Hall of Fame LB Zach Thomas
(How has this experience been for you being a Hall-of-Famer and has it been everything that you thought it would be?) – “Oh, for sure. It’s been an awesome process that is humbling. Even coming back into this building right now just to be there, to represent everybody here in the whole building, all you guys. I know every one of you guys. I know every one of you was supporting us even when were asking tough questions. And even now, I know you’re supporting this team. You want this team win. For me, I finally got that win, when it comes to being a Hal of Famer, because that’s all I played for was the wins. It wasn’t for the accolades or any of that stuff. It was always just about the wins. This is definitely a win. I’m very proud and it’s good to see everybody in here and just to be part of it. It’s pretty cool.”
(Did it ever get to a point where like, maybe “Dang, it finally happened. About that dang time?”) – “Man, I don’t think I ever got to that point because looking back at it, I just always look back. When I was done playing, I was just always grateful that I played a game for so long – 28 years of football, man – and it was so good to me. And I always just look back. Any time I ever thought that. The game owes me nothing. I remember when I was 8 years old with big dreams from a small town. Small-town country boy, man. And for me to ever be like, ‘oh, man,’ be negative about something? That’s not me, man. And I know that in this game, you’ve got to rely on so many different things. I got a little lucky along the way with health, with players around me, great coaches. A great high school coach. Crazy how he taught me a read on a napkin, and it got me labeled ‘instinctive,’ ‘smart.’ Crazy, man. (laughter) You guys laugh at that because you know me. I’m not the smartest guy in the room right now, but it’s wild how it played out and the timing was perfect when it comes to that. I never really thought – because when the guys are going in, you respect so many of the Hall of Famers even going in before you. I think Jason Taylor being so dominant. You know what I’m saying? I wasn’t going to go in right after Jason. He was so good at this game that yeah, he probably – they pushed me back a little bit, right? But I’m proud to represent our teammates.”
(You played for the W’s, you played for a championship, but you didn’t get the championship. But getting this? Does it give you like, kind of a complete ending to your career, feel like that now?) – “It definitely just makes me proud because everything we fought for was the championship. I’m not going to lie. I feel like if you get that championship, it makes your road a lot easier, so you had to do something right if you didn’t get the championship. I feel like I played the game right and didn’t ever get the championship. To look back at it, I wouldn’t want to change a thing, but I wanted to win for you guys. I wanted to win for the fans. They deserve it.”
(There were a lot of years when that call didn’t come. Had you ever resigned yourself to never getting in?) – “I didn’t really think about it too long. I never let the ego get in the way, so I think when I played, I never even looked at myself that way either. I always wanted to make myself uncomfortable, get the best out of myself. A little insecurity, I would say, to get the best out of myself and even afterwards, there’s so many great players around me. But I am proud of getting here for sure, man. It was a long, long road. Had to be patient. Good things take time. I never doubted myself when so many doubters were out there, but that was the best thing about it. It just helped motivate me to be my best, gave me that chip on my shoulder.”
(Not even a moment or something somebody said that – you came in as a low draft pick, that said, “Okay, I can be a star in this league or I can make it in this league” considering you probably never said “I can be a star?”) – “Was there a moment – I think and I got back to it – I’ve said it before. That national anthem. Don’t be making me choke up. But that national anthem that first game – special. I think that one. All right, let me see here. I’ve been trying to read tips so I’m not crying when it comes to the induction and so if I look at your feet and I look at your eyes… (laughter) Oh, forgive me, but I know when I’m talking about my family, I’m going to be looking at feet. Even Jimmy (Johnson). But I think that moment of the national anthem was the time I knew I had a starting chance and I wasn’t going to let it go. So I feel like that was the moment that I knew… all right, let me drink water. (laughter) You’re right. That’s what I don’t want. I’m going first and I don’t want to take away from any of the inductees behind me because you want to respect them and their time. And I’ve got 28 years of football to thank everybody in 12 minutes? It’s not happening, but the thing is, I’m going to make it under 12 and even if I have to fumble through it or stumble through it, cry through it; I’m going to make it happen because you’ve got to respect these guys’ time and I’ll get my points in. I’m going to miss a lot of people to thank which is, it’s tough. Like I said, 28 years of football. So many people impacted me. It’s tough to thank everybody and so I might have to do some writing, call people up, I’ll thank Harvey (Greene) right now because I don’t have him in my speech. (laughter)”
(Now that you’re at camp, do you remember Day 1 at your first camp? What it was like? The vision you had for your career, the hope the expectations, just the emotion of that, becoming an NFL player?) – “Wow, 27 years ago. That’s crazy. I do remember it being hot. It still smelled of the wet grass, the dew on the grass, that early morning when they used to start before 9, right? 8:45, right, Harvey? Just being out there and just looking across – that’s Dan Marino right there man, right across from me. I’m competing against Dan Marino. And just looking back at those camps, man, I was so focused, laser-focused just to make the team. There wasn’t anything else on my mind but making the team and those were good days. Good days. It was back when the two-a-days happened. There’s no one-a-days.”
