Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, outside linebacker Jared Verse, wide receiver Davante Adams, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, and defensive coordinator Chris Shula talk about Sunday's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Meanwhile, running back Kyren Williams discusses being named the Rams' 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year club winner.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Yeah, I thought it was great.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You know, they both you could feel him both early on,
you know, right from the get go.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Again, in the run game, it takes everyone.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I thought our lying tod a tremendous job just you know,
setting the line of scrimmage. You know, our receivers per usual,
they got their face and their titans did a great job.
So again collectively, it took all eleven, but you could
definitely feel those backs. I thought they fed well, you know,
worked well off of each other. So yeah, I mean
(00:45):
it'd be a question for him, I think, But if
you're asking me, I do I think he I think
he does look fresher and naturally right when you had
the workload that he had last year, I mean he
was the workload was you know, the highest in the
league in terms of percentage of playing time for running back.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So just being able to you know, supplement.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
That with a guy that's so capable as you guys
are seeing, Blake's just getting more and more comfortable out there,
being in his second year. So and again I think
they whoever's in there, they work well off each other.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
So what is about Blake's development.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
This year that it has him more?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah, I think it's just he's always been a very
good player, right date back to high school, going to Michigan,
playing in big time games in college football, all over
the map, winn the National Championship.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Being Blake Rum. I mean, I'm from Michigan.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
You go to back home to Michigan, people are asking
about Blake more than basically anybody there. So he's an
absolute legend there because of what he did last year.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
You know, obviously Kyron.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Took a big workload, so he never really totally gotten
into a rhythm. Thought he was running really well in
that last game, and then obvious vers Seattle and obviously
got hurt right there. So just being in year two
getting getting more ops, he's taking advantage of it.
Speaker 5 (01:51):
Xavior Smith look stepping into that role.
Speaker 6 (01:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I think it's the same thing as as kind of Blake.
I mean, the more he's played, the better he gets.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
I think my comment to Xavier every single Sunday before
he takes a feel as you belong, you know, because
he does, and and he's earned it. He's earned the
trust of not just the coaches but his teammates. When
he's out there, we just feel like something good's gonna happen.
And again that's not just because he had you know whatever,
it was eighty one yards you know, last game. I
mean you think about the first game, Matthew hitting him
(02:20):
on that corner route what we call a pylon route,
you know, versus Houston, that got us into in the
scoring position. So again it's he just gets better and
better with with time. And I think I know Exavier's
best days are ahead of him too.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Was in person.
Speaker 7 (02:33):
They've already been so that.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
On the other hand, seven of them, Mary Boss, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
I mean if you didn't know what the record was,
you wouldn't say they've only won three games.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
And they're always like that.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
I mean, anytime you play in a division divisional opponent,
you're gonna get their best shot. You know, they're gonna
get our best shot. We're gonna get their best shot.
I mean that's just the nature of the Beast when
you play them. Like you said, they've had a lot
of close games. It's it's crazy how many close games
they've had. I think they're an extremely well coached team.
Not that I pay attention to their offense, but you
see enough crossover. I think their offense is really well
coached as well. They got good players. I just I
(03:09):
have a lot of respect for Jonathan Gannon and their
crew and what they do and how the players play.
It's going to be a battle like it is every Sunday.
Speaker 8 (03:17):
Was your reaction to the block that Jordan Winnington had
on that long run from Blake Korum.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I couldn't hear it because I was up in the box,
but you watch the TV copy and then from what
I've heard from the sideline is you could hear the
pop on that too. So it's just Jordan being Jordan.
It's why he's out there, because he does things. He's
so so unselfish. He doesn't care if he has a ball.
He just wants to be contributing, you know, to the offense,
moving the ball forward, contributing to special teams.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
It's the kind of human he is, kind of player
he is.
Speaker 9 (03:46):
Warren mcclennon has taken advantage of his opportunities when he's
gotten in there. What are the biggest areas of growth
that you've seen from him this year?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
I think, you know, I've kind of been asked about him.
It feels like every single week. I think his physical
and playing maturity, if that makes sense. It's just everything
is just calmed down for him. And again, I've been
on record saying that first year was kind of wasn't
totally fair for him, right, he was just banged up
really when he got here and never really got healthy.
(04:13):
And going into that second here was kind of, in
my opinion, his rookie year, and there he is getting
thrown out there on the left side, you know, in
week two last year versus Arizona, where he's obviously more
comfortable to his right side.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
So's he's just developed.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Credit to Ryan Wendell, but but more so credit to
him as a player, as a person to put himself
in a position to have the success in my opinion,
that he's having.
Speaker 10 (04:35):
We were asking Chris last week just about with NFL
coaching opportunities probably opening up at the end of the season,
his name is kind of floating. Do you have a
desire to become a play call an offensive coordinator that's
calling plays?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Again? Yeah, I mean absolutely, it's a fun job, you know,
truly being in it, like I tell Sean, truly being
in it with the guys for that three and a
half hour window. Because everything in this league matters, the
play call matters. The detail within the week matters. The
players going out and executing matters, the players making us
right when we're wrong with the play call. I mean,
(05:12):
all of it. It goes hand in hand in this league.
That's why it's so it's so fun. With that being said,
that's not where any.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Of my focus is right now.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I mean, this is, uh, this is an awesome job
that I have. I love being here, I love being
in this organization. I love, you know, being with these guys.
I love being with the quarterbacks every single day. It's
you know, it's nothing that I think about. You know,
whatever happens happens.
Speaker 8 (05:37):
We're obviously on a roll for several weeks here. What
did you see as sort of some of the issues
that popped up on Sunday?
Speaker 11 (05:43):
Yeah, I mean, humility is a day away in this league,
and you know, we knew that going in.
Speaker 6 (05:47):
And uh, you know, obviously you give a lot.
Speaker 7 (05:49):
Of credit to them.
Speaker 11 (05:50):
They played well, they played physical out the line of scrimmage,
and they made it one on one players on the
outside when they have to have them.
Speaker 6 (05:55):
So you know, you chuck it up like what it is.
Speaker 11 (05:58):
You know, it's a bad game, and we got to
respond bounce back, and that's what we're gonna do.
Speaker 12 (06:02):
I think had any bounce second. There's obviously there's a
pretty confidence of books and stack over those six games
with When these one and you don't live up to
your own expectations, is it a complete reset in?
Speaker 11 (06:15):
You know, just like you have to do after you
play well, you just try to lock in every single
week and focus on the details. Be urgent, you know,
every little thing practice walk through and you and you
just dive into the preparation and uh, you know, every
week's its own entity, every game preparing. We had a
really tough challenge ahead on us no matter what we
did last week, and so you know, we're all eyes
(06:36):
on moving forward and uh, you know, and we'll be
ready to go.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
With the Panthers did a good job running the ball.
Speaker 10 (06:42):
But is there anything that you guys need to sharpen
up in terms of run defense specifically to kind of
get back to where you were?
Speaker 11 (06:52):
Yeah, for sure, you know, technique execution, some of the calls,
you know, we could put them in better spots and
some of the times, you know, guys trying to do
too much or you know, playing within the scheme of
the defense. You know, I think it's a combination of
a lot of different things and uh, definitely a lot
of things that we got to clean up and got
to do it fast.
Speaker 10 (07:08):
When when you're saying, you know, especially as a defensive
play caller on offense, they know what they're gonna do,
they know what they're gonna run. So in terms of
like you say, putting your guys in better position, is
that just from your perspective anticipating what's coming the better
play call or.
Speaker 11 (07:25):
One hundred percent, Yeah, you know, fill in the flow
of the game, anticipating how they were trying to play it,
and uh, you know, trying to you know, play that game,
and uh, you know you're always kind of playing that
cat and mouse game, just like you said, Gary, as
a defensive coordinator, you know, you know, we're we're reacting
to exactly what the offensive does and uh, you know,
there's definitely things that that we could do throughout the game.
And and it really goes in any game. It's not
just that game that maybe calls or things that you're
(07:47):
gonna want to have back, and then there's sometimes you're
in a good call and you know, we got to
go execute better. So you know, it's always going to
be a combination of those things, win or lose, and uh,
you know, unfortunately last week we had to learn from
the loss.
Speaker 9 (07:58):
Sean said that, uh, cam Curl has really stepped up
as a leader since Q went down. How have you
seen that materialize?
Speaker 13 (08:06):
He really has.
Speaker 11 (08:07):
And then and you know what it's really been all season?
You felt that really since Otias. You know, he's a
quieter guy and uh, but I think he's a guy
that when he talks, people are listening, and he has
the respect of the whole defense. It starts with this
play on the field and his play and practice and
his preparation. And uh, I think being in his second
year in the system, he's kind of one of the
(08:28):
guys that, you know, you feel like he's kind of
grown with us throughout the whole system. And uh, he
has a ton of confidence and he's one of our
smartest players, one of our best communicators, and he's definitely
because of that, he's definitely one of the leaders of
the defense.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
You're upsidelight back the se success last year, but at
the end of the season.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
He sat down either an invidial players or from.
Speaker 7 (08:48):
Leo what sort of conversations you thought.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
About, how do you best need improve in them?
Speaker 11 (08:53):
Yeah, you're you're always gonna say, you know, stuff that
you can improve on, and you know some of that
stuff is we do we do a cool thing with
me and the individual guys on things that they could
do better, and you know, what are the things that
they do best on? And uh, you know we're constantly
evaluating that really, whether it's throughout the season or training camp,
and uh, you know, as a unit, I think they all,
you know, I think they all would tell you that
they could be you know, every single play just a
(09:16):
little bit better focus, every single play. And it's like,
I think that's always going to be the case, and uh,
you know that's what we're working on.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
When you thought about the job, Joe's don him.
