Ndamukong Suh – July 27, 2017
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Thursday, July 27, 2017
DT Ndamukong Suh
(Does training camp feel any different when you come off a playoff season?) – “No. It’s back to the basics. That’s how I look at it; that’s how I approach it. Obviously, to be able to have the opportunity to build off of some of the good things you did last year, but it’s back to the basics. You have to forget about the previous year and prepare for the upcoming year.”
(Expectations, they have to be a little different this year?) – “Expectations? I’m not talking about them just yet. We have to get into the season first. Maybe after we get a third preseason game, that’s where we get a true test of what we have to some extent. A lot of guys only play half a game at most, but it’s way too early to talk about expectations.”
(Being a leader on the defensive side of the ball when you step out on the field, I’m sure the defense gets a boost from that. Do you notice it as a leader with C Mike Pouncey being out there for the offense?) – “Without question. I’m very happy to see Pouncey back. He has obviously got the ‘it’ factor, and he brings a lot to the table. I love going against him, love learning (from him), as well as (Jermon) Bushrod and guys like that, that are veterans and the young guys, because they push you, they’re going hard and vice versa. It’s definitely a good thing to have everybody out there and everybody pushing each other to get better. But like I said, we’re at the basics, so we have to get back to the fundamentals.”
(Does the first day of camp feel any different as you keep progressing in your career?) – “No, because I try to approach it like I’m a rookie – make sure I get my fundamentals down, footwork. Obviously as we get into the situation that we like to run – red zone, whatever it may be – as we started with today, you work on and add things to your game.”
(Does it feel like the first day when you have all these OTAs and minicamps? Does it still feel like the first day?) – “It definitely feels good. It’s without question the first day. It’s just excitement to be back on the football field. Obviously, soon we’re going to get pads on, which is probably the most exciting time of the year and then go from there.”
(It’s the second year with this new staff. Does that help at all the familiarity with them, the protocol, all that?) – “No question. I think – without question – having the similar staff, even though we have some changes, some new additions, it’s a great feeling to know what you’re running. We’ve put – if I’m not mistaken – our defense in three or four times between the first couple phases of OTAs and obviously minicamp and all those things. Right now, it’s refreshing with those pieces and being able to get off to the races.”
(We’re not going to get a true sense of rookies until pads are on, but is there a skill you see from DT Davon Godchaux that you think is an NFL caliber skill being around him?) – “His ability to understand details is something that I’m very surprised with, especially at a young age. For him being able to pick up on those and implement them into practice … because the biggest thing that we preach is being able to take and translate the stuff that we work on in individual and take that to team periods. As you get older, veterans are a lot easier to do that. Young guys struggle a little bit. They forget that real bullets are flying. They kind of forget about those things, but Godchaux has done a pretty good job being able to translate that.”
(DT Jordan Phillips has talked about wanting to raise his game to a more consistent level? We’re not going to know until September, October. Do you see any difference in him this offseason, as much time as you spend around him helping mentor him?) – “I think he’s focused, and I think he has an opportunity to prove a lot of people wrong. I think at the end of the day, like you said, it’s going to come down to when we start playing real games and live bullets; but obviously he has the ability to get to where he wants to be.”
Jarvis Landry – July 27, 2017
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Thursday, July 27, 2017
Wide Receiver Jarvis Landry
(Does training camp feel any different this year coming off a playoff season?) – “No. It’s always going to be hot, I know that. (laughter) For us today, I think we had a good day. Coach took care of us a little bit, having us in the red area a little bit, coming off the offseason. I think we had a good day today.”
(Are expectations any different this year coming off the playoffs?) – “No. Nothing has changed. The best thing about it is all 32 teams are at the same point right now. We all have that one goal in mind and that’s win the Super Bowl.”
(Is there not a confidence level of knowing ‘Look, we’ve been a playoff team. We are a good team now.’ Instead of hoping in the past that you guys would be a good team?) – “We’re not hoping. We’re preparing for each and every opportunity, each and every game. We’re excited about it. We understand that for us, it’s about today and getting back in there and looking at the film, correcting our mistakes and coming back out here for the walkthrough and tomorrow, and being even better than we were today.”
(Is there even a question of whether you would be out here today?) – “No, there was not.”
(If you could improve one aspect of your game, what would it be?) – “Just continue to finish with the ball and get in the end zone. (I want to) continue to make the catches, do the little things right and get in the end zone.”
(You said it was very important for you to be out here despite everything else that’s going on with the contract. How important was it to deliver on that promise and be out here?) – “Very. Like I said, for me, being a leader and having an opportunity to take another step, we don’t need anything hindering us off that path. So for me to be here and to show the guys that it is about them and it’s about the team, that’s what I’m here to do.”
(Do you think that was also the approach that C Mike Pouncey was taking by being out there today and getting cleared?) – “That’s Mike. Everybody knows Mike. Mike’s a fighter. He has something that you can’t coach and every guy wants. To have him cleared and have him back out here; we got the news yesterday really. To have him back out here is amazing.”
(Just so you don’t have to answer this again the rest of camp, just to get it on the record, does it matter to you one way or the other if you get a contract extension before September 10th?) – “Like I said, I’m out here just focusing on now. I’m focusing on all of the things that I can control, every time I step on the field. Everything else is out of my hands, is out of my control. I leave that with God.”
(Do you ease your way into this physically? Or are you out there just full speed, full go from the jump?) – “Full speed, full go. You have to find a way to pick your spots; but at the same time, for the most part I’m full speed.”
(Is the competition level with you guys and the secondary, is that up a level from OTAs and things like that? Or a continuation of that?) – “Absolutely. I think we got the best of the defense today. I think we won Round 1. We’ll see. (laughter)”
(You and WR DeVante Parker and WR Kenny Stills have a chance to be what in terms of where you guys rank as a trio of NFL receivers? Could it be a Top 5 group? Top 10?) – “Everything we do, we want to be the best. It’s not Top 5; it’s No. 1. For us, again, it starts with today. We’re not looking ahead. We’re just trying to find a way to better what we did last year and get better every time we touch the field.”
(How have things shifted for you as far as the way you approach training camp or your expectations for a season now that this is your fourth year?) – “Everything has slowed down a little bit. After probably your first two training camps, you kind of learn what to expect. Knowing what to expect and knowing coming in here what we were getting ourselves into, it’s a little bit … It’s hard; but it’s a little bit easier as far as just making the transition from the offseason to now.”
(Has anything changed for you over the last few years as far as what you look to get out of a season? Do you go in with numerical goals or did you used to go in with that and now you think differently about it?) – “No. Everybody goes in with goals, of course; but again, it starts with me putting the work in now and that will translate when the games come around after the preseason. We’ll talk about the rest later.”
(How much pride do you take in having, not only part of the record of most catches in the first three seasons in a career [288] but sharing it with a buddy like N.Y. Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.? Is there a pride in both of those things?) – “Absolutely. It means everything. It’s something that we’ve both talked about. The race for Year 4 is on. I don’t think anybody has done Year 4 either, so that’s on now. It’ll be fun. It’ll be interesting. I love him to death so it’s all good.”
