T Isaiah Wynn
(Obviously you have a lot of familiarity with the Dolphins. The Dolphins have a lot of familiarity with you. The first couple years I know you spent a lot of time at left tackle, but this past season you were at right tackle. I was just kind of curious if you could kind of look back at that switch from left tackle to right tackle, how you think that went for you and would you feel comfortable playing either side in Miami?) – “Yeah, I’m good playing either way, either position. I’m just here to help the team to achieve one goal and that’s win, so that’s the reason why I’m here.”
(I wanted to ask you about being a first-round pick. Not even just the fifth-year option because even that’s become an honor when guys get the fifth-year option picked up, but when you’re a first round pick, is there pressure that comes with making sure that you have this monster of a career, in terms of like being able to ante up on the deals and the contracts and being a proven starter? I know you’ve got 40 starts under your belt.) – “Yeah, I think that comes with just playing ball. All that stuff is going to handle itself as long as you handle your job on the field. So I mean I don’t really got too much to say about that. As far as being first round, I think any position or any round that any player has went, there’s always pressure. This is a job so you’re always working to do your best.”
(And how’s the foot injury?) – “I’m all good now.”
(I was looking at your bio and it said you were born in Florida. Tell me about that. Do you still have any family in Florida?) – “Yeah, all my people are in St. Petersburg. I was born in Tampa, but I was raised in St. Pete. St. Pete’s where I live during the offseason, so Florida is home. I’m definitely happy to be home, no doubt.”
(Now obviously, all players want an opportunity to start. Have you been told you will have an opportunity to compete for a starting position?) – “That’s a conversation you’ll have to ask Coach (McDaniel), but I’m here day-in and day-out just to better the team and contribute in any ways I can.”
(What does Tampa call itself because isn’t USF in Tampa?) – “Yeah, USF is in Tampa, but I don’t really claim Tampa. I’m from St. Pete. I was only born in Tampa, but I was raised in St. Pete so St. Pete is where I’m from.”
(Not really anything about football here. Besides football, what type of things are you passionate about? Just trying to get to know you in that sense.) – “Man, my family, dawg. I love my family so anytime I get an opportunity to take a break, I’m normally with them. I love to laugh. I love to travel. I like reading. So that’s pretty much it. I like outdoors. I’m really cool. I’ll be chilling.”
(What kind of places have you traveled to recently?) – “Recently, I haven’t had a chance to travel. Last year was my most recent and I think that trip, I took the whole family to Turks. So we all went to Turks and Caicos, but more recently, just had a newborn so we’ve been locked in and kind of stationary. Not too much traveling you do with them.”
(I wanted to ask a couple of questions, but I’m kind of curious now because you mentioned you’re a reader, and as someone who loves to read myself, who are some of your favorite authors and some of your favorite books?) – “Oh, favorite authors. I can’t really say. I’m more of a – I just end up picking up books. The last book I read was about a guy – I forget the name of the book – but essentially, he drove off a cliff and he ended up surviving. He fell asleep on the way home from work. He fell asleep, drove off the cliff and his life wasn’t going too well. So he ended up surviving and climbed up the cliff and essentially he started a whole new life. So that was an interesting book. But I’m just big on picking up any type of book. So if you’ve got any recommendations, hit me with them.”
(What attracted you to the Miami Dolphins to come down here and join us here in South Florida?) – “Definitely the coaching staff and the players, man. They’re definitely building something special, so I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a part of it? And then get the opportunity to come home, that was a no-brainer for me. No doubt.”
(And then I have one last one for you here if you don’t mind because you have some unique perspective from the other side of what our pass rush does down here in Miami. You faced these guys twice a year. I’m curious what stands out when you went up against Miami’s defense and their pass rush?) – “Their speed. I mean, these guys move and they’re all strong. So it’s definitely something I look forward to, to be able to go against them in practice and hone-in on my skills and get better.”
(So, continuing on the theme about reading, I wanted to ask you where do you feel you are in your story, your career story? What chapter are we on?) – “Oh man, this is a whole new chapter. That thing just started getting written, so y’all have got to stay tuned. It’s a whole new chapter and I’m very excited about it. So stay tuned. Stay tuned to the ‘Win with Wynn’ book, the ‘Win with Wynn’ story. (laughter)”
(And the follow up question is obviously, you’re 27 years old, you’ve got four years of NFL experience under your belt. At this point in your career, what do you feel you do best?) – “What do I do best? I block. (laughter) I block, man, and I protect my quarterback and whoever has the ball. So that’s kind of the general scope and I look forward to continuing to get better because you’ve never got it all put together. So I’m looking forward to continue to get better.”
(Since rookies are going to be practicing with vets starting in OTAs next week, do you recall your first practice with veterans and if you felt more pressure on yourself being a first-round pick in that situation?) – “Yeah, I do recall my first practice as a rookie. It’s a little intimidating, but it’s also very exciting because just as you said, starting a new chapter and that’s what rookies are doing, they’re writing their own story. And then also to be out there with some of the vets who do this, who’s that deal in this game that we play; it’s an honor. It’s very surreal. It was good. Being a first-round pick, you add a little bit of pressure, but as I said earlier, being on that field regardless of where you went, it’s pressure either way.”
