JAGUARS HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2021
(On considering sitting RB James Robinson in Week 13 due to his injury) “It’s so much we leave it up to him and the trainer and they will come to me. I’m certainly not in a position to overrule a trainer. Then the OC [Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell] and the running back coach [Bernie Parmalee], we all sit down on a Thursday and the decision was made to play him. It’s not something that will get worse, it’s
just something that takes time. It’s not a structural injury. It’s a pain tolerance injury, so I personally did think about it and then I was told that he should be good to go.”
(On meeting with RB James Robinson after Week 13’s game against the Rams) “Yeah. We have taken a very positive approach. Myself, I’m a different duck but I watched that video and it’s hard for me to eat solid food and actually breathe after watching that second half against the Rams. Then I start my preparation for the Titans and the offense was actually starting to move at a high level in that game. We didn’t win but that’s a very good defense and we’re a young offense. You start watching the execution, you watch the ball security, you watch James [Robinson] at that point was one of the top five running backs in the league at that time. I mean knee drive, ball security, rip his shoulder pad, pad level, offensive line pushing, screening off the ball. I actually spent most of my time kind of meeting with the defense because we were going through the transition from man to zone. I watched that and then all of a sudden, I took a deep breath and I’m like, ‘Play that again, play that again.’ Then I went and had one of our quality control guys make a cut-up of James and then I had James come in and we watched it. He was one of the top five backs in the league and then that heel [injury] happened in Seattle. Here’s one of the toughest guys on our team, one of the best players on the team that hasn’t been the same and it’s because he hasn’t been able to practice the fundamentals of lock it, clamp it, and all the things. So, not a good meeting, [it was] a fantastic meeting, and then I made a decision that we’re going to do that at all positions. We started special teams with about a 15-play highlight of some incredible [plays], 109-yard kick-off return, 100-yard kick-off return, great efforts. I just feel a better feel right now going into the last five games. It’s a five-game season the approach we’re going to have, and everybody give your best effort because your best version of yourself is really good. Our worst version of ourselves is really bad, but that’s really in all walks of life.”
(On his conversation with RB James Robinson) “We’ve had three fumbles in the last 25 carries, the running backs, three fumbles. I guess I don’t worry so much about that, I always go to the why, and the why is, fundamentally, we’re not doing the same things that were early in the year. We have a very distinct way and it’s great. If you want to go watch the Tennessee game, it’s as good as I’ve seen. It’s pad-level, we always call this clamp it, coming over the ball. We don’t do that anymore, so that stopped. I don’t worry about that other stuff. I go right to the film and here’s how to become one of the top five backs in the league and let’s get back to that. The great conversation was, ‘I can’t wait to get back to that.’ So, whatever else is whatever else. There’s an answer to everything; take care of the ball. That’s the game of football long after you’re gone, long before I’m gone or after I’m gone, whatever it is. I have
to resay that. Long before I coached, long after I’ve coached, I’m going to stay away from that because who knows. Taking care of the football is premium.”
(On his assessment of his conversation with RB James Robinson) “A+, which most of those meetings are A+ regardless.”
(On Tennessee having weapons without RB Derrick Henry) “Yes they do.”
(On the biggest area of concern facing the Titans) “Their offensive line. They ran for 270 against the Patriots and I think [Titans WR] Julio [Jones] probably back I hear. So yeah, there’s plenty. They’ve done a very good job. I think culturally they’ve done a very good job too.”
(On RB James Robinson comment this week about thinking he was benched in the last game) “You bench yourself. If you lay the ball on the ground, you come out for a few plays and then it’s up to the position coach, whoever to put you back in whenever that’s time. That’s not James [Robinson], that’s whoever. When the ball goes on the ground, you come back. [WR Laquon] Treadwell made a great play on Sunday, and he was loose with the ball. Remember that great run he had after the catch and all that? I almost took him out of the game because it got away from him. But he was right next to the sideline, I grabbed him, I said, ‘Lock the ball.’ He said, ‘You’re right, Coach. You’re right. Lock the ball, lock the ball.’ So, it’s just a refocus, reframe your mind and make sure that the soundbites are buzzing through your head as you touch the football.”