Speaker 6 (09:24):
Oh he's unbelievable.
Speaker 11 (09:25):
You know, he's I've learned, you know, I coached outside backers,
you know, and in nineteen and twenty and uh, you know,
you know, list sending him in his meeting rooms. You know,
it's like, oh my gosh, I would do things a
lot differently. I've learned so much how he coaches it.
He's tough on him, but he develops a relationship with
those guys, so he can be tough on those guys
(09:46):
and uh, and that's how those guys want to be coached.
And uh, and you see it, and you see how
he's developed. You know, all the guys that have come
through here since he's been here. He does such a
great job, and you know, and those guys love playing
for him.
Speaker 8 (09:57):
Sure, A versus talked about how he wanted to really
l take a year or two leap, even though he
knows he's getting more attention because of what he did
last year. So because what have you seen from him
as offenses have kind of shifted attention and how he's
handled that.
Speaker 11 (10:10):
So far, He's done a great job. And it's playing
play out. He's made a conscious effort to be running
to the ball and doing his job within the scheme
of the defense and playing hard and being example by
how hard he plays. He knows he's one of our
best players, and he knows where guys are looking to
him with how hard he plays and how tough and
physically he is. So he's not one of those guys
that's just looking every single play to go get a sack.
(10:31):
He wants to do the best for the defense, and
the most part, he wants to play good defense and
get a win. And however you contribute to help doing that,
he wants to do it.
Speaker 8 (10:39):
So what do you feel like is next as he's
in this still development stage.
Speaker 11 (10:43):
Yeah, it's really just continue to grow and build on
what he does and just just consistency doing it to
every single play playing and play out, and you know
he does it a lot, you know, and then it's
just like continuing to harp on him, stay on him,
just like we talked about with Joe Coniglio. He's gonna
stay on him every single play and he's been pre
acticing at a really high level and you're seeing that
transition to the games.
Speaker 12 (11:03):
Obviously in years past, you're apparent for Kaymer Murray.
Speaker 7 (11:06):
Was it different chan Kobe for.
Speaker 11 (11:08):
Sat Yeah, I mean I think it's pretty obvious, Uh,
you know, more obviously more of a true drop back guy,
and uh, you know, you're not a lot different stuff
with some of the stuff that they can activate with Kyler,
whether it's design QB runs or him scrambling around. So
you know, but Jacobe is a great QB and he's
been in this league a long time, seeing a lot
of different looks. I think he's in a in an
(11:28):
offense that he's very comfortable playing in that fits his
skill set. He's tough and strong in the pocket, he
can throw the ball all over the field, and he's
playing at a really, really high level.
Speaker 12 (11:38):
There's always this fine line in the NFL sometimes between
winning and losing, and Sean was saying, don't even look
at their record, because.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Did you see that on tape? You do? You do?
Speaker 11 (11:49):
I wouldn't know, you know, you wouldn't really know what
the record. You would think they're you know whatever. As
far as watching the tape, it's a really good offense.
And we've seen him on defense their crossover and uh
and really over the years since Gannon's been there, they
fly around on defense and UH and you know, we
see him on crossover table all the time. And it's
a really tough offensive play, really good line. You know,
(12:09):
a bunch of good backs. They run the ball, they
have really good concepts, good schemes, physical, obviously, great receivers
on the outside, and probably one of the best tight
ends in the league.
Speaker 7 (12:18):
So it's a huge challenge.
Speaker 12 (12:19):
Sometimes we hear this phrase trap game.
Speaker 14 (12:22):
Is this in any way a trapped beam when they're
eliminated in the playoffs.
Speaker 11 (12:26):
No, I don't think our guys, you know, I you know,
we played them last year. They have a lot of
the same guys back and the same coaches back, and
obviously we knew what happened in that first game, and
the second game went down to the wire, and uh no,
we know it's gonna take our best and we know
it's gonna be a sixty minion game.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
I think as the buying the playoffs before the Packers,
what when you.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Get to the end of this season for them, what
significant does that do the rest of the playoff couns.
Speaker 15 (12:52):
I mean, just the rest obviously getting that guaranteed you know, win.
I guess the young guys always concerned about not getting
a check for that week. I don't know how that
goes anymore. But but as you get older, you just
start appreciating just you know, a little bit extra rest,
kind of another bye week for you and just a
chance to just sit back and watch football, regroup and
obviously getting getting that that that number one seed that
(13:14):
you know, everything gotta go through. You know where where
you are, which is here, going coming through La, controlling
the weather and things like that. You know, we go
and play show up and make it happen where we go.
But if we can control the elements and stuff like
that and you know, have our home crowd, obviously that's
a big thing for us because you can see not to.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
Focus on that the possibility and playoff seating or anything
right now.
Speaker 7 (13:34):
Yeah, it's too early for that.
Speaker 15 (13:35):
I mean they were just singing our praises a week
ago and now we suck, you know, just because we
go out and don't win the game. So you can't
get it's a very emotional game that you you have
to make sure you balance yourself and find a way
to kind of deal with the ebbs and flows and
not not ride the roller coaster, you know, cause things
things are aren't always gonna go great, and you may
lose a game here and there. And I've been a
(13:56):
part of teams where we had to run the table.
I'm sure you guys remember that back in the day
Aaron with run the table movement. And then we went
out and went to the playoffs and obviously didn't go
to the super Bowl. But just not to feeling like
you have a shot with you know, five or six
weeks left and then you can, you know, make it
happen just by staying focused, and you know we're going
want to know each week.
Speaker 7 (14:14):
So that's more our mentality as.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
A young receiver.
Speaker 10 (14:17):
Did you follow Larry Fitzgerald much and what about him
stood out to you?
Speaker 15 (14:23):
Yeah, I Fit's actually in a very organic way, became
like a mentor to me. When I more saw I'd
say around twenty nineteen is when I really started dealing
with him and talking to a more you know, he
kind of took me under his wing, took care of me,
sent somebody out very expensive doctor, I guess you could say,
to come and help me out when I got turf
(14:44):
toe in twenty nineteen. And I didn't really know him
too well before that. I mean we met after games
and I told him, you know how much respect I
had or whatever, But just threw a couple of mutual
you know, friends, teammates. We got connected and I found
out that he, you know, had kind of like like
a an infinity for me, and and you know it
just was synonymous. So we just got connected and I
(15:06):
kind of just followed his way, and you know the
way he moved as a pro. I had good examples
in front of me, you know, my teams as well,
but just having somebody like that who's you know, uh
a football guy legend in this game. You know that
obviously meant a lot to me to have somebody kind
of take me under their wing, and so I definitely
take advantage of it.
Speaker 10 (15:22):
You are, you're kind of on the verge with a
few more of uh tying him the career touchdowns and
being the same kind of company with him.
Speaker 7 (15:31):
Yeah, what does that mean to you?
Speaker 15 (15:33):
I mean, uh, honestly, it's it's a blessing. It's anytime
you can be mentioned with any of the names that
are coming up, you know, as as these weeks on fold,
you know, scoring touchdowns, being up there with some of
those guys, you know, the all time yards catches, whatever
it is. It's just it's all the lead company and
definitely blessed.
Speaker 7 (15:49):
Fun differ when you had.
Speaker 12 (15:51):
Such I ask ask persons of admiration.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Mm.
Speaker 7 (15:56):
Yeah, and then he does a thing with a turf tub.
Speaker 12 (15:59):
Clearly enhanced relationship. What was it after that that you
learned even more?
Speaker 4 (16:05):
Like?
Speaker 15 (16:06):
Well, I mean I didn't know the person too much
before that, Honestly, I just knew from what we all
know about him just being kind of like a you know,
the man of the Year type type guy, you know,
stand up guy, business acumen, just kind of like a
well rounded human being, you know, obviously having football, but
I see a lot of myself and him or whichever.
Speaker 7 (16:25):
I don't know which way to put that, but.
Speaker 15 (16:28):
It's a lot of the same because I feel like
I got a lot of depth to me, and it's
not just.
Speaker 7 (16:31):
The football aspect. I feel like, if you know, football.
Speaker 15 (16:34):
Was never a part of you know, my my future,
and I never you know, played in the NFL, there
would have been something that I would have figured out
to do at a high level. And he's the same
way where you know, as soon as he's done playing,
even while he's there, he's got the son's thing, you know,
he's a part of the ownership there. You know, all
these all these different you know, a venture capital type deals.
So just learning from that, seeing that there's a way
(16:55):
to expand and just as a person, you know, outside
of football, that was the biggest for me.
Speaker 9 (17:00):
Do you try and you know, be a mentor to
younger receivers now kind of the way that that Larry Fitzgerald.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
Was to you.
Speaker 15 (17:07):
Yeah, No, for sure, I'm not, I think too when
like kind of like an organic thing like with what
fits with me. I think Travis Hunter is somebody that
I haven't necessarily spent a bunch of time with, but
he's expressed interest in, you know, wanting to just hear
how I think, you know, how I talk about routes,
different things like that, and obviously him being who he is,
(17:27):
that's that's a no brainer for me. He's being coached
by who was my receiver coach when I first got
to Green Bay and then who was my last receiver
coach in Vegas. So just having that connection we kind
of got connected. Same with Brian Thomas over there. So
really anybody. I mean, I've talked to guys, you know,
justin when he first got in the league a little bit,
nothing like to the level what fits differ for me,
(17:48):
But I kind of let those things organically unfold. And
I don't want to go around just giving unsolicited advice
all the time, making people think I know everything because
I definitely don't, but trying to just offer up as
much as I can.
Speaker 12 (17:59):
In life, sometime you grow and most and do something
or anale so to speak. Does that apply in your
in this profession as a wide receiver.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
When you lose the game.
