T Greg Little
(T Austin Jackson is on the COVID-19 list right now and you’re listed as the backup left tackle. I know you’ve not even been here for a month, but how prepared are you to potentially go out there and start at left tackle on Sunday for the opener?) – “I feel prepared. ‘Coach Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre) has done a good job of getting everybody ready for anything, any scenario. Coach’s biggest thing is making sure everybody is versatile and is always ready. So that’s my job is be versatile and be ready when he calls my name up.”
(Where are you with the playbook? I know when we spoke to you a few weeks ago you said you were cramming to get to play in I think it was the preseason game against the Falcons; but where are you with your grasp of the playbook right now?) – “I feel more comfortable. This is my third week here – beginning of my third week here – so I feel pretty comfortable. A lot of stuff is just football. A lot of stuff I’ve done before and on my previous team, so I’m just getting the terminology down, just kind of getting that muscle memory and hearing and recognize it what it is. So it’s been a learning process, but it’s been good. I’m pretty ready.”
(What’s kind of the feel in the locker room just as far as going into Sunday?) – “Everybody is fired up. Everybody is like finally ready to get out camp, you know what I’m saying (laughter). Everybody is ready to hit somebody else when it really counts. We’re a young team and I think that’s cool, just us kind of gelling together and growing together. It’s like our first time together as a team to go put a show on against somebody else so I think we’re prepared. ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) has us practicing hard and has us ready so one day at a time, one step at a time.”
(Who have you become closest with on the team?) – “First, kind of the O-line room. The O-line room – that’s kind of a given. I’m with those guys every day. It’s funny how a lot of guys I already knew coming onto this team, from Benito (Jones) to me and Brandon Jones go back to high school. He’s come over to my house because we’re both from Texas. We both used to spend the night and chill and hang out and stuff. Raekwon (Davis) from Mississippi and camps, always playing against him. So I knew a lot of guys coming in. It’s been a pretty good transition from team to team. This team has welcomed me in with open arms so I’m just glad to be here.”
(I was going to ask you about the concept of fresh start. Every now and then we all appreciate a new restaurant or new movie or new car. You got a new team. How’s the fresh start going for you?) – “It’s been good. It’s like buying a new car. (laughter) It feels good. Like you said, sometimes people just need a fresh start so the past is the past. I’m here. I’m a Dolphin so I’m excited to be here.”
(We asked Head Coach Brian Flores when you first got acquired by the Dolphins about some of the stuff that you might be expected to bring. He said “we’ve got to get this guy to learn the building, to find out where 595 is, stuff like that.” How have you acclimated to South Florida so far and the building here as well?) – “I’m just kind of figuring all the little secret doors to get to the locker room. (laughter) I just put my GPS down to get to practice so I kind of have a little muscle memory of getting to practice and stuff. But it’s been cool. I’m from a big city from Dallas so just kind of figuring them highways out and figuring out where everything goes and first thing’s first is getting used to the humidity. That’s the first thing. (laughter) It’s a little different from Texas. Texas is more dry heat whereas Florida – it could be 65 degrees and you feel like you’re dying. (laughter) So that’s been the biggest thing. But no, it’s been great. It’s been a great transition.”
(When you talk about cramming, what’s your – I mean everybody probably goes about – we were all in college. Some of us longer than others. What’s your process? Are you studying for hours and hours and hours or is there only so much you can handle?) – “It’s like college. It’s like your brain can only take so much at a time. Really, it’s kind of figuring out how you learn the best. So how you learn and kind of like put it in slots where it can help you remember where everything is. So it’s not good to cram, but in that situation where I came in here and the same week I had to play, I had to do it. It wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t easy. That’s our job. Nothing’s easy.”
(But you feel like the worst of it is over as far as…) – “Oh yeah, the worst of it’s over. Now the biggest thing for me is just kind of picking it up even faster. Like you know how you hear the play call, I’ve got to think about it a little bit. I want to get to a point where I just got it, let’s go. So just polish it up a little bit.”
(Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre said you had two good offensive line coaches who had experience and helped you create a base of fundamentals. From a pass pro perspective, what are a couple of things that you’re always trying to remind yourself in terms of coaching points and technique?) – “Always fire your hands, always shoot your hands in pass pro. Out of college, I didn’t do the best job at shooting my hands. I was more of a grabber and kind of moved my feet; but in the NFL you’ve got to rock these guys a little bit to kind of get them off their balance. So punching, being aggressive, having your hands, keeping your hands up – just kind of like a fight – keep your hands up, ready to battle and just relax. Control what you can control. The tempo, control the aggression and you should be okay.”
(Does it feel a little weird though? Like three or four weeks ago you weren’t even here and now you’re not only here but potentially starting on Sunday? How’s that feel with that?) – “It’s a job. It’s like your job. Your learning period is short. You’ve got to come in here and produce. We’re in a production business so you really don’t have no time to be kind of getting the butterflies and worrying about stuff. You’ve just kind of got to trust your process, trust your coaching and play confident really and the rest will fall. My biggest thing in life is controlling what you can control and just leave it to God.”