(On RB James Robinson being on the sideline for most of a half) “I can’t tell you the exact time he went back in. We have to communicate that better on the sideline, but there’s no something behind door number two why we kept him out.”
(On evaluating the play RB James Robinson fumbled) “He [Rams DL Aaron Donald] didn’t punch the ball out, he swung him out. Once again, that’s the whole clamp and it wasn’t clamped.”
(On taking other players out of the game due to their own mistakes) “Carlos [Hyde] came out of the game I believe when he laid it on the ground.”
(On whether he has a history of micromanaging a lot of things in his career) “Everything.”
(On what has changed in his perception of micromanagement) “Yeah, I just evaluated myself as my career went along and I wasn’t as productive in the things I needed to be productive. Worrying about which foot the three-technique is stepping with. When there’s so much, I just reevaluated myself and the last half of my career at Ohio State, I didn’t micromanage everything because it’s also hard to sleep at night when you don’t … And coaches, that’s their responsibility, it’s not my responsibility, it’s their responsibility. I hire a bunch of good people, coach the fundamentals as hard as possible, let them do their jobs and a lot of times I get in the way of that, I notice too.”
(On whether he regrets not being more involved now) “I regret a lot of things, but it’s not time now to do that. It’s time to try to get the best effort we can the next five games and then reevaluate everything.”
(On clarifying that he said he would get more involved with things like player rotations) “Yeah, I should be more aware of rotation of running backs and who’s at receiver. I should be and I am to a degree, but
at the same time, Tyson Campbell had a hip [injury]. I remember I was thinking, we were down corners, like close to none. So, I remember a lot of my focus was on, ‘Can we get Tyson Campbell back in time?’ and then a lot of stuff happens on the sideline.”
(On making sure the players get the touches they need regarding a story he told from when he coached at Notre Dame University) “Yeah, I’m disappointed in that. Yeah, that’s a good story, it changed the way I looked at offensive football. Making sure your best guys get the ball.”
(On whom was the wide receiver at Notre Dame in that story) “David Givens, but I was the receiver coach and I blame myself for that because position coaches have got to make sure the guys touch the ball. And I took it, once again, a step further when I was a micromanaging nutjob that I would make sure.”
(On whether he had told that story in regard to Florida WR Percy Harvin) “Oh yeah, Percy [Harvin], Curtis Samuel, Parris Campbell, all those kinds of guys have got to touch the ball.”
(On whether that same mindset applies to RB James Robinson) “Oh yeah. How much of a load can he take, too.”
(On why RB Carlos Hyde wasn’t on the bench as long as RB James Robinson was on the bench after his fumble) “I don’t know. Are you asking how many plays, or something? I wasn’t understanding your question.”
(On CB Tyson Campbell’s hip injury and the expectations on injuries in the secondary position) “Tyson [Campbell] should be good to go. Shaq [Griffin], it was great to see him, he’s good to go. So, secondary is good.”
(On his evaluation of the secondary position players that stepped in when CB Tyson Campbell and CB Shaquill Griffin were injured) “Obviously alarmed, that’s our two guys. I think Nevin [Lawson] has busted his tail and [Chris] Claybrooks goes in there. Injuries happen, but yeah, you’d like to have your two starters in there, especially against [Los Angeles Rams wide receivers] [Cooper] Kupp, [Van] Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr.”
(On injury status for DT DaVon Hamilton and DT Malcom Brown) “DaVon [Hamilton] should be good to go and [Malcom Brown] should be good to go. [We’re] worried about Malcom, he plays a lot of plays and he’s getting worn down a little bit, so we’re just being cautious how much he’s getting worn down. His toe and just the position you play.”
(On what he’s seen from Jaguars Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Nominee LB Myles Jack off the field) “Yeah, one of the first things I saw was when he came to my office in January, the first time I met him and he got a little emotional about Jacksonville. He said that crime rates go down, everything was
different in this city when we won in 2017. And I looked at him—usually young people are worried about themselves. It was a really—the heart of a kid like Myles Jack where he loves Jacksonville. I talked about him on the way because I knew he was nominated for that award. And then, you meet his mother and she’s the same type of person. It’s really cool, it’s really refreshing. That’s one of the first things he said to me, he said, ‘We have to win.’ Sometimes, unfortunately in today’s society we’ve got to win for me, but he said, ‘We’ve got to win for the 904, we’ve got to win for—this area is different when we win.’ And he experienced it.”