Speaker 7 (18:10):
I mean, yeah, it can.
Speaker 15 (18:12):
I think it's just when you just sort more process driven,
and some of the things got taken out of context
when I was with Vegas, you know, talking about I
think we beat like the Patriots or something one weak
and it just looked like or excuse me, it didn't
look good on offense, and you know, everybody was happy
that we won the game, and I wasn't obviously exactly flattered,
because you know, it was it didn't look like how
(18:34):
it was supposed to look. You know, it's kind of
like the AJ Brown type situation where you know, him
wanting to to you know, obviously being happy about winning
the game, but wanting his part of the thing to
be a reason why, you know, not necessarily his, but
he's on offense. He wants the offense to look the
right way. So it's one of those deals where you
you know, you want so much for the for the team.
So you could take it as a lesson and apply it.
(18:56):
But for the most part, if you just say process
driven and stay locked into your details, that's ultimately what
we after.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
How does your twelvey, your son it's just your first
like til free agency and obviously made any football decisions.
Speaker 5 (19:07):
And you're having wanta fight here. Y on a personal
level of your family and everything. What has it been
like in LA and being part of this team.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
It's been awesome.
Speaker 15 (19:16):
I mean, my family's feeling in love, you know, the
everybody that works here as far as that that gets
connected with the families that they've they've all appreciated how they.
Speaker 7 (19:24):
You know, been helping out. LA is not the worst
spot to live.
Speaker 15 (19:27):
I mean, the weather's beautiful and you know, in December
we got sixty seventy degrees, so it's feels like home.
Speaker 8 (19:34):
How does the hamstring feel? And is this the same
issue you dealt with early in the seasons or is
it any different?
Speaker 15 (19:39):
No, it's different. It's a little different spot, but it's
it's feeling good though. I'm feeling feeling much better than
what I anticipated, and honestly just wanted to be smart
about it it. I felt it kind of early in
the game last week and was able to get through
the game just fine.
Speaker 7 (19:53):
So just wanna manage it.
Speaker 15 (19:54):
So we got a turtle race coming up here, so
we just gotta make sure we available.
Speaker 8 (19:59):
Sure do You guys have been so good against the
run for most this year. So when you look back
at last week, what'd you feel like was maybe a
little bit off that, like they run the balls away.
Speaker 14 (20:07):
I think we took advantage of knowing that a lot
of people, you know, kind of understood that we were
good against the run and kind of, you know, leaned
a little bit away from it. So the fact that
you know, a team came out there and started running
it against us kind of took us by surprise.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
We weren't grounded the way we usually are.
Speaker 10 (20:22):
That game against Arizona last year was like one of
your first NFL games?
Speaker 7 (20:29):
What do you recall about that?
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I mean, we got well, but you know.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
And for you, I mean for you playing in one
of your you know, first games, what was that experience?
Speaker 14 (20:39):
It was you know, kind of like the mindset of like,
no matter what's going on, you gotta keep pushing through it.
Like all my college career, you know, a floroida to stay.
I never was really down by like a lot, so,
you know, kind of being down by a good amount
and you know, knowing that we still have to play,
You still gotta finish the game.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
You still got to be better than your aspect, And
there was.
Speaker 14 (20:55):
A lot of things I took away from that game
personally that, oh, I can't do this in the NFL game,
they're gonna do this.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I can't do this. I can't do that. So I
take a lot away as I want.
Speaker 12 (21:02):
Do you believe in this trade draft game? They're three
and nine?
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Lot of close games?
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Is that registered with you at all? I don't believe
in traff games real. I mean, it's the NFL.
Speaker 14 (21:13):
At every game you're liable to lose, whether a team
got a way better record than you are, a way
waste record than you.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
It's the NFL. Like it's it's just as simple as that.
Speaker 14 (21:19):
It's not like a college where you an FBS school
top you know in the country, and you're going up
against some small you know, D two or anything like
That's not that.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
How did you describe what it's like outside like that?
Speaker 5 (21:29):
The trip?
Speaker 3 (21:31):
I'm like you said, what, how would you describe it?
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Like?
Speaker 3 (21:34):
What it's like?
Speaker 9 (21:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (21:35):
Like your relationship with another one?
Speaker 14 (21:36):
Oh, I feel like I got a good relationship with
they buy me. I feel like we all laugh a lot,
we joke a lot, but we also know how to
get down the business. Like when we're on the field,
all that laughing and joking kind of goes away. But
when we're in a meeting room, when we walking around,
we got like we'll go out, We'll hang out, you know,
just go dorab dinner and stuff like that, like we
have a good relationship with everybody, true, U joke Joe,
I when't. Actually I thought one of the like I
(21:58):
first met with Joe, you know, pre drafting anything like that,
I thought he hated me. Like I thought there was
no way in hell I was coming to the Rams
because I thought he hated me, Like he didn't laugh
and smile at all there and our meeting anything like that.
I was like, ah, but you know, since I've gotten
known well, you know, since the time I've been here,
me and him, I've grown very close.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
He calls me a lot.
Speaker 14 (22:13):
He'll askt me how I played, what I thought. He'll
get me his thoughts on how I can be better,
or you know you did this?
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Keep doing this? You know, we have a good relationship.
Speaker 14 (22:22):
What a very successful a compensation and after the season,
like your accent, it was a lot of playing like
within the defense, within the scheme of the structure of
being a one of the eleven, not like, you know,
having ten other people trying to cover me up, because
that doesn't make sense for anybody, you know, being one
of the eleven. That's why I feel like our defense
has had so much success this here is because I've
(22:44):
gotten more accustomed to my role of just doing my job.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
I don't have to be Superman all the time. I
just got to do what needs to be done.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Did you tell Joe about that pre draft first impression
when you did get here, and if so.
Speaker 14 (22:52):
Is probably talk to him aout it at least once
a month about it, and that I genuinely thought he
hated me. I was like, but this dude doesn't even
like like he didn't smile at all, Like when I
first got here, I thought his smile was sarcastic. So
now we have a good relationship though, Okay, yeah, he's
all he's I think, besides myself and besides my immediate family.
I think he probably is the person that wants me
to be successful the most. So you know, when he
(23:13):
sees me not reaching my full potential or doing something
that is more average than anything, he immediately gets on me.
He kind of gives me am not in another disrespectful way,
but in a man the man your bed.
Speaker 12 (23:24):
In that way, I'll be as last year's you guts
you can playing Kyler Murray running quarterback.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
Now it's gonna be for sad in your position. You
love a challenge.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
You like a running quarterback more do you like teny years.
Speaker 12 (23:37):
Back going after a drop?
Speaker 3 (23:39):
I hate running quarterbacks.
Speaker 14 (23:40):
I don't want you running around all day like well,
like the first game we had against Kyler, I should
have had like three sacks, but he just kept running around.
Like when they have a you know, great maneuverability like
Kyler does, it makes it a lot harder. You know,
obviously he has like great like he's can run, he
can do all that good stuff. But he's not like
Kyler is like one on one like he's basically like
he has the ability to run like a wide receiver
(24:01):
but throw like a quarterback. He's a special challenge.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
A lot of guys have.
Speaker 9 (24:05):
Talked about Sean de Fay's ability to, you know, up
people's confidence and then get people to believe in themselves
more than they thought they could based on his belief
in people. Do you have an example of him.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
Doing that for you.
Speaker 14 (24:16):
Uh yeah, I mean the past two games this year,
I wasn't playing, you know, my best ball. I was
getting double teamed a lot, and then you know, I
kind of like get to my head. I kind of
got frustrated and I kind of got accustomed to just
sitting down and kind of like I'm just gonna eat
up blocks and stuff like that. Sean brought me into
his room I think it was after our second game,
right before he played Philly, and he showed me a
bunch of film from last year.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
He was like, this is a guy I know.
Speaker 14 (24:38):
Like this, these first two games, we're gonna completely forget
about them, but this is a guy I know. And
from then on I was like, all right, I gotta
be better, not just for my own aspect, for my
own sake, but you know, to make him play because
he took a chance on bringing me.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Like when you draft anybody taking the chance on him.
Speaker 10 (24:51):
Are you conscious of in terms of like finishing plays
and running to the ball and all that kind of stuff.
Are you conscious of the fact that you are a
tone setter for your teammates, that they're they have they're
doing their job, but they have their eyes on you.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
Too in terms of how you're playing.
Speaker 14 (25:08):
I try not to look at it too much like that,
because when you look at it like that, like on
the tone set on this I'm that, I feel like
it kind of puts you above everybody else. Like I
just try to do my one of eleven.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
I'm gonna run to the bar. I'm gonna try to
make a player.
Speaker 14 (25:17):
I'm gonna try to do what I have to do,
but I'm not gonna do anything that's trying to put
a defensive detriment. I mean, last game, for example, I
did that. You know a good couple of times. You
see what happens like that's what happens, and I can't
do that anymore.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Obviously.
Speaker 14 (25:29):
I feel like a lot of people say that, like
your tone said, but I just try to do my job.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
I'm not trying to folks signed to else.
Speaker 10 (25:34):
So how do you Where do you feel like you?
Guys are now coming out of the last game and
going into the next one.
Speaker 16 (25:42):
I feel like today, for a Thursday, I feel like
we came out with good intensity. I feel like the
message has been to not to not lose our process
things that have been leading to our success throughout this
season and kind of just get to come back in
and assess what we needed to do better and the
ways that we can improve and come out with the
goal that we want in.
Speaker 6 (25:59):
Mind and then being able to execute it completely this weekend.
Speaker 12 (26:02):
A lot of guys haven't talked about that this week
process dripping in your time in.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
College, obviously pointing at what you're in Washington.