WR Mack Hollins
(What does it mean to you to be a team captain?) – “It’s a huge honor, especially to get voted on by your teammates, to be held in that regard. It’s awesome and it’s something I don’t take for granted. Does it add a little bit of a load? Yeah, but it’s something that I’ll gladly accept because I think it gives me the ability to hold guys to a higher standard. As you all know, I am a bit of a loudmouth on the field, so now I have a little backing behind what I say. (laughter)”
(What do you think you showed to earn that?) – “I think it’s just that I’m always there every day trying to keep guys positive, trying to keep guys going, trying to work at a high level and I’m fortunate enough that my teammates recognize that and thought that was worthy enough to be voted a captain. But it doesn’t stop. The bar gets raised a little bit higher. Now every fault that I make, not only the team will be on me but you all will be on me. As a captain, you can’t do this, this and this. I know that and I understand that. I think it’s good because it raises my bar. It makes me practice harder, work harder.”
(Were you a captain before and was this a surprise?) – “Not in the NFL. In college I was a captain all four years but not in the NFL. It kind of, I don’t want to compare it to making the 53 but I never thought, ‘hey, I’m for sure going to be a captain.’ Obviously I put my name in the hat and you hope and you pray that you are going to be a captain; but to hear your name, ‘hey, this is our captain,’ and I hear Mack Hollins, that was definitely not expected. I was really fortunate that I did so I was extremely excited.”
(You put your name in a hat? What is the process for that?) – “Yeah, so everybody gets the chance to go up there and, ‘hey, I want to be a captain.’ Some guys give a speech, some guys just say I want to put my name in the hat. It varies on how you get up there. So I went up there and said, ‘hey, I want to put my name in the hat as a captain,’ and then the team votes.”
(What was your platform?) – “I ran on the democratic party (laughter). No, I went up there and my platform was I want to win games and I want to keep you guys at a high standard and I want you guys to do the same for me. It would be a pleasure and honor to lead you all and have my patch on my jersey or something – whatever they put. But I also said everybody is a leader on this team. It doesn’t matter if it’s me. It’s whoever is out there. It’s really hard to lead. If I’m not out there for a play, it’s really hard to lead. You’ll ask a coach, ‘Hey, why is this guy not doing that?’ Well, I’m not out there. But if a coach isn’t out there or you’re not a player that’s out there – guys that get hurt, you see they can’t lead as well because they’re not on the field. We’re all selfish when we’re tired or hurt. When you’re out on the field and you’re like, ‘Oh, you ain’t out there. You don’t know what it’s like.’ ‘Get your depth on this, make this tackle.’ ‘You’re not out there, bro.’ So it’s hard. That’s why I told the guys that everyone is a leader. If you’re on the field, you’re a leader. If you’re at practice doing something, you’re a leader. It’s bigger than just me.”
(What’s the leadership you’ve seen from QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “It’s great, especially from last year to this year. I know the questions are probably going to come like why isn’t he a captain? Just because you’re a quarterback or just because you’re this doesn’t mean you have to be the captain or you have to be this. Tua is an excellent leader, an exceptional leader. The transformation he’s made from last year to this year is incredible. I think you all have seen that in how calm he feels in the pocket now versus last year. If you put a clip side-by-side, the changes he’s made are really night and day. That goes to leadership. It’s not like his arm magically got 10-times better. It goes to his confidence, his ability to lead and feel comfortable in the huddle.”
(In terms of changes made, night and day, is it how vocal QB Tua Tagovailoa is? How much he says to teammates?) – “I think it’s how he says it. You come in as a rookie and a lot of times you think more than you know or you’re a little hesitant to say things because when you’re a rookie, you’re what, 21 or 22 years old? And you are talking to somebody who is 36, 35? It’s intimidating. Guys were in middle school when you were born. (laughter) I think he’s understanding how to have those conversations, get the point across without seeming timid or disrespectful and that’s a fine line in this league and he’s done an excellent job with it.”
(As a captain, for the coin toss do you go heads or tails?) – “I switch it up. I’m currently undefeated. I don’t want to jinx it but (knocks on wood). We’ll see. (laughter)”
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I’m curious how much you and WR Jaylen Waddle have looked at Alabama tape of when you played together, if at all. Have you done that a single time since the Dolphins drafted him, and is there benefit to that or not really?) – “I haven’t talked to him about it, but we haven’t had the time to sit down and look over our tape at Alabama. I think tape is one thing, but going out there and getting reps with that person is another. You don’t know if they got better at this certain route or if the timing is a little different. I think that’s the thing that we continue to stress, that we continue to harp, and that we continue to work on.”
(Is there anything specific that you remember about playing the Patriots last year defensively that they did that you’re kind of working on now? How much of that game film from last year?) – “They are a tough defense. If you look at the resume of Coach (Bill) Belichick – I mean really, really good defenses. This is like no other week. We take all of these games serious. For me, I think it’s really just getting the ball out quick and letting our playmakers make plays for us.”
(How does this start ahead of Week 1 of this season feel different or similar to your first start last year?) – “I think it feels different this year because we had prior games leading up to the opener against the Patriots. But I think another thing too is you have more of a feel as far as the expectation of the team and what you also expect the Patriots to come out doing as well.”
(Are the emotions similar? Butterflies or excitement or those kinds of things?) – “I think there is more so excitement this year than last year. Last year when I had my opportunity, there were more so butterflies just because I didn’t know how things were going to hold up coming off of the hip injury and whatnot.”
