December 6, 2024 • 19 mins
On this edition of the O-Zone Podcast, Jaguars TE Evan Engram joins Senior Writer John Oehser. The NFL veteran is in his third season with the Jaguars and is feeling right at home in Duval County. Evan shares his perspective on the state of the Jaguars locker room during their current rough patch. Later, he shares what fuels his motivation to keep reaching new heights in his 8th year in the NFL.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, welcome into this week's Ozone podcast, and I
have a guest who's very familiar. We've done this a
few times. Always look forward to this environment, this situation,
getting a chance to talk to Jaguars tight end Evan
Ingram Evan. Once again, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I appreciate it. Love being on here.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
I wanted to ask you a couple of things to
start off with about the team in general. Obviously nobody
expected this season. How surprised are you that the team
is here? And I guess how do you see it
handling this going forward?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah? Very disappointed. Sure, nowhere near the expectation we had.
Nowhere near the expectation with the talent that we have
and what we felt like we were as a team.
So I'm very disappointing. And I guess moving forward is
(00:56):
obviously we have to, you know, take some of these
lessons and some of this disappointment and uh and a
lot of the adversity that we've faced. We have to
turn it into, you know, something for the future. We
have to turn it in some type of turn it
into some type of fuel for the future. The one
never let this happen again? In too just you know
(01:17):
universally learned from it as a team collective, as a
coaching staff collective for what we're trying to take, you know,
this franchise and this program, realizing how hard that is
and how with the one bad player, two or three
mistakes in the game, we can drop seven or eight games,
(01:39):
I don't know what number it is by one score,
like that's the league. So definitely, I think there's an
opportunity for us to finish this season the right way,
have fun. We have literally nothing to lose but everything
to gain as far as you know, learning from this
and you know, kind of starting to turn the PA.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
It may be too much the same question, but what
do you feel like you've learned from this seat anything
in particular, something for after the season when you're sort
of decompressive.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Obviously, there is definitely a period after the season where
you know, it's a lot easier to kind of look back.
We're still kind of we're still trying to go win
this game in Tennessee. But uh, I mean I've I've
I've had my fair share of kind of struggles, you know,
rough seasons, and uh, I think the I think this
(02:30):
one's the hardest because I haven't seen one guy like,
you know, tap or you know, I can check out.
Everybody's just been so committed figuring this out. So but uh,
that's just you know, just a reminder of how tough
this league is, how tough it is to win in
this league, and how tough it is to pursue a
championship in this league and you know, make the playoffs,
(02:52):
win the division, like, it's really hard. Obviously it's easy
to you know, create those goals, but it's one thing
to actually do it weekend and week out. So it's
a great lesson for all of us.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
That's interesting because I hadn't really asked about that, but
the first thing you said was, hey, I haven't seen
anybody tap out. So fans automatically think that when you're
two and ten that that's what's going on, but absolutely
not from your perspective, you see a locker room of
guys that are committed.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah, I can say that because I've seen the I've
seen the other shot, I've seen you know, Yeah, I
get it, just that people hitting that fast forward button.
So but that's not but not here. I don't I
don't think that's here. I just think we came into
the season, putting in a lot of work, and you know,
we have the right mindset to no matter what the
(03:40):
circumstance is, finish the job together.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Now, I know you've discussed it already, so we're not
gonna hit this very long. But the situation the other day,
you were the first guy in closer to Trevor Lawrence h.
Demiko Ryans has said you let the team overreacted. If
you want to address that, fine, but overall, what was
your thought on how the team responded to that situation?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Uh? Yeah, I mean, you know, I really don't. I
really have nothing to say about like everybody else's comments.
You know, he's gonna stick up for his guys and
we're gonna stick up for ours. But uh, I just
think that's just that's just part of uh it's just
part of the brotherhood that you know, we create here,
(04:23):
you know, not saying that, you know, not saying dude
is a dirty player. I think it was just a
bad play on his part, questionable play, and uh that's
just how the game goes. When you see something like that,
you witness something like that, and there's just there's just
a retaliation, just kind of like in the code as
far as you know, true competitors and a real you know,
(04:43):
real family, real brotherhood, which I see Trevor. You know,
we've become brother since being here, and I know how
hard he works, I know how hard he worked to
get back in the game. So so yeah, it was
just a very unfortunate sequence of events. Definitely, I just
definitely appreciate just guys kind of sticking up for for
(05:06):
our guy that was, you know, knocked out of the game.
