August 19, 2025 • 8 mins
DJ Wonnum speaks with the media following Tuesday's practice.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Further review.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Weird about Nick after the game. He obviously had a
big scare. You've kind of been in issues before. Did
you give him any advice or kind of words of
encouragement afterwards?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Oh? Yeah, Man.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Basically one thing about Nick, he's a fighter, he's a dog,
and I know he wants to be out there with us,
you know what I'm saying, each and every snap. But
I just told him, Man, just focus on your health first,
because if you're not healthy, you know what I'm saying,
you ain't gonna be ab to help us. So just
focus on your health and the doctors and the team
trying to do everything they can to get you back right,
and when it's time to go, then we'll be ready
for you being.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Able to take part in training camp the whole way
this year. How much more comfortable do you feel heading
into like live reps and playing obviously played the preseason,
but like heading into week one when it actually you know,
the bullets far.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
I feel good just from the physicality aspect, you know
what I'm saying. We hit and we run into each
other every day in practice, so I kind of got
a feel for that. Still getting out, you know what
I'm saying footing down that takes time, but you know
what I'm saying, just being back, being able to bond
with the guys and being training, camping, and you know
what I'm saying, build that that that standard, that that
culture that we're that we're that we're building for us.
It's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
It feels good be out there and I'm ready to go.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Boy, is this a situation today that just kind of
last K and pads camp and ending and just too
much of each other.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Nah, I just feel like, uh, you know what I'm saying,
we got a lot that last period was a lot
of work for us.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
I don't know, maybe guys was tired.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
But one thing I noticed was that that competitive nature
started to come out, something that we love and uh
even my coach said it, like that's something we need.
You know what I'm saying to have within the team,
within the guys. You know what I'm saying, going back
and forth, each fourth, at each other, fourth at each other,
pushing each other and at the end of the day,
that's gonna keep making us better is that.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
He kept calling plays in that last period even after
it was over.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
Did y'all know, like, oh, we're still going.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Or oh yeah, we knew, we knew for so it
was supposed to be a plays at first, but I mean,
you never know what happens on the field.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
You gotta be ready for whatever, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
So I think we end up taking maybe sixteen fifteen,
sixteen snaps, which was good for us, especially the guys
that possibly won't be playing Thursday. So yeah, just building
that calla is getting us in shapetting us ready to
go to play football was good.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Good for unless I missed something. None others fifteen or
sixteen resulted in a touchdown.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Oh yeah, that's I mean, that's good for the defense,
that's right. Oh yeah, man, that just goes down to
you know what I'm saying, being but don't break. You
know what I'm saying, back against the wall, offense, driving
down the field. You know what I'm saying. We can't
we can't get in our head. You gotta continue to play,
continue to fight. And that's what we did. And that's
a step in the right direction for the defense.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I mean, knowing JC as long as you have, how
was he kind of grown, becoming a first time father,
becoming kind of a leader on defense and kind of
establishing himself here.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Oh man, just you know what I'm saying, him coming
to college, coming into college, not really knowing what was
going on him. My brother, my little brother was close.
But you know what I'm saying, as college and as
we started to go throughout, we got a lot closer.
Just seeing his growth, his development. He always had that
dog spirit, that dog nature. Obviously his pops playing in
the league, so he kind of came up on that.
But Na, Man, just seeing him grow and develop on
(03:17):
the field and then becoming a father, you could tell,
like what I'm saying, this big to him, serious, It's
serious to him.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
He passionate about it. He talks about his his daughter.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
All the time and how his new for him and
how he's you know what I'm saying, making adjustments to it.