Speaker 12 (26:12):
Is that part of the equation or do you see
that more as a Sean McVay equation.
Speaker 16 (26:18):
I would say it was implemented in smaller ways, but
I think here in the in the the bigger picture,
in every fast and every unit meeting, in our lifts,
in the way our training room is operated, I feel
like the message is clear and there's a.
Speaker 6 (26:34):
Blueprint of how the process is going to look.
Speaker 16 (26:36):
And I think as I remember coming as a rookie
and being able to be like, Okay, there is a
plan in a process, and you watch other people and
you add things into it. But they definitely do have
a process here that allows to for you to feel
like you can play with a clear mind.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
On Sundays, a lot of guys.
Speaker 9 (26:51):
Have talked about Sean mcvay's ability to, you know, believe
in people and increase their belief in themselves. Do you
have an example of him.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Doing that for you?
Speaker 16 (27:01):
Yeah, I guess I'm in I can think of just
one of my first catches and after in my rookie
year was a was a little rpo ended up being
a little five yard route ticket for seventeen and they're
being showed in that the next week we won that
week one and the little highlight tape that we get
to watch on uh on Saturday night going into that
(27:22):
next game and being like, uh my, just thinking like
I've made the highlight tape and coaches just talking about that.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
One and it was in the team meeting and being like, wow,
I can do this. He believes in me.
Speaker 10 (27:33):
What uh what do you recall about the game against
Cardinals last year at Arizona.
Speaker 16 (27:41):
Oh, I remember not being there watching it at home,
and uh, I mean it was it was. It was
a long Sunday to say the least, but uh, just
being able to watch and the learning opportunities and how
critical each play is.
Speaker 6 (27:55):
And each snap and cut.
Speaker 16 (27:57):
Some of that coach talks about is being able to
either to continue that momentum that we're keeping or being
able to switch it back to our side and some
of those plays in that game, and those being examples
and some of the things that we know that are
arc and controllables that we can keep that momentum and that'll.
Speaker 6 (28:12):
Be put to to to plan on Sunday.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
Did you feel a little helpless being just being able
to having to watch it?
Speaker 16 (28:18):
Yeah, I've not wasn't able to really move around at
the time, was having some lower extremity issues, So I
was like, oh, man, like, never more have I been
like I wanted to play play Matt and run the score.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
You're someone that takes a lot of pride in run walking,
especially duo or otherwise. So when you're able to, you know,
execute watch like that, whether it's a place like that
or other run concepts, what's it like, especially when it
helps contribute today's like Blake and Kiren had last week.
Speaker 16 (28:46):
Yeah, I mean, there's nothing like scoring a deep bomb
and catching on and here in that moment when the
crowd goes silent and then they are rub when you
catch the ball. But there's also no better feeling than
watching I think a ja Witt when he he has
a crack block and his opportunity to flatten somebody and
is transitioning up the field to continue to block somebody,
and you see that pure excitement and the whole time
(29:07):
I'm thinking, like, man, I thought I had to go
black on the backside too, And I'm like, damn, he's
more excited than me.
Speaker 6 (29:10):
And I was like, man, I had to really demolish
that guy.
Speaker 16 (29:12):
So I think it's a standard that we have in
our room, and it makes it fun when they make
you right and the times that you don't block the
right guy or you get edge, they go out there
and break a tackle and make it still go for twenty.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
This is the team that's shown resolved in the resiliency
before this season, whether it be after losses or have
during a game when there's been a set back in
a game. Just when you think about that steadiness and resolved,
like what stands out about this team's ability to maintain
that in the matter the circumstance.
Speaker 16 (29:43):
I think some that coach has preached and that it
definitely comes through who who runs are generally number nine.
It's just the communication that happens, whether it's on the sideline,
whether it's in the huddle, throughout the play call of
helping guys with huge reminders to help us have the
best chance to go out there and execute I think
that communication and then it happens between the guys too.
(30:04):
There their head nods, their fitst bumps, there, there are
things that communicate and uh, it creates a synergy. And
when we got there and you can feel when we're
all on the same page.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
You rats on your nomination, appreciate that.
Speaker 13 (30:16):
What does that?
Speaker 5 (30:16):
What does that mean to you?
Speaker 13 (30:17):
That means everything, you know.
Speaker 17 (30:19):
I think I just want to start off and say
thank you to you know, everybody who played a part
and to allow me to even be in this position
to get to you know, I know Molly Higgins, he's
played a huge role obviously the whole RAMS organization and
then themselves the community side of the parts and things
also just allowed me to, you know, want to do
these things and then they made it possible.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
You know.
Speaker 17 (30:36):
I remember coming to Molly at the beginning of the season.
I told Molly, I said, every Tuesday, I want to
be somewhere, you know, I want to be in the community.
Speaker 13 (30:41):
I want to continue to.
Speaker 17 (30:43):
Keep inspiring impact and you know, create change and amongst
people of the young age. And so you know, Molly,
she does what she does, and she went out there,
she figured out all the things that I could be,
you know, useful at things that I could go and
do exactly what I said I wanted to do, and
you know, she made it possible. You know, shout out
to Molly and all the Rams. But to me, it's
a blessing. To me, this is why I play the game,
and you know what I do it for.
Speaker 8 (31:03):
What are some of the things that you have done
and in ways you've connected.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
With the community this year.
Speaker 17 (31:08):
Well, first of all, I think just recently what I'm
super proud of myself about was being able to host
a Turkey drive at the Lincoln Rams end of the
season banquet. And then to me, honestly, I was thinking
about it just being there, and I was thinking about, like,
remember our little league and having all those banquets as
a little league, and imagining if an NFL player you
would have walked in into that my banquet and just
(31:29):
you know, been there, like I would have been shell shocked,
you know, and so me me able to do that,
it's a blessing.
Speaker 13 (31:36):
I was able to be here with the Rams wheelchair team, being.
Speaker 17 (31:39):
Able to obviously play football, but continuing to keep dreaming,
you know, being able to not be told no by anybody.
Speaker 13 (31:45):
And those guys are the examples of that.
Speaker 17 (31:47):
You know, they're still playing football despite the disabilities that
they do have, and you know they're having fun doing it.
So being able to just meet people like that, even
the steam the steam unit at.
Speaker 13 (31:58):
The Buggers Middle School.
Speaker 17 (31:59):
Like for me, that was another great opportunity just to
be able to connect with young kids, connect with you know,
the the education and just be able to bring football
in a in a monst of just the city and
all the people that are you know, and and woven
in here and think you.
Speaker 12 (32:13):
Said, you told BALI wanted to be somewhere every Chames
Day obviously with your faith and this is December. What
it speaks to your heart about helping and going.
Speaker 17 (32:23):
Into the Christmas Yeah, uh, it's the holiday spirit, that
giving spirits, that putting others before a year for you
type of spirit obviously, that's what you're you you wish
for throughout the holidays. But I've been trying to ever
since the summer, I've been trying to be like that
every single day of life, you know, and trying to
not just be focused on how can I be in
the best mood best.
Speaker 6 (32:42):
Now.
Speaker 17 (32:43):
I want to be able to serve others, be able
to impact others, and not only just kids, but obviously
my teammates and people that I come and cross come
in contact with every day. I think it's a blessing
to be a blessing, and you, I think you have
a choice to be that. And so for me, it's
just going each going about each and every single day
with the same energy and the same love for everybody
that you have and just being able to be the
(33:03):
light in this world.
Speaker 6 (33:03):
How does that give you a balance?
Speaker 17 (33:05):
Yeah, I think it gives me all the ultimate balance,
because if I didn't have this, I'd be I'm the
type of person who sits in the house and thinks
about my run from ten weeks ago, you know. And
so this what allows me to really realize the blessing
that I do have of playing football. You know, I'm
able to step away from the field and all the
mistakes that I thought I just made and I see
a kid and they give me the smile that you
(33:26):
know I should be having on my face because I'm
living my dream, but instead they're able to do that
for me, and that allows me to realize like, man,
why am I tripping over this stuff? Like life is
so much biggers, life is so much, so much more
meanings to this besides you know, being down about a
mistake that you know you can fix. And so for me,
that's what it's all about, just being able to really
(33:47):
receive the blessings from others the way that I want
to give them too.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
You've been involved with the community and even.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Going back to your high school, yes, and a lot
of those initiatives even involved you know, youth mentorship and
engagement types of our education. Excuse the types of opportunities.
Just what's drawn you to those two in particular? I
know you're involved with the wide range, but that seems
like that's in particular a lot of what you do.
Speaker 17 (34:11):
I think it's mostly I mean, I know it for
factors leaning all my faith, you know, acts of service,
acts of faith, and just continuing to, like I said,
to have that love for not only yourself but for
others in this world. And so like you said, in
high school, I went to a Catholic high school with
my first time ever being really ever in a Catholic
in a Catholic faith, Catholic environment, Catholic just you know,
school whatever, and so what they taught me there was
(34:32):
acts of service, community service and from freshman years her
senior year, we had to do a service project every
single year and.
Speaker 13 (34:38):
I remember getting to know their dame and we didn't
we didn't.
Speaker 17 (34:41):
Really have those type of things, you know, throughout the football.
We did, but to me it wasn't enough, you know.
To me, I was always wanted to just do a
little bit more, you know. So that's why I like
when people stop me now and ask for pictures of autographs,
I always say yes, because, uh, I know how.
Speaker 13 (34:56):
It is as a kid to be able to you know,
want that.