(How different do you feel from the quarterback that was on the field that teams will view this season, now that you’re in Year 2?) – “For me, I’m just focused on what we can do. I try to put myself in a situation where I’m Bill Belichick. If I was Bill Belichick, what would I want to do to stop myself? That’s how I try to go about that.”
(A Bill Belichick team is going to be a great defense and you know that going in. I know it’s absolutely not easy, but is there a difference preparing for a certain scheme when you’re in your second year? How you noticed the difference when you’re looking at film and just how you are processing things as opposed to the way you were last year?) – “I would say yes, only because of the experiences I’ve had with a veteran like ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick). Then carrying it over to the experiences I’m now having with Jacoby (Brissett) in the room. Just different ways of coaching. For me, I try to find the middle and what works for me, as far as my preparation going into a week like this.”
(You said you can’t just rely on the experience in college because you never know where people have improved. Where has WR Jaylen Waddle improved since your time together?) – “I think his biggest improvement is his communication. In college, Jaylen would speak up here and there but you really see him now. You come to the sideline after a series and he’s out there telling me ‘hey, this is why I’m running this route. I’m running it because of this and that, and this is where I’m expecting the ball.’ He’s telling me ‘do this.’ And it’s not asking, it’s more so telling. I think as a quarterback, you look at that and for someone as young as him, you look at that and I would say you’re really happy because it shows his confidence in his play and he is hoping to have that same confidence in me to trust to throw him the ball in certain areas.”
(In terms of raising your voice and putting your input in not just the offensive concepts in general, but also the weekly game plan. How has that evolved and changed in your second year here?) – “I would say I had that last year too, but it’s really us as quarterbacks talking in the quarterback room. For me, I might like something and someone else might have an input of ‘this is how we can make it better, by doing this, or doing that or maybe giving a fake on this.’ It’s really just open communication in that room.”
(I was reading a story about you back at Alabama and it was you, QB Jalen Hurts and QB Mac Jones; and Jones playing the scout team and doing so well against the first-team defense they started to get riled up and him giving them the business and talking back and forth. Do you always remember him as being that fiery competitor and what memories do you have of him going up against the first team as the scout quarterback?) – “Mac is fiercely competitive. Mac is a ‘put my head down, I’m going to work and I’m going to do whatever I can, no matter who is on the other side, I’m going to do whatever I can to beat you guys.’”
(It almost a brawl, that’s what I read. That he was giving the defensive linemen – he got them on a hard snap.) – “I think that is something you guys would have to ask Mac. I don’t want to be the one to initiate that, or maybe you guys can ask Jaylen about that. (laughter) I don’t know. From my memory, Mac has always been a big competitor in our quarterback room. He takes what we learn in the quarterback room out to the field. Really his input, just how smart he is on the field and whatnot, and knowing where to go with the ball. He’s really smart.”
(Can you take us through some of the battles you and QB Mac Jones had – ping pong, free throw shooting, accuracy in practice? What are some of the battles you two had?) – “It was none of the first two things that you said, but maybe the third one. We had accuracy passing throwing into the net. We were all competitive – me, Jalen (Hurts), Mac and whoever was in our quarterback room. That was really the expectation. You’ve got to do good. We expected that out of everyone.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores said this morning and he’s said versions of this many, many times. He’s one day at a time, he stays in the present, never nostalgic, nothing like that. How does that approach that he lives by and he coaches by, how does that permeate the room? How do you guys process that and do you find yourself thinking the same way? That you’re just worried about today – not before, not tomorrow?) – “Yeah. It keeps everyone even-keel. It keeps everyone level-headed. I think that helps with consistency for all of us in the building. When you try to look too far ahead, you’re not focused on the task at hand and what we’ve got to do now. The execution on the offensive side is not going to go well and I would expect the same for the special team guys and the defensive guys. I would say I live by that, taking it one meeting at a time, one practice at a time and maybe one sip of this Pedialyte at a time. That’s really what it is.”
LB Jaelan Phillips
(Have you recovered from Saturday?) – “Have I recovered from Saturday? No. It was a sad, sad day. (laughter) But it was a cool experience though. Obviously the boys, they’ll bounce back. Their season definitely isn’t done.”
(Was there any fun bets between you and Alabama teammates?) – “That’s undisclosed. (laughter) We’re going to keep that under wraps.”
(It wasn’t fun for you.) – “No. (laughter)”
(Does part of you still pull for or pay attention to UCLA at all?) – “Yeah, it’s mixed feelings. I grew up a UCLA fan so I obviously want the best for them. I don’t harbor any bad feelings towards the coaching staff or anything there, but it was definitely cool to see. There’s probably like, 10 to 15 guys on the team that I played with so definitely good to see their success and cool for the city of Los Angeles to be able to get a big win like that.”
(What do you think it’ll be like to take the field for a real NFL game?) – “It’s going to be crazy. It’s going to be fun. Like Jevon (Holland) said, it’s been a dream of mine since I was little to be able to do this for a career and it’s honestly so surreal at this point so I can’t even tell you how it’s going to feel. It’s just a lot of emotions, a lot going on at once; but you’ve just got to focus on the game. I’m definitely excited.”
