QB Tua Tagovailoa
(You’ve talked about how you keep receipts and get motivated by the doubters. Now you’re receiving a lot of praise for these last two games. How do you go about keeping the same approach?) – “Just keep doing what we’ve been doing as a team. Continue to work on the things we need to get better at offensively, defensively and in special teams and continue to move forward with that.”
(In terms of just your on-field play, your comfort with the scheme and building on that, would you say that this is the most comfortable or confident you’ve felt playing football?) – “I think Coach Mike (McDaniel) does a great job putting us in great situations offensively. He has a lot of, people would say window dressing. He doesn’t like that term, because it’s just a part of our offense with the movement, shifting, motioning. It’s a part of what we do. So I think it’s a lot of credit to what our head coach has done within installs and things like that to help put us in those situations. We can say that I go out there and throw, Tyreek (Hill) and (Jaylen) Waddle and all these other guys catch and run. (McDaniel) continues to give other people praise, but he doesn’t get as much praise as I think he should, and a lot of that is because of him.”
(It looks from the outside that you’re having more fun. Is that correct?) – “I think we’re all having fun. We’re all having fun. We’re feeling comfortable in this offense that we’ve had to all learn, that’s been new for us. So it’s cool to see that all the hard work throughout OTAs and training camp has paid off to this point. It’s not something that we’re satisfied with. We’ll keep going, continue to learn and build off of things we need to, but we’ll continue to find ways to do things that we’re good at and try to do them well continuously.”
(You said the phrase last week, “We’re not afraid to talk about Super Bowls around here.” It’s sort of the talk we haven’t heard from people up there for the last 20 years or so. Is that just a natural progression of his team? Or just how you feel in watching this season pan out?) – “Like I said prior to that, it’s the confidence and the things that we’ve seen throughout OTAs and the build up of that to training camp, being able to kind of build off of that towards the beginning of the season and kind of to where we’re at at this point. Like I said, we can always continue to get better with things. But yeah, I mean, why shy away from that? We’re not afraid to talk about that here.”
(I’m doing something on the pregame coin toss, and I’ve talked to a few players. I’ve got a couple of questions for you. First of all, everybody said that they call heads, which I found kind of strange, but then T Terron Armstead said that he doesn’t like to go out there because it interrupts with his pregame routine. So I’m wondering, do you like going out there? And what do you call?) – “Well, I’m told that I’m one of the captains to go out there. So if I’m told or if I’m not told, I’m not bothered by it. (laughter) But when I do go out there, I don’t know. Whatever I think, whether it’s heads or tails, I don’t have a 50-50 thought in my head or whatnot, or I go in there already knowing what I’m going to call. So it’s just up in the air.”
(Do you have any moments out there? S Jevon Holland was saying that it was cool when he went out against Detroit, because Barry Sanders was out there. LB Elandon Roberts was saying it was cool going out with the 1972 Dolphins. Any moments, either college or pro, that stand out?) – “Yeah, I think going out there with the ‘72 Dolphins – I mean, how much better could that get? That’s the only team in the NFL that’s been undefeated. A lot of greats on that team. I got to talk to (Bob) Griese, so that was cool.”
(Going back to what you were saying a few minutes ago about Head Coach Mike McDaniel and the concepts he’s brought here, what stands out for you? When he was first outlining them to you back in the spring, what stood out to you? Were there things that made you say, “Hm, I’d never thought about that?” Or “This may work really well?” Or “I don’t know if this is going to work?” What jumps out?) – “I think the thing that Coach Mike (McDaniel) has helped us offensively with is he’s kind of tailored the offense towards what we do best. If you look on film, he tries to tailor it to what Tyreek (Hill) runs the best, what Jaylen (Waddle) likes running, what I like throwing, what I’m good at throwing and things like that, whereas you watch their film from when they were with the 49ers, they did things a little different because of what those guys were good at and what they liked. So I really think it’s just things that are tailored to our strengths, and then he builds off of that. So not much of, ‘Why are we doing it like this?’ Or ‘Why are we doing it like that?’ It’s more so, ‘How do you see that play if they get this or if they get that? How do you see him running it and where do you think I should go with the ball on this?’ Just more of that kind of conversation.”