(On injury status for OL Brandon Linder and OL Ben Bartch) “[Brandon] Linder is day-to-day, and I don’t know if [Ben] Bartch will do much today, but he should be good to go.”
JAGUARS QB TREVOR LAWRENCE
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2021
(On the emphasis for the last five weeks of the season) “Just like I always say, keep getting better. I really just want to go play free, go be me and make plays, just having a great week of practice, trusting the game plan, and then when game day comes, letting it rip. As this season’s gone on obviously, there’s been, like we’ve said, ups and downs and a lot of stuff going on and that’s the one thing I need to be consistent on is just go out there and play and just be myself. That’s something I want to do a better job of, don’t play in a box, just go play free. That’s something I really want to do especially finishing out this season, build on something, like you said, go stack some wins and feel good about the year. Obviously, it didn’t go exactly as planned, but still, we can finish well and have something to build on for next year.”
(On the difficulty playing free when the game isn’t going well) “Sometimes, yeah, it’s hard. Especially as a young player, you just want to do as much as you can. You just want to win and that’s where I’m at, so sometimes you try to do too much. I feel like I’ve done a good job of taking care of the ball, but I think you saw that early on, trying to do too much, trying to force things, and then [I] got better as the season’s gone on. But I think now it’s just you can’t worry about every little thing, you just have to go play, trust the guys around you to go make plays and I think that’s half the battle. Then once you have that trust, you can just go do it. That’s where we’re building towards, and I thought we had a great day today. That’s been the message, especially after this past game is just trust our preparation and go out there and play with confidence, don’t hesitate. That’s the plan.”
(On the last time he thought he played free) “I think different times during the season, even during games, you have a couple drives where you feel really good and then some of the drives and things maybe aren’t going as well or you try to just do what you can to make as much as you can happen. It doesn’t always go how you expect it, but I mean, it’s hard to say. Obviously, there’s been some games where I felt really good. I thought I played well and felt really good in Cincinnati, even against Tennessee the last time we played them. I thought offensively we executed really well. We had a couple red zone drives maybe. I’m trying to think. I think [we had] a couple red zone drives we didn’t finish, but as far as execution, yards, efficiency, that was one of our best games, so I felt really good there, [also against] Miami. [It’s] just getting back to that where we’re all playing with that confidence. Anyone who watches the game, you can see we’re not playing with a ton of confidence on offense. That’s not hard to see, so we’re just trying to get back there. For me, being one of the leaders, [it’s] being that voice, positive voice and I think a lot of guys are doing that. But [it’s about] just going out on the field and actually putting your best foot forward. You can’t do that unless you are free from all the other things that are going on. You just have to go play.”
(On former top picks also having disappointing rookie years but eventually have great careers) “Yeah I mean everybody’s story, everybody’s journey’s different. No two situations are the same, so I understand that. Part of its understanding that, but also, you’re right. I mean it is a little bit comforting knowing that there are struggles, everyone has some, whether it’s in year one, year two, five years
down the line, wherever it may be. Everyone’s going to have some struggles. I’ve had a lot of success over the past few years and it’s time I have a little bit of adversity. So, just try to deal with that and I think I’ve done a good job of staying positive and just trying to be that consistent voice. I think we have a great locker room that helps with that.”
(On relying on other current or former quarterbacks for advice) “Not a ton. [Hall of Fame QB] Peyton Manning’s a guy, I’ve said before, that I know pretty well. We haven’t really talked as much during the season, just text a little bit back and forth. But he’s been great, especially during the offseason before the season started. He was awesome. I talked to [Hall of Fame QB] Troy Aikman before the Cincinnati game. That was pretty cool. He was in a similar situation except for I don’t think he won any games his rookie year, they might have won one. So, [it’s] a similar situation obviously, wasn’t a great year for the Cowboys that year and just talking to be about how he went through it and just told me to stay confident, keep being me, it’s going to come. That was cool. Obviously, we’ve won two games. I’m proud to at least have won two games, but I want to try to stack some more. Like you said, [we’re] just trying to finish this thing as best as we can, and we have the guys to do it.”