(Got anybody flying up to see you?) – “I’ve got like 20 people coming actually. (laughter) My sister funny enough just enrolled in Harvard Law so she’s up there – up in Cambridge – so she’s going to come. My family is flying up. I’ve got some family friends coming up, so it’ll be awesome.”
(The defense seems to be asking you to do a lot of different things and we saw a lot of that in the preseason finale standing up, hand in the ground or even dropping back. How do you feel you’ve handled all those different responsibilities?) – “Honestly, the NFL is humbling. You come out of college and you kind of think you know a lot and you know it all and it really turns out that you don’t know too much at all. So for me, it’s just been a constant battle to learn as much as I can and really try to develop all different parts of my game because I don’t ever want to be only able to do one thing. I’ve always wanted to be multifaceted; and so for me, being able to rush, being able to stand up, put my hand in the ground, cover, do all that is going to be important for me obviously and important for the team. So I’m just learning every day and doing what they tell me to do.”
(We saw you in the Bengals game obviously dropping into coverage more than you did at Miami but similar to UCLA I guess in a linebacker role. Did that feel natural to you that day and in practices? Is it still tough to get used to dropping into coverage some?) – “You said it perfectly. I really didn’t drop too much at Miami and before that I hadn’t played ball in over a year and so I’m still kind of getting used to it again. Like I said, just trying to get better every day at it, but I feel good. I feel good doing whatever they ask of me.”
(Do you have any sense what kind of role you’ll have Sunday without giving it away? Do you think you’ll have a significant role Sunday? Is that unclear to you?) – “Yeah, I mean honestly it’s really just up to the coaches and whoever they see fit to go out on that field and perform the best. I can tell you that coming up, just whenever I get the chance, I’m going to play as hard as I can and do what I can do.”
(There’s a short list of players that people think have a real shot at going after Defensive Rookie of the Year and you’re on that short list. Have you heard that chatter? Is that one of your many goals maybe to take on that honor?) – “I mean for me, it’s obviously focusing on this week first. It’s a 17-game regular season so a lot can happen from now until then. Obviously that would be great; but for me, my focus is definitely on today, next day, this week. And we’ll see how it goes from there.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores said not to put too much emphasis on the depth chart, but we don’t have our heads in the sand. We noticed and I’m guessing you did that you were listed at third team. Was anything explained to you about why and what you need to do for that to change?) – “Funny enough, I actually didn’t even see it this week. I saw it a couple weeks ago. For me, depth charts don’t really – it’s just paper at the end of the day. It’s just the names on paper and so I guess come Sunday, we’ll see who plays where and how that goes down. For me, it’s just being ready whenever my name is called, whenever I have the opportunity to make the most out of the opportunity. So it really doesn’t matter, I guess you could say, for the depth chart.”
(It’s been a while since anyone’s really played in a full stadium with fans. What’s that experience going to be like for you especially at Gillette, which gets loud?) – “Even playing – well I didn’t play against Chicago – but being in Chicago, that stadium was pretty rocking. They had a lot of people there. And even last week we had a good amount of people in the Hard Rock. That’s definitely the most fans I’ve played in (front of) in honestly all of college because UCLA didn’t – the Rose Bowl doesn’t really fill up that much. So it’s definitely going to be a pretty wild experience to just hear the crowd and experience all of that so I’m excited.”
WR Jaylen Waddle
(In talking with DT Raekwon Davis, he said that QB Mac Jones was a jokester off the field. What do you remember from him and his personality?) – “I just remember him just being real competitive. I think when he got his time to really start, he was just really competitive about business really every day. Of course he would joke around and stuff, but he was really about business.”
(You scared the heck out of us on the field and we haven’t spoken to you since then. What did you think had happened when you went down in that ball game and how happy were you to find out whatever you found out?) – “You’re talking about against Atlanta? I just got rolled up. Something simple that comes with the game. Just something simple as far as that. Nothing major.”
(Your first real NFL game is this week. Is it nervousness all week? Is it harder to sleep at night?) – “To be honest, not really. I’m kind of still in the training mode right now. I think I’ll get more nervous the closer the game gets but right now, I’m just trying to get everything down, really.”
(Has it sunk in at all that you’re going to go play your former quarterback and you have a quarterback that you’re playing with that you played with in college? Just all the similarities and rollover between the teams, is that kind of surreal for you?) – “Not really, to be honest. It’s just like going out there, playing another game against people that you know. All of that, that comes with it.”
(We’re going to compare QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Mac Jones forever. You were asked to compare them before the draft and you answered supporting the guy you obviously just played with. Did Tagovailoa ever say, ‘hey man, I’m better than Mac,’ to you after you gave that answer? Did he ever give you any grief for that?) – “(laughter) Nah, not really.”
(What did you think at the time when you were asked to compare QB Mac Jones and QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I mean going with someone you played with, obviously going into a process. So yeah.”
(Did you ever reach out to QB Tua Tagovailoa and say ‘hey, now I’m kind of thinking the other way?’) – “(We’ve) never talked about it. (laughter)”
(We just heard QB Tua Tagovailoa describe your level of communication and confidence on the sideline in telling him ‘this is why I’m running this route; this is where I’m expecting it.’ Where does that confidence come from, even in your first year in the league, to tell your quarterback this is where I want the ball?) – “I think it just comes from him. He tells me if he sees something to just tell him and let him know. So any time that I see something or something doesn’t go as we would like, I always go to him and be like ‘Oh.’ He gives me his thoughts and I give him my thoughts, then we go from there.”