But now I'm proud of that dude, just from just
from where he came from. And I'm sure the ceiling
is how he still got much more to do for
this team, for this defense. But you know what I'm saying,
as a person, man wants to continue to get continue
to see him get better.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
And then Patrick Jones kind of a similar background, Like
I didn't play with him, a little bit older. But
how was he grown as a player and as a
person since you guys first met Minisoda.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Uh when when he first got to Minnesota, Pat was
a little a little wild child, you know what I'm saying,
a little bit all over the place, but you know
what I'm saying, And just I feel like we kind
of came up together in the league.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
We played together in Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Obviously you're younger than me, but you know what I'm saying,
We kind of did everything together coming up, and we
had like good vets in front of us that kind
of showed us the ropes. So just seeing that that,
just just coming up and watching us mature and watching
us growing now, you know what I'm saying, We came
into bigger roles now has been good for us.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Through your mind when you saw fans start running those
unscheduled gas or in the middle of practice.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Oh man, just keep going, just keep going, keep fighting
one more step, just keep going, keep running.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
And yeah, that was pretty much anything goodness it's not mate, Nah,
it was. I mean when I see that, I love
you. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
That means we doing something right defensively, So just seeing
those guys run get him a little more tired, to
help me out a little more in practice.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
DG, do you have any advice for guys Thursday night?
The young guys, the guys are like the bubble of guys,
you know.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Do you have any advice for them and going into
this final preseason game?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Yeah? Man, just just go out and have fun.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
You know what I'm saying. We've been playing this game
since since we was five. Some guy started later. But
just go out and have fun, you know what I'm saying.
It's at the end of the day, it's still a game.
Don't don't think too much into it. You know what
I'm saying. You're more to prepare for what's in front
of you. More to prepare. We've put in work since
beginning of training camp. So just go out there, play free,
have fun, and if you mess up, you know what
I'm saying, have a short term memory. Just keep going,
(05:19):
keep going, and it'll work out for him.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What it's ink do well.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
In your opinion, he's.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Like a lightning bo He just go like he don't
really think too much. He just he just plays fast,
you know what I'm saying, and makes a lot of
splash plays for us in the backfield just off of
his speed and Hi and him going so and another
guy that I'm I'm proud of his development. You know,
I'm seeing him seeing him come in last year and
just kind of develop his passwords, arsenal and his confidence
and he's continued to get better and you can kind
(05:45):
of see that this year on the in practice, right
did J.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
You've talked about how you guys are trying to build
the culture and sometimes those on field scraps pushing on
each other. That does that any great in tightening up
the bond of this whole team that you know, you're
on the practice field your John and maybe you know
pushing and shoving, but then you get in the room
and you feel closer to the guys.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
That yeah, for sure, just growing up. You know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I was in fights, you know what I'm saying with
my friends, and you know what I'm saying, after the fight,
best buddies, you know what I'm saying, and it kind
of made us closer. And just from a football football aspect,
it's kind of similar. Just we're bringing out the best
in each other, you know what I'm saying. We want
to see each other suc see at the end of
the day. But when were on this field, you know
what I'm saying, I'm going at you and you're going
at me. And just seeing that today kind of brought
that out. We're seeing it saw a little bit of OTAs,
(06:34):
but today was kind of like a big thing where
it just kept going and going. So just seeing that,
I feel like it just makes the best out of
out of of us players. And we knowing that we
come to practice, we gotta be ready to go because
I know the Offen is gonna bring it every day.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
About also getting your feet under you in this camp.
Do you think back to where you were at this
forty year ago and everything that you were going through
with that give you a greater appreciation for today?
Speaker 3 (06:55):
So I thank god every morning I wake up, you
know what I'm saying, just to be able to just
to do what I love. You know what I'm saying,
that's play football and be out there with the guys.
But yeah, no, I'm excited to be out there for sure.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
A lot about the young guys in twenty seven.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Does it feel weird to be like one of the
old heads in this so weird.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
I didn't even know I was the oldest to one
day coach had brought it up in the meeting, was like,
how old you twenty seven?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Nick?
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Talking about twenty years old. I'm like, dang, I'm looking
aroun I'm the oldest. I'm the oldest dude in here.
It was different, but you know what I'm saying, Obviously
I've adjusted to it and.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
They call me old head. Now I'm like, bro, I'm
not even old.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I'm twenty seven, and I still got a long way
to go, but now it's cool. I embraced it, and
you know what I'm saying, it's just being that great
role model for the guys, and it's been big for me.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I mean he's pretty young too, as like two thirty three.
What's it like to have a coach that's like so
close in age and being able to relate to you guys.