Adam Gase – July 25, 2017
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Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Any news for us?) – “The only one for sure that I know is going to be on PUP is WR Rashawn (Scott) 100 percent. I’m waiting to hear back on anything with Koa (Misi) and Mike (Pouncey) right now. We haven’t done anything with the league yet, but Rashawn I know for a fact that’s going to happen.”
(What is the Day 1 plan for C Mike Pouncey?) – “I’ll have to wait until … We have a whole bunch of different scenarios right now that could possibly come up after we get more information today. Working with our guys that have been dealing with him, we’ve put together all of these different contingency plans as far as ‘Alright, he can do individual, and then we can do practice, and here’s his rest day.’ We’re waiting to hear where we’re at and then we’ll go from there.”
(What’s changed in C Mike Pouncey’s health since the last time we’ve talked to you? What’s progressed or what hasn’t?) – “He’s been able to run. I mean he’s doing everything that you need to do to be able to show that he’s in good shape and feeling good and feeling stronger. Really, now it’s that final checkup to see exactly where we’re at and once we get those results, we’ll be able to move forward after that.”
(How much work does he need in training camp for you to feel comfortable about putting him out there for the season opener?) – “Nothing. That’s me; but I know he doesn’t feel that way. I know he wants to practice and go through his routine for training camp. I was amazed by the fact that he missed as much time as he did last year during the season, he walks right back in and plays at an elite level. I’m always going to listen to him though. It’s his body and his mindset. I trust what he tells me.”
(How would you describe the importance of having C Mike Pouncey in the lineup, as you’ve said, for up to or more than 16 games?) – “He’s an elite player at his position. You guys have been around him long enough, his leadership skills are just natural. People gravitate to him, whether it’s players, coaches, fans. He’s just got whatever the ‘it’ factor is, he has that. Anytime that you can have one of your best players in the huddle every game, that’s to our advantage. You just never know what’s going to happen. I know all he can do is just keep doing what he’s been doing and working hard and trying to prepare himself as well as he can. And then after that, it’s kind of see what happens.”
(How do you feel about your depth at that position?) – “We’ve got so many guys playing center, I’m good.”
(Is there a point where you feel like you need to see him to get him ready for the regular season?) – “I don’t, but he wants to go through that process.”
(What’s the challenge of making sure that he doesn’t hurt himself or suffer a setback considering he wants to practice and play so much?) – “I think our guys have a good plan of how he should work. He’s done a really good job, especially since the last injury, of following to a ‘T’ of how we should do things. He’s done exactly what the doctors have asked him to do. That’s age, that’s experience in the league of going through this a couple of times. You feel like, ‘I feel better,’ and you get ahead of schedule. I think that he’s gotten to the point of he’s just going to listen to the people that are telling him what’s best for him. He’s done a great job of following that. I think he’s seeing good results right now.”
(Regarding LB Koa Misi, whether he opens on PUP or not, are you confident – reasonably confident – that he’ll be able to participate in camp?) – “When I get more information this afternoon … I know that’s not what you guys want to hear right now. I told Matt that we should do (the press conference) tomorrow, but he wanted to do it today. (laughter)”
(Is there any question in your mind about whether LB Koa Misi will be able to actually play football again in his career?) – “In my mind, I feel confident that (he will be able to play again) at some point. I just don’t know where we’re at right now. Once I get those results and talk to our guys and talk to (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Mike (Tannenbaum) and (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and Koa, then I’ll know more. I just … I don’t have enough information right now.”
(If LB Koa Misi isn’t healthy enough to begin the season practicing and playing, how comfortable are you with the linebacker depth?) – “We’ve got a lot of guys that have played, I know that, because everybody had to play last year. I feel better probably than a lot of people do outside of our building. I like our guys. I saw a lot of good things in the spring. I feel like we look a lot different than we did last year with, when you get to the twos and threes, with the competition. I think that there are some guys in there that when we actually get into some preseason games with full pads, I think that we’re going to see … It’s going to look different for us.”
(Knowing how many carries you want to get from RB Jay Ajayi this season, how do you approach training camp for someone like him?) – “He’s going to do his thing. He’s going to practice. He’ll be alright. I’ll make sure I manage it right. I know that seems to be a big concern. We have a good plan for him. We understand his running style. He does a good job of telling us where’s he’s at. He’s not afraid to … If he starts to get banged up a little bit, he’ll tell us. It’s in a good way. He’s constantly communicating to make sure that we know exactly where he’s at. He doesn’t hide anything from us.”
(With the new acquisitions at defensive tackle, how do you feel about that new depth? Even though some of the players that are there are pretty young, how do you feel about that new depth?) – “Any time that you can bring in, whether it’s a veteran player or young guys, it’s just … Any time you feel like there’s someone right there with you and they are competing with you, that’s good. I think a lot of players embrace that, they like that. They like the fact that they feel like somebody is trying to push them a little bit. The more we can get that across the board, that’s what we’re looking for. I think most teams in the NFL, that’s what they’re hoping to have. They’re always hoping that the front line and then whoever’s behind them are really trying to push those guys to get in the lineup.”
(Can you give us a preview of what you’ll tell the team tomorrow?) – “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it yet. When I get there, I’ll let you know.”
(Have you guys been in touch with WR Jarvis Landry’s representatives recently about the contract situation?) – “I haven’t dealt with anything. All the contract stuff, we never talk about it, really, publicly. That’s a different focus. Right now, I’m worried about getting ready for training camp.”
(What would you tell or have you told WR Jarvis Landry about the way you would like him to approach training camp, preseason considering that contract situation is at least in the back of his mind?) – “I don’t have to tell him anything. He does his thing. He comes in here. He works. He’s trying to get ready for the season. It’s football for him. That’s what he’s dealing with.”
(What did you learn last year from the first training camp and how’s it going to be different this year?) – “The one thing I did learn was trying to match up offense, defense – do what’s best for both sides of the ball – understanding … Offensively, you can’t say, ‘Here’s our install. We’re not worried about what our defense does.’ We took a little more time of – and it started in the spring of – we have a little more of that game-plan type feel, but at the same time, we’re installing our base stuff. We’re just making sure that we’re not putting our players on offense at a disadvantage. And (Defensive Coordinator) Matt (Burke) is doing the same thing on defense. He’s trying to put those guys in a position to where you’re installing your base stuff, but at the same time, you’re trying to give those guys enough to where they don’t feel like one side of the ball is taking advantage of the other. I really enjoyed it in the spring, because there was a sense of competition and that intensity was good. I think the players felt it as we got going in the spring – and the same thing in training camp – where they feel like a little game plan-ish type feel on each other and guys making adjustments and not just saying, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ It’s making those tweaks here and there to help our guys have success.”
(Do you think it helps the focus, too?) – “Absolutely. Because when you start making all these adjustments and you’re talking a lot of football, guys are engaged with all the kind of stuff. When it becomes that same old talk every day and you’re talking about the exact same thing, that’s when it gets tough on guys. The fact that we keep moving situations around and trying to change it up and giving different looks on both sides, guys enjoy that and they get engaged.”