(Nothing like inside drill to start practice, right?) – “Inside drill was definitely physical.”
(You talk about the national anthem being that moment, but when we were following you that first year, Jimmy Johnson brought in Jack Del Rio to be his linebacker. He cut him early because he was convinced that you were the guy. How did that go? How did that conversation go with Jimmy and with Jack Del Rio, too, in a sense? How did that whole thing go because the torch was passed to you right away.) – “I talk about good time because he’s a new coach and he brought in Jack (Del Rio) to be a vet. Jack even took me to the first preseason game and he was giving me pointers. How cool is that? But I respected his game. He taught me. But back to Jimmy, for him to throw me in the mix? Look at me, man. I still don’t look the part. I was the 154th draft pick. Yeah, I was his guy, but still. To throw you in the mix before a game even starts? First game? That’s wild to me, but he saw something. That’s why Jimmy is the best. I feel like he definitely can evaluate talent when it’s on the field and so for him to throw me from the get-go, because I could’ve ended up anywhere else. I could’ve been in a 3-4, I could’ve been with one coach who didn’t believe in me and then I would’ve been a special teams guy trying to make the team on the fringe. Crazy how it plays out, isn’t it? That’s what I’m grateful for. So it wasn’t just all hard work and none of that. It was just getting a little lucky, blessed, grateful to have a guy that believed in me.”
(What moment in the Hall of Fame process so far, whether it be sitting for the busts to be done or getting the jacket, has stood out to you?) – “I think opening up the jacket when it came to the house with the kids. That was special. My kids didn’t see me play, which was good. I talked about timing. I wouldn’t have any time to be a dad during football. Maritza being here, she knows I was all in. She didn’t see me much either. I’m happy, it was perfect timing. The process of opening it up at the house, having the kids there, that’s pretty cool. Even being here at the press conference, that’s what makes me proud.”
(Talk about the process of making the bust. How did it turn out, are you pleased?) – “Oh yeah. I tell you what, they did a great job. They pretty much just had to make a square. (laughter) I don’t think it was too hard on them.”
(We’ve heard a lot of players campaign for you over the years and say how much they respect your game. When you finally got the call, who was the guy who called or reached out to you that was the most moving that you competed against?) – “I would start with Kevin Mawae. I had so many Hall of Famers that knew before they were going to announce it that called me. But when it came to Kevin, he was such a great player. For him to put me into his induction speech was pretty powerful. That’s respect right there. He’ll definitely be in my speech, even being a Jet. I think him calling me and being so happy for me, because we used to battle. I think in his speech he said we battled 16 times. He was really good at what he did. He only made me better.”
(From the moment you became eligible for the Hall of Fame, Dolphins fans were very vocal about the fact that they thought you belonged in the Hall of Fame. I’m curious what their support, both after your playing career and during your playing career, meant to you?) – “Well first, yes they were very vocal, especially reaching out to the Hall and then also reaching out to Armando (Salguero). I have to give Armando credit for taking abuse. I wish I would’ve made it easier on him. He even asked me going into this last year, ‘Zach, do you want someone else to present you?’ I’m like no, are you kidding me? I want you to present me … He did a great job with him. I’m very happy I was able to make it. But back to what you were saying, the fans, they pretty much fuel me. That love, I am not going to lie. I read some of their comments. It’s pretty cool comments, the love that they have for me.”
(You talk about playing to win that Super Bowl, playing to win the game. What are your thoughts on this current team doing exactly that?) – “I love the question. We have great talent on this roster. We have a great head coach, an offensive coordinator and probably the best defensive coordinator on the team now. But none of that means nothing if you don’t win in this building, you don’t win on that practice field. They know that. It’s a choice that they’ll make and we’ll see how great they want to be. I’m cheering for them. But I know this, you have to have talent to win. And we got it. I think Chris Grier’s done a great job with this roster. It’s exciting. I’m more excited this year than any year.”
(You said it’s a choice that they make. What do you mean by that?) – “A choice that they make is how good they want to be is off their sacrifice. Minimize outside distractions. Everything that affects your prep. Being grateful. You’re going to have days where you’re going to be negative. Reboot. You need to be positive to not affect your prep. Everybody thinks it’s just hard work. It’s smart work. Once you figure that out and take care of yourself and take care of your body and have your family understand that, ‘Hey, my focus is on one thing, and that’s to go win, get the best out of myself every day.’ When you get to that point, that’s the choice. You choose if you want to go to bed early or not so you can be better and more sharp in practice the next day or the meeting rooms. You choose that. It’s the same thing we choose with distractions. Nowadays phones, crazy. These kids, they know these distractions. Always on these phones. I feel like you choose if you want to get in the extra film work, the extra pre-hab. You choose those things. That’s what makes the difference in the end. I feel like that’s the choice that you make. You choose if you want to be grateful. I used to drive to work and I would be a little negative or something, and I would just look around and most of these people are going to jobs they hate. I’d reboot my mindset. I see people pissed of at the light. That would help my mindset. Man, I’m playing a game. What am I going to cry about after a loss or something? I’m going in to make myself great.”