I guess a lot of young guys in that room.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
It's good because it's kind of like you know what
I'm saying, he helping us, kind of raising us, and
were kind of helping him too, especially with this being
his first head job.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
As you know what I'm saying. Defensive outside lot back
to coach.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Just having him being able to like actually show us
a drill, show us what we need to do, actually
be able to run and show us, and it kind
of give us a better feel of what's going on.
And just having his energy. I feel like it likes
to fire in us every day just to have him
as that.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Mentor for us. So we love we love Ac and
he's getting us better.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
For sure, things matter to players. I mean does the
age lack of a gap really matter to players? I
mean because it can be pull you where you know
you're only a couple of years old, and that's sort
of it, you know, that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
It don't really matter just because of I feel like
he has a lot of knowledge, you know what I'm saying.
He just been through being in different organizations and he's
kind of came up and seen different things. So I
feel like he's just like, oh, coach, he's ready to go.
So that age gap don't really bother us. It kind
of helps us because he can kind of relate to
us a little bit more kind of know what we're
going through. So yeah, nah, just having him be youngest,
it's good for us
Further review.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Weird about Nick after the game. He obviously had a
big scare. You've kind of been in issues before. Did
you give him any advice or kind of words of
encouragement afterwards?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Oh? Yeah, Man.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Basically one thing about Nick, he's a fighter, he's a dog,
and I know he wants to be out there with us,
you know what I'm saying, each and every snap. But
I just told him, Man, just focus on your health first,
because if you're not healthy, you know what I'm saying,
you ain't gonna be ab to help us. So just
focus on your health and the doctors and the team
trying to do everything they can to get you back right,
and when it's time to go, then we'll be ready
for you being.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Able to take part in training camp the whole way
this year. How much more comfortable do you feel heading
into like live reps and playing obviously played the preseason,
but like heading into week one when it actually you know,
the bullets far.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
I feel good just from the physicality aspect, you know
what I'm saying. We hit and we run into each
other every day in practice, so I kind of got
a feel for that. Still getting out, you know what
I'm saying footing down that takes time, but you know
what I'm saying, just being back, being able to bond
with the guys and being training, camping, and you know
what I'm saying, build that that that standard, that that
culture that we're that we're that we're building for us.
It's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
It feels good be out there and I'm ready to go.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Boy, is this a situation today that just kind of
last K and pads camp and ending and just too
much of each other.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Nah, I just feel like, uh, you know what I'm saying,
we got a lot that last period was a lot
of work for us.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
I don't know, maybe guys was tired.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
But one thing I noticed was that that competitive nature
started to come out, something that we love and uh
even my coach said it, like that's something we need.
You know what I'm saying to have within the team,
within the guys. You know what I'm saying, going back
and forth, each fourth, at each other, fourth at each other,
pushing each other and at the end of the day,
that's gonna keep making us better is that.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
He kept calling plays in that last period even after
it was over.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
Did y'all know, like, oh, we're still going.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Or oh yeah, we knew, we knew for so it
was supposed to be a plays at first, but I mean,
you never know what happens on the field.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
You gotta be ready for whatever, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
So I think we end up taking maybe sixteen fifteen,
sixteen snaps, which was good for us, especially the guys
that possibly won't be playing Thursday. So yeah, just building
that calla is getting us in shapetting us ready to
go to play football was good.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Good for unless I missed something. None others fifteen or
sixteen resulted in a touchdown.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Oh yeah, that's I mean, that's good for the defense,
that's right. Oh yeah, man, that just goes down to
you know what I'm saying, being but don't break. You
know what I'm saying, back against the wall, offense, driving
down the field. You know what I'm saying. We can't
we can't get in our head. You gotta continue to play,
continue to fight. And that's what we did. And that's
a step in the right direction for the defense.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I mean, knowing JC as long as you have, how
was he kind of grown, becoming a first time father,
becoming kind of a leader on defense and kind of
establishing himself here.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Oh man, just you know what I'm saying, him coming
to college, coming into college, not really knowing what was
going on him. My brother, my little brother was close.
But you know what I'm saying, as college and as
we started to go throughout, we got a lot closer.