(What do you hope to see, or want to see, in this particular training camp from TE Julius Thomas?) – “I saw a different guy when it comes to the run game compared to when we were together in Denver; but it was a different scheme, so I think this fits him a little bit better. As far as the passing game goes, I liked what those guys were doing in the spring. They spent a lot of time together, because he’s the newer face and him and Ryan (Tannehill) trying to get on the same page. I like the process they went through. We had some good plays. He’s trying to feel his role out in this team and he does a good job of that, because he’s a team guy first, and he’s always going to see how he fits in and where his skillset fits in with the rest of the guys. We’ll use him to his strengths and see how it fits in this year.”
(I know you said if C Mike Pouncey showed up on Week 1 and he’d be ready to go, you’d be fine with that; but how much would you like the continuity of the offensive line, especially trying to establish that left guard position?) – “I guess that’s less of a worry for me, because when Pouncey steps in the huddle, you know who’s running it up front. He’s clear with what he does and there’s just a presence there. When he speaks, everybody listens. It’s not as difficult as you’d think when you’ve got a player like that, that steps into that role.”
(How do you feel about your guard situation? Looking, for example, at G Isaac Asiata as a rookie, what did he show you in the offseason? Is he ready to compete for a starting job potentially?) – “I think if you’re on the roster right now you’re competing, whether it be a roster spot or a starting spot. We’ll see how this plays out. We’re so far away from Week 1 and so many things can happen. I guess I feel good about our entire offensive line and that room. I like the competition. I like the flexibility. Guys really have a great feel for the scheme right now, and it has allowed our guys to play fast in practice in the spring and it should carry over to training camp. The biggest thing is going to be when we get pads on is carrying that over and being able to play fast and not thinking as much as we did last year.”
(What’s your vision for the line in 2017? What would you like it to look like?) – “I think if we can clean up some of … The times we had penetration, we had some of those negative runs, and I think that came towards the end of last year, probably those last six or so games, where we had less of that, less times Jay (Ajayi) was trying to make somebody miss in the backfield. That takes some time every once in a while with what we do with the outside zone, where guys try to get a feel for what we’re trying to do. If we can eliminate a lot of that, we’re going to try to keep working our play action and drop backs. In this league, everybody is built to pass rush. It’s a tough matchup for all these guys. The defensive tackles are getting better. The (defensive) ends are as good as I ever remember across the board. Every week it feels like you have to stop somebody. We’re always going to look to improve that. I know we’re lucky because we do have a really good defensive line and we get great work every day and it’s really going to let us know where we stand against really good competition.”
(Have you noticed a change that you are chomping at the bit and ready to go with the training camp?) — “I think the way that I look at it is as a staff, we’re trying to get our guys in the right mindset of we’ve got to start that one day at a time mentality right now. It’s easy to look ahead, like I’m sure some people are talking about the first game of the season (and) we haven’t even gotten to the first day yet. There’s a lot of meetings, there’s a lot of practice, there’s a lot of walk-throughs, and if you lose focus in any of that stuff, then that’s how you get beat. Our guys have heard it from us so many times that you’ll hear a lot of them saying the same thing about just focusing on that day and in this league right now, the way the rules are set up, if you waste a day, that’s a lot of time you lose. So you can’t have one of those days of ‘Oh, we’ll get it right tomorrow.’ Our guys, they know our big emphasis is going to be ‘Don’t waste a day.’ We’ve got to make sure that whatever we’re doing on that day, we’ve got to make it count.”
(So with that being said, are you okay with WR Jarvis Landry making comments about the season and the confidence that he has beating the Patriots and what not or would you rather he not do that?) – “Guys can do whatever they want. They can say what they want. Some guys, they want to talk about the season. I try to emphasize what we’re doing right now because you can’t get there without doing the first part of it. That’s why our main focus always is ‘He,y let’s do it right today.’ Because Week 1, Week 10, if you get lucky enough to get into the playoffs, all that other stuff you did before that is going to matter, because when you get in those single-elimination games, you make the same mistakes you did in the regular season, it’ll be a short trip to the playoffs.”
(During the spring a lot of your players came in and talked about how they self- scouted themselves from last year and the improvements they wanted to make. Did you do that and if so how do you want to be a different coach in Year 2?) – “We looked at a lot of the stuff that we did offensively. Me personally, looking at it as the play caller, there were a lot of things that I would have done a lot different those first five games, whether it be how we played as a group or certain individuals or how we use certain guys. When you get to that second year as a head coach, your involvement to be able to help the defense, it changes, because you’re not setting anything up in the spring. You’re really trying to figure out what went right, what went wrong, make those adjustments, communicate to the staff, meet with those guys. Now you’re able to at least have more conversations with the defensive coaches and ask questions and kind of have a little more give and take with those guys, where in that first year, you’re trying so hard just to make sure the side of the ball that you’re working with is all set up. That’s why I felt like I was really lucky having (former Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph). I mean it was really like I was having another head coach on the staff, and obviously that showed by him getting a job after the season. I never had to worry about anything and now I feel like I can be a good sounding board for (Defensive Coordinator) Matt (Burke) if he needs me and I just kind of talked with him and we kind of go back and forth as far as how he looks at things, how I look at things and it’s a good give and take because I can always pull things from him and prepare myself that way and hopefully I’m doing the same for him.”
(With RB Jay Ajayi accepting this bell cow role coming into the season this year, can you talk about the difference in the way he’s carried himself through the offseason and what you expect from him as a leader coming into training camp?) – “Well we kind of thought that was what it was going to be last year. He did a good job last spring. I’d say we had like four bad days and this spring he did an outstanding job of coming into, just the offseason in general, talking about what he felt like he wasn’t as good at as some other guys around the league, to where he wanted to improve. You could see when we were watching him in practice he had really worked on a lot of things as far as in the passing game – routes, protection – to where he either studied video or he spent a lot time running routes and we saw it in practice. I love the fact that he challenged himself. He wanted to be a guy that could be used on all three downs that ‘Hey, when we’re doing this certain concept, we’d rather have somebody else in there.’ He wants to make sure you can call anything you want on that call sheet and I can do it. He did a great job of putting that out there, showing us that whatever we ask him, whatever we’ve got on there he can do.”
(Regarding QB Ryan Tannehill’s knee, is it 100 percent?) – “I don’t know. I have no clue. (laughter) I’m not a doctor. Ask the doctor. Ask (Tannehill) and see how that goes. (laughter)”
(Is it important? Is there a pre-injury…) – “I don’t know. He looked good to me. He runs around and throws the ball. He’s fine.”
(How have you been doing with your rookies the last week or so? Where do you feel like they’re at as far as being prepared to handle everything you’re about to throw at them?) – “So last year, I had never done it before. I had never brought the rookies in early. I haven’t really … it’s been a long time since I’ve been associated with that and last year, we had a whole bunch of coaches come back the week before we were coming back to work. A lot of guys asking ‘Hey, can I work with the rookies,’ and we couldn’t because they were coming in with the veterans. So we brought them in and if coaches were back in town and they had the chance to meet with them, we were encouraging that. But we wanted (Head Strength & Conditioning Coach) Dave (Puloka) to kind of get a hold of them and get them going in the weight room and get them outside and be able to run. So we were able to do a lot of that kind of stuff and just get them down here and settled and it wasn’t like they just got thrown in with all the vets. So we tried to do it a little different this year and getting these guys rolling just a few days here. We haven’t been crushing them by any means and just giving them a little jump start there just so … because I mean they started later than the vets, so any time they can get a little bit a head start, it’s good for them.”