So obviously the you know, everything that ensued is you know,
tough to watch and you know, sideline clearing and all
that stuff. You don't you know, you don't want to
see that, But.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
But how else can you react, do you think?
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah, I think that's I think we had nature.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
It would have been weird if everybody's standing on the
sidelines after that.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah, yeah, I think I think we handled it the
right way. Obviously, you know, stuck up for each other,
guys got involved, and then I just I think we
did a great job of finishing the game and trying
to go win the game with discipline and and doing
it the right way.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
That's the key, right the game's too hard to be
thinking about revenge and trying to win the game.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Right, Yeah, I mean there's two you know, and yeah,
I think I think there's some people out there that
probably wanted to see it continue, which that's just you know,
when you're trying to win the game, you can't have
that in your mind. You can't have that. That's just
a distraction towards, you know, trying to win the game.
So definitely, uh, definitely credit to the guys and the
(06:12):
guys that you know, we're able to kind of collect
themselves and go out there and try to win it
and try to fight the right way between the lines
and between the whistles.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Now, for people who don't know, not all NFL players
are good friends with everybody on their team, but you
and Trevor pretty tight off the field as well. Have
you talked to him, How is he? What are your
feelings on that?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, I saw him. I saw him Monday and Tuesday.
You know, it was just good to see him kind
of back moving around being himself. It was he you know,
talked to him about everything that you know, happened afterwards,
and yeah, just I just you know glad that you know,
it's not you know, didn't make anything worse and just
(06:53):
glad he was able to just get up on his
own and for him to come in the locker room
and you know, you know, show that he's okay. Show
I said, he's fine, and he's gonna be fine. So yeah,
it's definitely definitely, very unfortunate to see, but definitely glad
he's gonna be all right.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
We've talked before, but your career has always been fascinating
to me in the sense that you continue to improve
each year as you go along. Not every guy does that,
but I see how you work. I see how you
work before games, during practice of after practice. I know
the numbers don't support it this year because you're out
(07:32):
for a while, but how much pride do you take
in continuing to improve eighth years still sort of trending up?
I guess what I'm getting at.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, I think I just find uh, there's just there's
a lot of good things in adversity, and I've I've
I've faced a lot of adversity in my career. And
it used to be the adversity would keep me down
and you know, keep me unconfident and doubtful.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
And a tough place to be in New York for.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Sure, But then I you know, I was able to
turn the page and look at the adversity as lessons
and look at the adversity as opportunities and learning true
learning experiences. So I just think and that I think
with that perspective, you have no choice but to constantly improve.
You have no choice but to constantly grow.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
If you look at you know, a bad play or
you know, a drop or a miss block, something that
unfortunately that happens on the field, there's a detail in
there somewhere that that paints the whole picture, that that
that gives you the answer to fix it. And I'm
just obsessed with, you know, finding those answers and responding
(08:39):
to the adversity and looking at you know, a bad
play or a loss or you know, something unfortunate and
finding the lesson in there, finding the correct the correction,
the detail, and then improving on it. And uh and
you always you always get the opportunity back and then
you make it right. So I've just been been been
just blessed with that perspect and I've had a lot
(09:00):
of great people in my cornering, a lot of great
coaches and teammates and and a lot of you know,
learned from a lot of great people as well. So
just you know, blessed to be able to respond to adversity.
If I can put a uh, you know, paraphrase on.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
It, No, well, knock on wood here. There's no way
to uh you to be a jinx. But when you
got here, all anybody ever wanted to talk about was
your hands, right, I mean, that was the thing. It's
almost hard to remember that that was ever a thing, right.
And uh, that's another example, I guess of you saying, Okay,
I'm gonna I'm gonna work on this and show real improvement.
(09:37):
I've been around NFL players who try to improve and don't. Right.
I guess how much of a source of pride is
that that that's not a thing?
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Uh. Yeah, it's it's kind of it's turned into it's
kind of turned into a curse at the same time,
because you know, you start to strive for perfection and
then you obviously there's those ones that you wish you
went back. But uh but yeah, it just uh it's cool.
I definitely, you know, I definitely always feel like there's
(10:06):
room for improvement, and uh, it's it's just it's for
I'm just blessed to be as confident as I am
and I feel, and I appreciate the work I put in.