(One thing that Head Coach Brian Flores talked about a lot last year with the team was the camaraderie everybody had and how much they loved playing for each other. I saw a video clip of you and some of the receivers dancing the other day at practice. How easy has it been for you to kind of slide into that type of culture and the atmosphere here of the guys kind of really loving each other and playing for one another?) – “I think it’s real easy, especially in my receiver group. Everyone is like pretty close. We see each other a lot throughout the day, so just being yourself around people, you’ve all got to come and go to be the best and get the best out of each other. I think it makes it real easy.”
(You mentioned you’re kind of still in training mode getting ready for the season. But at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday, what’s going to be going on inside of you and how do you handle butterflies, if you do get them?) – “I mean you handle them just like any other thing. It comes with it. I think if you don’t get nervous any more, you really shouldn’t be playing. Of course I’ll get nervous and all of that good stuff, but it’s time to go.”
S Jevon Holland
(Describe the feeling of what you think it will be like walking out of that tunnel on Sunday?) – “I think it’ll be exhilarating, honestly. It’s a lifelong dream, playing on an NFL team, making a roster and things like that. The first game is going to be awesome, especially with the fans back. I’m really excited.”
(I don’t think we have spoken to you since you changed your number. What went behind the decision to go back?) – “Honestly I was working hard in training camp and when the opportunity came and they asked me if I wanted to switch, I was like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ Being back in No. 8 feels good. I’m back in my college number. It’s pretty cool, especially seeing some of my friends in the league wearing single digits. It’s cool to have that.”
(Does that have any significance to you from before college or does it mean anything to you other than the nostalgia?) – “I think more of the nostalgia, definitely, from college. I always wore No. 8 in NCAA 14 and whatnot. Being able to wear it in the league now is pretty crazy. I always thought like, ‘Dang, why can’t athletes or skilled positions wear single digits.’ When they changed the rule, I was pretty excited.”
(After missing some time, you seem to be running around pretty good out there today, how do you feel?) – “I feel good. Yeah, I feel great.”
(I saw you tweeting about Oregon’s uniforms. Have you made a decision about what your favorite Dolphins uniform is and is that better than Oregon’s?) – “I think NFL and college are completely different. Separate categories? I’m putting Oregon No. 1 in college, hands down, and then Dolphins No. 1 because the orange and aqua are definitely top in terms of color rush and things like that. I haven’t made a decision on the No. 1 Dolphins uniform yet though.”
(Is your impression that you will be backing up DB Jason McCourty on Sunday? Do you think that’s a competition that’s ongoing from what Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander has told you?) – “Really I’m just out there in practice. I heard there was a depth chart that came out. I’m not really sure about it. We’re really just out there and the coaches put us in the best position possible to go out there and perform. I’m not really paying attention to the depth chart. I’m just trying to help the team win.”
LB Elandon Roberts
(When you think about the guys that were voted by their peers as captains, what do you think you guys have in common? What’s the common thread?) – “I feel like as a captain, all of us bring different leadership to that. It’s an honor to be voted a captain by your team. I definitely don’t take it for granted. You hold yourself to a different standard, which if you weren’t a captain, you should also hold yourself to a different standard because leadership is not about just one person. It’s about all the other 53 guys too, including the coaches. We all got to walk in this building every day and look it as we are a captain because in this building and outside this building, we are not just representing ourselves but we’re representing the Miami Dolphins as an organization.”
(For DB Jason McCourty to be voted a captain in his first half a year with the team, what does that mean? What kind of impact has he had on y’all in that short amount of time?) – “I just think it speaks volumes from his standpoint. J-Mac has been in the league for a long time. He is a great person to just be around. Definitely a great leader. Like I said, I think he’s taking it as a good privilege to be named one of the captains just like all the rest of us.”
(I can imagine that being voted, this is your fellow players deciding on this, that’s got to give you some extra special feelings to know that you are respected.) – “Yeah, most definitely.”
(What feels different? It’s Week 1. Maybe compared to the preseason? It’s got to be a different feeling in the building.) – “Oh, yeah. You’re getting ready for game week. It’s always going to be a different feel week-in and week-out. Football season starts this week.”
(What are you most excited about?) – “I’m just excited for football season to be back. You prepare all offseason for this. OTAs, training camp and now everything as a team that you have been preparing for, you can go out there and display it, and take it one week at a time.”
(What have you noticed about QB Mac Jones in film study?) – “From film study on him; he does great things as a young player. Obviously he’s a rookie. The things he does, the passes he makes, you’d be like, ‘wow.’ Which is a good thing. He will definitely be a test for us this week and we are just going to have to take it one play at a time with him.”
(Is facing a rookie something that excites defenders or do you have to view him as another player?) – “To be honest, I don’t care if he was in Year 22. (laughter) I don’t care at all, I look at him the same. I don’t care how old he is. Us, as a defense, we don’t look at it like that either. We really don’t care his age. We just look at what he brings to the team. He’s a great competitor. He seems like a very smart guy; I don’t know him personally but from film. We are just going to have to take it one play at a time with him.”