Speaker 17 (34:58):
But just being able to wear our come from and that,
to me, that's an acces of service like that, that
is just something me taking a little bit of my
time to do something for somebody else. And so that's
just what it's all about my life. That's when I
want to focus it on, is being able to just
to continue to give to others so that you can
you know, fully receive everything else
Yeah, I thought it was great.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You know, they both you could feel him both early on,
you know, right from the get go.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Again, in the run game, it takes everyone.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
I thought our lying tod a tremendous job just you know,
setting the line of scrimmage. You know, our receivers per usual,
they got their face and their titans did a great job.
So again collectively, it took all eleven, but you could
definitely feel those backs. I thought they fed well, you know,
worked well off of each other. So yeah, I mean
(00:45):
it'd be a question for him, I think, But if
you're asking me, I do I think he I think
he does look fresher and naturally right when you had
the workload that he had last year, I mean he
was the workload was you know, the highest in the
league in terms of percentage of playing time for running back.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So just being able to you know, supplement.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
That with a guy that's so capable as you guys
are seeing, Blake's just getting more and more comfortable out there,
being in his second year. So and again I think
they whoever's in there, they work well off each other.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
So what is about Blake's development.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
This year that it has him more?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah, I think it's just he's always been a very
good player, right date back to high school, going to Michigan,
playing in big time games in college football, all over
the map, winn the National Championship.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Being Blake Rum. I mean, I'm from Michigan.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
You go to back home to Michigan, people are asking
about Blake more than basically anybody there. So he's an
absolute legend there because of what he did last year.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
You know, obviously Kyron.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Took a big workload, so he never really totally gotten
into a rhythm. Thought he was running really well in
that last game, and then obvious vers Seattle and obviously
got hurt right there. So just being in year two
getting getting more ops, he's taking advantage of it.
Speaker 5 (01:51):
Xavior Smith look stepping into that role.
Speaker 6 (01:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I think it's the same thing as as kind of Blake.
I mean, the more he's played, the better he gets.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
I think my comment to Xavier every single Sunday before
he takes a feel as you belong, you know, because
he does, and and he's earned it. He's earned the
trust of not just the coaches but his teammates. When
he's out there, we just feel like something good's gonna happen.
And again that's not just because he had you know whatever,
it was eighty one yards you know, last game. I
mean you think about the first game, Matthew hitting him
(02:20):
on that corner route what we call a pylon route,
you know, versus Houston, that got us into in the
scoring position. So again it's he just gets better and
better with with time. And I think I know Exavier's
best days are ahead of him too.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Was in person.
Speaker 7 (02:33):
They've already been so that.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
On the other hand, seven of them, Mary Boss, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
I mean if you didn't know what the record was,
you wouldn't say they've only won three games.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
And they're always like that.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
I mean, anytime you play in a division divisional opponent,
you're gonna get their best shot. You know, they're gonna
get our best shot. We're gonna get their best shot.
I mean that's just the nature of the Beast when
you play them. Like you said, they've had a lot
of close games. It's it's crazy how many close games
they've had. I think they're an extremely well coached team.
Not that I pay attention to their offense, but you
see enough crossover. I think their offense is really well
coached as well. They got good players. I just I
(03:09):
have a lot of respect for Jonathan Gannon and their
crew and what they do and how the players play.
It's going to be a battle like it is every Sunday.
Speaker 8 (03:17):
Was your reaction to the block that Jordan Winnington had
on that long run from Blake Korum.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I couldn't hear it because I was up in the box,
but you watch the TV copy and then from what
I've heard from the sideline is you could hear the
pop on that too. So it's just Jordan being Jordan.
It's why he's out there, because he does things. He's
so so unselfish. He doesn't care if he has a ball.
He just wants to be contributing, you know, to the offense,
moving the ball forward, contributing to special teams.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
It's the kind of human he is, kind of player
he is.
Speaker 9 (03:46):
Warren mcclennon has taken advantage of his opportunities when he's
gotten in there. What are the biggest areas of growth
that you've seen from him this year?
Speaker 2 (03:53):
I think, you know, I've kind of been asked about him.
It feels like every single week. I think his physical
and playing maturity, if that makes sense. It's just everything
is just calmed down for him. And again, I've been
on record saying that first year was kind of wasn't
totally fair for him, right, he was just banged up
really when he got here and never really got healthy.
(04:13):
And going into that second here was kind of, in
my opinion, his rookie year, and there he is getting
thrown out there on the left side, you know, in
week two last year versus Arizona, where he's obviously more
comfortable to his right side.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
So's he's just developed.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Credit to Ryan Wendell, but but more so credit to
him as a player, as a person to put himself
in a position to have the success in my opinion,
that he's having.
Speaker 10 (04:35):
We were asking Chris last week just about with NFL
coaching opportunities probably opening up at the end of the season,
his name is kind of floating. Do you have a
desire to become a play call an offensive coordinator that's
calling plays?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Again? Yeah, I mean absolutely, it's a fun job, you know,
truly being in it, like I tell Sean, truly being
in it with the guys for that three and a
half hour window. Because everything in this league matters, the
play call matters. The detail within the week matters. The
players going out and executing matters, the players making us
right when we're wrong with the play call. I mean,
(05:12):
all of it. It goes hand in hand in this league.
That's why it's so it's so fun. With that being said,
that's not where any.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Of my focus is right now.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I mean, this is, uh, this is an awesome job
that I have. I love being here, I love being
in this organization. I love, you know, being with these guys.
I love being with the quarterbacks every single day. It's
you know, it's nothing that I think about. You know,
whatever happens happens.
Speaker 8 (05:37):
We're obviously on a roll for several weeks here. What
did you see as sort of some of the issues
that popped up on Sunday?
Speaker 11 (05:43):
Yeah, I mean, humility is a day away in this league,
and you know, we knew that going in.
Speaker 6 (05:47):
And uh, you know, obviously you give a lot.
Speaker 7 (05:49):
Of credit to them.
Speaker 11 (05:50):
They played well, they played physical out the line of scrimmage,
and they made it one on one players on the
outside when they have to have them.
Speaker 6 (05:55):
So you know, you chuck it up like what it is.
Speaker 11 (05:58):
You know, it's a bad game, and we got to
respond bounce back, and that's what we're gonna do.
Speaker 12 (06:02):
I think had any bounce second. There's obviously there's a
pretty confidence of books and stack over those six games
with When these one and you don't live up to
your own expectations, is it a complete reset in?
Speaker 11 (06:15):
You know, just like you have to do after you
play well, you just try to lock in every single
week and focus on the details. Be urgent, you know,
every little thing practice walk through and you and you
just dive into the preparation and uh, you know, every
week's its own entity, every game preparing. We had a
really tough challenge ahead on us no matter what we
did last week, and so you know, we're all eyes
(06:36):
on moving forward and uh, you know, and we'll be
ready to go.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
With the Panthers did a good job running the ball.
Speaker 10 (06:42):
But is there anything that you guys need to sharpen
up in terms of run defense specifically to kind of
get back to where you were?
Speaker 11 (06:52):
Yeah, for sure, you know, technique execution, some of the calls,
you know, we could put them in better spots and
some of the times, you know, guys trying to do
too much or you know, playing within the scheme of
the defense. You know, I think it's a combination of
a lot of different things and uh, definitely a lot
of things that we got to clean up and got
to do it fast.
Speaker 10 (07:08):
When when you're saying, you know, especially as a defensive
play caller on offense, they know what they're gonna do,
they know what they're gonna run. So in terms of
like you say, putting your guys in better position, is
that just from your perspective anticipating what's coming the better
play call or.
Speaker 11 (07:25):
One hundred percent, Yeah, you know, fill in the flow
of the game, anticipating how they were trying to play it,
and uh, you know, trying to you know, play that game,
and uh, you know you're always kind of playing that
cat and mouse game, just like you said, Gary, as
a defensive coordinator, you know, you know, we're we're reacting
to exactly what the offensive does and uh, you know,
there's definitely things that that we could do throughout the game.
And and it really goes in any game. It's not
just that game that maybe calls or things that you're
(07:47):
gonna want to have back, and then there's sometimes you're
in a good call and you know, we got to
go execute better. So you know, it's always going to
be a combination of those things, win or lose, and uh,
you know, unfortunately last week we had to learn from
the loss.
Speaker 9 (07:58):
Sean said that, uh, cam Curl has really stepped up
as a leader since Q went down. How have you
seen that materialize?
Speaker 13 (08:06):
He really has.
Speaker 11 (08:07):
And then and you know what it's really been all season?
You felt that really since Otias. You know, he's a
quieter guy and uh, but I think he's a guy
that when he talks, people are listening, and he has
the respect of the whole defense. It starts with this
play on the field and his play and practice and
his preparation. And uh, I think being in his second
year in the system, he's kind of one of the
(08:28):
guys that, you know, you feel like he's kind of
grown with us throughout the whole system. And uh, he
has a ton of confidence and he's one of our
smartest players, one of our best communicators, and he's definitely
because of that, he's definitely one of the leaders of
the defense.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
You're upsidelight back the se success last year, but at
the end of the season.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
He sat down either an invidial players or from.
Speaker 7 (08:48):
Leo what sort of conversations you thought.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
About, how do you best need improve in them?
Speaker 11 (08:53):
Yeah, you're you're always gonna say, you know, stuff that
you can improve on, and you know some of that
stuff is we do we do a cool thing with
me and the individual guys on things that they could
do better, and you know, what are the things that
they do best on? And uh, you know we're constantly
evaluating that really, whether it's throughout the season or training camp,
and uh, you know, as a unit, I think they all,
you know, I think they all would tell you that
they could be you know, every single play just a
(09:16):
little bit better focus, every single play. And it's like,
I think that's always going to be the case, and uh,
you know that's what we're working on.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
When you thought about the job, Joe's don him.
Speaker 6 (09:24):
Oh he's unbelievable.