(You’ve been out here for practice before. Today’s the first day fans are going to be out here. To be in front of them, what’s that going to be like?) – “It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be more awesome for my kids being out on the practice field, seeing a lot of their heroes that they have out here. But to be out there with the crowd, the good energy in the crowd that you feed of off, it’s going to be awesome.”
(When you got the call, did you go back and look at your sacrifices? Whether it’s watching film and fingers of Cheetos on the VHS or the hyperbolic chamber you had. Or I remember the Bills game and you came out and were on the sidelines and you had a neck injury or a collision or something, and you went right back into that game. Do you think about those sacrifices now? Everything that you did to be great?) – “It really wasn’t a sacrifice to me. I feel like I was just being accountable for my teammates. I never wanted to let them down, I think that was number one, and keeping that respect. I wanted to be there for them. That was why I played through all that. Then also I had motivation from things. I might have had it in my head, but I always felt like I had haters. People that overlooked me. People that doubted me. That made me go back in the game.”
(Peyton Manning talked about you and how he would be frustrated you called out his plays while he was calling them out. You talked about preparing for work for these guys. Now that you’re gone, give us secrets of things you saw in a game or anything you remember in a game that factored into something you saw in film work that mattered? Any stories like that?) – “Peyton’s pre-snap was awesome. That’s why he hardly ever got hit. The same with Tom Brady. That’s what I enjoyed the most. I wasn’t in their playbook. But I went on The Fish Tank with Seth (Levit) and we talked about a time where – a lot of times when you get in the red zone, there’s only so much scripted plays that they have over the last year. The same with short yardage. When you knew exactly in those moments, in those types of situations, you could call out their plays a lot. But even if you know the play, it doesn’t matter. You can overrun the play. I’m not saying its overrated, but knowing run from pass is huge, number one. I feel like that’s where I got a great tip before they even snap the ball. Knowing the play, I feel like there were times I’d call it out, especially with Peyton because we’re up there in the dome, it’s quiet, you can hear their numbers, you can hear everything. You knew a play they were going to run, you let them know it. It’s all such a mind game. Then he’s like, ‘man, he’s in my book.’ I wasn’t in their playbook, and you want to react anyway as a defensive player, but knowing run from pass, that’s huge. That’s more important than even knowing the play, which you wouldn’t know anyway. On The Fish Tank, I talked about it. It was short yardage and they didn’t have many short yardage plays. They came in at 21 personnel and they don’t have many 21 (plays). They’re usually 11 personnel. So they were in 21, put the Y flexed outside and it’s always a lead. So I just called it out, it’s always a lead to a three technique, so I just called it out. That’s probably one play out of how many games I’ve known him. And you should’ve seen his eyes pre-snap. I called it out and blitzed it and made the play. You have to make the play too. I got up and saw his reaction, his body language – I used to read that body language too. He was like ‘wow, he’s in my book.’ But I wasn’t. (laughter)”
(Now that both of your careers are over, did Peyton Manning have another tell that you could be like, “I know what you’re doing?”) – “Tells are huge pre-snap. There’s so many – it’s not so much a player, especially him being so good, but they had some players on the offensive line – because they make everything look the same – that could give away run from pass. It was hard. They made everything, the press, the set up, the pass, and everything was on timing. But the pre-snap tells, it didn’t matter if it’s – down-and-distance means something when they break the huddle, the personnel means something, the depth of the back means something, the width of the tight end means something, the split of the lines mean something, especially one side from the other. It’s crazy all the tells – even where the receivers are means something to you, to tell you run from pass. When you can get that down pre-snap, that’s where I feel like I won. The tells are everything, and that’s where you win most of the time or give yourself the best chance to win on that play.”
(You mentioned the kids didn’t get a chance to see you play. What’s it going to be like for them to see you go into the Hall of Fame? What do you think the reaction is going to be, yours, the family and just how wonderful that’s going to be for you guys?) – “We’ll have to find out. Look at them. Yeah, we’ll have to find out. I just feel like I’m just going to be proud that they can experience something. They might look back when they get older and be like, ‘Wow,’ you know what I’m saying? ‘We’re proud of you, Dad.’ I think right now as kids, they’re just ready to go take a picture with Tyreek (Hill) or Tua (Tagovailoa), they’re not even thinking about Dad. (laughter)”
(Are they big QB Tua Tagovailoa fans?) – “Oh yeah. Oh yeah, right? We’ve got two Tua (Tagovailoa) jerseys on right now.”
