Patrick Paul – April 26, 2024
Download PDF version
Friday, April 26, 2024
T Patrick Paul
(We were just talking to Head Coach Mike McDaniel and General Manager Chris Grier and they said the Dolphins were the number one team you wanted to go to. Can you explain why that was and why Miami is a special place to you?) – “Of course. During the whole process, I talked to them multiple times. I remember talking to Chris at the Senior Bowl and it was a great conversation that me and him had. Then just moving on forward at the Combine, I had a great interview with both of them. Then to our 30-visit that we had, it was amazing. Really getting to spend that much time with them, I knew that I wanted to be coached by Coach McDaniel and (Offensive Line) Coach Butch Barry and it was amazing. It was something I knew from the minute I started talking to them that I wanted to be a Miami Dolphin, so this is a blessing.”
(I understand you have the same agent as RB De’Von Achane. How close are you two? And what do you think about getting to block for him now?) – “He’s a great player. I watched him throughout his college career. We don’t have a relationship yet, but that’s going to be my dawg. I already know. I’m excited to get out there and I’m ready to get to work.”
(What do you feel is the biggest thing that you bring to the table for this Miami organization? And I know you’re originally from Houston, but you also have some deep family ties in Nigeria. So for you to be able to represent both of these places, how meaningful is it for you to come into the NFL?) – “Of course. It’s going to be great. You asked what I bring to the Miami Dolphins. I’m going to bring a resilient player who is a great teammate. Someone who handles business in the locker room, outside the locker room, outside of the facility. Someone who is going to come every day with the same mindset and that’s to work and that’s to compete every day and be a great teammate. I’m going to bring it every day and hope to end my career with the Miami Dolphins, so that’s the goal.”
(Reading your bio, it says you are a martial arts prodigy. I was wondering if you could expand on that at all?) – “Yeah, of course. I’ve been boxing now, I’ve been doing MMA for five to six years now. It’s something I was introduced to when I first came to Houston by the offensive linemen that were currently there and I took it on from there. As soon as I went to one class, I fell in love. I happened to be really good at it early on and I keep honing my skills since then. It’s something that is one of my hobbies and one of the things that I really enjoy and it helps with on-the-field stuff. It correlates to the field. It’s a great hobby to have.”
(A guy that you are about to be playing with, T Terron Armstead, I don’t know if you been able to speak with him or meet him yet, but he’s a big boxing guy. It might be something to bring up whenever you guys do talk.) – “Definitely. I know Terron. I met him about two years ago at an O-Line Masterminds. He’s been a master at his craft for a very long time, so I’m excited to get in there and get in that o-line room and learn from him.”
(I talked to you at the Senior Bowl and remember it was a very good interview. You’re a very engaging guy. Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier talked about your personality. You have a grandfather who was the head of Nigeria, the martial arts. Tell me about the interview part of the pre-draft process. I would think you wowed all these teams. How did that work for you? And how does your personality work for you off the field?) – “Yeah, I would say my personality is from my parents and my brothers. I was raised in a great household that we understood our backgrounds and with that, just came about me, I guess. During the interview process, it was great just talking to everybody. I felt like I did pretty good with all my interviews. I remember the one at the Combine with the Dolphins was one of my favorites. I guess it had a lasting impact because it carried over to that 30-visit. So it’s been a great process.”
(It looks as though you have really long arms. Do people always ask you to reach things on the high shelves?) – “Not exactly. Most of my friends are pretty big being an offensive lineman. Also with my family as well. So not really, but if they ever did, I’m going to grab it for them.”
(How does it help you on the field?) – “Always being the first person, if you’re timing is right, to always land that first punch and get that first contact, it gives you an advantage being the first to strike.”
(Your family, what was their role in Nigeria, and have you been there?) – “As far as my family, the roots of it all, my grandfather was the head of state. With that, he was a major general in the army. That was way back in 1966, 1965. From then, no one has really taken over in regards to our family. I lived there for two-and-a-half years when I was younger. The last time I went there was 2015. I haven’t been back since, but it’s definitely something I want to do. I want to go back and do as much as I can.”
(So how much did your family talk about the heritage that you all have and the roots that you have in Nigeria?) – “I mean it’s something that I grew up just knowing and understanding. So just learning on my own, learning and doing my own research and asking my parents and my mom, when I can, to figure out more about my roots and where I came from. But it also inspired me throughout my entire career knowing that someone before me did such great things. It motivates you a lot to want to do the same.”
(The draft projections for you were all over the place from as high as the first round to maybe as low as the third, maybe even in the fourth. What was your draft experience like with all of that uncertainty and those wide range of projections?) – “Throughout the draft process, I didn’t really try to pay attention to where people had me mocked at and where they expected me to go. I knew I was going to end up in the situation that was perfect for me. Time did tell and I’m in the perfect situation for me. It all ended up how it was supposed to.”
(As a quick follow up, did you have an inkling it would be the Dolphins all along?) – “I hoped so and when I got that call, let me tell you, it was a surreal moment.”
(There were a lot of scouts and analysts talking about your hand technique. Head Coach Mike McDaniel, in his press conference, stated that with your athleticism, foot speed, quickness and big body, you’re a great athlete and can attack the B-gaps and move up to the second level, and it helps mask some of those technical deficiencies. In the offseason, you were working with an offensive line coach, Duke Mayweather. What were some things that you guys did throughout this draft process to work on your hand techniques and other techniques as well to get ready for the NFL?) – “I’d say working with Duke in this pre-draft process, I came there on December 12th, immediately after the season was done. I couldn’t really chill. I had to get working already so we hit the ground running. On Day 1, we’re in there watching film and he’s taking me through all of the things that he wants to correct in my game. The big emphasis were the hands, as you said. The hand placement and striking. So we started running. He has the perfect drills to work that. I don’t want to release all his sauce but he works with boxing mitts and stuff. He gets you right. Just understanding landmarks and how to use length to your advantage. That’s something that I am going to carry along to the Dolphins. Working with (Offensive Line) Coach Butch (Barry), we’re going to hit the ground running and I can’t wait. I can’t wait to learn from him and I can’t wait to be coached by him.”
(I know we mentioned T Terron Armstead earlier. Can you expand on what you feel you can gain from being able to work with him, a veteran like him, as a rookie?) – “It’s going to be great. He’s a legend of the game. I’ve been watching him since he was with the Saints. He’s a master at left tackle. He has all of the techniques in his book. He has a gigantic bag. Just learning from him, learning the game, learning how he’s had such a long career and has played at such a high level for so long, it’s going to be a blessing. I can’t wait to get in that o-line room and start digesting all of the knowledge from all of the different guys in there.”
