Solomon Kindley – September 1, 2021
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Wednesday, September 1, 2021
G Solomon Kindley
(We found it interesting that other starters on the offensive line didn’t play the rest of the final preseason game. You played. Can you tell us what you heard about the decision to getting that time out there?) – “Coach wanted me to play so I strapped it on and went out there with my brothers. Whatever coach needs me to do, I’m here for the team.”
(Did you find something of value in that final preseason game?) – “For sure, no doubt. I might have been the only one playing out there but I can’t put bad stuff on field. Just go out there and play like I’m next to (Michael) Deiter or I’m next to Austin Jackson.”
(You moved a lot from the first, second and third team the first couple of weeks of training camp but it seems like the last two weeks, you’ve really been entrenched at that left guard spot. What has kind of clicked for you and being able to really get settled with the first team and keep that spot?) – “I’m working hard every day. I don’t look at where I’m at week to week because everybody has something to prove. So I come to practice every day bashing on myself and being hard on myself like somebody is trying to take my position. That’s every play and every rep I take. Me being with the ones right now doesn’t mean anything.”
(What do you want to still work on since you said you’re such a hard critic?) – “Just my technique with my hands in pass pro and my pad level in the run game.”
(Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre mentioned that he likes to keep track of finishes. I’m wondering who should I install as the favorite for total finishes – you or G/T Robert Hunt?) – “My mama always told me not to talk about yourself and let somebody else tell you. So hey, that’s all I’m going to say. (laughter) You know I’m going to go with myself. I think I’m the finisher on the offensive line. I think I’m going to get a good bit of pancakes and a good bit of finishes on the field.”
(Speaking of pancakes, who eats the most pancakes on the team?) – “Honestly, let me think. I really don’t know. I don’t know who eats the most pancakes on the team. (laughter)”
(G/T Robert Hunt said yesterday that he’s good on the grill. Have you ever gotten a chance to…) – “(laughter I’m the grill master. I’m the grill master. You can ask Raekwon (Davis). When we first got here our rookie year, he came over – I forgot what holiday it was – and I put something on the grill and he was like, ‘Oh, boy. I didn’t know you could do this here.’ (laughter)”
(So your mom’s advice, does it pertain to talking about your skills on the grill?) – “(laughter) See that’s a little different. That’s a little different. You can talk about the grill. But other than that, you can leave everything else out.”
(Why did you make that face when he said G/T Robert Hunt said that?) – “That’s my brother, man. He’s a good griller, too. How about that? He’s a great griller, too. He can grill really good, too. (laughter)”
(What’s the most important thing to do when you’re grilling? What’s the secret?) – “Let your charcoals cook for a long time. Don’t let them stay black. Let them get grey to the point to where you touch them, they go to dust. That’s when the grill is mostly hot. Then clean your grill really, really good. You don’t want to put your meat on a grill after you grilled like two months ago. Clean your rails and everything because your meat could come out black and it isn’t even done on the inside.”
(What about the seasoning?) – “Oh yeah, you know I get down with the seasoning. (laughter) I got a whole little cabinet with the seasoning. I got good seasoning. I season it real good.”
(What’s your go to?) – “I can’t tell you that. (Laughter) I can’t tell you that. You might steal it (laughter).”
(How did you accumulate your spice jar? Is it you going to the store and picking out stuff yourself?) – “You know I’m a big dude, so grilled food is best for me. That’s my go to. I go grilled chicken, grilled fish, grilled everything so that’s why I had to specialize in it.”
(G Robert Jones made the 53. What have you seen out of him and what impressed you?) – “That’s my boy, I got my locker right next him. He’s a very hard worker and like my boy Greg (Mancz) said, they come to practice happy. We come to practice happy as first year and second year players. We want to get better. It’s a great opportunity to be around something this special. He really picked up on it because he came from a JUCO and then went to Middle Tennessee (State) and now he is in a big organization like this. He’s capitalizing on it. He’s a great player.”
(Did you see the viral play of G Robert Jones in the last preseason? How would you describe it, what he did to a man?) – “We saw it while we were on the sideline and our coach had to say, ‘Get back! Get back!’ We almost ran on the field and were happy for our guy. It’s a brotherhood in that room so when those guys get in the game and make plays like that, we are excited for them.”
(How would you describe what he did?) – “That’s a vet block. That’s a 10-year vet block. I’ll say that.”
(What’s the chemistry like for you guys as an o-line going into year two? A lot of you guys were rookies last year.) – “During the offseason, that was one of our things. Our coach wanted us, even though some people weren’t here, we always talk to each other. Talk to each other because offensive line, all five of us have to be good. One person can’t be bad or it’ll be a negative play but if all five are good, it can be a positive play. It’s like that everywhere on the field, but offensive line is so important. To give a call from the right side all the way to the left side. Our chemistry came together when we were in the offseason, talking to each other and everything, that brotherhood outside of here, we are very close. We are always laughing and sending TikToks back and forth. All type of stuff.”
(What’s the team O-line bonding experience look like? What do you do?) – “We will go to TopGolf and we will just kick it for two hours. Definitely going to sweat at TopGolf. I did not know you sweat that much at TopGolf. (laughter) I did not know that.”
(Who’s the best golfer in the group?) – “Not me. (laughter) Not me, not me.”
(Earlier this week the QB Deshaun Watson rumors came out and yesterday and today Head Coach Brian Flores is saying QB Tua Tagovailoa is our quarterback. When you hear that as a member of this team, that he is our quarterback, how does that make you feel as a teammate? How do you think the rest of the team takes that?) – “I love every single quarterback here and I’m sticking with whatever quarterback ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) puts out there. I’m going to do my job no matter who he puts out there. Like he said Tua, so I love Tua and I’m going to block for Tua.”
(G/T Robert Hunt told us yesterday that he just learned how to drive last year.) – “(laughter) He can drive, he can drive now. When we first got here last year, we were driving to go somewhere on the expressway and he texted me, ‘Hey dude, slow down. I’m going 60 miles per hour. I don’t even go that fast.’ I’m like bro, what do you want me to do? He said, ‘Just sent me the location, I’ll just meet you there because you’re going too fast.’ I’m like bro, we are both in the slow lane! I’m not even going fast! I think he’s used to it now. I think he’s pretty good. He doesn’t need no ride or a Lyft or a Uber no more. He can make his own way down.”
(We just met your new teammate, OL Greg Mancz. What’s your first impressions of him?) – “He’s a great dude. I picked his brain a little bit, asked him how many years he’s been in the league, how many teams he’s played for and stuff. I see he’s got vet experience and he’s been in the league for a long time. That’s another person I can feed off of because I want to be in the NFL that long. He’s a very hard worker. He’s pretty smart picking up on the plays easily. I think he’s going to be pretty good and adapt well to the offensive line.”