(You spent 12 years here in Miami. Was there a particular jersey that you always enjoyed playing in, whether it was the orange or the aqua? Which jersey stands out to you the most?) – “I think most of them. The orange wasn’t what I – especially when you have our d-linemen, they looked like pumpkins in front of you, man. (laughter) I was just trying to be funny there. I really don’t know. When it came to that, the jersey better be dirty by the time you get to the end of the game, I know that.”
(Do you remember the moment where you first started thinking, “I might be a Hall of Famer?” Was it while you were playing and maybe a media member mentioned it to you? Was it after your career? When did that moment occur do you think?) – “I think when I was getting texts. I wasn’t ever – even when I played, I wasn’t thinking Hall of Fame, I was thinking trying to get the best out of myself and this team. I was in the moment. I think when I started getting nominated and they started talking about it, then once I got closer to the Top 15, that’s when I knew I had a chance, especially when it was back-to-back years. That’s when I started thinking about it, but after not making it, I tell my family they can vent for a day, but I don’t need to hear it. Come on, it’s all ego for you as a player to think, especially in a team game, to act like, ‘I deserve this.’ You don’t deserve this, man. There are so many people that deserve this, and that’s why I’ll say I deserved it, but I want everybody that had a part in it to deserve it with me. Do you get what I’m saying? I don’t even know if that even makes sense, but take that where you want it.”
(What would be your message to a high school player here in South Florida or even on Texas who might be a little undersized, might be a little down on himself? What would be your message to him to motivate him?) – “Well, hopefully I give them a little hope. For somebody who’s undersized, when it came to talent or anything like that, to never give up if you love something. Success is just finding something you love, but it’s up to you to find that, not anybody else. If you love something, keep straight ahead. Don’t let all the outside noise from everybody doubting you, well if you want to use it as fuel, yes; but don’t let it affect your path, because I could have gave up on myself a lot. I got doubted the whole way, but I used it as fuel. So I feel like if you love something, that’s success, man – stick with it. Who cares? You don’t have to please everybody. You’re not going to. You just have to please yourself, and that’s by putting in the work, betting on yourself and no matter the results, you’ll go out a winner forever. That’s how it is, so you don’t ever have regrets.”
(What was the first time you visited the Hall of Fame? Unless this coming Friday is going to be your first time?) – “Oh, it was special. Thursday we’re going to visit with my family, but to see the bust of Junior Seau, it was awesome, man. Love that guy. Seeing Jason (Taylor) and seeing all the other 10 Dolphins in there is cool, too, man. So it’s a special moment.”
CB Eli Apple
(One of the big story lines is you and WR Tyreek Hill. Have you talked to Tyreek and where do things stand right there?) – “Yeah, of course. His locker is literally right across from mine. I saw him earlier today in the locker room and we were chopping it up a little bit at the training and breakfast table. We all good. It’s all love. We’re on the same team. All love.”
(Talk about the decision to come to Miami. Joining the Dolphins with what happened to CB Jalen Ramsey, talk about your decision to come down here.) – “I’ve been staying out here and they hit my agent and talked about coming in for a workout. That went well and I talked with (Mike) McDaniel and the GM (Chris Grier) and everybody. It just felt like great love. They told me it would be a great opportunity for me to come in and compete. That’s all I care about. I want help the team and compete out there.”
(You and Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo had a pretty great relationship in Cincinnati. How do you think playing in his defense helped you come down here and play in this defense?) – “It just helps with my versatility. He makes you do everything in the defense. You have to be able to press, play off man, different zones. That’s kind of like here. It’s very versatile in the scheme and I think that fits well in my skillset.”
(Is it your understanding you’ll have a chance to compete for the starting boundary job that CB Jalen Ramsey was going to have?) – “Yeah, I just want to come in here and do anything I can to make the team better and compete.”
(Were you disappointed at all not being signed? Obviously you were a 15-game starter for a really good team last year. You’ve had a good NFL career. Was not being signed up to this point disappointing, frustrating, anything like that?) – “Yeah, it was different. I haven’t gone through that long of offseason without being on a team being signed. It just took a lot of patience and hard work on my end and just continue to stay ready as much as I can for any opportunity.”
(Were there any offers during the offseason at a really low money number that didn’t interest you? Or did you not have any offers up until yesterday?) – “There were different teams that reached out. I just wanted to be patient in my approach and wait for the best opportunity.”
(Were there times when you wondered if the right offer would come your way?) – “No, I never try to waver in my confidence. I believe in myself and my ability. I knew the right opportunity was there.”
(What was the main thing you were looking for?) – “Just the right opportunity to come in for a good team and compete.”
(Did the issue of social media usage come up in any of you conversations?) – “No, not at all.”
(What have you learned from that experience? Are you now more likely to be more disciplined? I know it’s all in good fun but people notice it and it can have impacts.) – “Of course, yes. I just want to do what I can to be a positive influence on the team and make the team better overall.”