I'm thankful for the work I put it to allow
me to have that confidence and to know when the
game is on the line and you know the team
needs to play, if you call my number, I mean,
(10:27):
I'm gonna go make that play. I'm gonna come down
with the ball. So yeah, I think it's just like
I said, just blessed to experience some of the lessons
I've learned, and you know, some of the diversity I've
been through, and just thankful for the work I put
in for me allowed to have that confidence.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Now for people wo don't know, you were miked up
the other day, and when players miked up, it means
our Jaguars media people have a camera on you the
whole game. I was watching him edit it and they
were actually showing three or four blocks. Now you're receiving
tight end. Yeah, everybody says receiving tight end can't block, right,
But the question is how much pride do you take
(11:04):
in that because you were laying some guys out, and
there may have been some incentive in those blocks in
the second half, but how much pride you take in that.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I take a lot of pride in that, and honestly, honestly,
you know, I want to give credit to my mentality
for the run game this year and it's Britain Strange
and Luke Ferrell h the way they get after in
the ring game. I take it as a challenge. It
challenges me, It pushes me, uh to you know, bring
(11:33):
that same energy and bring that same uh positive effect
for the team. And yeah, so I take a lot
of pride in the run game and trying to be
physical and you know, I get it all the time
is you know he's not in the block, he's not
you know, they're not running this way and this and that.
So when I do get in there and I can
(11:54):
you know, make a block that can help spring or run,
it's honestly very exciting. It's a little bit more or
exciting and able to be more present in it than
actually like catching the big pass and you know, making
a big play through the air. Love love you know,
making those blocks that spring big runs. So yeah, definitely
just shout out to our standard in our tight end room.
(12:16):
You know, our big thing is finishing, finishing through the
whistle and making our presence felt. I think, you know,
we've done a great job of that as a tight
end group, and we're going to continue to look to
improve on it.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
We've talked about it before, but I know it's special
to you. The Uh you came here in twenty twenty two,
and not every free agent connects to a city and
a franchise the way you have. You've seen guys who
kind of come and go as free agents, and I
guess they never really feel like part of that next team.
(12:48):
You feel like part of this team. How how much
pride do you take in that? And what does that
mean to you to have sort of established yourself as
a Jaguar.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It definitely, I mean, it definitely means a lot. Yeah.
I think earlier, earlier in my career, it was it
was hard to find that. It was hard to find
that piece, Like outside of football.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
What's tough. You're coming in as a rookie, it's New York.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yeah, you just got so much. You's got so many
things going on, and you're young, and you're not even
really looking forward. And and so once I came down here, uh,
you know, trying to you know, turn the page and
you know, trying to hit the one eighty on my
career so far, I was able to, you know, really
buy into the work that needed to be put in.
(13:41):
I was able to buy into the culture that we
established here and just and being able to do that
and then have the peace and have the support outside
from whether it's my community that I live in, from
just every fan here, from uh, my my second family
(14:04):
at the North Florida School Special Education, just their support
for me. I was able to just hit I was
able to just turn over every stone and you know,
and do every put all the work in and you know,
you know, be able to lock in mentally and physically
at work, but then also to be able to have
peace and and know I have support on the outside
(14:25):
from you know, our supporters and our fans, so that
that that honestly came really naturally. And I just I
just feel that home here. My family loves it here. Uh.
I got family not too far in Orlando. That's that's
a big part of my life. So it just it
just made sense. I'm I'm a big beach guy, so
(14:46):
you know, living living close to the beach is just
it's just amazing here. And uh, you know, obviously That's
why things seasons like this are difficult because we saw
what that we saw with that playoff game, and in
twenty three two seasons we saw what we saw the
potential that this place can get. So that's you know,
(15:09):
that's what's disappointing about the season. But that's what you know,
we'll keep feeling fuel in the tank for us to
get back to and you know, bring something special to
the city.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Hard to believe you in your eighth year and follow
up to that, how long do you see yourself playing?
Where do you feel?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Yeah, I mean, God willing, God willing as long as
I can. I think, as long as I can, you know,
I think I have a unique skill set for my position.
And then you look at you know, all the great
you look at all the great receiving tight ends that's
been through this league. They played for us as long
as they wanted to, and obviously a lot of great routines,
(15:49):
a lot of great stuff for that they've done for
their bodies and this and that, and you know, great.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
It's such a mental position that once you figure something
like that out, you.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Can, yeah, you God willing, God willing, you know, I know,
continue to run the table. And and be dominant and
be a reliable, reliable weapon. And yeah, I joke around,
I say ten more. Okay, we'll see it's fair.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I hope I have ten more. The last thing we
do in here is called the O Zone five. It's
five quick questions. Uh, what was your last binge watch?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Last binge watch? I just finished? Uh the Penguin?