(On learning from the adversity) “Yeah, exactly. I think it’s taking everything you do well, you don’t do well and learning from it. Either keep doing what you’re well or fix what you’re not doing well and not letting it affect your confidence at all. That’s something that I feel like I’m kind of getting back to playing confident. As the season goes on, there’s certain things you have to work on and, like I said, you can start playing a little tight. Now I feel like I’m ready to just go let it rip and have some fun. I think that’s what you have to do. Obviously, you have to learn your lessons as you play and you have to play smart, but always we’re all really good at what we do. That’s why we’re here, so you have to trust that.”
(On RB James Robinson taken out of the game after his fumble against the Rams) “in my eyes, obviously I’m the one that’s out there, see all the pieces moving, I see the whole picture, bottom line is James [Robinson] is one of our best players and he has to be on the field. We addressed it and I feel like we’re in a good spot. The whole team, we’re good. Whatever may have happened, I honestly don’t know everything that went into it. I’m playing the game and stuff happens on the sideline with coaching decisions. I don’t really get into that. But I know, and I’ve voiced my opinion, James is one of our best players and he has to be in the game. I think we’re all on the same page, so there’s no confusion there. We’re going to move forward but I know James is a hell of a player, so I want him out there.”
(On the play involving him and Rams CB Jalen Ramsey last week) “I didn’t even realize on the field that that happened. Someone showed me the video. I guess people were saying I was trying to twist his ankle, which I don’t know. I don’t even pay attention to that stuff. It was a good tackle. But no, I don’t even listen to that, any of that crap. We’re playing football, making the tackle, whatever. If he got mad, I don’t really [care]. I didn’t even notice.”
(On the hit he took late in the game) “I felt that one. I was pretty upset about that. Stuff happens. I can’t say much there, I’ll get in trouble.”
(On both him and Head Coach Urban Meyer not facing much adversity prior to this year) “Obviously we have that in common, but we’re all in the same fight, we’re all trying to, like I said, do everything we can to go win games and turn this thing around. It’s definitely something that we’ve talked about, especially
early on. I think this far into the season, this is the reality we’re in and we’re just focused on moving forward. It’s definitely different than what we experienced in college, but you’re around the best, you’re
playing the best every week and you don’t really have time to look backwards and ask yourself, ‘Man, what’s going on here?’ You have to just keep working and I think we’ve done that.”
JAGUARS WR LAQUON TREADWELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2021
(On the team not winning in Nashville since 2013) “We don’t talk about that. We try to live in the moment. So, we’re going to go in this week [like] it’s another game we have to win. It isn’t too much, we’re not dwelling on the past too much. We’re just going to move forward and attack this game just like we attack anybody else.”
(On getting in position to be a bigger play maker for the team) “Just be available. I live by the quote, ‘The best ability is availability’, so I try to be available, try to know everything that’s installed, show up in the run game, special teams, whatever I can do to help us win games. That’s my mindset, so that isn’t going to change whether I’m leading or not. I attack every day the same way, just try to be the best version of myself.”
(On how he’s seen himself grow this season) “Personally, it’s been going great. Like you said, I’ve been leading the team in receptions. [I’m] grateful of that. [I] worked through some things throughout training camp getting released, brought back. All that, it was a lot but at the end of the day, everything happens for a reason, and it taught me a lot about this team and taught me a lot about my teammates. I always look at things from a positive, so me getting cut and released and brought back, I always look at like okay, what can I learn that’s going to help me whenever my time comes? So, I was able to get to know my teammates a lot better without actually being out there with them, get to know my coaches, build great relationships within the building. Now me playing, it shows because of all the work that I put in that everyone else didn’t get to see, the hours and the days with [Wide Receivers Coach] Sanjay [Lal] and [Offensive Coordinator] Coach [Darrell] Bev[ell] and [Head Coach] Coach [Urban] Meyer. Now going out, having a great block for [Jamal] Ag[new] that’s going to score, that’s just based off how much I love and trust Ag to do his job at high level, and he trusted me and them putting me in a position to do that. With other blocks that I do, it’s all because of the brotherhood. It’s all because I trust this guy to his job, he trusts me to do mine.”