(What did Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio tell you about he sees you fitting into this defense? Did you talk to him yesterday?) – “Yeah, it was brief. Good feedback.”
(What do you think about the talent on this team right now?) – “There’s great talent everywhere. Dawgs all over the place. Guys can play and guys have great ability and athleticism everywhere.”
(What have the past 12 hours been like for you?) – “It’s been crazy. It’s been hectic. Just hitting the ground running especially out there today just thrown into the fire. Literally still kind of sweating a little from the practice. But I feel good. My body feels good. I just want to continue to get better and better every day.”
(How much did you know of what you were doing out there during team drills?) – “The guys were really good with communication. Coach (Sam) Madison actually came to my place last night and we were running plays and he was helping me out with some of the schemes and terminology. I felt good. He put me out there close to the sideline where he could talk to me a bit. It’s just about getting reps.”
(You said you were already in the area. For how long have you been in South Florida?) – “Since March.”
(Is that in anyway because the Dolphins are here?) – “I had no anticipation this offer would come. I just like Miami. I like the weather and everything that comes with it. I was just training and trying to stay ready.”
(Do you have a place down here?) – “Yeah, a little rental.”
(Have you talked to CB Jalen Ramsey yet? What’s his message been if you have talked to him?) – “Yeah, I saw him. His locker is right there as well next to mine. We were just talking a little bit. He was like do what you can and go get it, compete. Very encouraging, and I was just trying to encourage him as well to help his situation.”
(Any funny exchanges with WR Tyreek Hill? You both are funny guys and there’s some history there. What did he say to you today?) – “No, we were just talking a little bit. He was telling me about the guys on the defense and catching me up and introducing me to the coaches I hadn’t met yet. It was cool, it was a great introduction.”
(Have you played in a defense such as this and how soon do you think you can get acclimated to what they run?) – “It still very new to me. The defense I’m coming from with Lou Anarumo, it’s pretty different. Here they do a lot of different disguises and schemes for corners. I like it a lot. It’s very corner-friendly and aggressive. I’m looking forward to it.”
(How’s it been going from being a rival to teammate with WR Tyreek Hill? What’s that like?) – “It’s great. He’s definitely one of the most athletic athletes in the whole world. Everyday going against him is going to make everybody better.”
(How happy are you in terms of not being in the league a week ago to now being potentially a starter on a playoff-caliber team with a lot of talent virtually overnight. Are you very pleased by that turn of events?) – “I’m happy to be here. I’m excited to get going and learn more every day and be around the guys. It’s definitely a great feeling.”
RB Salvon Ahmed
(On the fans being at practice today.) – “It’s love. It’s always a great sign hearing some noise out there and the guys running out there. There is a lot of energy, so we love having them out there.”
(Is it fun making a big play when there is 5,000 people out there?) – “It’s fun being out there with my team. I enjoy being out here. It was hot today though.”
(I know you’re a fast guy, but you look pretty quick this year. How are you feeling the second year, is it slowing down for you, the offense?) – “Oh, yeah. Just trying to do what I can do out there. The guys out there are making great plays. The offensive line, everything is coming together. It’s been a lot of fun being out there and just trying to make a play.”
(Did you guys feel the need to try to bounce back after Friday when the defense kind of got after it a little bit?) – “That’s what it’s about. It’s about competing. They had a really good day and that’s what you want to see at the end. We are all one team – the offense, defense and special teams. Everybody is one, so if they have a good day, that’s a win for the Dolphins.”
(Was that skirmish you or what happened out there?) – “It was just guys out there having fun. I don’t really know what was going on, but at the end – like I said, we’re all one team.”
(The running backs are always rhythm players. Last year you didn’t get a lot of rhythm, but you were always there every time they called your number. How do you stay prepared, and always effective?) – “Just staying locked in, being able to just be one to show up for the team whenever I can, whenever the number is called, no matter who it is. I think that’s the responsibility you hold personally, just being able to show up for the team whenever you have to – whether that’s on offense, defense or special teams. Just making sure you’re locked into every single detail.”
(How do you stay away from staying down because you’ve got a couple of guys ahead of you and you are waiting for your opportunity to prove yourself?) – “It’s just going out there, playing football and just staying ready and not focusing on whether you’re getting playing time or not. That’s not up to you. Just making sure that you’re locked in everyday, and that you’re getting better, that’s the main focus.”
(The running back’s room is largely the same this year, and the offensive line has got most of the guys back. How does that continuity help the running game?) – “It’s always good when everyone can stay together and work throughout the summer, work through OTAs, go into camp, and just get into a rhythm. It’s been awesome. I think they are out there doing a great job along with the receivers blocking, the quarterbacks-center exchange, all of that. Everything has been really fun to watch. We just got to keep stacking the days.”