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Okay, good, really good.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
It's like a it's like a sequel from the Batman.
It's one of the villains in the new Batman movie.
Colin Ferrell. Great, great show. Must watch.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
The last song you heard on the way in this morning?
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I think I wrote in silent this morning, So whatever
song they played. Yeah, you know I pray. I pray
in the mornings. I pray out out to kind of
get the motor skills going and and also you know,
get the get the prayer in for the day.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
How has marriage changed?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Honestly, that's probably the cool thing is like me and
me and my wife are probably just the same. We
had a crazy wedding planning season during last season, so
we've been big chilling this this year, and uh we
have we have a bunch of our friends are getting
married this next off season. So we'll be we'll be
(17:32):
attending some weddings as a as a married couple. So
but it's been great. You know, she's been traveling and
working a lot this year, but still you know, supporting
me through the year and trying to get to all
the games and you know, taking care of me at home.
So it's been awesome. It's been a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Best NFL moment.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Best NFL moment.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
It's okay to say the catch against Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Ah, yeah, I gotta put that one up. Yeah, I'll
put that one up there.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
That was Yeah, and that's one where I'm sure you
watch it and you're like, how did that happen?
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Yeah, that's one like that's where you're just like in
this That's one of those ones where you're just like
you're just am the zone and just go up and
make a great play, and you know you dream, you
dream about those moments for the team. What position that
put the team in, like what you know, what the
type of game we were in. So yeah, I'll put
that one up it that was sick.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
What would veteran Evan Ingram tell.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Rookie man, just embrace the adversity that's coming, don't run
from it, like looking in this face. See yeah, it's coming,
and you know, you know, you hear it all the time.
You have a bad play and you know coach puts
it up on the board and you try to not
watch it. You don't want to, you wanted to skip
(18:58):
past it. Stay in his face. There are all the
mistakes and the bad plays, and look at all in
his face, all the drops because the answers are there
and if you you find them, h it'll it'll be
worth it.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Evan Anger, like most Jaguars fans realize you're a class act.
I appreciate you joining the ozone podcast yet again.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Always enjoy it, but it's always a pleasure. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Thank you, man,
All right, welcome into this week's Ozone podcast, and I
have a guest who's very familiar. We've done this a
few times. Always look forward to this environment, this situation,
getting a chance to talk to Jaguars tight end Evan
Ingram Evan. Once again, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I appreciate it. Love being on here.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
I wanted to ask you a couple of things to
start off with about the team in general. Obviously nobody
expected this season. How surprised are you that the team
is here? And I guess how do you see it
handling this going forward?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah? Very disappointed. Sure, nowhere near the expectation we had.
Nowhere near the expectation with the talent that we have
and what we felt like we were as a team.
So I'm very disappointing. And I guess moving forward is
(00:56):
obviously we have to, you know, take some of these
lessons and some of this disappointment and uh and a
lot of the adversity that we've faced. We have to
turn it into, you know, something for the future. We
have to turn it in some type of turn it
into some type of fuel for the future. The one
never let this happen again? In too just you know
(01:17):
universally learned from it as a team collective, as a
coaching staff collective for what we're trying to take, you know,
this franchise and this program, realizing how hard that is
and how with the one bad player, two or three
mistakes in the game, we can drop seven or eight games,
(01:39):
I don't know what number it is by one score,
like that's the league. So definitely, I think there's an
opportunity for us to finish this season the right way,
have fun. We have literally nothing to lose but everything
to gain as far as you know, learning from this
and you know, kind of starting to turn the PA.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
It may be too much the same question, but what
do you feel like you've learned from this seat anything
in particular, something for after the season when you're sort
of decompressive.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Obviously, there is definitely a period after the season where
you know, it's a lot easier to kind of look back.
We're still kind of we're still trying to go win
this game in Tennessee. But uh, I mean I've I've
I've had my fair share of kind of struggles, you know,
rough seasons, and uh, I think the I think this
(02:30):
one's the hardest because I haven't seen one guy like,
you know, tap or you know, I can check out.