Speaker 11 (09:25):
You know, he's I've learned, you know, I coached outside backers,
you know, and in nineteen and twenty and uh, you know,
you know, list sending him in his meeting rooms. You know,
it's like, oh my gosh, I would do things a
lot differently. I've learned so much how he coaches it.
He's tough on him, but he develops a relationship with
those guys, so he can be tough on those guys
(09:46):
and uh, and that's how those guys want to be coached.
And uh, and you see it, and you see how
he's developed. You know, all the guys that have come
through here since he's been here. He does such a
great job, and you know, and those guys love playing
for him.
Speaker 8 (09:57):
Sure, A versus talked about how he wanted to really
l take a year or two leap, even though he
knows he's getting more attention because of what he did
last year. So because what have you seen from him
as offenses have kind of shifted attention and how he's
handled that.
Speaker 11 (10:10):
So far, He's done a great job. And it's playing
play out. He's made a conscious effort to be running
to the ball and doing his job within the scheme
of the defense and playing hard and being example by
how hard he plays. He knows he's one of our
best players, and he knows where guys are looking to
him with how hard he plays and how tough and
physically he is. So he's not one of those guys
that's just looking every single play to go get a sack.
(10:31):
He wants to do the best for the defense, and
the most part, he wants to play good defense and
get a win. And however you contribute to help doing that,
he wants to do it.
Speaker 8 (10:39):
So what do you feel like is next as he's
in this still development stage.
Speaker 11 (10:43):
Yeah, it's really just continue to grow and build on
what he does and just just consistency doing it to
every single play playing and play out, and you know
he does it a lot, you know, and then it's
just like continuing to harp on him, stay on him,
just like we talked about with Joe Coniglio. He's gonna
stay on him every single play and he's been pre
acticing at a really high level and you're seeing that
transition to the games.
Speaker 12 (11:03):
Obviously in years past, you're apparent for Kaymer Murray.
Speaker 7 (11:06):
Was it different chan Kobe for.
Speaker 11 (11:08):
Sat Yeah, I mean I think it's pretty obvious, Uh,
you know, more obviously more of a true drop back guy,
and uh, you know, you're not a lot different stuff
with some of the stuff that they can activate with Kyler,
whether it's design QB runs or him scrambling around. So
you know, but Jacobe is a great QB and he's
been in this league a long time, seeing a lot
of different looks. I think he's in a in an
(11:28):
offense that he's very comfortable playing in that fits his
skill set. He's tough and strong in the pocket, he
can throw the ball all over the field, and he's
playing at a really, really high level.
Speaker 12 (11:38):
There's always this fine line in the NFL sometimes between
winning and losing, and Sean was saying, don't even look
at their record, because.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Did you see that on tape? You do? You do?
Speaker 11 (11:49):
I wouldn't know, you know, you wouldn't really know what
the record. You would think they're you know whatever. As
far as watching the tape, it's a really good offense.
And we've seen him on defense their crossover and uh
and really over the years since Gannon's been there, they
fly around on defense and UH and you know, we
see him on crossover table all the time. And it's
a really tough offensive play, really good line. You know,
(12:09):
a bunch of good backs. They run the ball, they
have really good concepts, good schemes, physical, obviously, great receivers
on the outside, and probably one of the best tight
ends in the league.
Speaker 7 (12:18):
So it's a huge challenge.
Speaker 12 (12:19):
Sometimes we hear this phrase trap game.
Speaker 14 (12:22):
Is this in any way a trapped beam when they're
eliminated in the playoffs.
Speaker 11 (12:26):
No, I don't think our guys, you know, I you know,
we played them last year. They have a lot of
the same guys back and the same coaches back, and
obviously we knew what happened in that first game, and
the second game went down to the wire, and uh no,
we know it's gonna take our best and we know
it's gonna be a sixty minion game.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
I think as the buying the playoffs before the Packers,
what when you.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Get to the end of this season for them, what
significant does that do the rest of the playoff couns.
Speaker 15 (12:52):
I mean, just the rest obviously getting that guaranteed you know, win.
I guess the young guys always concerned about not getting
a check for that week. I don't know how that
goes anymore. But but as you get older, you just
start appreciating just you know, a little bit extra rest,
kind of another bye week for you and just a
chance to just sit back and watch football, regroup and
obviously getting getting that that that number one seed that
(13:14):
you know, everything gotta go through. You know where where
you are, which is here, going coming through La, controlling
the weather and things like that. You know, we go
and play show up and make it happen where we go.
But if we can control the elements and stuff like
that and you know, have our home crowd, obviously that's
a big thing for us because you can see not to.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
Focus on that the possibility and playoff seating or anything
right now.
Speaker 7 (13:34):
Yeah, it's too early for that.
Speaker 15 (13:35):
I mean they were just singing our praises a week
ago and now we suck, you know, just because we
go out and don't win the game. So you can't
get it's a very emotional game that you you have
to make sure you balance yourself and find a way
to kind of deal with the ebbs and flows and
not not ride the roller coaster, you know, cause things
things are aren't always gonna go great, and you may
lose a game here and there. And I've been a
(13:56):
part of teams where we had to run the table.
I'm sure you guys remember that back in the day
Aaron with run the table movement. And then we went
out and went to the playoffs and obviously didn't go
to the super Bowl. But just not to feeling like
you have a shot with you know, five or six
weeks left and then you can, you know, make it
happen just by staying focused, and you know we're going
want to know each week.
Speaker 7 (14:14):
So that's more our mentality as.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
A young receiver.
Speaker 10 (14:17):
Did you follow Larry Fitzgerald much and what about him
stood out to you?
Speaker 15 (14:23):
Yeah, I Fit's actually in a very organic way, became
like a mentor to me. When I more saw I'd
say around twenty nineteen is when I really started dealing
with him and talking to a more you know, he
kind of took me under his wing, took care of me,
sent somebody out very expensive doctor, I guess you could say,
to come and help me out when I got turf
(14:44):
toe in twenty nineteen. And I didn't really know him
too well before that. I mean we met after games
and I told him, you know how much respect I
had or whatever, But just threw a couple of mutual
you know, friends, teammates. We got connected and I found
out that he, you know, had kind of like like
a an infinity for me, and and you know it
just was synonymous. So we just got connected and I
(15:06):
kind of just followed his way, and you know the
way he moved as a pro. I had good examples
in front of me, you know, my teams as well,
but just having somebody like that who's you know, uh
a football guy legend in this game. You know that
obviously meant a lot to me to have somebody kind
of take me under their wing, and so I definitely
take advantage of it.
Speaker 10 (15:22):
You are, you're kind of on the verge with a
few more of uh tying him the career touchdowns and
being the same kind of company with him.
Speaker 7 (15:31):
Yeah, what does that mean to you?
Speaker 15 (15:33):
I mean, uh, honestly, it's it's a blessing. It's anytime
you can be mentioned with any of the names that
are coming up, you know, as as these weeks on fold,
you know, scoring touchdowns, being up there with some of
those guys, you know, the all time yards catches, whatever
it is. It's just it's all the lead company and
definitely blessed.
Speaker 7 (15:49):
Fun differ when you had.
Speaker 12 (15:51):
Such I ask ask persons of admiration.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Mm.
Speaker 7 (15:56):
Yeah, and then he does a thing with a turf tub.
Speaker 12 (15:59):
Clearly enhanced relationship. What was it after that that you
learned even more?
Speaker 4 (16:05):
Like?
Speaker 15 (16:06):
Well, I mean I didn't know the person too much
before that, Honestly, I just knew from what we all
know about him just being kind of like a you know,
the man of the Year type type guy, you know,
stand up guy, business acumen, just kind of like a
well rounded human being, you know, obviously having football, but
I see a lot of myself and him or whichever.
Speaker 7 (16:25):
I don't know which way to put that, but.
Speaker 15 (16:28):
It's a lot of the same because I feel like
I got a lot of depth to me, and it's
not just.
Speaker 7 (16:31):
The football aspect. I feel like, if you know, football.
Speaker 15 (16:34):
Was never a part of you know, my my future,
and I never you know, played in the NFL, there
would have been something that I would have figured out
to do at a high level. And he's the same
way where you know, as soon as he's done playing,
even while he's there, he's got the son's thing, you know,
he's a part of the ownership there. You know, all
these all these different you know, a venture capital type deals.
So just learning from that, seeing that there's a way
(16:55):
to expand and just as a person, you know, outside
of football, that was the biggest for me.
Speaker 9 (17:00):
Do you try and you know, be a mentor to
younger receivers now kind of the way that that Larry Fitzgerald.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
Was to you.
Speaker 15 (17:07):
Yeah, No, for sure, I'm not, I think too when
like kind of like an organic thing like with what
fits with me. I think Travis Hunter is somebody that
I haven't necessarily spent a bunch of time with, but
he's expressed interest in, you know, wanting to just hear
how I think, you know, how I talk about routes,
different things like that, and obviously him being who he is,
(17:27):
that's that's a no brainer for me. He's being coached
by who was my receiver coach when I first got
to Green Bay and then who was my last receiver
coach in Vegas. So just having that connection we kind
of got connected. Same with Brian Thomas over there. So
really anybody. I mean, I've talked to guys, you know,
justin when he first got in the league a little bit,
nothing like to the level what fits differ for me,
(17:48):
But I kind of let those things organically unfold. And
I don't want to go around just giving unsolicited advice
all the time, making people think I know everything because
I definitely don't, but trying to just offer up as
much as I can.
Speaker 12 (17:59):
In life, sometime you grow and most and do something
or anale so to speak. Does that apply in your
in this profession as a wide receiver.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
When you lose the game.
Speaker 7 (18:10):
I mean, yeah, it can.