(Regarding WR Tyreek Hill, what have you come to believe is the most unique thing about him on the field? And then also off the field?) – “I mean, I would say the biggest thing that I’ve noticed with him that he carries with him every time on and off the field is his competitiveness. (He is) always competitive. He’s competitive in everything he does. I would say he’s a great teammate. He’s a great teammate for everyone on the team. I think a lot of people from the outside looking in can see that.”
(What would you say after your break from that concussion stuff that was going on – what would you say is the biggest contributing factor to getting back in this rhythm it seems like right away? Three touchdowns in games right away.) – “Just continuing to work the offense – the mental part of it. Today’s a walkthrough day for us. That doesn’t give us an opportunity to kind of slack off. It more so challenges us mentally, understanding where to line up, knowing where to go with the ball in certain coverages and then making quick decisions.”
(Is there anything from the break that you carried over that you think has helped you lately that you’re able to hone in on when you were gone?) – “Well, I think when being out, and then watching from the sideline, watching at home, on TV, then watching the film, there were things that going through progressions that I wouldn’t have thrown. Seeing it from the outside and not being in the game. There are things now that we’ve seen that we could hit that we have. So I would say things like that. But other than that, just coming back in and doing my best to try and work as hard to get back in rhythm with the guys.”
(You mentioned you’re comfortable now. Is part of that you’re getting protection? That you’d be able to step up in the pocket and have some time that maybe in the first couple of years you didn’t?) – “Well, yeah. I think everything – with protection up front, with how our run game is going, with our play-action game is going. And then we have boots, so it’s really an accommodation of all of that and defenses having to figure out, is it this play, is it that play? And then what complements those plays? So I think that’s why we feel comfortable as a group going out there every time.”
(What was the moment where you knew and felt confident that head coach Mike McDaniel as a play caller was worth the hype?) – “I would say it happened when we lost our first game. He came into the team meeting, and really I would say you kind of see people’s true colors of really who they are. And the guy has been the same person and he’s never changed. Never gotten mad. Just always what can we work on? Things that we can fix. And then you look at two more times we ended up losing (and he was the) same dude. Same dude. So I would say he’s won the trust of me, of the guys in the locker room. And then also, I would say the organization. Like everyone feels free to come up to his office. Everyone feels free to be around this guy and say whatever they feel like they can say and be themselves. So I think that’s what we really appreciate about him.
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(What’s your reaction to the week? First game, touchdown, how has it been so far for you?) – “It’s been an absolute blessing. To come in and be welcomed with open arms, smiles and genuine care, I wouldn’t ask for any other situation because I feel like I’m at home. I feel like I’ve been rocking with these guys since the beginning of the year.”
(Has it truly felt different? Or does this have a feeling of the 49ers from a few years ago?) – “No, this definitely doesn’t feel like the 49ers. I’d appreciate it if everybody stopped saying that. I’m just new on the team. I really don’t like it because it’s the Miami Dolphins. It’s got nothing to do with the 49ers. We rock our own way, we have our own swag and we play our own way. This is two totally different teams. It’s not the 49ers. It’s the Miami Dolphins.”
(You said you have your own swag. What have you noticed about that? Can you elaborate on what that is?) – “It’s just the culture here, man. Everybody, like I said, everybody is on one accord, on one page. Even on the field or even on the side, some teams you just see a lot of side chatter, a lot of this or that – everybody is focused and locked in. Even with the fun, you can still tell that everybody is still on the plan and on the goal of getting to where we want to go. I mean, I just feel like that’s kind of cool and unique to have fun and be able to work at a high level at the same time.”
(Now obviously, you knew Head Coach Mike McDaniel when he was in San Francisco and now as a head coach. Is there any change in him? Or is he the same guy he was there?) – “(Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) has been the same person since I’ve seen him in 2018 at the University of North Texas when he came down and worked me out. He’s still that same guy, and for him to be that, man, that speaks volumes to him. We live in a day and age where everybody changes when you get different statuses and stuff like that. So just to see him still be that same guy, it’s tremendous and I’m still happy for him. I can’t wait to see where it takes us.”
(You mentioned swag. Does Head Coach Mike McDaniel have his own swag too? Because the way he talks to us sometimes, he’s philosophical.) – “Come on, man. Y’all know (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) has swag. He was the first head coach I’ve probably seen on the sideline with some Nike Supremes on. Come on, man – what coach does that? (laughter) Besides all that, like I said, all the outside stuff, it’s really strictly business here. So all the other stuff, it doesn’t need to be a distraction because everybody is just really ready to work.”