Everybody's just been so committed figuring this out. So but uh,
that's just you know, just a reminder of how tough
this league is, how tough it is to win in
this league, and how tough it is to pursue a
championship in this league and you know, make the playoffs,
(02:52):
win the division, like, it's really hard. Obviously it's easy
to you know, create those goals, but it's one thing
to actually do it weekend and week out. So it's
a great lesson for all of us.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
That's interesting because I hadn't really asked about that, but
the first thing you said was, hey, I haven't seen
anybody tap out. So fans automatically think that when you're
two and ten that that's what's going on, but absolutely
not from your perspective, you see a locker room of
guys that are committed.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah, I can say that because I've seen the I've
seen the other shot, I've seen you know, Yeah, I
get it, just that people hitting that fast forward button.
So but that's not but not here. I don't I
don't think that's here. I just think we came into
the season, putting in a lot of work, and you know,
we have the right mindset to no matter what the
(03:40):
circumstance is, finish the job together.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Now, I know you've discussed it already, so we're not
gonna hit this very long. But the situation the other day,
you were the first guy in closer to Trevor Lawrence h.
Demiko Ryans has said you let the team overreacted. If
you want to address that, fine, but overall, what was
your thought on how the team responded to that situation?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Uh? Yeah, I mean, you know, I really don't. I
really have nothing to say about like everybody else's comments.
You know, he's gonna stick up for his guys and
we're gonna stick up for ours. But uh, I just
think that's just that's just part of uh it's just
part of the brotherhood that you know, we create here,
(04:23):
you know, not saying that, you know, not saying dude
is a dirty player. I think it was just a
bad play on his part, questionable play, and uh that's
just how the game goes. When you see something like that,
you witness something like that, and there's just there's just
a retaliation, just kind of like in the code as
far as you know, true competitors and a real you know,
(04:43):
real family, real brotherhood, which I see Trevor. You know,
we've become brother since being here, and I know how
hard he works, I know how hard he worked to
get back in the game. So so yeah, it was
just a very unfortunate sequence of events. Definitely, I just
definitely appreciate just guys kind of sticking up for for
(05:06):
our guy that was, you know, knocked out of the game.
So obviously the you know, everything that ensued is you know,
tough to watch and you know, sideline clearing and all
that stuff. You don't you know, you don't want to
see that, But.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
But how else can you react, do you think?
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah, I think that's I think we had nature.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
It would have been weird if everybody's standing on the
sidelines after that.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah, yeah, I think I think we handled it the
right way. Obviously, you know, stuck up for each other,
guys got involved, and then I just I think we
did a great job of finishing the game and trying
to go win the game with discipline and and doing
it the right way.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
That's the key, right the game's too hard to be
thinking about revenge and trying to win the game.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Right, Yeah, I mean there's two you know, and yeah,
I think I think there's some people out there that
probably wanted to see it continue, which that's just you know,
when you're trying to win the game, you can't have
that in your mind. You can't have that. That's just
a distraction towards, you know, trying to win the game.
So definitely, uh, definitely credit to the guys and the
(06:12):
guys that you know, we're able to kind of collect
themselves and go out there and try to win it
and try to fight the right way between the lines
and between the whistles.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Now, for people who don't know, not all NFL players
are good friends with everybody on their team, but you
and Trevor pretty tight off the field as well. Have
you talked to him, How is he? What are your
feelings on that?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, I saw him. I saw him Monday and Tuesday.
You know, it was just good to see him kind
of back moving around being himself. It was he you know,
talked to him about everything that you know, happened afterwards,
and yeah, just I just you know glad that you know,
it's not you know, didn't make anything worse and just
(06:53):
glad he was able to just get up on his
own and for him to come in the locker room
and you know, you know, show that he's okay. Show
I said, he's fine, and he's gonna be fine. So yeah,
it's definitely definitely, very unfortunate to see, but definitely glad
he's gonna be all right.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
We've talked before, but your career has always been fascinating
to me in the sense that you continue to improve
each year as you go along. Not every guy does that,
but I see how you work. I see how you
work before games, during practice of after practice. I know
the numbers don't support it this year because you're out
(07:32):
for a while, but how much pride do you take
in continuing to improve eighth years still sort of trending up?
I guess what I'm getting at.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, I think I just find uh, there's just there's
a lot of good things in adversity, and I've I've
I've faced a lot of adversity in my career. And
it used to be the adversity would keep me down
and you know, keep me unconfident and doubtful.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
And a tough place to be in New York for.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Sure, But then I you know, I was able to
turn the page and look at the adversity as lessons
and look at the adversity as opportunities and learning true
learning experiences. So I just think and that I think
with that perspective, you have no choice but to constantly improve.