(I see you’re from St. Pete. Just out of curiosity are you a fan of Rod Wave?) – “Rod, yeah, yeah. Rod went to the same high school, dawg. Come on. (laughter) Lakewood (High School).”
(And you being from St. Pete, do you all carry that passion, just as far as just representing the city?) – “Yeah, of course. You’ve got to. It’s not just for St. Pete, but I think any city that you grew up in that kind of built you up and supported you, you shouldn’t have no problem repping them. So definitely St. Petersburg is home and like I said, that’s where I bought my crib and that’s where I’m at offseason, back at home. So yeah, I take pride in it.”
(Are you a fan of the Miami Heat since there’s no basketball team in St. Pete?) – “I don’t really keep up with basketball, man. I wasn’t too good at basketball. That was my brother, so I can’t really say if I keep up with it or not. But yeah, now that I’m down here, go Heat. Let’s ride. (laughter)”
(I had a question I wanted to get your perspective on since you do have a couple years in the league. You know, obviously, it’s kind of a unique situation with the Patriots last year with kind of the changing with the coaching staff and who was calling plays and whatnot. But specific to the offensive line, can you kind of speak on the importance of having that continuity with the offensive line coach and whatnot, and how important that is for offensive linemen and kind of the teaching methods and whatnot?) – “Yeah, I think it’s big. The five guys that you roll with, kind of with every other position, they rotate. They may rotate depending on the down. But those five that are up front, they stay consistent throughout the game. So that continuity that you speak about, it’s big. And then for the coaching aspect, you take whatever that coach is giving you. They give you a task, the job, you’ve just got to complete it. But having the same five and the same room is big, but all that starts in practice as well, too.”
(And then a quick follow-up. I know I asked about playing on both sides before, but was the switch to right tackle something that you anticipated or was it kind of something that more so you were kind of just doing to obviously benefit the team and whatnot?) – “Either way, it was kind of to help the team. I’m always wherever they need me at. So I’ve just got to continue to perform, continue to do my job to the best of my ability.”
(I’m wondering first off, how do you look at your time in New England, since they put a lot of faith in you, drafting you in the first round and all, but now you’re on the other side of the AFC East? So how do you look at your time in New England and what’s it going to be like when you line up against your old team?) – “Oh, it was good. They’re the team that drafted me, so I appreciate everybody in that organization from the staff to the players. I thank them. My time was good there and then it’s going to be fun playing against them because especially seeing them twice a year being on the opposite side; being there previously, you play against the guys that may have already been there and now I’m on the other side now, so it’s always a fun camaraderie. We’ll see how it all plays out for sure.”
(And just touching real quick on the whole right side, left side thing. Since the leader of the line – T Terron Armstead – is on the left side, are you going in with the idea that you’ll spend most of your time at right tackle in the offseason and then see how things develop from there?) – “Man, I’m wherever they put me at. That’s more of a coaching question, but yeah, I’m wherever they need me at. I look forward to working with the team, the o-line and Coach (Butch) Barry and everybody for sure.”
(I wanted to ask you about that the wide zone that Miami runs. Obviously a lot of linemen that I’ve come across, they like to be aggressive in the run game. Is the wide zone something that intrigues you and do you have a background with it from your time at Georgia?) – “Yeah, wide zone is dope, man. Just being able to essentially use your athleticism as well as your strength, it’s all good. So I’m going to enjoy it. I’ve been enjoying it thus far and yeah, I’ve got some background in that at Georgia. But I’m looking forward to continuing to hone-down on those plays and that skill set.”
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(Last we heard from you, you were trying to come back if the team made a deeper playoff run. How has the triceps injury recovered? Is it 100 percent now?) – “It’s going good. They’re taking it easy on me during camp but I’ve been fully cleared and I am ready to go.”
(Since the end of last season, the team hired Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator. What are your first impressions of him and have you thought of the ways that his scheme can benefit you?) – “Right now, I’m still trying to learn all of the plays, different spots and trying to learn the different schemes that he uses. I’m excited for him. He’s a great defensive mind and coach. I’m just excited to do my part to help this team win.”
(I know you mentioned it to some guys in locker room cleanout but were you trying to come back from the triceps injury like the following week? Obviously it would have been the divisional round. When were you trying to come back from the triceps injury?) – “Yeah, if we had made a deeper run, yeah that was my goal to come back and do my best to come back and help the team. I knew it was a longshot but I was excited and trying to do my best to come back.”
(I wanted to ask off the field, I saw there was an NFL Africa trip where you and some other players from Africa were out in Kenya. Can you talk about that experience, how long you were out there, what you were doing and what the experience was like?) – “We were out there for a week in Nairobi, Kenya. It was an amazing experience. We got a chance to coach up some football talent down there. We had different players from different parts of the continent trying out. We had to teach them how to play football in like two days, then they would go through Combine testing afterwards. It was an amazing experience and how quickly they wanted to learn about the game. They view it as a big opportunity for them and they’re excited just to learn from us players. There were only five of us that were there. It was cool.”