(How awesome is it to be with your guy RB Raheem Mostert? You both scored last week and now you’re going into your first home game?) – “That’s crazy, man. To be reunited with him, man, it’s a blessing, because obviously, if you don’t know, it’s the (National Football) League and everybody is not as friendly. You know what I mean? Everybody is not as open to welcome you in with open arms, so I’ve heard. I’ve never been in that situation. It’s just, ‘He say, she say,’ but I don’t have to worry about that here. Raheem (Mostert) takes me in like (we’re) real life brothers. It’s almost like we came from the same home. It’s just that type of bond. There’s nothing fake about it, and it’s all love.”
(What were your first impressions of QB Tua Tagovailoa and his play?) – “He’s a GOAT. (laughter) Besides the game, I like to watch a person during the week, because I feel like behind the scenes, behind the camera or the naked eye, that’s what you can really tell – that really shows a man. So just to see how he goes through the week, how he prepares, how he interacts with everybody in the locker room, how he’s around. You’ll have some quarterbacks that you’ll hardly ever see them or hardly ever talk to them, but that’s not the case. Man, that’s ‘Big Uce.’ (laughter)”
(If I could follow up on that, WR Tyreek Hill said this week, he’s promoting his charity week this weekend, and he made a comment that everyone who doubted QB Tua Tagovailoa or took shots at him should step up to the table and apologize now.) – “Man, he should have a locker full of letters. I’ve only been here, what, a week? I’ve only known him for a week, but like I said, just watching him through practice and being around him through the facility, people really should. He deserves that, because he’s not done yet – he’s just getting started.”
LB Bradley Chubb
(It seems like the Browns possess a one-two punch.) – “Yeah, for sure. They’ve got two great running backs. I feel like Nick (Chubb) is in a league of his own, does a lot of great things. He’s one of those people that he gets stronger as the game goes on. And as you hit him more and more, he just keeps churning those legs and keep doing what he does. And Kareem Hunt is kind of more of the same. Like real electric, could do a lot of things. Like I said, once you hit him, he kind of bounces off and gains acceleration off stuff like that. So it’s going to be a good challenge for us and we’re excited about it.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said moments ago that the Browns are no joke, despite their record. Just what have you seen on film?) – “I see a physical group. The offensive line is physical with the guys up front. Like I said, those backs do a great job of continuing to move and never being down off first contact. They got a great receiving corps. Jacoby (Brissett) is an NC State guy, so I always pull for him. It’s going to be fun man. It’s a big challenge for us because at the end of day, like you said, their record reflects a whole different thing. We just can’t go in there with a mindset of whatever they are and we can just run over them. We just got to go out there and do what we know what to do, and that’s play good defense, stop the run and get after the quarterback in those passing situations.”
(What are some of the differences against a team that has a traditional running game with running backs as opposed to stopping a scrambling quarterback?) – “It’s more of a line up and play what you see type thing. A scrambling quarterback is kind of like, whatever he sees, he’s going to take. But these guys, they do a good job too of taking what they can get as well. We just got to be disciplined in our gaps and nobody trying to play hero ball, trying to play two gaps at once and knocking off a different guy. That’s when they crease you for 30 or 40 yards at a time. So if we just play gap, fundamentally sound football, I feel like we will be fine.”
(What are you personally hoping to get out of this week, your second week with the team?) – “Just to get better, man. I feel like last week I was kind of playing a little tentative just because I didn’t really know, I didn’t want to mess up and stuff like that. But now I’m just trying to let my hair down – as much hair as I got (laughter) – let it all down and just go out there and play.”
(What’s this process been like for you? Transferring teams midseason, you got to move to a new place, no bye week in between.) – “It’s hectic. But at the end of the day, man, it’s fun. I get to go out here and play football with a whole new group of guys that I’m learning, and I’m still figuring out. They’re still figuring me out as well. So it’s cool just to see how it’s going from the first game to however long we’re playing until the end of the season, how it’s going to transform, and how it’s going to grow closer together and stuff like that. I always look at it as a fun challenge just because it’s easy to be in the same spot, learn the same defense, know all this and then just kind of coast. But it’s hard to pick up and move and do all this and still have success. That’s my main thing is trying to be the best me I can be out here.”
