Raheem Mostert – December 21, 2023
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Thursday, December 21, 2023
RB Raheem Mostert
(FB Alec Ingold thought one of the ball was going to Canton. Is that true? Or is it simply going in your living room?) – “I think one of them went to Canton. I don’t know yet. I know it’s probably in the archives. That’s what I was told. I have the second ball. So that one is probably more important because I actually set the standard for more touchdowns.”
(So you want to keep rotating the balls until the final one?) – “Yeah, until I can’t anymore this year.” (laughter)
(Was there a moment maybe on your couch or with your wife on Sunday night just thinking about all the great players that have played for the Dolphins and you have scored more touchdowns in a single year then all of them?) – “I was sitting there thinking about Ricky Williams. I grew up a big Ricky Williams fan. Just this past Tuesday, I drove back to my hometown and me and my brother got to hang out at the park and we started reminiscing about life. There was a time we both wore Ricky Williams’ jersey at one point when we were younger. So to be able to break that record, it’s so surreal for both him and I. We looked up to Ricky when we were younger.”
(Have you met Ricky Williams and did he reach out to you?) – “Yeah, I’ve met Ricky. He reached out to me. He congratulated me on social media. It was pretty cool.”
(You’re about to get 1,000 yards for the first time in your career. What will that mean to you?) – “It’ll mean a lot. Being a running back, that’s always the goal is to try to get 1,000 and break that 1k. But I try not to think about it and just go out there play the game. I know I got 34 yards left I got to accomplish, but all in all, I’m just ready to play this game.”
(Is there something you’ve added to your game this season?) – “No, nothing too crazy. I just try to work on my body as much as I possibly can and try to create a routine for myself.”
(How are you doing this at 31?) – “Staying up to date with everything. Staying in tune with everybody and the whole organization and even the training staff. I got a great regimen from them.”
(When you watch film of Dallas from last week, were you kind of picturing how can we get some of these 266 yards?) – “Of course. You’re always trying to picture that. But at the end of the day, sometimes it doesn’t play out like that. I try not to hype myself up too much. But it’s always appealing when you see the team before we play them get that many rushing yards like that. You get anxious and excited, but you do have to calm your nerves to because at the end of the day, every Sunday is a different Sunday.”
(How do you balance that watching that last game and the body of work this season?) – “I mean, the film doesn’t lie. You got to watch the film and see what they bring. Last week was probably one of their off weeks. Who knows? Maybe they didn’t get the right call in at times. Maybe Buffalo drew up some good schemes against them on the offensive side of the ball. There’s a lot of different variables that go into it. But at the end of the day, we got to do what we have to do and bring our A game.”
(At the start of the week, as far as total rushing yards, it was Christian McCaffrey then James Cook after a big game Sunday, then you. Would leading the AFC in rushing or the league be meaningful? I know winning takes priority over everything, but does that have much meaning to you?) – “Not so much right now at the moment. I just want to help this team as best as I can and try to get into the postseason. Once that happens, I feel like I’m a little fireball and start rolling in the postseason. Once you get in that postseason talk, that’s when things ramp up. But right now, it’s Dallas and we’re trying to win against them.”
(Mike McDaniel talked a lot this week after you set the record about seeing you grow from your days with the 49ers. Do you remember the first conversation when he brought you over to Miami and reconnecting here?) – “Yeah, I remember the first conversation I had with Mike. I was just a curious cat, just trying to figure out how I can elevate my game, especially in the run game, especially with outside zone. I’ve always been a running back that can fit in pretty much any system, in the pass game or whether it be in the run game, and flourish. But I was more shotgun. Especially in college, we didn’t necessarily run outside zone like we do now. Just seeing the different variables of the offense and trying to understand what it takes to achieve the highest level within this offense, it’s something I started having conversations with Mike back in San Fran. And then him coming here made it easier for me to make my decision to come here as well and try to grow as a player and as an individual. I’m somebody that wants to take it to new heights. I keep hearing these chatters about age and everything. Obviously, my age isn’t stopping anything. I’m just trying to set the standard for a group of guys who want to come in and feel like if you want to be a 31-, 32-year-old running back, it’s ok. You can go out here and still produce at a high level because obviously I’m doing that at an exceptional rate. It’s just a lot of fun and I’m having fun doing it.”
(Sorry if this was already covered, but what would it mean to be a 1,000-yard back?) – “Yeah, it was already covered. But it’ll mean a lot. As a running back, it’s what you want. Touching that 1k is special. As a running back, like I said, it’s what you want. For me to be able to be right there, only need 34 yards, is very exciting. That’s literally one run – one run away. But I’m not trying to worry about that. I’m trying to worry about Dallas right now. I’m trying to worry about winning against them and dominating against them and trying to get to the postseason.”