(New England is known as a team that gets off to good starts in September year after year. From your time up there, what impact did that have on setting the tone for the season when you got off to good starts like that?) – “I think every team in the NFL tries to make sure that Week 1 they get off to a fast start. I think it’s a goal for all 32 teams in the NFL. Nobody’s goal is, ‘Okay man, we are going to start off 0-1 and go from there.’ Everyone wants to get a fast start. I think it’s a whole vibe around the NFL to get a fast start.”
(Do you have any pregame rituals or something that you do on game day that is unique to you?) – “Not really. I’m just kind of old fashioned. I just stretch, put my pants on one leg at a time, strap my helmet on. (laughter)”
(Dark grind coffee though, right? Espresso?) – “Oh, I do drink coffee before a game. I drink coffee. I’m old fashioned. ‘Coach, how much time we got? Alright, I’ll get ready when it’s 30 minutes (laughter).’”
(Black coffee or espresso?) – “I got to put a little cream in mine. I can’t drink it just dark.”
(Have you had Cuban coffee out here?) – “Nah. I just go to Dunkin (laughter), get a coffee or I wait until I come to the facility. Some days, on my off days, I be like, ‘Man, I can either go to Dunkin and pay $2 or I can drive all the way to the facility.’ So I just drive all the way up here and get my free coffee, holler at a couple players and then go to the crib. (laughter)”
(Will you have a halftime coffee?) – “Nah, I don’t do a halftime. I just be trying to wake myself up and stuff like that. I try to keep the same routine every game which is; put my pants on one leg at a time (laughter), strap my helmet, ‘Coach, how much time we got? Alright, bet. Let me know when I got 30 minutes.’ And I go from there.”
(No Starbucks?) – “Nah, I don’t get no Starbucks. It tastes different.”
T Liam Eichenberg
(How are you feeling physically? I know you have worked your way back from a couple things, right?) – “I feel pretty good. I feel back to normal. I was just dealing with a strain, so nothing too serious. Obviously it sucked being out, not being out with my teammates and at the same time, it’s hot out there. It’s grueling. Not having another body out there to rotate is kind of tough, so I just kind of felt bad for the guys. But at the same time, I was working hard trying to get back to where I needed to be. It’s been awesome to be out here.”
(You took so many snaps in the period that we saw in the periods open to the media at right tackle and left guard. Yet I believe you had a 33-game sackless streak at Notre Dame at left tackle so if you ended up at any point this week or Week 7 having to play left tackle, what’s the comfort level at that position?) – “I kind of joke with Jesse (Davis) that I’m kind of going down his path. He’s played pretty much every position. But for me, I was at right tackle, left guard. But in college, that was in college, if I’m being honest. At the same time, it is kind of – being on the left side was a lot easier. Being at left guard, just kind of the movement pattern as you know. Regardless, wherever they want me and wherever the offensive line coach – ‘Coach Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre) and ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) put me, I’ll play. Whatever it takes to help this team win. I’m just excited to practice, to be out there.”
(Have you received a single left tackle snap since training camp started?) – “I’ve taken reps at right tight tackle, left guard. I took a couple snaps at center. I took a couple at left tackle. It’s been pretty much everywhere. There’s plans in place I guess in case somebody goes down; then you’ve got to shift everyone around. So wherever they need me, wherever they want me to be.”
(When you switch around so many positions, do you feel it comes natural to you to then block at that new position or do you have to kind of think, hesitate, other foot, other arm?) – “I wouldn’t say ‘hesitate.’ I think it’s just different technique. I think playing tackle compared to guard is completely different. Center to tackle is different, so at the end of the day, you have to go back to your fundamentals, technique and your coaching. The good thing is that I’m in meetings when our coach is talking to the guards, too, and I’m listening. So just kind of that’s how it is.”
(What’s your confidence level with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I back him. I believe in him as much as anybody on this team. The offensive line will always be there to support him and I listen to anything and everything he says. He’s our guy. If he tells me to run a mile, I’ll run a mile. I’d do anything for him, but I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a confident guy. He’s a great leader. I’m very fortunate to be on a team with him – a guy that cares about his teammates and also who cares about this team and winning.”
(What are your thoughts on WR Mack Hollins’ hair?) – “Mack (Hollins) looks great. I wish I had hair like that. I’m kind of balding, so… (laughter) But no it’s – I’m very fortunate to be down here on a great team.”
(In theory it’s easier just to back a couple questions here – easier to switch from left guard to left tackle than it is from right tackle to left tackle?) – “I think it’s hard regardless. One day you’re at a certain spot; another day at another. I think it kind of just comes back to getting used to that movement pattern. I think any offensive lineman would say that, but like I said before, tackle is different guard and guard is different from center. So just kind of those little things that a lot of people don’t notice or know about.”
(You were asked at the start how you’re feeling physically. I’ll ask you how are you feeling mentally now that you’re a few days away from probably something you’ve dreamed of for a long time – your NFL dream?) – “I think I’m just taking it one day at a time. I don’t know if I’ll be playing on Sunday if I’m being honest with you, so for me it’s just taking it one day at a time, one snap at a time and going out there and improving every single day. Like I said before, I was out for a little bit dealing with a strain; so I’m just so happy to be back, to be out there with my teammates, enjoying practice, having fun and working hard.”