(On Titans WR Julio Jones on his list of receivers he admires) “It’s tough. When I was a kid, I was more [of a fan of] LT, [former Chargers RB] LaDainian Tomlinson. Once [Titans WR] Julio [Jones] left and went to Bama and I was going to the SEC, he was like the guy to look up to in the SEC. Everyone knows that. Julio and [former Georgia and current Cardinals RB] A.J. Green, those were the two you watched and then they were battling for the draft like who’s going to get drafted first. I just remember reading all of that in high school and then I go to the SEC and we play Alabama and they have [Dallas Cowboys WR Amari Cooper] Coop and then they had [former Alabama WR Calvin] Rid[ley]. The history of Julio Jones, he’s a legend, one of the best to ever do it. When I played with him last year in Atlanta, [he] taught me a lot. [He’s] just a great guy. The Julio you see on the field is completely opposite than the Julio off the field, like poised, relaxed, people’s person, genuine guy. Much respect to him.”
(On the importance of getting good tape out of the next five games) “It’s huge for every guy on this team. It’s huge for every position. This league is built on film and if you don’t have good film, you’ll be in situations where nobody wants to sign you. Every guy has to take that personally, everybody has to man up, show up, play their best ball the last five weeks. We can’t dwell on what happened. We’re not going to the playoffs. We have to try to win these games and put your best foot forward every play every game.”
(On his relationship with Head Coach Urban Meyer and the conversation they had on the sideline during the game against the Rams) “[Head Coach] Coach [Urban] Meyer’s great. I love it because he holds you to the highest standard and he’s not here to be your friend. As a player, he’s so personal that you’ll think he’s your friend, but he’s here to hold you to the highest standard. Regardless of if you like it, if you want to talk about it, he’s there, he’s open. He’s an open book and you can have that conversation with him. The play that you’re talking about is on the Z post I caught. When I made the first cut, the ball got loose and then I juked another guy and Tavon [Austin] made the block, the ball got loose again. This is something that they harp on. They is something Coach Meyer’s harped on since I arrived. My very first day, [Wide Receivers Coach] Sanjay [Lal] and Coach Meyer was [harping on] ball security, ball security. It’s a big thing and it makes a difference in a game. If you can get that reminder during the game, I love it. I don’t have a problem with that because it allows you to be safe [rather] than sorry, if that’s the saying I want to say.”
(On being stunned after being cut during training camp) “Yeah I was. To be honest, I was very stunned. But I also know the business, it’s a numbers game and I fell short of the numbers. But I always knew, wherever I go, I felt good in training camp, felt confident, and wherever I go, wherever the pieces fall, I’ll be ready.”
(On signing with the practice squad despite being cut from the team) “You brought up [Titans WR] Julio [Jones], correct? I’ll take this out of Julio’s book, when I first met him the first couple practices, he said, ‘The reason why I’m able to play ten years at a high level is because I don’t have an ego.’ That was my chance to lose my ego in a sense whereas I knew I had a great camp, and my ego says, ‘don’t sign back.’ I’ve made that mistake in my career before where I didn’t sign back to a team or practice squad. Me trusting that without having this ego, things will work out for the better. If I just trust in the coaches and what they see, how this is going, everything will work out for the better. Again, there’s Julio being a great guy, helping me out. I didn’t have my ego and I just took it for what it was and I took it as an opportunity to continue to get better on my craft because I love what [Wide Receivers Coach] Sanjay [Lal] was teaching, I love what [Offensive Coordinator] Coach [Darrell] Bev[ell was teaching] and I love what [Head Coach] Coach [Urban] Meyer was teaching in that instance, at that moment. I trusted the plan.”
