?
COACH MCDANIEL: Yeah, they’re talking to us through the headset of the referee. And we brought the PA (player’s association) reps out there and mutually agreed, both teams mutually agreed to end the game at that point, which we made the league aware of.
What can you tell us about Daewood [WR Daewood Davis] as a person?
COACH MCDANIEL: He’s a great — he’s a great spirit, first and foremost. He had a rookie show — not a rookie show, in one of the offensive meetings early on in camp, he did, you know, a rookie event. And you could see the rest of the — he kind of sang a little song and then told a story — and you could see the rest of the offense from that point on really — he’s magnetic. He’s got a cool personality to him. And guys really saw that from then on. The receivers already knew it. But from then on, he was a guy that his teammates really root for. That tells you everything about a human being because you can’t, in a locker room of individuals that spend so much time together, there’s no hiding the good things and the bad things. Really who you are is really put out there, and he’s a popular guy amongst our team because of how he works. And I’ve had such a pleasure in his development process and was excited for a couple of opportunities he was going to get. But more than anything we’re just hoping for a full recovery and have had some good news and hope to have some even better news moving forward.
Might not know too much about the similar situation in Cincinnati last year. After this moment, what did you say to the team? Can you share what you said?
COACH MCDANIEL: I just wanted to make sure that the guys knew that there’s no right way to feel. And we all sign up for the sport. (We) love the sport and it’s conflicting when you see one of your brothers go down in that fashion. And I just wanted to make sure that they knew that there is no way to feel, but to make sure to tell your loved ones you love them and not take your teammates and your relationships with them for granted at all because that’s what you lean on. You just don’t want people to internalize things and express it to each other. I basically told them to lean on teammates and gave them an update. But there’s nothing right to say or feel.
Is it your understanding he’ll stay here tonight or is it too early?
COACH MCDANIEL: That’s my assumption, but I have not verified that yet. Things were moving pretty fast and furious.
Tua Tagovailoa – August 26, 2023 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 26, 2023
Postgame – Jacksonville
QB Tua Tagovailoa (transcribed by Jacksonville Jaguars)
Can you go over what happened out there?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think there were a lot of things that happened out there on the field tonight that weren’t expected. For Daewood [WR Daewood Davis], I don’t think he woke up this morning understanding that there are repercussions playing this sport that this was going to happen. I don’t think anyone wakes up thinking things like that’s going to happen. There were a lot of things that happened out there on the field for not just Daewood, but there were other guys as well. Our prayers, our thoughts are with a lot of those guys that sacrifice a lot, day in and day out. And it was just tough to see.
I assume it would have been very hard if not possible to continue playing for your teammates?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I think it would have been extremely hard for the guys to have gone out and continued to play. The kind of person Daewood [WR Daewood Davis] is, a lot of guys respect him. He’s very well respected in the locker room. He’s a great player. He’s a great teammate. He’s a great person. Just would have been hard to have gone back out after seeing something like that.
Did you see the entire play and what did you think, if so?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I’d seen the entire play. I just didn’t see if there was a second person that hit him. I’d just seen it was a pass breakup and I didn’t think anything of it. And when Daewood [WR Daewood Davis] was on the floor and he didn’t move, that was very concerning. So prayers go out to him, his family, his friends, everyone watching, thinking of him.
What about the mood in the locker room? Can you lend any insight on how that was?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, it’s tough for everyone. It’s tough for everyone in there to witness something like that and come in and talk about how the game went. It’s just too tough. Like I said, the kind of person that Daewood [WR Daewood Davis] is, he’s very well respected in the locker room. The guys like him. Guys sort of tailor to who he is as a person. It’s hard to explain when you’re not in the locker room day in and day out. But it’s just not something you like seeing.