(With DE Charles Harris, it seemed like he was really picking things up back in minicamp and OTAs. Are you expecting him now to just jump right in and be good to go here on Thursday?) – “We’ll see. That’s a hard prediction for me to make. I just know when we left here, he was feeling pretty good about where he was on the … like as far as the scheme goes and how he was practicing. We’ll just see how it goes in training camp. I’m excited to watch him rush the passer, for sure.”
(You guys are bring in some cornerbacks to work out. Is there an injury or is there a little bit of a deficiency?) – “We’ve got an extra (roster) spot and I’ve had so many people tell me you can never find enough corners. So, we’re checking guys out; but we do it quite a bit with a lot of different positions and some don’t make as much news as others. So we’re always making sure that we’ve got everything, you know our ducks in a row, just in case something happens in camp and we’ve got to push forward and do something. When you start working guys out, you get information on them, physicals, everybody’s kind of on the same page there and you can react a little quicker.”
William Wachtel & Martin Luther King III – June 15, 2017
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Thursday, June 15, 2017
William Wachtel & Martin Luther King III
William Wachtel:
(Opening Statement) – “Hi, there. Martin King and I are the co-chairmen of the Drum Major Institute that was founded in 1961 by our dads. We are truly proud to stand with the Dolphins as they help RISE (Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality) and (Owner) Steve Ross kick off a unique voter registration drive. The Dolphins are well on their way to being the first professional ball team in American history to have a roster of fully registered voters, and this is just the beginning.”
Martin Luther King III:
(Opening Statement) – “Good afternoon. We’re certainly really honored to be here with this organization, as it takes a very unique step. As you perhaps have heard or are aware, my father and his team, along with John Lewis and others led the campaign to garner the right to vote in 1965. So for the Miami Dolphins to embrace this concept of being the first team to have all of its players registered … Of course the hope is that translates to encouraging more people across our nation to get engaged and to vote because a vote-less people, as dad said, is a powerless people. One of the most important steps that we can take is that short step to the ballot box.”
William Wachtel:
(How did you guys get hooked up with the Dolphins?) – “(Owner) Steve Ross has been a dear friend for 30 years. He’s clearly an owner who is more invested in the well-being of the players, not just on the field but off the field. And as part of the civic engagement, he asked us if we would work with the Dolphins in this initiative. As you know, he runs an organization called RISE. He’s got every major league sport involved and hopefully what happened here today will be an inspiration for the entire RISE organization and, if in fact, the teams and their players all register by national registration day, which is September 26th of this year, then we will rise up and all be very proud of the fact that the ballplayers, who really are at the end of the day role models, will do something special. This is, after all, the 70th anniversary of Jackie Robinson stepping out onto the field of America’s dream. To pay homage to the dream of Dr. (Martin Luther) King, what could be better for all players to stand up and say ‘We vote; we count.’”
(What percentage of the roster was registered before you began your campaign?) – “What we know today is that today we’re probably close to about 90 percent. That’s just because we haven’t been able to catch a few people. But every single person, the ones who were already registered and the ones who were registering today for the first time, were truly pleased to participate in something which, as part of civic engagement, really is, as (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) said earlier, a great lesson for the kids watching from the sideline.”
(So it’s 90 percent now registered?) – “My guess is we are very close to 90 percent but that’s simply because we literally were standing in the hall with guys signing things as we came in and talked to you guys.”
(The deadline to be 100 percent is September, is that correct?) – “Well, interestingly enough, it’s a well-kept secret; but there is something known as National Voter Registration Day. It’s something sponsored by the secretaries of state throughout the country, and they have that date set. Our goal is starting with the Dolphins and then rolling through the NFL and every major team and for that matter, every sport, because they are all part of the RISE movement, to hopefully have them all registered. That will send a powerful signal to young people that if you care, you have to vote. The first thing you need to do to vote is to register.”
(And if they weren’t registered, you guys gave them a form? Or you gave them a link to go online? How did that work?) – “They literally stood there. We had the forms and they signed it. Whether the team has pictures that they want to share, but it was special. It was neat.”
(How many players would you say weren’t registered that are registered now?) – “It’s hard to say because you’ve got to remember that as people move into the state, registration changes; but what we’re happy to say is that today we think we’re close to having 90 percent that have all registered. And look, we included the rookies and the people that were trying out for the team. So the good news is …”
(How many were not registered before that are registered now?) – “I can’t say that for sure. We did not … we asked if they were registered and they said … Some of them said yes, a lot of them said no; but a lot of them, because they’re moving into the state, said ‘Well look, I’m going to be here so I ought to register here.’”
(Is there an effort through the organization to reach out to the rest of the league or is it just strictly focused on the Dolphins?) – “Well you know (Owner) Steve (Ross) started RISE, which has as its members, every major league sport – from NHL to MLB to NASCAR – and this is a RISE initiative. We’re here as members of the Drum Major Institute, but we’re really here to salute RISE and to salute the Dolphins for kicking this off. Do we hope it becomes viral? Absolutely. Should it become viral? Let’s face it. What team owner, what league wouldn’t say ‘Geez, our players are role models to young people, what could be better than for them to say we vote, we count?’ So fingers crossed. You never know. I mean my guess is … It’s not my place to ask you questions but I suspect very few people have ever heard of a National Voter Registration Day, something which President Obama declared by proclamation to be a day that would be remembered in every year to come.”
(So will the players possibly be involved in say PSAs or anything of that nature?) – “Some of these players were like ‘How can I help? What can I do?’ And it’s not for us to decide, but certainly I know that (Owner) Steve (Ross) really believes, as the coach (Head Coach Adam Gase) was speaking earlier, about the idea of the work that (Director of Player Engagement) Kaleb Thornhill is doing to bring players, not just onto the field, but into the community. So it’s up to them, but fingers crossed, absolutely. And when they go back to their high schools and the kids say ‘What can we do to be better in sports?’ They say ‘The first thing you can do is register because you can’t be a good member of a team if you’re not a part of the American team.’”
(What’s the divide on the team between Democrats and Republicans?) – “(laughter) All I know is that they’re all believers in one thing and that is winning the Super Bowl. (laughter) Both for the team, for (Owner) Steve Ross and democracy.”
Martin Luther King III:
“And for themselves. (laughter)”
Adam Gase – June 15, 2017
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Thursday, June 15, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(These next seven weeks are usually a nervous time for coaches. What was your general message to the team between now and training camp?) – “Get your bodies right. Stick with really the training regimen that most of these guys did leading up to the spring. We were able to really get a good jump on the first phase and (Head Strength and Conditioning Coach) Dave (Puloka) was able to amp it up a little bit because guys came in in really good shape. We need to kind of be able to start fast in training camp and not waste time on getting guys in shape, so spend the time wisely. It is a time to kind of re-charge your bodies and your minds and get away from it for a little bit, but don’t go too far. Our guys, they understand how we’re going to do training camp, which is how we install and everything, so they can’t go too far away from their playbook. They just need to keep up with everything and when we get back, be ready to hit the ground running.”