Speaker 15 (18:12):
I think it's just when you just sort more process driven,
and some of the things got taken out of context
when I was with Vegas, you know, talking about I
think we beat like the Patriots or something one weak
and it just looked like or excuse me, it didn't
look good on offense, and you know, everybody was happy
that we won the game, and I wasn't obviously exactly flattered,
because you know, it was it didn't look like how
(18:34):
it was supposed to look. You know, it's kind of
like the AJ Brown type situation where you know, him
wanting to to you know, obviously being happy about winning
the game, but wanting his part of the thing to
be a reason why, you know, not necessarily his, but
he's on offense. He wants the offense to look the
right way. So it's one of those deals where you
you know, you want so much for the for the team.
So you could take it as a lesson and apply it.
(18:56):
But for the most part, if you just say process
driven and stay locked into your details, that's ultimately what
we after.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
How does your twelvey, your son it's just your first
like til free agency and obviously made any football decisions.
Speaker 5 (19:07):
And you're having wanta fight here. Y on a personal
level of your family and everything. What has it been
like in LA and being part of this team.
Speaker 7 (19:15):
It's been awesome.
Speaker 15 (19:16):
I mean, my family's feeling in love, you know, the
everybody that works here as far as that that gets
connected with the families that they've they've all appreciated how they.
Speaker 7 (19:24):
You know, been helping out. LA is not the worst
spot to live.
Speaker 15 (19:27):
I mean, the weather's beautiful and you know, in December
we got sixty seventy degrees, so it's feels like home.
Speaker 8 (19:34):
How does the hamstring feel? And is this the same
issue you dealt with early in the seasons or is
it any different?
Speaker 15 (19:39):
No, it's different. It's a little different spot, but it's
it's feeling good though. I'm feeling feeling much better than
what I anticipated, and honestly just wanted to be smart
about it it. I felt it kind of early in
the game last week and was able to get through
the game just fine.
Speaker 7 (19:53):
So just wanna manage it.
Speaker 15 (19:54):
So we got a turtle race coming up here, so
we just gotta make sure we available.
Speaker 8 (19:59):
Sure do You guys have been so good against the
run for most this year. So when you look back
at last week, what'd you feel like was maybe a
little bit off that, like they run the balls away.
Speaker 14 (20:07):
I think we took advantage of knowing that a lot
of people, you know, kind of understood that we were
good against the run and kind of, you know, leaned
a little bit away from it. So the fact that
you know, a team came out there and started running
it against us kind of took us by surprise.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
We weren't grounded the way we usually are.
Speaker 10 (20:22):
That game against Arizona last year was like one of
your first NFL games?
Speaker 7 (20:29):
What do you recall about that?
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I mean, we got well, but you know.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
And for you, I mean for you playing in one
of your you know, first games, what was that experience?
Speaker 14 (20:39):
It was you know, kind of like the mindset of like,
no matter what's going on, you gotta keep pushing through it.
Like all my college career, you know, a floroida to stay.
I never was really down by like a lot, so,
you know, kind of being down by a good amount
and you know, knowing that we still have to play,
You still gotta finish the game.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
You still got to be better than your aspect, And
there was.
Speaker 14 (20:55):
A lot of things I took away from that game
personally that, oh, I can't do this in the NFL game,
they're gonna do this.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I can't do this. I can't do that. So I
take a lot away as I want.
Speaker 12 (21:02):
Do you believe in this trade draft game? They're three
and nine?
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Lot of close games?
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Is that registered with you at all? I don't believe
in traff games real. I mean, it's the NFL.
Speaker 14 (21:13):
At every game you're liable to lose, whether a team
got a way better record than you are, a way
waste record than you.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
It's the NFL. Like it's it's just as simple as that.
Speaker 14 (21:19):
It's not like a college where you an FBS school
top you know in the country, and you're going up
against some small you know, D two or anything like
That's not that.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
How did you describe what it's like outside like that?
Speaker 5 (21:29):
The trip?
Speaker 3 (21:31):
I'm like you said, what, how would you describe it?
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Like?
Speaker 3 (21:34):
What it's like?
Speaker 9 (21:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (21:35):
Like your relationship with another one?
Speaker 14 (21:36):
Oh, I feel like I got a good relationship with
they buy me. I feel like we all laugh a lot,
we joke a lot, but we also know how to
get down the business. Like when we're on the field,
all that laughing and joking kind of goes away. But
when we're in a meeting room, when we walking around,
we got like we'll go out, We'll hang out, you know,
just go dorab dinner and stuff like that, like we
have a good relationship with everybody, true, U joke Joe,
I when't. Actually I thought one of the like I
(21:58):
first met with Joe, you know, pre drafting anything like that,
I thought he hated me. Like I thought there was
no way in hell I was coming to the Rams
because I thought he hated me, Like he didn't laugh
and smile at all there and our meeting anything like that.
I was like, ah, but you know, since I've gotten
known well, you know, since the time I've been here,
me and him, I've grown very close.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
He calls me a lot.
Speaker 14 (22:13):
He'll askt me how I played, what I thought. He'll
get me his thoughts on how I can be better,
or you know you did this?
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Keep doing this? You know, we have a good relationship.
Speaker 14 (22:22):
What a very successful a compensation and after the season,
like your accent, it was a lot of playing like
within the defense, within the scheme of the structure of
being a one of the eleven, not like, you know,
having ten other people trying to cover me up, because
that doesn't make sense for anybody, you know, being one
of the eleven. That's why I feel like our defense
has had so much success this here is because I've
(22:44):
gotten more accustomed to my role of just doing my job.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
I don't have to be Superman all the time. I
just got to do what needs to be done.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Did you tell Joe about that pre draft first impression
when you did get here, and if so.
Speaker 14 (22:52):
Is probably talk to him aout it at least once
a month about it, and that I genuinely thought he
hated me. I was like, but this dude doesn't even
like like he didn't smile at all, Like when I
first got here, I thought his smile was sarcastic. So
now we have a good relationship though, Okay, yeah, he's
all he's I think, besides myself and besides my immediate family.
I think he probably is the person that wants me
to be successful the most. So you know, when he
(23:13):
sees me not reaching my full potential or doing something
that is more average than anything, he immediately gets on me.
He kind of gives me am not in another disrespectful way,
but in a man the man your bed.
Speaker 12 (23:24):
In that way, I'll be as last year's you guts
you can playing Kyler Murray running quarterback.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
Now it's gonna be for sad in your position. You
love a challenge.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
You like a running quarterback more do you like teny years.
Speaker 12 (23:37):
Back going after a drop?
Speaker 3 (23:39):
I hate running quarterbacks.
Speaker 14 (23:40):
I don't want you running around all day like well,
like the first game we had against Kyler, I should
have had like three sacks, but he just kept running around.
Like when they have a you know, great maneuverability like
Kyler does, it makes it a lot harder. You know,
obviously he has like great like he's can run, he
can do all that good stuff. But he's not like
Kyler is like one on one like he's basically like
he has the ability to run like a wide receiver
(24:01):
but throw like a quarterback. He's a special challenge.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
A lot of guys have.
Speaker 9 (24:05):
Talked about Sean de Fay's ability to, you know, up
people's confidence and then get people to believe in themselves
more than they thought they could based on his belief
in people. Do you have an example of him.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
Doing that for you.
Speaker 14 (24:16):
Uh yeah, I mean the past two games this year,
I wasn't playing, you know, my best ball. I was
getting double teamed a lot, and then you know, I
kind of like get to my head. I kind of
got frustrated and I kind of got accustomed to just
sitting down and kind of like I'm just gonna eat
up blocks and stuff like that. Sean brought me into
his room I think it was after our second game,
right before he played Philly, and he showed me a
bunch of film from last year.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
He was like, this is a guy I know.
Speaker 14 (24:38):
Like this, these first two games, we're gonna completely forget
about them, but this is a guy I know. And
from then on I was like, all right, I gotta
be better, not just for my own aspect, for my
own sake, but you know, to make him play because
he took a chance on bringing me.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Like when you draft anybody taking the chance on him.
Speaker 10 (24:51):
Are you conscious of in terms of like finishing plays
and running to the ball and all that kind of stuff.
Are you conscious of the fact that you are a
tone setter for your teammates, that they're they have they're
doing their job, but they have their eyes on you.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
Too in terms of how you're playing.
Speaker 14 (25:08):
I try not to look at it too much like that,
because when you look at it like that, like on
the tone set on this I'm that, I feel like
it kind of puts you above everybody else. Like I
just try to do my one of eleven.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
I'm gonna run to the bar. I'm gonna try to
make a player.
Speaker 14 (25:17):
I'm gonna try to do what I have to do,
but I'm not gonna do anything that's trying to put
a defensive detriment. I mean, last game, for example, I
did that. You know a good couple of times. You
see what happens like that's what happens, and I can't
do that anymore.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Obviously.
Speaker 14 (25:29):
I feel like a lot of people say that, like
your tone said, but I just try to do my job.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
I'm not trying to folks signed to else.
Speaker 10 (25:34):
So how do you Where do you feel like you?
Guys are now coming out of the last game and
going into the next one.
Speaker 16 (25:42):
I feel like today, for a Thursday, I feel like
we came out with good intensity. I feel like the
message has been to not to not lose our process
things that have been leading to our success throughout this
season and kind of just get to come back in
and assess what we needed to do better and the
ways that we can improve and come out with the
goal that we want in.
Speaker 6 (25:59):
Mind and then being able to execute it completely this weekend.
Speaker 12 (26:02):
A lot of guys haven't talked about that this week
process dripping in your time in.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
College, obviously pointing at what you're in Washington.
Speaker 12 (26:12):
Is that part of the equation or do you see
that more as a Sean McVay equation.