(What’s been your impression now that you’ve had more time with Head Coach Mike McDaniel?) – “Everything’s straightforward. It’s not guessing or how does he feel about me doing this. Everything is straightforward. You know what you’re expected of. You know what you got to go out there and do on Sundays. I feel like it’s a good thing because players up front are telling me what I got to do and stuff like that. In practices, he takes care of us as well and makes sure our bodies are good. I feel like it’s a great staff, man. I’m just glad to be a part of this organization.”
WR Jaylen Waddle
(It feels like it’s been a while since you guys have played at home. How excited are you to be back in front of the home crowd?) – “I’m pretty excited. We always have a good come out so it’s going to be exciting.”
(I know you’ve been with QB Tua Tagovailoa since the college days. I’m curious is there a play this year that really stood to you that really spoke to [inaudible]?) – “No, I mean pretty much everything he does, I’ve seen him do multiple times before so it’s pretty regular for us.”
(About this weekend’s matchup, Head Coach Mike McDaniel just said that the Browns are no joke. This is a team that can beat any team despite their record. What do you see with the Browns when you look at them on film?) – “Yeah, pretty much what Mike (McDaniel) said. They’ve got a good roster, good players. They’re capable of making big plays and we’ve just got to go out there and play our game. But yeah, we’ve got a real hard test coming up.”
(You guys had a little bit of time playing with Browns QB Jacoby Brissett. Will it be cool to see him come back here? I know you won’t be going up against him directly, but just for him to come in here playing…?) – “Yeah, I’m excited to watch Jacoby (Brissett) play. I’ve been watching him play all season. He’s been playing great so it’s going to be good. Jacoby’s real funny so I’m excited to just chop it up. I know he’s got some jokes for us, for sure. (laughter)”
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I know you said on Monday that there’s no change in the status of CB Byron Jones. We’re halfway through the season. At what point does it become not really reasonable to expect him to return?) – “I don’t know. Probably the point that we stop? There are a lot of variables at work and you just try to give everyone the best opportunity to contribute to the team, like I know he wants to. If you’re sick of asking it, what do you think the microphone guy is? (laughter)”
(But is the expectation still that at some point he will be able to return?) – “Yes, that’s still open. I don’t try to play the – I react, I don’t try to dictate the future. My crystal ball is broken.”
(How do you determine whether you have quality depth on a team? And has this team reach that standard right now?) – “I think the proof is in the pudding. Quality depth, to me, is when as a team, you’re able to function in a certain standard. And when a certain piece is gone, are you still able to function at that standard? There will always be – there’s unique things to each and every player. When you earn a starting position, you’re not gifted that. But when teams are able to continue to progress and get better when people are out, then then that’s a sign of some strong depth on your entire roster. I feel pretty good about our team. We’ve gone through lineup changes as much as anything I’ve been around and have – who knows the exact residuals, because you have a group of players, coaches and everyone that really doesn’t allow that to be an excuse. So we press forward, and I’m sure in hindsight, I’ll be like, ‘Whoa, that was a lot,’ but right now, it just is what it is.”
(What was the first on-field moment here when you thought to yourself, “Wow, WR Tyreek Hill is a different guy?”) – “Huh, that’s a good one. There was – Ok, I got it. There was a particular route that I think we came up with in 2013. Trivia fact – it was Leonard Hankerson against the Chargers. That’s a deeper outbreaking route that not all that many people can run, because the timing of the play and to push it that deep, you don’t always have protection for it. So I’ve been running that – it kind of got steam and ran it the most when we had Julio Jones, who was unbelievable at the route. And then seeing Tyreek (Hill) in, I think it was probably OTA 4, if my training camp install schedule is correct in my brain, when he ran that. I just had a lot of deliberate reps at viewing that (route) ran at an exceptional speed, depth, intent, and it was like, ‘Whoa.’ I’ve been fortunate to be around Andre Johnson in his prime, Julio Jones in his prime, Josh Gordon, Pierre Garcon, leading the league in receiving. All these great, great players, and he is different. We knew then in OTAs that yeah, this is a different deal.”
