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Trent Sherfield – August 2, 2022

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

WR Trent Sherfield

(I’ll ask you the question I asked RB Raheem Mostert because you guys have obviously known Head Coach Mike McDaniel for a long time. Every time we have a press conference, he says something that surprises me and I can’t believe a coach said that. Today, he talked about how he wants to be self-aware, that even though he’s the play-caller he doesn’t ever want to be perceived as introverted. He wants to make sure that he has that connection with the players and when he passed by the hallway, he’s still able to connect with them. Tell me about this guy’s emotional intelligence. What do you think about it?) – “I think it’s very, very high. To me, what stands out to me is that he’s the same guy that he was in San Fran. He didn’t come here, get a head-coaching job and then all of a sudden just change. He’s been that way. He’s been that same guy. He’s going to keep you on your toes. He wants to be player interactive. He’s a player-first coach. He’s very aware. He’s aware of his surroundings. He’s a very, very intelligent person. I’m grateful to be playing for him again. The thing that I can respect the most is that he’s still Mike. You can go up and talk to him at any time. He’s not somebody who is going to shield off and doesn’t want to talk or anything like that. He’ll ask you about your family and anything outside of football. That’s the type of person that he is, for sure.”

(I know it’s hard sometimes to think of like a great story or a specific example on the spot because there are so many stories. But can you think of a moment where you were impressed with something you saw or heard that made you feel like he really cares about people?) – “I can’t really think of anything specific. I’ll say one thing that I do notice a lot is when I was in San Fran, we would have the family come to camp just like how we have today, and he was the first one over to his family with his kids, his wife and even today, it was the same exact thing. You could just tell that he’s family-oriented, even with his own family. And he considers us his family as well, too. I think he takes the same exact approach.”

(On if he’s noticed any changes in Head Coach Mike McDaniel from being offensive coordinator to now being head coach) – “No. I have not. The only thing is just calling the plays with a walkie-talkie in his hand. I think that’s it. From a characteristics standpoint, he’s still the same guy, still the same individual. Like I said, player interactive. He’s always going to keep you on your toes, going to toss out a funny joke here or there and that’s Mike. That’s something that you have to respect about him.”

(What’s the benefit to having a coach who is a little more player-friendly? Because a lot of times NFL coaches … like Bill Belichick off the top of my head. So what’s the benefit of having a coach that…) – “I think the benefit is honestly you get the trust from the players. I think you get a little more vulnerability from the players. When I say that, I mean the players are able to go to Mike because Mike’s door is always open. That’s what he always says. We can go to Mike and talk to him about anything. We might want to do this differently or whatever the case may be, Mike is all ears. He’s willing to listen. I think that’s the benefit of having a coach like that because he wants to listen to the players. He wants to do it the players’ way, and also do it his way, but he wants to bring it together and make it a family thing.”

(What’s your favorite thing about working with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I think my favorite thing about working with Tua is his response. I think that’s my favorite thing. Tua can go out and he can make a mistake and the very next play, he’s out making a much better play – an eye-popping play. I’ve worked with Tua all summer this offseason and it was great to learn from him. He’s a great leader, a great quarterback, and I can’t wait to get out there and play with him.”

(Do you think this season QB Tua Tagovailoa can kind of respond to some of the adversity that he’s had?) – “Absolutely. I think the naysayers and everything are totally in the back of his mind. I think Tua just focuses on himself and getting better day in and day out. Obviously with the weapons that we have now, it’s only going to exemplify the type of quarterback that he is. Tua has been working. Shoot, he faced adversity even at Alabama. So this nothing new to him. It’s just a testament to how he comes day in and day out, shows that he’s willing to work and shows what type of player and what type of leader that he’s going to be.”

(Have you heard QB Tua Tagovailoa play the guitar?) – “No, I haven’t. I have not seen him play that yet. I would love to see that, but I haven’t.”

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