You have no choice but to constantly grow.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
If you look at you know, a bad play or
you know, a drop or a miss block, something that
unfortunately that happens on the field, there's a detail in
there somewhere that that paints the whole picture, that that
that gives you the answer to fix it. And I'm
just obsessed with, you know, finding those answers and responding
(08:39):
to the adversity and looking at you know, a bad
play or a loss or you know, something unfortunate and
finding the lesson in there, finding the correct the correction,
the detail, and then improving on it. And uh and
you always you always get the opportunity back and then
you make it right. So I've just been been been
just blessed with that perspect and I've had a lot
(09:00):
of great people in my cornering, a lot of great
coaches and teammates and and a lot of you know,
learned from a lot of great people as well. So
just you know, blessed to be able to respond to adversity.
If I can put a uh, you know, paraphrase on.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
It, No, well, knock on wood here. There's no way
to uh you to be a jinx. But when you
got here, all anybody ever wanted to talk about was
your hands, right, I mean, that was the thing. It's
almost hard to remember that that was ever a thing, right.
And uh, that's another example, I guess of you saying, Okay,
I'm gonna I'm gonna work on this and show real improvement.
(09:37):
I've been around NFL players who try to improve and don't. Right.
I guess how much of a source of pride is
that that that's not a thing?
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Uh. Yeah, it's it's kind of it's turned into it's
kind of turned into a curse at the same time,
because you know, you start to strive for perfection and
then you obviously there's those ones that you wish you
went back. But uh but yeah, it just uh it's cool.
I definitely, you know, I definitely always feel like there's
(10:06):
room for improvement, and uh, it's it's just it's for
I'm just blessed to be as confident as I am
and I feel, and I appreciate the work I put in.
I'm thankful for the work I put it to allow
me to have that confidence and to know when the
game is on the line and you know the team
needs to play, if you call my number, I mean,
(10:27):
I'm gonna go make that play. I'm gonna come down
with the ball. So yeah, I think it's just like
I said, just blessed to experience some of the lessons
I've learned, and you know, some of the diversity I've
been through, and just thankful for the work I put
in for me allowed to have that confidence.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Now for people wo don't know, you were miked up
the other day, and when players miked up, it means
our Jaguars media people have a camera on you the
whole game. I was watching him edit it and they
were actually showing three or four blocks. Now you're receiving
tight end. Yeah, everybody says receiving tight end can't block, right,
But the question is how much pride do you take
(11:04):
in that because you were laying some guys out, and
there may have been some incentive in those blocks in
the second half, but how much pride you take in that.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I take a lot of pride in that, and honestly, honestly,
you know, I want to give credit to my mentality
for the run game this year and it's Britain Strange
and Luke Ferrell h the way they get after in
the ring game. I take it as a challenge. It
challenges me, It pushes me, uh to you know, bring
(11:33):
that same energy and bring that same uh positive effect
for the team. And yeah, so I take a lot
of pride in the run game and trying to be
physical and you know, I get it all the time
is you know he's not in the block, he's not
you know, they're not running this way and this and that.
So when I do get in there and I can
(11:54):
you know, make a block that can help spring or run,
it's honestly very exciting. It's a little bit more or
exciting and able to be more present in it than
actually like catching the big pass and you know, making
a big play through the air. Love love you know,
making those blocks that spring big runs. So yeah, definitely
just shout out to our standard in our tight end room.
(12:16):
You know, our big thing is finishing, finishing through the
whistle and making our presence felt. I think, you know,
we've done a great job of that as a tight
end group, and we're going to continue to look to
improve on it.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
We've talked about it before, but I know it's special
to you. The Uh you came here in twenty twenty two,
and not every free agent connects to a city and
a franchise the way you have. You've seen guys who
kind of come and go as free agents, and I
guess they never really feel like part of that next team.
(12:48):
You feel like part of this team. How how much
pride do you take in that? And what does that
mean to you to have sort of established yourself as
a Jaguar.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It definitely, I mean, it definitely means a lot. Yeah.
