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Xavien Howard – December 22, 2020 Download PDF version

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

CB Xavien Howard

(Congratulations on the Pro Bowl berth. Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander said something earlier today that I thought was interesting. He said in the moment of truth, Xavien Howard plays to win. He doesn’t play not to lose. What’s the difference between playing to win a play on the ball and playing not to lose?) – “I feel like it’s just finish. Finishing strong and not just giving up plays – even if you give up plays, finish or attack the ball and try to make something happen for the team.”

(Last night, were you with family when you found out or did you celebrate with a drink at home, were you studying for the Raiders, what were you doing?) – “I was watching football. I was watching the football game when I heard I got selected for the Pro Bowl. It was cool and everything. I don’t want to feel arrogant, but it didn’t surprise me. Right now, my main goal is to finish what’s in front of us and take on the Raiders this week.”

(You guys now after that Steelers vs. Bengals game have the No. 1 scoring defense in the league. You were the only Pro Bowl selection from your defense. Did you think the rest of the guys should be getting a little more recognition?) – “Yes. I definitely feel that. All the guys want to get recognized that are performing well on defense. I feel like if we take care of what’s in front of us right now – with that being said, we’ve got to take care of what’s in front of us right now. We can’t focus on the individual goals right now.”

(Does this Pro Bowl nod mean more than the one in 2018 because of how last season went or you with the knee problems, and the fact that it’s coming in a season where the team is making a push for the playoffs?) – “I feel like after everything I’ve been through, with the knee surgery and everything, it means a lot. There are a lot of things that are in store for us for me and the team. If we just take care of what’s in front of us right now, everything will pay out.”

(How is it that the No. 1 scoring defense in the league has only one Pro Bowl player? How does that happen?) – “We get overlooked, I feel like. Miami always gets overlooked. If some of the guys were on a different team or something like that, they’d get recognized. But just us as a team, we can pick that off with a Super Bowl and everybody will be happy. If we just control what’s in front of us and take care of the Raiders this week, we’ll be great.”

(Speaking of the Raiders, you know they have the speed receivers but TE Darren Waller, how tough of a matchup is he because you see he runs all the routes and can get over the top?) – “I definitely see that from that guy. I was just talking about him. He also lines up at receiver. That guy is a problem. I think he had almost 200 yards last game. He’s a threat. That’s one of the guys we definitely have to look out for.”

(Somebody mentioned earlier the no. 1 scoring defense. How important is that for you all as a team to finish with that and have that on your resume?) – “I feel like we don’t pay attention to the accolades that they have for the Miami Dolphins defense. We just focus on playing week-in and week-out and just really performing.”

(You almost had a fumble recovery touchdown. I think that would have been the icing on the cake for Defensive Player of the Year. Talk about that award. Obviously that is something you want to reach for. You want to be considered for that, right?) – “Right. That’s definitely a goal of mine; but like I said, if we take care of the Raiders this week, everything else will take care of itself.”

(Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander was saying you were probably a receiver in high school and I know you were, right?) – “Yeah.”

(Can you talk about where you learned to not be afraid of the football and to believe that it’s yours? The second question, if you can answer two for us, one is ball skills and then the second one is he was saying you’re a willing tackler. You’re not afraid to mix it up. How important is it to you to be perceived as a complete player. Where do you get the ball skills and where do you get the willingness to mix it up and get dirty in there?) – “This is where I come from. I feel like just being a kid in the neighborhood and just throwing the ball up and catch it with some of the older guys. I just wasn’t afraid to play against some of the older guys. I always played against older guys. I feel like that made me better. I feel like that’s where I get my ball skills and also being a physical corner too.”

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