Speaker 16 (26:18):
I would say it was implemented in smaller ways, but
I think here in the in the the bigger picture,
in every fast and every unit meeting, in our lifts,
in the way our training room is operated, I feel
like the message is clear and there's a.
Speaker 6 (26:34):
Blueprint of how the process is going to look.
Speaker 16 (26:36):
And I think as I remember coming as a rookie
and being able to be like, Okay, there is a
plan in a process, and you watch other people and
you add things into it. But they definitely do have
a process here that allows to for you to feel
like you can play with a clear mind.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
On Sundays, a lot of guys.
Speaker 9 (26:51):
Have talked about Sean mcvay's ability to, you know, believe
in people and increase their belief in themselves. Do you
have an example of him.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Doing that for you?
Speaker 16 (27:01):
Yeah, I guess I'm in I can think of just
one of my first catches and after in my rookie
year was a was a little rpo ended up being
a little five yard route ticket for seventeen and they're
being showed in that the next week we won that
week one and the little highlight tape that we get
to watch on uh on Saturday night going into that
(27:22):
next game and being like, uh my, just thinking like
I've made the highlight tape and coaches just talking about that.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
One and it was in the team meeting and being like, wow,
I can do this. He believes in me.
Speaker 10 (27:33):
What uh what do you recall about the game against
Cardinals last year at Arizona.
Speaker 16 (27:41):
Oh, I remember not being there watching it at home,
and uh, I mean it was it was. It was
a long Sunday to say the least, but uh, just
being able to watch and the learning opportunities and how
critical each play is.
Speaker 6 (27:55):
And each snap and cut.
Speaker 16 (27:57):
Some of that coach talks about is being able to
either to continue that momentum that we're keeping or being
able to switch it back to our side and some
of those plays in that game, and those being examples
and some of the things that we know that are
arc and controllables that we can keep that momentum and that'll.
Speaker 6 (28:12):
Be put to to to plan on Sunday.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
Did you feel a little helpless being just being able
to having to watch it?
Speaker 16 (28:18):
Yeah, I've not wasn't able to really move around at
the time, was having some lower extremity issues, So I
was like, oh, man, like, never more have I been
like I wanted to play play Matt and run the score.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
You're someone that takes a lot of pride in run walking,
especially duo or otherwise. So when you're able to, you know,
execute watch like that, whether it's a place like that
or other run concepts, what's it like, especially when it
helps contribute today's like Blake and Kiren had last week.
Speaker 16 (28:46):
Yeah, I mean, there's nothing like scoring a deep bomb
and catching on and here in that moment when the
crowd goes silent and then they are rub when you
catch the ball. But there's also no better feeling than
watching I think a ja Witt when he he has
a crack block and his opportunity to flatten somebody and
is transitioning up the field to continue to block somebody,
and you see that pure excitement and the whole time
(29:07):
I'm thinking, like, man, I thought I had to go
black on the backside too, And I'm like, damn, he's
more excited than me.
Speaker 6 (29:10):
And I was like, man, I had to really demolish
that guy.
Speaker 16 (29:12):
So I think it's a standard that we have in
our room, and it makes it fun when they make
you right and the times that you don't block the
right guy or you get edge, they go out there
and break a tackle and make it still go for twenty.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
This is the team that's shown resolved in the resiliency
before this season, whether it be after losses or have
during a game when there's been a set back in
a game. Just when you think about that steadiness and resolved,
like what stands out about this team's ability to maintain
that in the matter the circumstance.
Speaker 16 (29:43):
I think some that coach has preached and that it
definitely comes through who who runs are generally number nine.
It's just the communication that happens, whether it's on the sideline,
whether it's in the huddle, throughout the play call of
helping guys with huge reminders to help us have the
best chance to go out there and execute I think
that communication and then it happens between the guys too.
(30:04):
There their head nods, their fitst bumps, there, there are
things that communicate and uh, it creates a synergy. And
when we got there and you can feel when we're
all on the same page.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
You rats on your nomination, appreciate that.
Speaker 13 (30:16):
What does that?
Speaker 5 (30:16):
What does that mean to you?
Speaker 13 (30:17):
That means everything, you know.
Speaker 17 (30:19):
I think I just want to start off and say
thank you to you know, everybody who played a part
and to allow me to even be in this position
to get to you know, I know Molly Higgins, he's
played a huge role obviously the whole RAMS organization and
then themselves the community side of the parts and things
also just allowed me to, you know, want to do
these things and then they made it possible.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
You know.
Speaker 17 (30:36):
I remember coming to Molly at the beginning of the season.
I told Molly, I said, every Tuesday, I want to
be somewhere, you know, I want to be in the community.
Speaker 13 (30:41):
I want to continue to.
Speaker 17 (30:43):
Keep inspiring impact and you know, create change and amongst
people of the young age. And so you know, Molly,
she does what she does, and she went out there,
she figured out all the things that I could be,
you know, useful at things that I could go and
do exactly what I said I wanted to do, and
you know, she made it possible. You know, shout out
to Molly and all the Rams. But to me, it's
a blessing. To me, this is why I play the game,
and you know what I do it for.
Speaker 8 (31:03):
What are some of the things that you have done
and in ways you've connected.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
With the community this year.
Speaker 17 (31:08):
Well, first of all, I think just recently what I'm
super proud of myself about was being able to host
a Turkey drive at the Lincoln Rams end of the
season banquet. And then to me, honestly, I was thinking
about it just being there, and I was thinking about, like,
remember our little league and having all those banquets as
a little league, and imagining if an NFL player you
would have walked in into that my banquet and just
(31:29):
you know, been there, like I would have been shell shocked,
you know, and so me me able to do that,
it's a blessing.
Speaker 13 (31:36):
I was able to be here with the Rams wheelchair team, being.
Speaker 17 (31:39):
Able to obviously play football, but continuing to keep dreaming,
you know, being able to not be told no by anybody.
Speaker 13 (31:45):
And those guys are the examples of that.
Speaker 17 (31:47):
You know, they're still playing football despite the disabilities that
they do have, and you know they're having fun doing it.
So being able to just meet people like that, even
the steam the steam unit at.
Speaker 13 (31:58):
The Buggers Middle School.
Speaker 17 (31:59):
Like for me, that was another great opportunity just to
be able to connect with young kids, connect with you know,
the the education and just be able to bring football
in a in a monst of just the city and
all the people that are you know, and and woven
in here and think you.
Speaker 12 (32:13):
Said, you told BALI wanted to be somewhere every Chames
Day obviously with your faith and this is December. What
it speaks to your heart about helping and going.
Speaker 17 (32:23):
Into the Christmas Yeah, uh, it's the holiday spirit, that
giving spirits, that putting others before a year for you
type of spirit obviously, that's what you're you you wish
for throughout the holidays. But I've been trying to ever
since the summer, I've been trying to be like that
every single day of life, you know, and trying to
not just be focused on how can I be in
the best mood best.
Speaker 6 (32:42):
Now.
Speaker 17 (32:43):
I want to be able to serve others, be able
to impact others, and not only just kids, but obviously
my teammates and people that I come and cross come
in contact with every day. I think it's a blessing
to be a blessing, and you, I think you have
a choice to be that. And so for me, it's
just going each going about each and every single day
with the same energy and the same love for everybody
that you have and just being able to be the
(33:03):
light in this world.
Speaker 6 (33:03):
How does that give you a balance?
Speaker 17 (33:05):
Yeah, I think it gives me all the ultimate balance,
because if I didn't have this, I'd be I'm the
type of person who sits in the house and thinks
about my run from ten weeks ago, you know. And
so this what allows me to really realize the blessing
that I do have of playing football. You know, I'm
able to step away from the field and all the
mistakes that I thought I just made and I see
a kid and they give me the smile that you
(33:26):
know I should be having on my face because I'm
living my dream, but instead they're able to do that
for me, and that allows me to realize like, man,
why am I tripping over this stuff? Like life is
so much biggers, life is so much, so much more
meanings to this besides you know, being down about a
mistake that you know you can fix. And so for me,
that's what it's all about, just being able to really
(33:47):
receive the blessings from others the way that I want
to give them too.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
You've been involved with the community and even.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Going back to your high school, yes, and a lot
of those initiatives even involved you know, youth mentorship and
engagement types of our education. Excuse the types of opportunities.
Just what's drawn you to those two in particular? I
know you're involved with the wide range, but that seems
like that's in particular a lot of what you do.
Speaker 17 (34:11):
I think it's mostly I mean, I know it for
factors leaning all my faith, you know, acts of service,
acts of faith, and just continuing to, like I said,
to have that love for not only yourself but for
others in this world. And so like you said, in
high school, I went to a Catholic high school with
my first time ever being really ever in a Catholic
in a Catholic faith, Catholic environment, Catholic just you know,
school whatever, and so what they taught me there was
(34:32):
acts of service, community service and from freshman years her
senior year, we had to do a service project every
single year and.
Speaker 13 (34:38):
I remember getting to know their dame and we didn't
we didn't.
Speaker 17 (34:41):
Really have those type of things, you know, throughout the football.
We did, but to me it wasn't enough, you know.
To me, I was always wanted to just do a
little bit more, you know. So that's why I like
when people stop me now and ask for pictures of autographs,
I always say yes, because, uh, I know how.
Speaker 13 (34:56):
It is as a kid to be able to you know,
want that.
Speaker 17 (34:58):
But just being able to wear our come from and that,
to me, that's an acces of service like that, that
is just something me taking a little bit of my
time to do something for somebody else. And so that's
just what it's all about my life. That's when I
want to focus it on, is being able to just
to continue to give to others so that you can
you know, fully receive everything else
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