(You spent that first camp your first year in the league with the 49ers with Mike McDaniel there. Do you ever draw on that experience four years after the fact that you learned your first year in the league?) – “Yeah, man. It’s been nothing but God. Nothing but God first and foremost. It’s been a journey, but like I said, I’ve loved my journey. I love being a part of the Dolphins. Everything has been a learning experience. Like I said, just keep stacking year after year, giving it to God every step of the way.”
QB Mike White
(I heard QB Tua Tagovailoa praising your golf game the other day. Have you had a chance to get out this summer at all here?) – “No, I have not. In the summer I try to put it away just to spend time with my wife and kid, just because once this time hits, it’s kind of all ball. I wouldn’t be lying if I grabbed my seven iron and was just kind of in the house, but no, not a whole lot.”
(Was it a seven iron to WR Jaylen Waddle in the corner over there?) – “(laughter) Probably more like a five iron to him.”
(Can you tell us about that play a little bit more?) – “Yeah, that guy is unbelievable. We just ran this little concept, ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) had a curl, Kader (Kohou) sat on ‘Reek,’ gave us the pylon and kind of – the one thing with those guys is there’s no outthrowing them. So you can throw it as far as you can and they will get it. Waddle showed what he’s so good at is tracking the ball and making contested catches. It was unbelievable. I can’t wait to watch it on film.”
(How did it feel to hit a big pass and play like that at the first practice in front of your hometown fanbase?) – “Yeah, it was nice. It was nice. Just being back here, I was telling the quarterbacks walking out, hearing the fans. Like that was me when I was a little kid going over to the Davie campus and going to practices and watching them. Hell, I got to meet fricken Zach Thomas. Like if you told 12-year-old Mike White that he got to meet Zach Thomas, he would lose his mind. So just the whole being back home, it’s really cool. It’s really cool.”
(Obviously you were priority for them. They signed you the first two hours of free agency. As they characterized it to you, did Head Coach Mike McDaniel say, “We’re signing you to be Tua’s backup?” Or did he characterize it as it’s going to be an open competition with you and QB Skylar Thompson for the No. 2 job?) – “Yeah, we didn’t really get too much into that. We just kind of got to talking about the offense and their philosophy and kind of how it differed from the Jets. It’s kind of the same base, but there’s a lot of different nuances here I think they’re able to do with guys like Jaylen (Waddle) and Tyreek (Hill) and the speed that they have, and adding Braxton (Berrios), ‘E’ (Erik Ezukanma), (Robbie) Chosen – just the whole room is so fast. So there’s stuff that they get to do here that we didn’t have the luxury of doing up there. That’s mainly what it was about, just kind of the nuances and kind of catching up to speed with that.”
(Is your expectation that you’ll be the No. 2 or do you think you’re in a highly competitive battle with QB Skylar Thompson for that job?) – “I just go out there and I try to complete my plays and run the offense to the best of my ability. Then come Week 1 when they explain it to us, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Football is way too hard to just start adding more stuff into it.”
(That Shanahan style offense has sprouted all across the NFL and obviously, you had that when you were in New York. Would you say the big nuance that you mentioned in Miami is pushing the ball downfield with the speed guys? Or is there anything that sticks out to you?) – “Yeah, pushing the ball downfield for sure, and then just the stuff that they can do with motions and how fast our guys are to be able to kind of cross the formation, snap the ball on the run and still be able to get to those 20- or 25-yard routes within the timing of the play, it’s absurd. I’ve never seen anything like it. I think that’s the main difference is what they can do. We look like a fricken four-by-four team out there. I remember watching, because there’s a lot of crossover obviously, when I was in New York, and we watched them a lot. Just the stuff that they would do, we were just like, ‘Oh my god.’ We would try to emulate it in scout team and you just can’t. So I’d say that’s the biggest thing.”
(What’s your skill or skills that you think is best suited for Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s offense?) – “I think just distributing the ball and getting the ball to the guys accurately with YAC angles is what we call it, yards after catch. I’m learning a lot from Tua (Tagovailoa) too. I think that’s what Tua does at such a high level, and it’s really impressive, just the anticipation and the accuracy. You can tell he’s just getting better, and it’s only going to get better with more reps and more time in the offense. The numbers they put up last year for the first year in this offense is super impressive, so I truly believe it’s only going to get better.”
(Are you pleased with your body of work May, June, throws you’ve made the first four days of camp, you would assess it how overall? Your overall body of work so far as a Dolphin.) – “I would say there’s some good and there’s some that I can improve on. I think a lot of it is just learning the guys and learning the offense. Shoot, this is only Day Four of camp. As much as we like to think that OTAs and minicamp are the same speed, it’s just not. It’s just different in training camp. You try to build on the reps, the mental reps you get in OTAs and apply here in training camp, but it’s still – if you start evaluating yourself after every practice and start to look too much into it instead of just, ‘What did I do good? What do I need to improve on? Let’s work on that next play.’ The one thing I’ve learned going into Year Six, it just gets too hard. It’s too mentally draining, and you’ll fall into a mental ditch, whatever you want to call it, and it’s hard to climb out of it.”