(The follow-up is the same question but off the field, since y’all met here in South Florida, what was the first off-field moment where you thought, “Wow, WR Tyreek Hill is a different dude?”) – “The first time I took the trust fall and called him out in a team meeting, I think. And it wasn’t a call out – I shouldn’t really say call out because it’s not. It’s more (that) in team meetings, I think it’s very important to state the facts, and the facts are what’s on tape. So anything that’s on tape, we should be able to discuss openly. There was something that he didn’t do, I can’t remember what it was, but I vividly remember his response that day was corrected. So I kind of made note of that. Two days later, at the beginning of team meetings in training camp, we were showing the fastest GPS of the practice the previous day, and he was fifth that day. So I made a big deal about it, I went over the top and said something like, ‘Dude, congratulations, you’ve been working hard. This is a great achievement.’ I think Keion Crossen was the fastest that day, so I was just like – no, actually it was Braylon Sanders at the time. Whoever it was, I was like, ‘Man, you’re the fastest guy on the Dolphins. This is awesome.’ This is in front of the whole team, and then that practice, he ran the fastest ever recorded in practice here or that I’ve seen. It was something absurd like 23.48 (miles per hour) or something like that. So I was like, ‘Ok, yeah, you’re different.’ On the field, off the field, it’s not happenstance that he’s able to have success.”
(You’ve had a lot of, obviously, mix and match on the offensive line because of injuries, but you’ve started to find some continuity now. What would you attribute the success that you guys had with running the ball and protection that have been an improvement over last year?) – “It’s the least appealing, most real answer that exists, and it’s like the down to the bones, deliberate work, and intent on defensive specific techniques and how we execute our fundamentals and details. It’s one of my favorite parts of the whole coaching staff is that my offensive coordinator, Frank Smith, has deep O-line coaching roots and was a center himself. I think he spearheaded that charge and really led in a moment that, there was a young group that was a little uncertain of themselves. That along with (Offensive Line Coach) Matt Applebaum and (Assistant Offensive Line Coach) Lemuel (Jeanpierre) and (Offensive Assistant) Mike Person, there’s no quick and easy way to have success in the National Football League. That’s why I like the game so much, is because when you see success or improvement, I should say more than anything, people are too talented and people work too hard. There’s no shortcut around it. They’re sweating after practice. Practice ends and I try to give players a nice schedule that they can get out of the building. But the linemen aren’t afforded that because they are out there working after practice, and it’s to all their credit, collectively. And then everybody else getting used to it, you’re starting to see the skill position players be a little more productive in their areas. The running backs running in space better. It’s a trickle-down effect that they can really dictate.”
(On the challenge the offensive line has against the Browns with their edge players.) – “The theme of the NFL is this, it is a challenge. There’s so many things at stake every week, so every week is a challenge. This one in particular is a lot greater than people realize. This Cleveland Browns team is no joke. They are a good football team. One of the only – I mean, their record is their record. Whatever this means is that I think they can beat any football team in the National Football League on any week, and you can’t say that about every team. So they are (a challenge), and it starts with their edges. I know (Defensive Coordinator) Joe Woods and (Defensive Line Coach) Chris Kiffin from San Francisco, and I can see their elements of coaching on tape. They strain, they go after it. I can promise you this; we comb, tape week-in, week-out, and we are definitely not sleeping on this team. This is a good football team that if you aren’t detailed and technically sound, they will expose you in a harmful way.”
(The broadcast on Sunday mentioned how much pride you took in San Francisco in finding undrafted players. I guess first of all, I was wondering if you could speak to the pride that you personally take in finding those kind of diamonds in the rough, the undrafted guys.) – “That’s a cool process. When I was afforded the opportunity, people had faith in me. Kyle Shanahan really put a lot of faith in me along my career. That, along with Dan Quinn, and then John Lynch and Adam Peters and all those guys, they gave me the opportunity to say ‘Hey, if you find a guy, we’ll listen.’ And to me, how cool is that? It was more – I thoroughly enjoyed the process, but I also just enjoy contributing to the team. When that’s the role, it is really cool because it’s a challenging process. There are a lot of guys to choose from, so you’re trying to find some skillsets; and then you’re also trying to balance it out with your impression of the person as you reach out to people that know them or talk to sources or get to talk to them themselves. And it’s not like a cookie cutter formula, which is why I enjoy it. It was for a portion of my career, it was the best way that I could contribute to the team. So I have always taken those things extremely serious and enjoy those.”