Could you explain a little bit as far as like the bond you all will embrace from this moment just to move forward and grow from this?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I think the bond continues to grow for all those guys in the locker room. When something like this happens, sometimes it does bring guys closer because it’s more than just football. It’s about life, it’s about the person, it’s about the guys in the locker room who they are outside the locker room. We’re all human, too. We go out there for the entertainment of those people watching and sometimes things happen unfortunately like that.
A minute ago when Mike McDaniel [Head Coach Mike McDaniel] was out here, he talked about Daewood [WR Daewood Davis] sort of putting on, telling a story, and singing a song for the team. Were you there for that and how did that make the team kind of rally around him?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I was there for all of it. I was there also when they had the rookie show. It was probably the best rookie show I’ve ever seen. I’ve only been here for four years, but it’s the best rookie show I’ve ever seen. Definitely way better than my rookie show that we had. But
it was good. They all did good. It was funny. But there’s many things that you can talk about that are good about Daewood [WR Daewood Davis], but that’s not to outshine the guys that have put in the work out there out on the field, given the opportunities and the chances they’ve had to put their work on film.
Tyreek Hill – August 26, 2023 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 26, 2023
Postgame – Jacksonville
WR Tyreek Hill (transcribed by Jacksonville)
I’m sure it’s been a hard night to get through. How would you describe your emotions right now?
Well, obviously this is a weird situation for the whole team. It’s very unfortunate. Nobody ever wants to feel the way we feel, especially Daewood [WR Daewood Davis], he was in the same receiver room as me. It sucks just seeing a young player go through something like that, or anybody in general, in this league, just going through something like that, trying to make a living, trying to make this team, trying to live out their childhood dream, it sucks. I always put myself in that position.
Sharing the room with him, knowing him better than we do, what do you know about him? What can you tell us?
I can say this about Daewood [WR Daewood Davis]; each and every day he has the same attitude, same mindset, and that’s to get better and that’s to help this team win games. He’s a full ball of energy, all fast guys are. I feel like I can speak for the whole room when I say all of us enjoy being around Daewood. He’s in a situation that we don’t wish upon anybody in this league. It’s not fun for the sport.
I think you might have been one of the first players to go out onto the field. Could you describe what’s going through your head at that time?
I really don’t know, but my first thing was I just wanted to make sure he was moving, because where we were all standing at, we didn’t have a good view and we only could see his feet. None of his body was moving. It was like, ‘Okay, what’s going on?’ I got to get out there. Even if they stop me, I have to at least get a closer look. I turned around and the whole team was coming. There was no way from them stopping us to check up on our brother to make sure he’s all right because I feel the trainers, they’re going to give you certain information. They’re going to give you its and bits of what’s going on. I just had to see it for my own eyes. He’s in good spirits right now and I saw that. Shaking his head and stuff like that, breathing. So once we saw that, everybody was, like, relax.
So you were able to actually see him move while he was out on the field?
Yeah, he moved his head. The trainer was talking to him as they were driving off. He was like shaking his head and stuff like that.
Daewood [WR Daewood Davis], was he on your side of the roster?
Yes, Daewood was on my team. So, yeah, he was one of my selections.
What will tomorrow be like? I guess it probably depends on how Daewood [WR Daewood Davis] is going, but can you project or take a guess?
I really can’t predict, but I’m sure everybody’s going to continue to rally around Daewood, support him. Even with whatever happens with this team, guys are still going to reach out and stuff to him, make sure his family is alright. That just shows you what kind of team this is. I know I am, because as a leader of our room, I feel that’s my responsibility. I feel like I got go check on my brother.