(How do you ensure a faster start? That was an issue last year. How do you get to that point where you…?) – “You can’t predict it. You just have to … Things have to line up right and you just need to do a good of executing in camp and putting yourself in position to where, when you get to games, you play better than what we played last year. I feel like the first game we probably played about as well as we could have for our first time together. We just had a severe drop off there in probably games three, four and five. We just need to start off faster in this aspect of let’s not have the peaks and valleys. Let’s work on being consistent of improving.”
(What was your overall satisfaction level about the offseason program?) – “I thought guys did a great job. Attendance was outstanding. The effort was great. Guys were trying to build off of what they learned last year through what we do in our program and we gave them a little, the littlest things of let’s be better note-takers in the meeting rooms. Let’s make sure that we do a better job in individual and skill development. Skill development needs to be at a high level. Let’s make sure we know how we can get better. We really tried to explain why we were doing everything and let those guys really grasp that and take it from there, and they did a good job of that.”
(Physically how do you guys get through the spring?) – “I thought pretty good. I thought guys did a good job of trying to take care of each other. I know every once in a while we just … everybody is yelling on the field ‘Stay up. Stay off the ground.’ Guys did a good job of avoiding any kind of collisions. They did a pretty good job. We just need to keep getting better at learning how to practice without pads because you only get so many (padded practices) during the season. So you have to become an expert at that. We’re still learning. When you’re young and guys are trying to play fast and trying to impress, but we have to be able to protect each other. We have to play under control. We have to understand how we can get great work in without pads.”
(Guys like G/T Laremy Tunsil who seem to still be banged up. Do you expect them all to be ready for the start of camp?) – “Yes, I don’t see … Right now I’m thinking we don’t have any major issues entering into camp. We’ve got a couple of guys that haven’t done anything. I’m not going to … I know the next question you’re going to ask me; but we should be, we should be in good shape.”
(We did see the work that C Mike Pouncey was doing on the side. How’s he doing right now?) – “He’s really improving. We feel like we’re on a really, really good track right now and we’ll wait to the next doctor’s visit when we get kind of that report back and see what our next step would be. Or did anything change? Better? Worse? We’re just trying to really focus on the steps that the doctors have us right now. He’s done a good job of not trying to push ahead and say ‘Hey, I’m a fast healer and I’m tough.’ We all know that. The biggest thing for us is we need him healed because that’s really what it is, it’s time. He wants to be out there but it’s no good if we only get him for a couple of games. We need him for the duration.”
(What of the league restrictions on practice time in training camp do you think will have the most impact?) – “That’s hard for me to say. I don’t think of anything as restrictions anymore. I just think of it as this is the time allotted. This is when you’re allowed to be in pads or when you can’t and when you have to give players off. You’ve got this set of rules. You adjust to those. You try to maximize the time as much as possible and you may have to adjust during training camp because the health of your team really is … that’s where it’s going to be … that kind of can determine it. If you start losing a bunch of guys early, you might have to make some changes and you’ve just got to be ready to be flexible.”
(What changes are you making, if any, in your routine to make up for the loss of any time on the field?) – “Well, down here it’s different. We probably have shorter practices than most teams in the league because we have to think its July to December, right? We’re out there. We’ve got to maximize the time we’re on the field and then when we get in the meeting rooms, we have to understand you can’t waste time in there. We have to use the fact that we are going to have more meeting times than most people because we’re not on the field as much and we’ve got to make those count. It can’t just be going through the motions.”
(You’re talking about the weather factor?) – “Yes. I mean it does. When I first got down here, I probably said the same thing that most people do and you’re like ‘It’s not that bad,’ and then you start getting out there and you’re like ‘Okay, this is real.’ And it’s a good thing because you’re training in conditions that are tough. You really have to … it’s a mental test every day. That’s why we like to do it the way we do it – play fast, get out there, whatever amount of time we’re out there, make it count.”
(So do you feel that it’s a good thing? You say conditioning in that, but do you feel that less practice time is any kind of handicap?) – “I guess we’re just use to doing it the way we do it. Our guys take advantage of it, whether it be in meeting time or our walk-throughs. That’s what’s nice about having the bubble. Getting those walkthroughs in, just getting them out of the sun and locking in and just trying to make sure we’re doing a good job when we are doing the walkthroughs so when we get in practice, (there are) less errors, we’re not repeating things and we’re hitting it on the first time we’re doing it live. The more times we can do that, the better it is.”
(What was the comparison of busts, you guys needing to coach mistakes in these three days as opposed to the three days last year in camp?) – “It feels like we’re not talking about the same things over and over again. I don’t have any numbers to really support what I’m saying, but that’s just my feel. I feel like when we correct something, guys listen to what … Like last year, when we said if somebody makes a mistake, take that as your own mistake and don’t make that mistake, because if you are waiting for every guy to make a mistake one time on the same play, it’s just a never ending cycle of death. Guys were … somebody would make a mistake and you didn’t hear about it again. Those guys did a good job of if Jarvis (Landry) had a mistake there, Kenny (Stills) went ‘Okay, I can’t make that mistake.’ Or DeVante (Parker). And it was good because those guys kept talking about ‘This is how if you get put in this position, this is what you have to do.’ And it was good because there was a lot of communication going on this spring. You could tell the guys were a lot more comfortable.”
(How difficult is it for you to mentally get away for some time over the next month or so? Is it hard to do for you?) – “I’ll have my moments where it’s just some days I just don’t do anything, but I don’t go too far from it. This is fantasyland. You get to do something you love and it’s not really a job. I enjoy it and I’m around it a lot. This is kind of our whole family, that’s just what we do. That’s what we enjoy and if I’m not hearing from everybody in the building, my kids are talking about it or my family is talking about it. It’s what it is.”
(WR Francis Owusu didn’t get to practice the entire spring. Is that unfair to the player?) – “That’s not my call. Rules are what they are and that’s what it is.”
(How far behind is he because of that rule?) – “Where’d he go to school?”
(A pretty good one [Stanford].) – “Alright. He’ll be alright.”
(What has WR Drew Morgan done to improve his chances of making the team and what are you looking for in August from him?) – “Some improvement and just keep getting better. I think he has a really good sense of how to play the position we’re asking him to play and it gives him a great opportunity because when we hit the preseason games, now it’s going to be about making plays when we get in real games. When you start getting looks that you haven’t seen before because you start playing different schemes, different players, different style players, what’s his production going to be like? What’s his execution going to be like? What’s he actually going to show when we get to games in the preseason. I think he’s put himself in a good position to compete and that’s all really you can ask for. When you have an undrafted rookie who came in here with … Nobody even probably knew who he really was coming in here, and he’s put himself on the map and competed.”
