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Thomas Morstead – May 24, 2022 Download PDF version

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

P Thomas Morstead

(In your case, it’s good to just punt to WR Tyreek Hill in practice only. You don’t have to worry about it in a game.) – “Well, I’ve had some good success against Tyreek in the past. He’s a hell of a player. I know the team is excited to have him here but it’s irrelevant who’s back there as far as I’m concerned about how I do my job.”

(What made you want to come to Miami?) – “Look at this (points to the blue sky and training facility). I had a great career in New Orleans, 12 years, Super Bowl, Pro Bowl and whenever I was done there, I just wasn’t done. My kids are getting old enough now that they know what’s going on, they got to see dad respond to getting fired and having to persevere a little bit. It was a good opportunity for me to show them how I felt was best to respond and they’re old enough to know what’s going on now. We wanted to provide them a great experience that hopefully they’ll remember as a positive one.”

(How quickly did this come about with the Dolphins?) – “Quickly. I won’t get too specific about it because it’s team business but I actually reached out to them. There was no punter on the roster and I thought Miami seems like a nice place to play. Financially, I was willing to take a veteran salary benefit deal and I don’t think they knew that, so I just made it clear. They said, ‘Well get on a plane and come out here and see if you like it.’ I’ve made a lot of money in my career and these experiences are just, when it’s over it’s over. I love doing everything there is to it. I love the training. I love the grind of the workouts. Obviously, I’m a little bit different than most of my teammates. I’m not hitting a lot and things like that. At least if I’m doing my job well, I’m not. I just love being a part of it. I love being depended on and it’s special being a part of an NFL locker room. Especially when you have a first-year coach with some reasonably high expectations. It’s fun to be a part of that and be a part of building something and building a culture. I’m just excited to be here.”

(Practicing in the shadow of this stadium, does it bring back memories of what had to be the biggest play of your career?) – “Yeah, I haven’t been back here in 13 years. Last time I stepped off this field, we won the Super Bowl and I had glitter all over my shoes. It was a great experience. Eight years later, we played the Dolphins away in London so I haven’t been back. I’m really looking forward to getting back in the stadium. Although it was a long, long time ago, in certain ways it was just like yesterday. I’m excited to be back in there.”

(What’s the welcome been like for you from the coaching staff, players and your first impressions of Head Coach Mike McDaniel?) – “Look, I just felt an authenticity from everybody I met here. The GM, I had a great conversation with him and it was all about, surprisingly, it had nothing to do with me doing my job. It was about what are you planning to do with the family, how do you see this going for you and things that were of major value to me. That was really important. Getting to meet Coach (Mike) McDaniel, he’s a super interesting guy. It’s my first time having a head coach that is my generation and it kind of feels like one of my buddies as the coach, which is kind of cool. It’s cool to see people like him that are of a unique background getting opportunities to do what they do, provide value and help build a team. I’ve just felt that and lastly, meeting with Coach (Danny) Crossman was, that was my No. 1 criteria for coming here. If you don’t have a, you kind of get married to your coach or coaching staff when you join a team. If you don’t have a good wife, your life sucks, right? (laughter) So, if you don’t have a good marriage with your coach, it can be a really crummy expierence. I’ve experienced that once before and it’s not ideal. It sucks all the joy out of playing. On the flip side, when you do have a good coach, somebody that you immediately gain a trust with – there’s nothing better than going to battle with somebody like that. I’m excited to be here. I’ve felt nothing but love from coaches and players. I just hope to do my small part and be accountable to the team.”

(Who’s the real ‘T-Stead?’) – “Well, I’m the original ‘T-Stead’ because I’m older than Terron (Armstead). I told him at some point I need to get my No. 13 jersey and pose just like he did when he signed, get his ‘T-Stead’ chain. I need to borrow that from him.”

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