(You mentioned meeting Zach Thomas. Did you have something prepared for that moment?) – “No, absolutely not. Absolutely not. I went up there, (laughter) I think (the PR staff) was trying to get me to come talk to you guys, and I was like, ‘I have to go introduce myself to Zach Thomas first. I can’t do anything else.’ So I went there, I had this whole thing like, ‘Hey, my name is Mike. I’m a big fan,’ all this, and he knew who I was, and that threw me off. He was like, ‘Oh, I was going to go talk to you on the sideline when y’all were down here last year with New York, but you were talking to your family.’ I was like, ‘Listen, I know we don’t know each other, but you can always interrupt me whenever I’m talking to anybody to come talk to me.’ So it was really, really cool.”
(Quarterbacks have a different perspective on things. I’m wondering how well you know CB Eli Apple from playing against him or film study and what do you think he brings to this secondary?) – “I was actually just talking to him on the way over here. We immediately started talking about my first start against them for the Bengals. He came up and he said, ‘Don’t think I don’t forget the 400 (yards) you put up on us.’ And I was like, ‘To be honest, the most impressive thing I thought I did was catch the two-point on you.’ (laughter) I’m gonna show him that picture, maybe I’ll have print it out and put it in his locker, me catching and him just probably 15 yards away, but I will tell him I caught it on him. (laughter) He’s a great dude. He’s been around a lot of ball, and one thing too is that he’s been on a lot of successful teams that have made runs, so he knows. At the end of the day, that’s the ultimate goal is making a run in the playoffs, and that’s adding another veteran who knows what it takes that’s been there, done it, been in a locker room that’s done it well and has veteran leaders. Any time you can add a guy like that to the locker room, it’s only going to benefit just the team and the defensive side of the ball.”
(How important was it for you guys to kind of bounce back after what the defense did at Friday’s practice?) – “Huge. I mean, that’s the name of the game. That’s football. You can go out and first scripted drive can go as planned, next drive you go three-and-out and the game doesn’t stop there. You have to go out next drive and that’s football. It’s ebbs and flows. That’s what you want in a practice, too. You don’t want one side of the ball to be dominating the entire time, because at the end of the day, we’re going to have to play other teams and we’re going to be rooting for our defense. So whenever you can have that kind of back and forth throughout training camp, like we got them today, they’ll get us tomorrow, you know what I mean? I think that makes it one, competitive and fun, and two, it’s good for the organization.”
(This has been a crazy year for South Florida sports. How ready is it for the Dolphins to just be that next team to have that successful postseason run?) – “I can only speak for the locker room, and I think we all kind of recognize the timing of everything and what we have at hand and the opportunity that’s in front of us, but you can’t look too past it. Our goal tomorrow is to build upon what we did today and I’m sure defensively, their goal is to stop us tomorrow. I think if you can keep that one day mindset and you build on it, that’s when good things come.”
LB Jaelan Phillips
(How discouraging was it second play of training camp to leave? Were you worried at all initially that it might be something more serious?) – “Yeah, you know obviously initially it’s discouraging, but I kind of talked to Mike (McDaniel) about it and really the perspective you have to have is everything happens for a reason. When something like that happens, kind of the way Mike described it was like, ‘All right, what if you start off the season in the first game and you don’t get any sacks? How are you going to react?’ So similar situation. Obviously I couldn’t control that and how you respond is really kind of what defines you, so yeah, I took it in stride and attacked my rehab and everything. I’m feeling good.”
(They didn’t put you on any sort of pitch count or something today?) – “No, I was full-go. Out there working.”
(What things about the Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio defense that maximize edge players in your mind? What’s been your impression of that?) – “I think the biggest thing is obviously the work the back end does because without the back end, we really don’t have any chance to pass rush. So just being cohesive, playing together and marrying the coverage with the pass rush and the linebackers and everything. I think that’s going to be key for us and that’s something that I’ve definitely noticed so far.”
(Do you feel like there’s more communication between you guys and the back end, kind of what you guys are doing and how the front mixes with coverage? Do you feel like there’s more responsibility for you guys to be on the same page with Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defenses compared to what you guys have done in the past?) – “I think it’s always important to marry the rush and really to marry the whole entire defense together. In terms of communication, they have a lot of things going on so it would blow my mind to even try to think about communicating about the coverage and stuff unless obviously I’m involved in it, so I think just communication as a whole is really good and pre-play or when we’re getting in the huddle and we’re talking and stuff. We have definitely a good bond and a lot of good communication between us.”
(You set the goal last year of improving against the run so they trust you as an every-down player. You accomplished that, checking off the list. What’s next on the list this year, this goal of what I need to be better at this year?) – “I think just turning those pressures into sacks. I think that’s the biggest thing. Obviously numbers at the end of the day don’t really show the big pictures and I’m not chasing numbers, but ultimately the more sacks I have, the better it is for the team and so ultimately that’s what I’m trying to do.”