(A lot of players this offseason have said how impressed they are with their coach/player relationship. How would you explain your ability to relate with various players?) – “Our entire coaching staff does a good job of communicating with our guys, and consistently … When we’re in the building, it’s not always football. Our coaches do a good job investing in what our players enjoy doing outside of the building – their families and kids. I think that’s something to be said for our coaching staff because our players know that we’re actually are invested in them, not only as a player but as a person. (Director of Player Engagement) Kaleb (Thornhill) does a great job of helping those guys as well. It’s tough. You’ve got him and (Player Engagement Coordinator) Yves (Batoba). You’ve got two guys taking care of 89 (players). They’re trying to make sure that they’re all over it with every little step of the way from the time they’re a rookie or if they’re a 15-year vet. I think it’s a pretty cool thing to see how our guys like being around and want to be in the building and enjoy coming to work.”
(Is there an update you can give on TE Julius Thomas and how he’s fit in since he came here after these OTAs?) – “It’s not hard for him to fit in. He’s going to fit in because he’s going to talk to everybody. He’s going to know everything about everybody. I think he’s just enjoying being back in this system. I’ve enjoyed it because it’s fun for me. I was with him when he was a rookie. Watching him go through some really low moments in his career and then I saw him at the highest of the high. To get him back and he’s a veteran, it’s been really fun to be around him again.”
(How do you ensure that TE Julius Thomas gets back to that level?) – “You just keep working. You keep putting him in position in plays and when we get those chances, he’s going to have to make a play. That’s what this game is about, it’s about players making plays. I guess I just have a history where things have worked out. I’ve seen him be at his lowest moments and he’s a fighter. He’ll give you everything he has and he’ll keep swinging.”
(RB Damien Williams was saying that he stayed in touch with you from the end of the season all the way until him showing up. I’m wondering what was your reaction when he said that he was visiting the Patriots and then the day he showed up?) – “Damien is a guy that always goes out to the West Coast. I just check on him, just to make sure everything is all good with him. I always like guys just being in this area because you kind of hear what’s going on a lot easier than across the country. That’s the business; it is what it is. You never want to lose your guys and he’s a guy that I really love being around. When he’s in the building and when he’s on the practice field, he gives you everything he has – heart and soul – and on game days, if he can possibly take it to another level, he does. To lose a guy like that would be tough for me because he energizes so many people on offense, defense and special teams, that he impacts. He might not be playing at that moment. I just think when he was inactive against New England, he could’ve been in the tank, sitting on the bench, pouting. He wasn’t. He was … I kept seeing him and I’m like ‘Get back.’ He’s in the white (paint on the sideline) and getting yelled at by the officials, but he was in it. He knew ‘If there is one thing I can do, I can help bring energy.’ He consistently is trying to improve every day. It’s been fun to watch him develop.”
(We’ve seen the high school kids out here a lot. My understanding is that it was largely your idea. What was the thinking behind that?) – “It was just kind of … (Senior Vice President of Communications & Community Affairs) Jason (Jenkins) and myself, we were talking about what we can do with some different things, and we were trying to pinpoint some ways we could help with anything as far as football in the community. We couldn’t put our finger on what it actually was going to be. We started texting I think when (Uncle) Luke’s documentary (came out). We saw that and we started texting about that, about Liberty City. We started kicking some ideas around of what can we do? What can we do to help? What can we do to encourage kids that this is a great sport and there is something about when you’re a part of a team. It’s not all about the individual. There is something about when you have that family feel. We felt like this was something we could do to really help, especially really young kids, but high school kids as well. You realize NFL players do exactly what we have to do every day. I think that’s cool for kids to see.”
(Was there one cool moment you had with any of the kids?) – “The funniest thing I saw was when some of the really young kids came in and they were almost on the field. The d-line was doing their drills and they were yelling at the d-line. I was like ‘What are they yelling at them about?’ I loved it. It was so fast how engaged and how our players reacted. I wasn’t sure how smooth it would go. Would kids be paying attention? Would it be a distraction? We took a shot on it and what we realized was it really energized our practice. You guys weren’t out there, but it was pretty close a lot of the times where that was just one team. Whether it was little kids or high school kids, our players don’t want to disappoint. They want to put on a good show. The competition was outstanding through the whole spring and a lot of it was because they want to look good for the kids that look up to them.”
Damien Williams – June 15, 2017
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Thursday, June 15, 2017
RB Damien Williams
(What’s your opinion on the NFL relaxing the celebration rules? I’m thinking you have some new ideas coming maybe?) – “Maybe. But I’m just glad to know that they’re leaning on it and we can kind of have fun a little bit.”
(How did your 13 offseason practices go?) – “It went great. Being out here with the guys, it was a long offseason. It was just great to get back with these guys.”
(How do you feel about being part of the Dolphins again? Obviously you were a restricted free agent and now you’re back.) – “It was great. I came here undrafted. This is somewhere I want to be. This is somewhere I devoted all of my time to. I love every guy that I play with, the coaching staff and everyone who works in the facility.”
(What was it like to visit with the Patriots? I’ve never been in that football building.) – “It was different. It was weird, but it was different.”
(Did you bring back any secrets?) – “No. Not at all.”
(Did you get to meet with the hoodie guy [Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick]?) – “(laughter) He’s ‘A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.’ (laughter) No, I met him. He’s a cool dude … He’s a cool person. He’s quiet. He’s very observant.”
(What did the Patriots say they liked about your game?) – “You’d have to ask them.”
(Were you flattered by the Patriots visit or was that just part of the business?) – “It’s just business. At the end of the day, everybody wants to see what’s out there. They wanted to see what was out there.”
(What was your reaction when they went with the other cat, RB Mike Gillislee from Florida?) – “Nothing. That’s my dude. I was up here with him as a rookie. I was happy for him.”
(You didn’t sign your tender immediately. What was the deal there?) – “Just seeing what was out there.”
(You weren’t unhappy with the Dolphins in any way or your role here?) – “No, not at all. Just spending time with my family and trying to test out the options.”
(How do you see your role in the room on the field for the team?) – “How it’s always been from my rookie year until now – being very vocal and then being that guy on the field that you can count on.”
(I know that nobody ever wants to think about injuries, so there’s that. But have you thought about if you’re the next guy up if something happens? Has that ever crossed your mind?) – “We always have that ‘next man up’ mentality. That’s just something you always have to keep in your head because you don’t want to just get on the field and just be out there.”
(Having started your career as an undrafted guy, how do you view kind of the flow of your career? In other words, do you think maybe this is the year that you’re able to earn that the big long-term contract?) – “I’m sure I’m going to have a better season than I did last year so we’ll see where it goes from there.”
(Why are you sure? What makes you sure that you are going to have a better season?) – “I’m sure that (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase is sure of that too.”
(What did Head Coach Adam Gase say about being happy to have you back and all of that? What did he say when he saw you returned to the building?) – “Me and Coach Gase never stopped talking from the moment we ended our last game until now. We always kept in contact. We always talked. He loves what we’re building here and I love what we’re building here so there was no point in leaving.”