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Is T Greg Little back?) – “Yes, he’ll be out at practice today.”
(Is T Liam Eichenberg a full go?) – “You’ll get the injury report later on, but we expect him to practice today.”
(Are there any players who are out that could be unexpected?) – “No.”
(Can you share with us the 2021 team captains?) – “Yes. Offensively (it is) Jesse Davis, Mack Hollins. Defensively (it is) Elandon Roberts, Jason McCourty. And in the kicking game, (Clayton) Fejedelem.”
(I’m curious what your game day routine is for yourself, especially on the road. Do you get up early, get a workout in? What do you go through to mentally get yourself ready?) – “It depends on a 1 o’clock versus 4 o’clock or night (game). I try to get a good night’s sleep. We prepare throughout the week so I feel pretty good going in. Get a good night’s sleep, no work out. Maybe watch a little bit of film, go through the game plan one more time, see if there is any thought that I may have, talk to the coordinators see if there is a thought they may have. There are a thousand things it could be. ‘Hey, what do you think about this player on this, or this route on this third down play, or this concept’ or something we could do defensively that may be a little bit different than what we practiced, which is a minor adjustment. That’s the word I was looking for was a minor adjustment that we could make.”
(Do you eat something or just something you make for your own…?) – “No. No rituals. I eat what I feel like – what’s in the café, what I feel like, what looks good. I don’t have any rituals.”
(Alabama now has three starting quarterbacks in the NFL that were all consecutive. You’re obviously facing one and you have one on your own team. That program’s ability to turn out high-level quarterbacks says what about the job they do there?) – “I don’t think it’s just quarterbacks. They have position players throughout – offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebackers, safeties, corners, receivers, tight ends. They do a good job there of recruiting and then coaching the players so they can have success at their level, which gives them an opportunity to play in this league, and they’ve had a lot of success in this league as well. Coach (Nick) Saban has done a great job. His staff has done a great job. They’ve done a great job recruiting and we’ve got a few ‘Bama players on our team. We’re pleased and happy with those players. They came to us with good fundamentals, good techniques, knowledge of the game, knowledge of situations and that’s a testament to the program they were at.”
(Out of your team captains, I thinks it fair to say that WR Mack Hollins is a little bit under the radar during training camp. What did you see from him in terms of leadership and why he’s worthy of being a team captain this year?) – “I think that’s probably under the radar from your vantage point, but in our locker room – that’s just something no one else would know. He brings energy on a daily basis. He works hard. It’s important to him. He plays in a variety of positions. He plays in the kicking game. I think he does a lot of good things for our team. His teammates elected him captain and I think they did that for a reason.”
(How pronounced is the difference between Week 1 scouting report versus Weeks 2 through Week 17? There is educated guesswork every week obviously, but particularly so in Week 1, I would think. Is it a significant difference in what you show guys?) – “Yeah, I mean in Week 1, that’s when you have the least amount of information. I think a lot of it is predicting, forecasting based off of the preseason, based on what players have done in the past, what coaches have done in the past. But coaches change. We all go through different concepts, different themes throughout the offseason – offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. (We all) implement a few new things. I think at the end of the day, Game 1 is about fundamentals, techniques, communication, tackling well – which is obviously a part of fundamentals – throwing, catching the ball, playing penalty free. I think those things, no matter what week, those are things that are standard operating procedures you have to have. But Week 1 from a scouting plays, schematic concept standpoint, yeah you have the least amount of information. Then you really rely on your rules, believe your rules, follow your rules and your fundamentals. I think if you do that, really in any game, it’s probably your best bet.”
(What would be your thoughts for QB Tua Tagovailoa relative to using his voice to stress his input on not only the offensive concepts, but the weekly game plan?) – “There is always a discussion from the quarterback, in the quarterback room, within the entire offense. We’re running a route, here are the depths. He’s talking to the receivers, he’s talking to the backs, he’s talking to the O-line. As far as input on the game plan, yeah there is definitely input from the quarterback and quarterback room. I think that input is also based on the players you’ve got around him. I talked to so and so and he wants to run it like this, or I talked to this guy and he thinks he can get open on this. I don’t know if it’s specifically Tua’s input. I think it’s Tua’s relationships, which turns into a team input on what we would do offensively, if that makes sense.”
(Is there a cut-off point where you have to prepare for this game without T Austin Jackson or TE Adam Shaheen, or is there still hope that either of those players can play?) – “Yeah. They are not here, so we are preparing as if they are not going to play. We’ll go through the process. If we get them back, we get them back; but as of right now we’re going through it as if they are not going to be there.”
(How do you balance going against a quarterback who’s playing in his first NFL game trying to confuse him with looks, make his mind go a million miles an hour versus just doing what you do defensively, knowing he’s inexperienced and maybe mistakes you try to force will maybe come naturally?) – “I’d like to think we’re always trying to disguise and create a situation where it’s not easy for the quarterback. I’d like to think that. I think that’s always part of the game plan. That player has the ball in his hands on every snap, so if you can disrupt that player, then you have a good chance of creating disruptive plays. I think we’re always trying to have an effect on the quarterback – rookie, veteran. I think that’s where it starts, I would say just at least from a pass game standpoint. But they’ve got a very good run game. I think we’re a little bit of ‘Mac Jones, Mac Jones, Mac Jones.’ He’s a good player, but they’ve got a lot of good players on that offense and defense and kicking game, so I think for us, we’re playing the Patriots. They’ve got a good offensive line. They’ve got good tight ends. They’ve got good receivers and I think there’s a lot to handle there. If we just put our emphasis on affecting the quarterback, then they’ll probably get us somewhere else. So there’s a lot here.”
