Xavien Howard – April 19, 2023
Download PDF version
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
CB Xavien Howard
(So what makes this offseason so different in terms of participating in the offseason program instead of training on your own?) – “Learning a new defensive scheme. I’ve got to come in and understand the defense’s new scheme. So I just have to get used to it.”
(As you noted, it is a different defensive scheme. What are you most looking forward to? Because it seems like over your career, we’re used to you being a man-to-man guy. Maybe now you’re going to have a little more zone looks. What are you looking forward to?) – “I’m just on the second day of OTAs and stuff like that, so we’re studying and trying to learn some new stuff. Even though it’s going to be different, I’m sure there’s going to be a couple man (coverages) in there. Especially with the guys we got outside. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a challenge this year for me to learn something different and play in a new scheme.”
(What are your impressions over the years of Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio from afar and then now?) – “His defense has always been top five, so he’s been doing a good job at that. I’m looking forward to having him on my side now and improve our defense.”
(Do you feel like your strengths could be playing a lot more zone?) – “Yeah. Getting my eyes on the quarterback is going to be something different. I’m not looking at the quarterback so now I’ll get my eyes on the quarterback and understand route concepts. I feel like it’ll help my game.”
(You can level with us now. The season has been over for three months. How much did your health impact your performance in 2022?) – “I’m healthy now. All I needed was some rest. With a groin injury, week in and week out, especially playing defensive back and playing a lot of man (coverage), it put me down a little bit. But I’m better now. I feel like I’m going to do better this year also. I’m just ready for it.”
(What do you think the cornerback position and CB Jalen Ramsey’s addition?) – “I love it. I feel like we’re definitely going to push each other and push everybody in the secondary, the whole defense, I’d say. They’re going to start with us. I love it. I’m looking forward to competing.”
(What’s the potential of the secondary? Can it be the best in the game?) – “I feel like the sky is the limit for the secondary. I don’t want to put nothing out there right now. We still have to play and we still have to do training camp and preseason. There’s a lot of stuff that we’ve got to get over.”
(What did you think of CB Kader Kohou’s rookie season?) – “Man, that guy got better each game. I’m looking forward to seeing him. This is his second year. I’m excited for him. I feel like he can do a lot of great things out there.”
(One of the things that you posted on social media is ‘People will think you fell off and the whole time you were …’ What was the thought behind that?) – “Just seeing people saying I’m washed, I’m getting older and stuff like that. Just a little bit of motivation. People are going to say this and say that. I’ve been proving the critics wrong my whole life so it’s nothing new.”
(Along those lines, how much of an extra motivating factor is it to have CB Jalen Ramsey on the other side as well? Do you want to be known as the best corner on this team?) – “Like I said, it’s motivation. We’re also going to compete against each other. We’re also going to make each other better. We’re also going to help the team a lot.”
(Can you explain your relationship with CB Jalen Ramsey? I think he mentioned that you guys met back in college.) – “Yeah, he came to my Pro Day in 2016.”
(What’s your friendship been like with him since then?) – “We’ve always been cool. We always respect each other and stuff like that. We had a relationship – he came to my Pro Day and we were just chopping it up before the draft and stuff like that. We always had a good little relationship.”
(What do you like the most about CB Jalen Ramsey’s game?) – “His physicality. What he does on the field. He can get interceptions but he can make big hits also.”
(I saw that you did a lot of hard training in the offseason. What were the areas of focus for your training?) – “I always do hard training every offseason. It wasn’t anything different. Like I said, I feel better now. With that little groin injury, I feel like I’m healthy now. That was something I was really working on was strengthening my groins and stuff like that.”
(You and CB Jalen Ramsey vs. WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle, who you got?) – “Us all day. The DBs, we’re going to get it right. Those guys, we definitely have to worry about their speed on that side too.”
(In the beginning of last year’s offseason workout program, we spoke to you and you said there was a different energy in the building obviously with Mike McDaniel coming in. How would you kind of assess the vibes? How would you describe this year?) – “I’m excited about it. It’s the same way, I’d say. But we brought more new pieces to the team and guys that I feel like can help us win.”
(Going back to the groin injury, when did it first start to bother you? Was it sort of an up and down thing or was it constantly a sense of annoyance for you?) – “It started Week 2. The other side happened in Week 3. We ended up playing a long game against Buffalo and then we had a quick turnaround against the Bengals. I tried to (grind) it out but it didn’t happen. I ended up getting out in the second half. It’s hard to play with groin (injuries), especially on both sides. Even though I try to push through and help my team, I feel like I wasn’t helping at all.”
(The draft is coming up next weekend. What memory sticks out to you the most? The team traded up to get you. What memory sticks out the most?) – “Getting that call from the Dolphins. When I came on my visit, I didn’t like my visit here. And on draft day, I think (Mike) Tannenbaum called me. And he was like, ‘I heard you didn’t like our visit.’ I was like, ‘No, I loved the visit.’ Then he said, ‘Welcome to the Miami Dolphins,’ and stuff like that. (laughter) That’s definitely what I remember. And just them trading up for me. I think it was the Bears they ended up switching with. It meant a lot that they trusted me and believed in me.”
(Why didn’t you like the visit?) – “It was Lou (Anarumo). (laughter) That’s my guy though. Lou is my guy. I feel like he was being mean to me as soon as I got here. (laughter) I had just come from a visit in Tampa, so I had like a two or three day visit and I was like ready to go home. And he was like ‘Fix your face.’ As soon as I got in the car, he said ‘Fix your face, you’re about to meet the defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph.’ (laughter) Ever since then, me and Lou have been locked in.”
(When we talk about last year, we mention your groin and maybe not being your best year and all of that. You still made the Pro Bowl, you were still voted for the Pro Bowl. What went through your mind? What does that say about the respect you have around the league?) – “I really didn’t like it. My expectations, I feel like it wasn’t Pro Bowl caliber. Even though I made it, I was like ok. But it made me even push harder. Like I don’t want to get in like that.”
(So you told Mike Tannenbaum that you loved your visit. But was there part of you thinking, ‘Miami? I don’t know how that’s going to work out.’) – “Nah, when I got that call, I was excited. I was happy. I thought I was going to go in the first round but ended up going second round. I just loved everything about it. It was Miami. It was something different. I didn’t really know much about it but then when I got here, I loved it. I’ve been here going on eight years. It worked out for me.”
(What are your thoughts on the organization? From the time you’ve been here, you’ve seen rebuilds and now it seems like every year, Chris Grier goes out and makes a huge splash to kind of go for it. What do you think about where the organization has come in the last few years?) – “Since 2016, there have been a lot of changes since I’ve been here. I feel like we finally got a team that I feel like we can go further. Doing all the things we’ve been doing around here, I feel like this is a team that can go farther.”