(What do you see as your role? Are you a third-down back?) – “Whatever (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase has planned for me is what I’ve got.”
Cameron Wake – June 15, 2017
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Thursday, June 15, 2017
DE Cameron Wake
(I don’t know if Head Coach Adam Gase has said this publicly to us but yesterday he said that he and the staff messed up by limiting your snaps the first five games. He’s probably said that to you privately, but when a coach admits he’s wrong and he made a mistake, does that earn some credibility, more credibility, with players?) – “Well, we’re all human, right? We all make mistakes. Players make them on the field. Coaches make them off the field. As a man in this game, you’ve got to be able to admit when that happens. I think there are probably other coaches who don’t do that and obviously with him being a different kind of guy, I think that’s part of the reason why guys respect him, why guys relate to him and why guys love him.”
(Your relationship with Head Coach Adam Gase, how does that compare to maybe coaches in the past?) – “I spoke about it when he first got here. To start off with, just being younger. He knows how it feels to kind of be the young guy in the situation with responsibilities and also still having a little bit of that fire to go and do some things that may not help as far as your career – coaching or otherwise – and setting up the situation at this facility to let guys thrive. (He) treats us like men; but at the same time, when it’s time to have fun, we have fun but when it’s time to work, we work. Our relationship I think has been tremendous and I’m looking forward to it getting stronger and stronger.”
(Now that Head Coach Adam Gase has said it and it’s out there in the open and everything, I know that you at the time went with it but did you disagree with that approach at the beginning?) – “Hindsight is always 20/20.”
(But you knew how you felt physically at the time.) – “Yes, and I told him and I told you guys the same thing. At the time, I felt great; but at the same time, there is no way to say … Let’s say I would have played all of those first five games, would I still have played the same way I played at the end of the season? Nobody knows. Of course him being a great guy and saying that he made a mistake, the real reality is no one knows because I could have played the first five games and burned out the last five. I mean, who knows? The way it happened, it worked out for everybody and I’m pleased with the way the season went.”
(You’ve talked a lot about finally getting over that hump and getting into the playoffs. Now that you got there, what’s next?) – “Hopefully that wasn’t the goal. That was just a stepping stone to obviously greater things. Most of the guys who are still here know what that journey was like. We know what it took, how hard it was, every week, scratching and clawing, winning close games, the sacrifices it took day in and day out to say we only got so far. If anything, now you know what it took to get that far, now what do we have to do to go even a step further to reach our ultimate goal? I like to think that a lot of guys, we don’t have complacent guys. We have guys who are hungry and thirsty to do more and they already know what it takes. It starts now.”
(How do you build off last season?) – “Do more. It’s simple mathematics. If you did X, Y and Z and we got to where we got to, now you have to go X, Y, Z and start over A, B, C and do more. To me, everybody looks at everybody in this locker room and upstairs, look in the mirror and you know there is maybe an area that you can improve on. If it’s on the field, off the field, sleeping better, eating better, whatever it is to make yourself even better than we were last year. Each man has to do that and if we do that individually and collectively, I think that’s how we make it happen.”
(What do you think of DE Charles Harris?) – “Lots of fun. I’ve had a lot of time to sit down and spend with him. Obviously he’s going out there and getting after it. I know you guys probably saw some of the plays we’ve run together. I’m excited. I’m excited for him. I think he has the right mentality and the right mindset to come into this game and be able to be successful. If you add that mindset and that mentality with physical talent and physical gifts and hopefully a little bit of urging from some of the veterans around here and the coaches, I think he’s set up in the right place to make plays.”
(Does DE Charles Harris’ first step remind you of anyone?) – “Physically, he’s very gifted. He’s obviously explosive, aggressive, and obviously to play this position, there’s no other way that you can be successful unless you have those tools. He’s definitely got his foot in the right direction and obviously, again, we’re looking for more.”
(DT Jordan Phillips said to us that he’s basically re-dedicated himself to being more consistent, which is something that has kind of plagued him. Do you see any difference in his performance thus far or his mentality, his drive?) – “Actually, yes. And this is not even for now, this is back in March or the end of February, when a lot of guys were starting to work out. I spoke with him personally about him wanting to make a difference. Not just to be a guy, but be the guy. Obviously being next to a guy who is the guy, being able to train with him, take tips from him, learn from him and be a sponge, I don’t think you have a better mentor to play in the inside of the trenches than Ndamukong Suh. So to be able to sit by that guy and do whatever it takes to put yourself in that position, he’s shown that he’s got it and he’s on task. Again, it’ll all show when the pads come on and the games start playing.”
(I don’t know how much attention you guys pay to this but the outside world isn’t giving this team a lot of respect nationally. I think 7.5 wins is what’s predicted for you guys. What do you think about that?) – “I couldn’t care less. To me, the outside world – it doesn’t matter if they’re praising you or condemning you – it means nothing because the only people that go out there and have to make it happen are the guys who are putting on the Dolphins colors week in and week out. A year ago, it was the opposite and we did what we had to do to this year, they could praise us and we have to work and do what we have to do. It doesn’t make a difference either way.”
(You honestly think they’re wrong though?) – “It doesn’t matter what they think. It’s not even a subject that I think of. Like I said, the opposite has been true and we did whatever we had to do. The reality is the guys in the locker room want to believe and we’ll go out and get the job done.”
(You have a former teammate who is going into the Hall of Fame this summer. How would you describe what it was like to play with DE Jason Taylor those first couple of years you were here?) – “Nothing but … We could stay here for another 30-40 minutes just talking about all of the great things that I got to take from him and his game, not just on the field but off the field as well – being professional. Literally, I feel like he’s probably the guy who influenced me the most when I got down here. I still keep in touch with him and we’re still close. It’s a tremendous, tremendous honor to be selected (to the Hall of Fame). Those are the kind of things that people dream of. I’m sure he did when he was a young guy coming up in the game. A guy like that, when you start off your career and kind of pave the way and put you on the path, I couldn’t thank him enough. I’m just happy to even be mentioned in the same sentence with that guy. I’m obviously proud of him to achieve what he has.”
(How much do you think that you have to do to get into that Hall of Fame conversation left?) – “That’s a conversation for a whole another day. I’m just working one day at a time and I’ll let you guys talk about that when I’m done playing.”
(Does it push you at all that they used a first-round pick on a player at your position?) – “No, it doesn’t push me or not push me. I’m not a guy that uses outside forces to push me. The fire is inside of me. They could have drafted 10 first-rounders at defensive end and I’m still going to work the same. There have been years where they haven’t drafted anybody and I’ve come out and worked the same. Last year we didn’t add many d-linemen but I’ll work my butt off like I do every year.”
(What gives you confidence that the rushing defense will finally improve this season?) – “Consistency in that area is something that I know, as a whole – not just us but the entire defense – we have focused on. We like pass rushing. Everyone looks at that. That’s glamorous, that’s on the front page; but in order to get to that point where it’s third-and-long, you’ve got to get the job done and stop the run. That’s always going to be first on the list. I know probably the first day of training camp, that’s something we’ll be getting the pads strapped up on and working on to make better.”