(On priding himself on his work ethic) “Yeah, I do. That’s how I’ve gotten to this point to be speaking to you today. Even in my past teams, I always prided myself on working hard, but now I challenge myself mentally a lot more than physically, like the physical work that everybody knows about, lifting weights. I do a lot of mental exercises. I do a lot of meditating. I do different things just to keep me at peace, keep more poised, and keep me in a straight direction and try not to waiver off the line and just keep going forward.”
(On why he has gravitated towards Wide Receivers Coach Sanjay Lal) “He’s technical. He’ll challenge you, same as [Head Coach] Coach [Urban] Meyer. But him being my position coach, it’s a great relationship. I’ll just say it’s challenging. I’ll bring this up, he won’t be mad about it or anything. Sunday,
first play, Trevor [Lawrence] came to me and it hit off my shoulder. [I had the] wrong footwork right at the top of the route and [Wide Receivers Coach] Sanjay [Lal] just ripped me like iPad, throw it, just going off. Ya’ll wouldn’t catch this. I don’t take it personally because I know where he’s coming from. He understands that if I just do the correct footwork, I will get the results that I want, so that’s been his thing about being on me every day. I like it because it doesn’t allow me to waiver like keep it straight, keep getting better. He cares about his players like he truly cares. If you don’t do it right, he’s going to show you, he’s going to passionately show you that he cares about you. Either you’re going to do it right or you’re not going to play, and that’s his way of getting me to click and go and tap in and just buy into everything that’s going on in that moment. That’s basically how me and Sanjay’s relationship is. It’s very challenging and it’s fun to be a part of.”
(On Wide Receivers Coach Sanjay Lal throwing an iPad) “It has a little cover on it, so we’re all good. We’re all good but he’s just very passionate. He’s just like a player out there. He’s very passionate and he understands the receiver position. That’s one thing I am grateful of. He truly understands what needs to happen, how to beat certain defenders, he gives us a game plan on how we can attack these guys this week, so everything is there when you’re speaking to [Wide Receivers Coach] Sanjay [Lal].”
(On QB Trevor Lawrence’s growth this season) “Trevor [Lawrence] has grown a lot. Early on I didn’t speak to him as much because I wasn’t a starter and I always show respect to the starters. I don’t try to press up on guys if they’re starting, like I’ll try to let them build their relationships and build their chemistry. Now that I’m in the starting rotation, [I see] his IQ and his intelligence and his poise. To be so young, to come in every day and to have lost what, I don’t even keep track of how many losses we have this year, but to only win two games this year and to be the same guy and to come in and work and execute the offense the way he does, it’s impressive. To be that young, it’s impressive. The sky’s the limit for him and I just hope I’m here to help him go to the sky.”
JAGUARS CORNERBACK SHAQUILL GRIFFIN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2021
(On how he is feeling) “Great, I am excited to be back. It feels good to be around the guys again, so feeling good.”
(On ever having a concussion that lingers for as long as this one did) “No, I do not think it was anything different. The main thing was getting the memories back and that is the main thing. You do not want to be walking around [and] not be able to remember too many things. The main thing is just getting the memory back, so I am feeling great. I am feeling awesome.”
(On who is dangerous on the Titans roster outside of RB Derrick Henry) “Oh shoot, if you ask me everyone is still dangerous. You are talking about the season that we want to have and the season we have not had yet and we are going to continue to play everyone like they are the best, it is simple as that. I think the names, accolades and all of that is out the door now and it is at the point now where you just have to compete. I do not care who they dress up or who they are playing, I am going to treat them like they are the best out there. I have not really dug deep into what personnel, or if Julio [Jones] is going to have a little bit of playing time if he tries to come back. There are so many unanswered questions but like I said, we are at a point now where we have to play great football. I do not care who is out there or who we are playing.”
(On having a different perspective on the defense and secondary after watching from a far) “Yeah, I feel like they did amazing, I feel like they held their own. Tyson [Campbell] has come into his own as everyone is starting to see. The confidence is amazing. Nev[in] [Lawson] being the vet that he is [and] stepping up in a huge way. I do not think it is an easy spot to just go fill in and he did an amazing job. [I am] super proud of those guys and I come back in and my main thing is I am not trying to feel like I am moving people out of the way but continue to work and continue to be great because anything can happen, anything can happen. It feels good to be able to step down to protect myself and have someone come in and not miss a beat. I definitely love that and they did an amazing job. I appreciate those guys.”