(What was it like meeting Zach Thomas here during training camp? Did you ask him if he could share any words of wisdom with you?) – “Yeah, I’ve actually met Zach Thomas before. He is just a very wise guy. Obviously he’s someone who’s done it and done it at a very high level. So it’s definitely cool to pick his brain and just hear what his mentality and mindset is with everything.”
(Do you aspire to be in the Hall of Fame one day?) – “Absolutely. I think everybody who plays this game does. I want to win a Super Bowl first, though. That’s more important.”
(Did Zach Thomas talk with you guys at all today about – he kind of delivered some words when he was speaking with the media about the opportunity that this team has. Did he talk to you guys at all while he was here?) – “Yeah, he just kind of relayed to us that it all starts on this practice field. How you come every day, how you take care of yourself as a professional, how you take care of your teammates, everything like that; that all matters. So that’s what we’re really trying to do, just come out here every day, take it day by day and attack.”
(What ways are you working on your physical conditioning just to ensure that you’re at peak level this year?) – “Yeah, I think I’m always just doing more than what’s required of me. I was obviously always doing my workouts, but trying to get extra conditioning in, making sure my diet is on point, making sure my hydration is on point, all that. And then obviously when practice comes around, football shape is something that you can’t get into unless you’re playing football and playing football at a high effort level, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”
(So what’s the level of excitement for when pads come on tomorrow?) – “Oh, I’m excited. I’ve been waiting. I thought we were going to be in pads today, but I was wrong. But I think it just raises the physicality of everything. It’s going to be fun. We’re going to go out there, bang around a little bit, hopefully put on a good show for the fans, for you guys.”
(I’ve been dealing with the weather and the heat. Has it been affecting you all mentally?) – “I wish it were hotter.”
(Yeah, it hasn’t been hot until today, right?) – “Yeah, the last two days, we got some nice cloud cover so that sun comes out, it’s a different animal for sure. But ultimately, I think that mantra that we live by that ‘I wish it were hotter’ – everything is a mentality. When we had the Bills game last year and I went out there shirtless, it wasn’t to go out there and flaunt my muscles, do (expletive) like that. Obviously it kind of looked corny to some people, but whatever. For me, it was having that mentality of I’m not going to be affected by the weather regardless and I think that’s the mentality you have to have at all times so that’s what I try to invite.”
(I always think that’s crazy when guys go out there shirtless. What is that like? Does it allow you to adjust your body to the cold?) – “I think it’s more of a mentality thing. Regardless, you’re going to be cold, but it’s how you deal with the cold and my whole life, I try to be comfortable being uncomfortable and that’s what it is with training and that’s what it is with recovery, with cold tubs, with all that stuff. I think something I also live by is how you do one thing is how you do everything. And so I can’t be out here busting my ass and then not be able to translate that onto the field or into my personal life, things like that. So that’s kind of what I try to live by.”
(I wanted to ask you a question. What is your body fat percentage?) – “Ten percent.”
(You’ve got a couple musicians. You dabbled in music, too, a little bit, right? What did you think of LB Duke Riley with his new one coming out?) – “He’s got a good one right there. He’s flowing a little bit. He’s singing a little bit, doing his thing. It’s professional. That’s what I’ll say because I’m an engineer, so that’s kind of how I look at it regardless of substance. Obviously music is subjective so whatever your opinion is on a song, I just look at the quality of the sounds and I think it’s really professional, really high quality.”
Miami Dolphins make roster moves
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins announced they have signed cornerback Eli Apple and activated tackle Isaiah Wynn off the physically unable to perform list.
Apple enters his eighth NFL season having played in 88 career games with 78 starts for four teams – the N.Y. Giants (2016-18), New Orleans (2018-19), Carolina (2020) and Cincinnati (2021-22). He’s recorded 332 tackles (273 solo), five interceptions, 51 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries. Apple started 30 games the past two seasons for Cincinnati, helping them win the AFC in 2021. He played collegiately at Ohio State where he won a CFP National Championship in 2015 before being selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Giants.
Wynn signed with Miami on May 15, 2023 after spending five years (2018-22) in New England. He’s played in 43 career games with 40 starts, including 33 at left tackle, six at right tackle and one at left guard. He also started a playoff contest in 2019. Wynn was originally a first-round pick (23rd overall) by New England in the 2018 NFL Draft following his collegiate career at Georgia.
| Name | Pos. | Hgt. | Wgt. | Birthdate | Exp. | College | Hometown | Acq. |
| Eli Apple | CB | 6-1 | 203 | 8/9/95 | 8 | Ohio State ’16 | Voorhees, N.J. | FA, ‘23 |
| Isaiah Wynn | T | 6-2 | 310 | 12/9/95 | 6 | Georgia ’18 | St. Petersburg, Fla. | FA, ‘23 |
