Raekwon McMillan – June 5, 2017
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Monday, June 5, 2017
LB Raekwon McMillan
(The rain is nice to dance in, huh? When it’s coming down really hard?) – “Yes, I got my little Chris Brown dance going on out there (laughter) and having a little fun. It’s the only sport that you can really … Well, it’s one of the only sports that you can go outside even with the different types of weather and still going to do what you’ve got to do out there.”
(What was it practicing like in the rain?) – “I mean I’ve practiced in the rain before. I’m from South Georgia. It’s nothing new. One day it’s 95 (degrees), the next day it’s pouring down rain. It’s just fun to be outside doing what I love.”
(What’s the transition been like for you from Ohio State to now and can you talk a little bit about learning this defense and how fast are you processing right now?) – “At Ohio State, we did a lot of the things that we do here, but (at Ohio State it was) less complex. Way less complex. In an NFL game, we go into all the different types of route combinations that the offense can give us and it’s an elite level of players. So you’ve got to change it up every now and then. But playing at the best of the best in college, it helped me out a lot. It helped me adjust to the speed of the game here. Just on the mental side, we did a lot of things at Ohio State that helped us transition to the NFL. Coming here, the only thing that’s going to help you get to where you want to be is reps and going out there and doing it, staying healthy, and going out there, doing it and being available and being coachable.”
(I saw you tweeted about decorating your apartment? Do you have a roommate?) – “No, I actually got my own apartment down here. I had a roommate all through college so I figured it was time to finally get my own and hopefully my next step is getting my house.”
(I think Ohio State last year went – was it 5-1 in one-score games? The only loss was the Penn State game? Is winning close games a skill or is that something you can do repeatedly? Is that an ability do you think?) – “I wouldn’t say it’s a skill. It’s something that you train for. You’re only prepared to what your training is. So you train for that during the offseason. The hardest part of our workouts at Ohio State was the end of the workout. It was hard throughout, but we’ve got to turn it up towards the end; and thats kind of our mindset here as well. Always train for the fourth quarter (and) always finish. At the end of the game when it’s a close game, it’s all about finishing. That’s what we’re practicing. That’s what we preach.”
(What does it take to finish?) – “Like I said, during the offseason you just have to train yourself to when you’re tired and …”
(It’s a physical thing? It’s not mental?) – “It’s physical and mental. You can train yourself mentally too, so when you’re tired, not worry about the outside distractions. You really focus in and lock-in to what you’re doing, zero-in like we say around here, and get the job done – mentally and physically.”
(What have you observed and/or heard from LB Lawrence Timmons and LB Kiko Alonso that maybe has been a little helpful or interesting?) – “We come in and we learn every day about the game, physically, in this building. But for them two, it’s about what they do off the field. Kiko (Alonso) and his diet, how he takes care of his body. He comes in … I asked him, I just pick his brain on what he does in the offseason – hot yoga, stretching every day, twice a day or something like that. He goes vegan every now and then. He watches what he eats and it’s the same thing with Lawrence (Timmons). Somebody who has played for 10-plus years, you’ve got to look at how they take care of their body and how they’ve been able to sustain his level of play over a long period of time. Really, from them, it’s been just soaking in everything they do off the field.”
(What do you think is your most NFL-ready skill? Obviously you did a lot well at Ohio State. You tackled really well. Is there a particular skill you have that you think is most ready to contribute as a rookie?) – “My skill – I call it a skill – but coachability. A lot of players come up with a hot head and think they’re this and think they’re that. But being coachable, it’s a skill that not a lot of people have learned to sustain over their career. Once they think they’re a starter, they think they’ve got it. So being coachable goes out the window. Ever since I stepped foot on campus and at Ohio State all the way until my junior year when I left, I always went into the meetings with a notebook and pen and wrote down notes and been coachable, and the same thing when I got here. The transition into my rookie year, one of my goals was to be coachable. When I’m up, when I’m having a good time, when I’m getting picks in practice and when I’m messing up play after play, just be coachable.”
(You worked with a guy who’s known for being tough in the NFL with Greg Schiano. What is the difference between him and Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke?) – “I only had the chance, had the privilege of being coached by Coach Schiano for a year, and he was with the safeties. He’s kind of overseeing the whole thing with the safeties. I didn’t really get to deal with him as much; but I see a lot of similarities in him (with Burke) – high intensity, don’t give up anything, want to challenge everything type guys – and very, very smart individuals when it comes to football, off the field and everything around it.”
(Often times the middle linebacker has to mirror a running back. A lot of the times they, I’ve seen a couple of times you’ve had battles with RB Kenyan Drake coming out of the backfield. How do you feel like that will prepare you? I know you’ve done it in the past as well but matching up with somebody with that type of speed, how’s that?) – “All that comes with preparation. They’re going to do what they’ve got to do to get an advantage on you. So you’ve got to know in your head what he’s trying to do to you and how you can get ahead in this situation. You know Kenyan (Drake) is one of the fastest players on the team, to me, how he looks out there and how he plays on the field. So me knowing that he might be a little faster than me, I’ve got to put myself in position to be able to do my job and excel.”