I think earlier, earlier in my career, it was it
was hard to find that. It was hard to find
that piece, Like outside of football.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
What's tough. You're coming in as a rookie, it's New York.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yeah, you just got so much. You's got so many
things going on, and you're young, and you're not even
really looking forward. And and so once I came down here, uh,
you know, trying to you know, turn the page and
you know, trying to hit the one eighty on my
career so far, I was able to, you know, really
buy into the work that needed to be put in.
(13:41):
I was able to buy into the culture that we
established here and just and being able to do that
and then have the peace and have the support outside
from whether it's my community that I live in, from
just every fan here, from uh, my my second family
(14:04):
at the North Florida School Special Education, just their support
for me. I was able to just hit I was
able to just turn over every stone and you know,
and do every put all the work in and you know,
you know, be able to lock in mentally and physically
at work, but then also to be able to have
peace and and know I have support on the outside
(14:25):
from you know, our supporters and our fans, so that
that that honestly came really naturally. And I just I
just feel that home here. My family loves it here. Uh.
I got family not too far in Orlando. That's that's
a big part of my life. So it just it
just made sense. I'm I'm a big beach guy, so
(14:46):
you know, living living close to the beach is just
it's just amazing here. And uh, you know, obviously That's
why things seasons like this are difficult because we saw
what that we saw with that playoff game, and in
twenty three two seasons we saw what we saw the
potential that this place can get. So that's you know,
(15:09):
that's what's disappointing about the season. But that's what you know,
we'll keep feeling fuel in the tank for us to
get back to and you know, bring something special to
the city.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Hard to believe you in your eighth year and follow
up to that, how long do you see yourself playing?
Where do you feel?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Yeah, I mean, God willing, God willing as long as
I can. I think, as long as I can, you know,
I think I have a unique skill set for my position.
And then you look at you know, all the great
you look at all the great receiving tight ends that's
been through this league. They played for us as long
as they wanted to, and obviously a lot of great routines,
(15:49):
a lot of great stuff for that they've done for
their bodies and this and that, and you know, great.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
It's such a mental position that once you figure something
like that out, you.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Can, yeah, you God willing, God willing, you know, I know,
continue to run the table. And and be dominant and
be a reliable, reliable weapon. And yeah, I joke around,
I say ten more. Okay, we'll see it's fair.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I hope I have ten more. The last thing we
do in here is called the O Zone five. It's
five quick questions. Uh, what was your last binge watch?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Last binge watch? I just finished? Uh the Penguin?
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Okay, good, really good.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
It's like a it's like a sequel from the Batman.
It's one of the villains in the new Batman movie.
Colin Ferrell. Great, great show. Must watch.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
The last song you heard on the way in this morning?
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I think I wrote in silent this morning, So whatever
song they played. Yeah, you know I pray. I pray
in the mornings. I pray out out to kind of
get the motor skills going and and also you know,
get the get the prayer in for the day.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
How has marriage changed?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Honestly, that's probably the cool thing is like me and
me and my wife are probably just the same. We
had a crazy wedding planning season during last season, so
we've been big chilling this this year, and uh we
have we have a bunch of our friends are getting
married this next off season. So we'll be we'll be
(17:32):
attending some weddings as a as a married couple. So
but it's been great. You know, she's been traveling and
working a lot this year, but still you know, supporting
me through the year and trying to get to all
the games and you know, taking care of me at home.
So it's been awesome. It's been a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Best NFL moment.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Best NFL moment.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
It's okay to say the catch against Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Ah, yeah, I gotta put that one up. Yeah, I'll
put that one up there.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
That was Yeah, and that's one where I'm sure you
watch it and you're like, how did that happen?
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Yeah, that's one like that's where you're just like in
this That's one of those ones where you're just like
you're just am the zone and just go up and
make a great play, and you know you dream, you
dream about those moments for the team. What position that
put the team in, like what you know, what the
type of game we were in. So yeah, I'll put
that one up it that was sick.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
What would veteran Evan Ingram tell.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Rookie man, just embrace the adversity that's coming, don't run
from it, like looking in this face. See yeah, it's coming,
and you know, you know, you hear it all the time.
You have a bad play and you know coach puts
it up on the board and you try to not
watch it. You don't want to, you wanted to skip
(18:58):
past it. Stay in his face. There are all the
mistakes and the bad plays, and look at all in
his face, all the drops because the answers are there
and if you you find them, h it'll it'll be
worth it.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Evan Anger, like most Jaguars fans realize you're a class act.
I appreciate you joining the ozone podcast yet again.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Always enjoy it, but it's always a pleasure. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Thank you, man,
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.