(There’s a lot of talk of players making a big jump from Year 2 to Year 3. Where do you think your biggest jump has been now entering your third season in charge here?) – “I think I just take this one day at a time. I don’t really kind of look at it of where was I last year versus this year. Right now I’m just trying to help our guys have success, help our guys improve, help our guys get better today. I just don’t think that way. I don’t think about where I was a year ago from where I am now. I try to be present and I think that’s how I’ve kind of operated. I try to get our players to operate that way and I don’t think about next week or last week or last year. I just try to be in the moment.”
(You’ve obviously gone back to New England a few times now as head coach of the Dolphins and obviously you’re focused on the task at hand which is the game and your opponent, but are there moments when you’re there where you get a little more reflective – maybe even dare I say more – I don’t think I will dare say that because you’re always motivated – but is there anything special that even after the game, before the game, that stands out when you’re in new England on that other sideline?) – “This has happened twice and one time there was no fans, so it was a very different atmosphere and then the other one was two years ago and again, I’m not a guy who kind of thinks to what happened two years ago. I was there for a long time. I learned a lot there. There’s a lot of – obviously from Bill (Belichick), and I’m very fortunate to have been there. I enjoyed my time there and there’s still some people there that I have good relationships with and then I have a great deal of respect for their coaching staff, the people in that organization; but when we go there, we’re going there to compete. And there’s no – that’s what it is. I’ve said this before – they know that. Bill (Belichick) – everyone on his staff is there to compete and that’s what I learned there and I’ve taken that with me here and that’s my approach. So there’s no nostalgia. I know I used that word the other day, but I’m just going there to compete.”
(I noticed LB Jaelan Phillips listed third-team on the initial depth chart. What factors played into that decision?) – “I wouldn’t look too deep into the depth chart. Jaelan (Phillips) has worked really hard. We have so many different groupings. You can only put one group on the depth chart so I want to say it’s the base group. Actually I think it’s the nickel group. So a lot of groupings – we’ve got nickel, we’ve got dime, we’ve got base, we’ve got nine DBs in the game. We’ve got a lot of different groupings. He’s worked hard. I think we’ll find a way to get him some snaps, but we’re going to play the guys we feel give us the best chance to have success.”
(You want to play the best five on the offensive line. If T Liam Eichenberg were to rise into that for Week 1, your comfort level in playing him at a position where he hasn’t practiced all training camp, even though he does have college experience there?) – “We’re going to play the best five. Obviously part of that is making sure all five guys are comfortable playing the position that they’re playing and we have to feel comfortable with that, that the players are comfortable. That’s what we’ll do. Liam’s played a few different positions and I think that’s the case for a lot of guys on our line. Rob Hunt has played tackle. Jesse (Davis) has played tackle and guard – left side, right side. (Michael) Deiter has played guard. Rob Jones was a tackle in college. We like the versatility and that’s why we have it, for situations like this where we could potentially be down one guy; and if that’s the case, then the next guy’s got to kind of step up. I think we’ll be comfortable with whoever we put out there.”
(You’ve said many times that you tend to be present like the answer you stated a couple minutes ago. You just focus on what’s in front of you. Do you find that players generally have that same approach or is that something you kind of have to steer them toward?) – “I think we all naturally think about the past, think about the future. I think that’s just kind of general human nature or that’s been in conversations with people about this topic. What’s in front of me, what happened – I think it’s harder to stay present. I think there’s a discipline to trying to be in the moment. And yeah, I think that’s something we talk about a lot and I think in this game, if you’re thinking about what happened on a previous play, that could affect you on the next play. So we want them to be in the moment because good or bad, we’ve got to focus on the next play. ‘I just scored. I’m good.’ No, that’s not how we want to operate. Or ‘I just had a bad play. I’m no good.’ No, that’s not how we want to operate. I think that’s not just a football lesson. It’s really a life lesson and if you can apply to that to the other things in our lives, then I think we’d all be better for it. So just my thoughts, not that they mean much. (laughter)”
(What are your on-field expectations for QB Tua Tagovailoa on Sunday?) – “Good fundamentals, good technique, good communication, good decisions and that he has fun playing this game that he loves to play. That’s part of this, too. Nobody talks about that, but that’s part of this, too. I love coaching football. I’m going to be having fun on Sunday because I’m doing what I love to do, and hopefully you guys are all doing what you love to do – covering the team – and the players are doing what they love to do – playing the game. So that’s what I’ll tell him to do.”
Miami Dolphins make practice squad transactions
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed tackle Bobby Hart to the practice squad and placed tackle Adam Pankey on the practice squad/injured list.
| Name | Pos. | Hgt. | Wgt. | Birthdate | Exp. | College | Hometown | Acq. |
| Bobby Hart | T | 6-5 | 310 | 8/21/94 | 7 | Florida State ’15 | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. | FA, ‘21 |