Tyreek Hill – August 26, 2023 (Third Quarter)
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Saturday, August 26, 2023
WR Tyreek Hill on CBS Miami Broadcast
(Before the season started you mentioned 2,000 yards. High expectations for yourself obviously. Where did you come up with that number?) – “I don’t know. I just feel like 2,000 is the magic number for every receiver and growing up, I’ve always wanted to play football and I’ve idolized guys, had guys as role models like Randy Moss, Chris Carter, Jerry Rice of course, Torry Holt. Those guys. And told be able to break the receiving record in a season would be awesome. Especially coming from a small-town kid because I came from nothing so it would be an honor.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa talked to them yesterday and he mentioned that he thinks you guys have a lot of deep threats on this team. My instant reaction to that was, I bet that’s going to help WR Tyreek Hill get a few more balls. How explosive is this wide receiver room this season?) – “Man, I can’t even explain it sometimes. When we go in and watch film, it’s crazy just to see the dynamic playmakers that we’ve got on this offense. Not only in the receiving room, but it’s in the running backs room, it’s in the tight end room and it’s even in the o-linemen room, too. Those guys are explosive, too, so I’m excited about this year. It’s going to be a fun year for the Dolphins. Fins fans, you better lace up and get the popcorn ready. It’s going to be fun.”
(That first catch you made today, QB Tua Tagovailoa did a little spin move before getting you the ball.) – “That was sweet, right?”
(In Year 2, does it just feel like you guys are ready to unleash a different side of this offense?) – “Oh yeah, for sure. Year 2 is the year it’s all going to come together. We had a chance to go back and really get an understanding of this offense. I’ve been saying all offseason, like Year 1 was just a blur. We were just out there basically running, but Year 2, everyone fully has an understanding of the offense.”
Mike McDaniel – August 26, 2023 (Halftime)
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Saturday, August 26, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel on CBS Miami
(One of the last times we get to see the ones versus ones in the preseason here. What’d you like about the progress they’ve made so far?) – “Really, you just need reps. We still have two weeks until the regular season so it’s important that guys get out there and communicate. There’s plenty of opportunities to get better. They’ll thrive in that. They’ve been working hard for that opportunity. I was happy with the way they committed to the assignments.”
(I certainly hope RB Salvon Ahmed is okay. He took a big shot, but it seems like every time he touches the ball here in the preseason he does something big. What have you liked about his camp so far?) – “I was on another team with him as an undrafted rookie. You see him now. It doesn’t surprise me. He has an abundance of talent, but what he’s really done is honed in on his skills and focused on what he isn’t good at and he’s become good at it. It’s been awesome to watch.”
Zach Sieler – August 26, 2023 (First Quarter)
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Saturday, August 26, 2023
DT Zach Sieler on CBS Miami Broadcast
(First of all, you’ve got to like the way the defense responded on the last drive. Long drive, get that pop at the endzone. What were you guys saying on the bench after?) – “It’s awesome. It’s great to be able to get that ball out there at the end and get the ball. You don’t want to let them drive like that on us. You don’t want to let them drive that that on us. We’ve got to correct some things, make them correct it on the bench. But it was a great play by those guys and good to get the ball back.”
(All offseason we’ve heard about the front seven, you’re right there in the middle of all of that, how good they can be. Is this team as good as advertised in that area?) – “I’ll tell you what, we love playing with each other. All camp we’ve been growing the bond between each other. (Bradley) Chubb and Jaelan (Phillips) on the outside, me, ‘Rae’ (Raekwon Davis), Christian (Wilkins) on the inside. (Jerome) Baker and David Long now, an addition this offseason. It’s been great playing with these guys and learning how to play off each other.”
(DT Raekwon Davis said the other day at practice, he thinks he’s about to have his best year yet. How is he looking from your spot?) – “I couldn’t agree more. He’s been awesome. My wife went to college with him and she said he looks like a different man.”
(So the wife approves?) – “I wouldn’t say that. She likes ‘Rae’ (Raekwon Davis), but she said he looks pretty good out there.”
(I know you guys open the season against the Los Angeles Chargers, probably want a little payback after last year. Are you guys looking forward to having a couple weeks to prepare for them?) – “It’s going to be nice. It’s a great team, great quarterback, great o-line. Can’t wait to go against them, take it out there and show them what we’ve got this year.”