(What do your next five weeks look like for you? Any kind of vacations, different kind of training you’re doing?) – “I try to get away for a little bit every year and go see the world for a little bit. I kind of hit the reset button and unplug. Then I usually take a good solid month of getting back and getting down here in this beautiful South Florida weather and get acclimated and getting out here in the hottest part of the day bleeding, sweating and crying, doing all of those things so that when the time comes and the bullets are live, you’ll be ready. So I have a routine that I follow and this year it’ll be no different.
(The way you came back last season after the Achilles injury and the shape that you’re in, do you think you have much left to prove of what type of a player you are, and coming out of Canada and everything combined? – “Not really. Again, as I said, I’m not really looking outside. I’m more inside out. The goals that I have are set inside myself and I do everything I can to fight for those things, proving people who disbelieve. Again, I couldn’t care less. I have the people that I have to report to in the locker room, upstairs, my family, myself, the guy looking at the end of the mirror. Those are guys that I’m accountable to and I ‘prove to.’ The other ways outside I’m not concerned about.”
(How much better do you feel at this point than you did at this point last year?) – “I’m not technically coming off an Achilles (injury) so it’s much better. I was still kind of going through rehab at this point last year and trying to get back to a point where I feel like I could play a game. Obviously that’s not the case this year. I’m just improving upon where I was at the end of last season to tweaking and fine-tune some things and go out and have a tremendous season and help the team win. That’s my goal.”
Walt Aikens – June 14, 2017
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Wednesday, June 14, 2017
S Walt Aikens
(How do you enjoy working at corner again and have you done that nearly all of the offseason or have you still been getting some work at safety?) – “Coach just asked me to come back to corner, get some work and make sure I can stay touched up on my skills. It’s something I’ve been doing since last year since practice days and just going into this OTA, coach let me know ahead of time. It’s been good. I like it.”
(Has it been all corner this camp?) – “As far as right now, yes; but I still have to know everything having to do with safety, as well.”
(Is your feeling that going into next season or this season, you’re just going to be able to be in a role where you can do both or do you think they’ll have you ultimately focused on one or the other?) – “I’ve got to be in a role where I can do both. The more you can do, the more you bring to the team. So wherever coach wants me to play, I can go in and contribute right away.”
(What’s this like for you after you’re one of the top special teams players but you’re kind of guy that doesn’t really have a position right now?) – “As far as special teams goes, that’s a place where you can go out there and just balls to the wall ball out. I’m trying to incorporate that into the defense and just listening to what coach tells me to do and any way I can contribute, I’ll go out there and do what I need to do.”
(What’s the overall feeling of the defense as a whole coming into this season? A lot to improve on obviously on last year’s performance?) – “Right now we’re just picking up where we left off and trying to improve on the things we failed at last year. I mean (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Matt) Burke gets us fired up. We go out there every day trying to get better and with the guys we got here now – the drafted rookies and free agents that we picked up this offseason. I mean it’s been great going into this season.”
(You had a couple of plays last year … the type of plays that put guys on the map when it comes to Pro Bowl voting and all that on special teams. How big of a goal would that be for you?) – “It’ll be great. That’s a great honor that anybody around the league would say they would love to have. So that’s definitely a goal that I’m looking forward to meeting.”
(How important is it for you at some point in your career in this year or beyond to be a defensive presence beyond just on special teams?) – “That’s what I always want to do. That’s my main position. Special teams is just something special I can add to the team. Going back to my college position, I’ve been more comfortable with each passing day. We’re having fun out there.”
(What did either former Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph last year or this year Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke or Defensive Backs Coach Lou Anarumo tell you has to change for you to be in the equation to play defensively?) – “Just be ready for the opportunity. Just be ready, prepare mentally and physically to go out there and do what I need to do.”
(You guys made some plays on special teams last year. Are you a play-making game-changing special teams unit or are you approaching that? How would you describe that special teams unit?) – “Based off the play and the guys we have, I feel like we have the ability to do that every game. We want to go in and make plays. A lot of people, a lot of teams take special teams off as a free play where it’s just a kick or something like … No, we take it serious and we take pride in it.”
(Where do you feel you rank among special teams players?) – “Personally, I would say in the top; but that’s up for the film to decide.”
(How do you guys decide that?) – “Us, personally?”
(Yes.) – “We don’t. We just ball. We just go out and play. You’ve got to have a short memory when it comes to special teams. Every play is a new game. It’s a one-play game. So you’ve got to go out with the mindset ‘Alright, we’ve got to make something happen.’ And if it’s not you, it’s your teammates. So you just go out and try to be in the right place. We say 1/11 and 1/11 means every guy is doing their part of that play – 1/11.”
(What skill do you think you have that’s the most important to you being able to make plays on special teams?) – “I would have to say that you have to have a certain mindset when you go out. A lot of people have the physical attributes and it’s more of a mindset when you go out there and want to make a play, and want to make a tackle. Especially on special teams where there’s a lot of space, you have to have that dog mentality. “
(Where do you feel more comfortable at this point? What position do you think you’re better at – safety or corner?) – “I like them both; but the fact that I get to play corner, you get to press up a little bit. I’ve been loosening up my hips, so that’s been great.”
(We saw you have at least one pick. How many have you had?) – “One pick and got my hands on a couple of balls. I’m just trying to be in the right place at the right time. Go out and … (Defensive Backs Coach) Lou (Anarumo) puts us in position to make plays – Coach Lou and (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Matt) Burke. We’ve just got to go out there and execute.”
(What’s the feedback you’ve gotten from coaches about how you’ve done at corner?) – “It’s been pretty good. I’m just trying get better every day. Coach just tells me to keep my head in it.”
(You guys have a five-week break between when mini-camp ends and when training camp begins. What’s your program? What do you do to get ready for training camp?) – “This isn’t really a break for us. This is a time where we have to actually step it up a notch because we’re going to be home and away from the facility for so long. We have to go in and approach it like we’re still at camp – we’re already in camp. We have to stay working out and continue to eat well. If you’re heavy, you get light and if you’re light, you gain some good weight. It’s more of a workout type break.”
(In what ways has your experience in college playing corner now prepared you for what you’re doing now? As you mentioned, you get your hands on guys and be closer up on guys?) – “First, it brings back memories. Second, when you see certain plays, certain formations, you kind of get a feel for it after a while. Offense is always changing; but at the same time, if you’re in the right spots, you can easily make a play on the ball or break on the ball. It’s preparing me well.”
(Is it fun to just be able to read the quarterback’s eyes and being able to break on the ball?) – “Yes, it’s cool. It’s cool.”
(Did you notice the swarm of bees at practice today?) – “Yes, I saw the bees. This is my first time really seeing a swarm like that. I always see it on TV. I watch Animal Planet a lot; but actually seeing one, that was crazy.”
(A bunch of young receivers are trying to win jobs – undrafted rookies – WR Isaiah Ford the draft pick and obviously WR Leonte Carroo. Who’s shown you the most? If you could name a couple whose specific skills have impressed you?) – “I like Isaiah Ford, a real cool dude. He has a smooth game on the field and he’ll surprise you.”