(I know the Dolphins play the Chiefs the day before your birthday. Do you have that date circled on your calendar due to your time in Kansas City?) – “Yeah, I mean I was hoping we were at Kansas City, but it’s exciting to go to Germany. I’ve never been there before. I’m excited about their culture over there. I’m excited to see the sights. I don’t know how long we’re going to be there before the game but I’m excited about Germany and to play my former team, too.”
(What did you learn from the Africa trip?) – “Like I said before, just being grateful for the whole experience. Those kids didn’t have much but they still want to listen and learn and take coaching from us. They don’t have football there. Just being able to inspire them, a kid like me – I was born in Nigeria and I came here when I was nine (years old), so they can kind of see similar parts. I was excited just to be there. They absorbed my knowledge and want to learn.”
(Listening to your episode of The Fish Tank, you talked about having your own football camp in I think it was July. I’m curious to hear more about that.) – “Yeah, I’m excited. I have it every year. I’m excited about it. I talk to the kids, encourage them, talk about my trip to Africa and try to inspire them. Just showing those kids, they don’t have much, but they have more than them. They have football here and those kids don’t have football. So kind of just inspiring them and see how they take it.”
(What can you tell us about the Dolphins new tackle in Isaiah Wynn?) – “Isaiah Wynn, I’ve had my battles with him. He’s a good player and a good pickup for us. I’m excited to have him part of the team. I’m looking forward to it.”
(I wanted to ask you about the talent in Africa. Obviously soccer and the NBA have picked up on that being such a wealth of talent. Do you think if college programs were more aggressive in maybe recruiting people from the African continent that it would thrive?) – “It definitely would. There’s definitely a lot of raw talent. Obviously they didn’t know what they were doing and we had two days to coach them up, which was tough. But they picked it up really quick. I would say this, if you give them just a couple of months just to teach them actual football basics, they would pick it up quick. You’d be surprised how quickly they learn the game of football.”
(Tell us about the lion.) – “I don’t know. There’s just something about a lion that draws me towards that animal. Being able to be a leader. Taking care of the family. I’ve always been drawn towards the lion. I don’t know. I feel like it’s my spirit animal and for some reason, I’m just drawn towards it. What’s funny is I know there’s a zoo here, but I’ve never been to the zoo here and apparently they have lions here that I didn’t know about. So I will be making a trip to the zoo just to check them out. I’ve never seen one at a zoo.”
(Changing gears slightly, the Heat and the Panthers are making some nice playoff runs and upsetting teams left and right, beating the odds. As a member of the Dolphins, where people are paying attention to what you guys are putting together, does that put any more heat on you guys to keep this momentum going?) – “Shoot, they’re in the driver’s seat right now. We’re supporting them just like they would support us. I’m looking forward to this season going far. Just taking it one day at a time right now. We’re in OTAs. I’ve got to focus on that, getting better, coming back from injury. I’ve got to focus on that as well. But yeah, we’re supporting the Heat and also the Florida Panthers as they keep going.”
(There was just one game last year – Week 9, the week before your injury, the win against the Bears – where you and LB Bradley Chubb and LB Jaelan Phillips and DT Christian Wilkins were all out there together. What do you think about the potential to have all of you guys together for more than just one game?) – “It’s big. We’re all obviously a talented bunch. I’m excited. I’m sure Vic (Fangio) is going to draw up some packages that will have us in there. I’m excited about this new defense that we’ve got going. Unfortunately, I know I got hurt last year, so we didn’t get to see all of what we can do on the field together. But it’s a new season and I’m excited about it.”
(So in terms of hand on the ground or standing, obviously all of you guys can do both. If LB Bradley Chubb and LB Jaelan Phillips are often standing and you’re at the defensive end position, do you have a sense on if you will still, probably the majority of the time, be pass-rushing from a standing position?) – “Like I said, I’m still learning this new defense, so I’m going to be pretty much across the whole d-line. So standing, inside, outside, it’s whatever. I’ll be doing whatever.”
(I know last year didn’t go the way you wanted even before the triceps tear. Do you come into this year with an extra level of motivation and something to prove?) – “Definitely. Like I said, they’ve taken care of me. I’ve got to go out there and put some good juice on tape. Obviously I battled some injuries last year but I’m ready to go this year. I’ve got to take care of my body better this year and just focus on the little things.”
(When rookies have their first practice with the vets, do you see more excitement from the rookies or more intimidation? What do you recall most from your first practice with vets?) – “I would say with these rookies, I think they’re just willing to listen, learn and observe. You will see a little intimidation because obviously they’ve never done this before and they’ve never been around a bunch of vets. But I would say they’re willing to listen. They’re asking questions. They’re staying after. We’re going through different drills with them. They just want to learn.”
(With the scheme, you talked about being all along the line. What are the challenges that it creates? You’ve played in a lot of schemes. What are the challenges that it creates for defensive linemen?) – “Just learning different schemes that you’re not entirely used to, it just creates a lot of challenges. For the offense, it also creates challenges because they don’t know where I’ll be at. But having to learn multiple positions, it’s a challenge but I’m well-equipped to do it. Like you said, I’m versatile and it’s a different scheme, so I can adapt quickly on any scheme you present to me.”