(On the main advice he had for CB Tyson Campbell) “I told him to stop focusing on what everyone else is thinking about him. The main thing is do what got you here. You are an amazing player and this is not a mistake. Be that guy, move accordingly, walk that way and be the confident guy that you were at Georgia. I said I know a lot of plays that you did not make this year but if that same play happened while you were at Georgia, you would have made it and you would have been celebrating. I said go back to that guy, stop trying to impress this team, stop trying to impress the fans, stop trying to impress the coaches and everyone else. Do something for yourself for once, you at least deserve one time [where] you can dedicate a game to yourself.”
(On who from Seattle that gave him similar advice) “Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, there has been a lot of people. I have been with a lot of vets, so I was fortunate to have a guy that has been in the league for eight years. Cliff Avril, who was in the league for I think 12 years when I got there and Michael Bennett. There are a lot of people who have seen a lot of ball, so I was grateful and definitely felt good to be with a group like that and be able to learn that early. My main thing is that I am going to teach it. I remember
the game where [Tyson] really started to turn things around and the first thing he said was ‘You know what Shaq, I am going to play for you’ and that is what it comes down to. This is a family now and whatever it takes to get the job done and I am fighting for your name on the back of your jersey and we are family. I would run through a brick wall for you. When he said that, I knew the confidence was there and there was nothing that was going to stop him.”
(On the perspective of having to sit back and watch) “A proud [and] excited vet. On the defensive side, it was amazing to see and my main thing now is to come back and grab that juice back. I want to see that energy back. I come back and you go to practice and you kind of see how everyone is moving around and who has the energy still. My main thing is I have to get that back. My main thing today is, I remember coaches asking me ‘how is your conditioning level?’ You do not have to worry about that, I am a competitor and I go until my heart stops. My main thing is having that juice in you and it is hard to go through each day and not enjoy this. I want to see people running around and smiling, everything is not going to go your way, everything is not going to go right but man you have to make the best out of this situation. I think people are fading away from that and it is okay, we are going through something. We are doing this together and as long as you continue to fight, I am going to continue to fight. Enjoy this, it is tough doing a job you do not like. I am trying to bring that back and I am going to continue to preach it and I am going to yell it through the locker room and I am going to yell it every single day until I feel like everyone is smiling and enjoying this game again. We have to get back to that.”
(On sensing a few guys not having that energy anymore) “Of course, it is tough, it is tough. You go through a season like this and you have to two wins and shoot we even have an extra game now. We do not want to go out this way. No one wants to do this and no one wants to go through this but we are susceptible to go through this and it happens. It is the world man; everything happens for a reason and I believe that but however you accept it and however you react to it … You have to move on. You have to be better and you have to accept it and move on. You have to find the enjoyment in this [because] there is so much worse. It could be so much worse, so I do not want people to give up. I do not want to see anyone give up and I refuse to go out that way, we will not.
(On the importance of creating some positive momentum at the end of the year) “Of course because the end of the season is going to show what type of team and what type of players are going to come back and do some great things next year. I was telling guys man it is tough because you are trying to fight for a playoff spot and trying to do that, but now you have to put it on tape. These next couple games are going to how important this game really is to you. Not just what it is to the Jaguars, or to your teammates but for yourself. You have to put it on tape because the one thing about it is that the tape never stops. I do not care what is going on during the season, the tape does not stop. You have to put it on tape, whatever it is, play your best ball. You have to.”
(On ever facing WR Julio Jones and how it went last time) “Yes, I did good.”
(On looking forward to the matchup against WR Julio Jones again) “Like I said, I do not care who is suited up. One of the coaches, the GM [General Manager], the offensive coordinator, I do not care. My main
thing is that I am here to compete and that is where we are at in our season. We are going to compete our balls off and we are going to try to get whatever we can done and get these W’s [wins.]”
(On his reaction to the Jaguars not winning in Nashville since 2013) “I want to headbutt someone when I hear that so hopefully, we can get this turned around. We have been breaking curses all this year so hopefully [we] break another one.”