(To follow up, I don’t know how much that process changes for you since becoming a head coach, but how involved were you in finding CB Kader Kohou and scouting him?) – “Being a part of the process in so many different scopes in my career – but being in the process for a long time, you get to see how it’s no person with the sauce. So early when I got here, that’s why I prioritized hiring coaches, and then you prioritize having a very strong, well-groomed, well-working scouting department. And all of those things working together. With Kader (Kohou), I can take 0.00 percent responsibility for that one. That’s Chris Grier, Josh Boyer and all the goons involved. But I trust them and the reason why I trust them is because I understand that my job is not to micromanage or to do everything. My job is to make people better at what they do and rely on people. That’s kind of what I do.”
(We’ve heard how QB Tua Tagovailoa is motivated by his doubters. How do you see him now approaching dealing with success and the praise he’s received after these last few games?) – “Do you doubt that he’s handling it well? Let’s motivate that guy. (laughter) You just have a feeling about people. When you’re forecasting uncharted territory, you don’t totally know but you feel like you know. Anything that’s happening with him isn’t a surprise to me. It would have been a surprise if it hadn’t, just because the day-in day-out work that I’m witnessing and the work that his teammates do and how his rapport is with them and all of that. But it doesn’t surprise me how he’s handled having some success because literally it has no distinction from when we first started working before game one in training camp and OTAs. And that’s awesome. That’s what I would have guessed, but it’s been really cool to see. But it’s case in point, he knows exactly who he is, he knows exactly what he needs to do to do his portion of his job well, and he’s not deviating from that at all. (It is) very, very cool and good to see but not surprising in the least.”
(Going back to the Browns, they’ve been in a lot of close games. Obviously you guys have won plenty of close games. I’m wondering what are some small details that make the difference and winning and losing close games?) – “More points. (laughter) That’s the part of football that you don’t necessarily – you’re hitting on the part that isn’t necessarily on the stat sheet, which is the cool part. You find that teams kind of – it kind of snowballs for teams where you can be in tight games consecutively and you can find yourself with the same result until you get yourself out of it either way. I think being involved in those games gives you a competitive advantage moving forward, when you’re able to learn from them. So teams that are learning from them, whether it’s high, low, whatever; at the end of the season, they end up winning more than they lose of those, in my opinion. It’s hard. Just think about it. Coaches start on Monday, players come in on Wednesday, we are grinding on this one objective all week, that has all sorts of variables, a countless number of variables, that you’re learning, that you’re trying to master. Then you go to this huge buildup of this competitive game that everyone is watching and being able to critique. And then just finality, one final result. When teams aren’t of the right mindset, they want to point fingers. Or you learn how to not point fingers. That’s something that I’ve been on teams that it happens a ton. Just by the tape – I wouldn’t dare to speak on the Cleveland Browns but it doesn’t look like they’re doing that at all. So it looks like they’re in the process of the same process a lot of teams are, that we are, where, ‘Ok, it’s a close game. It’s okay.’ The finality of that whole work week, you don’t need to think about that. Just worry about your individual job and collectively, the more people that do that, end up finding a way, because the biggest mistake is when people get in tight situations, tight games, and they start thinking that they need to do it themselves. And that’s something that you have to learn through trial and error. And something hopefully we have learned from in our close games. But that doesn’t guarantee anything. We could very well buck the trend this week. Hopefully you didn’t jinx us. (laughter)”
(It feels like each week, we can make this comparison about how you’re coaching against the coach that you previously worked with. With Joe Woods in San Francisco, I’m curious if you might have a story about your guys’ year together in San Francisco.) – “It was a cool part of the process because it was kind of a minor football evolution at the time. The Seattle Seahawks – Pete (Carroll), Gus Bradley and all those guys came up with the Seattle 3-deep, and just literally did that and nothing else and crushed people for a decade. And then we had faced – in our history, we’d done the wide nine, four-man front, penetrating defense. Tennessee was kicking our butts in Houston back in the late 2000s. And then they went to Detroit and all that. But under Kyle Shanahan, Kyle kind of wanted to meld those two. So Joe was a part of that. And it was a such a cool process because you have to problem solve. It may not seem like a big deal, but in terms of gap integrity and how you rule out your defense, it was a big deal. And being there with him and seeing how he was such a problem solver in that process, while also having a disposition and energy that players gravitated to – I had heard about him since probably 2013, because Raheem Morris would always do an impression of him. (laughter) So I like knew of him for like seven years before I met him. But he lived up to the impersonation and the buildup.”