Just seeing his growth, his development. He always had that
dog spirit, that dog nature. Obviously his pops playing in
the league, so he kind of came up on that.
But Na, Man, just seeing him grow and develop on
(03:17):
the field and then becoming a father, you could tell,
like what I'm saying, this big to him, serious, It's
serious to him.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
He passionate about it. He talks about his his daughter.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
All the time and how his new for him and
how he's you know what I'm saying, making adjustments to it.
But now I'm proud of that dude, just from just
from where he came from. And I'm sure the ceiling
is how he still got much more to do for
this team, for this defense. But you know what I'm saying,
as a person, man wants to continue to get continue
to see him get better.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
And then Patrick Jones kind of a similar background, Like
I didn't play with him, a little bit older. But
how was he grown as a player and as a
person since you guys first met Minisoda.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Uh when when he first got to Minnesota, Pat was
a little a little wild child, you know what I'm saying,
a little bit all over the place, but you know
what I'm saying, And just I feel like we kind
of came up together in the league.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
We played together in Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Obviously you're younger than me, but you know what I'm saying,
We kind of did everything together coming up, and we
had like good vets in front of us that kind
of showed us the ropes. So just seeing that that,
just just coming up and watching us mature and watching
us growing now, you know what I'm saying, We came
into bigger roles now has been good for us.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Through your mind when you saw fans start running those
unscheduled gas or in the middle of practice.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Oh man, just keep going, just keep going, keep fighting
one more step, just keep going, keep running.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
And yeah, that was pretty much anything goodness it's not mate, Nah,
it was. I mean when I see that, I love
you. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
That means we doing something right defensively, So just seeing
those guys run get him a little more tired, to
help me out a little more in practice.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
DG, do you have any advice for guys Thursday night?
The young guys, the guys are like the bubble of guys,
you know.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Do you have any advice for them and going into
this final preseason game?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Yeah? Man, just just go out and have fun.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
You know what I'm saying. We've been playing this game
since since we was five. Some guy started later. But
just go out and have fun, you know what I'm saying.
It's at the end of the day, it's still a game.
Don't don't think too much into it. You know what
I'm saying. You're more to prepare for what's in front
of you. More to prepare. We've put in work since
beginning of training camp. So just go out there, play free,
have fun, and if you mess up, you know what
I'm saying, have a short term memory. Just keep going,
(05:19):
keep going, and it'll work out for him.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What it's ink do well.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
In your opinion, he's.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Like a lightning bo He just go like he don't
really think too much. He just he just plays fast,
you know what I'm saying, and makes a lot of
splash plays for us in the backfield just off of
his speed and Hi and him going so and another
guy that I'm I'm proud of his development. You know,
I'm seeing him seeing him come in last year and
just kind of develop his passwords, arsenal and his confidence
and he's continued to get better and you can kind
(05:45):
of see that this year on the in practice, right
did J.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
You've talked about how you guys are trying to build
the culture and sometimes those on field scraps pushing on
each other. That does that any great in tightening up
the bond of this whole team that you know, you're
on the practice field your John and maybe you know
pushing and shoving, but then you get in the room
and you feel closer to the guys.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
That yeah, for sure, just growing up. You know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I was in fights, you know what I'm saying with
my friends, and you know what I'm saying, after the fight,
best buddies, you know what I'm saying, and it kind
of made us closer. And just from a football football aspect,
it's kind of similar. Just we're bringing out the best
in each other, you know what I'm saying. We want
to see each other suc see at the end of
the day. But when were on this field, you know
what I'm saying, I'm going at you and you're going
at me. And just seeing that today kind of brought
that out. We're seeing it saw a little bit of OTAs,
(06:34):
but today was kind of like a big thing where
it just kept going and going. So just seeing that,
I feel like it just makes the best out of
out of of us players. And we knowing that we
come to practice, we gotta be ready to go because
I know the Offen is gonna bring it every day.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
About also getting your feet under you in this camp.
Do you think back to where you were at this
forty year ago and everything that you were going through
with that give you a greater appreciation for today?
Speaker 3 (06:55):
So I thank god every morning I wake up, you
know what I'm saying, just to be able to just
to do what I love. You know what I'm saying,
that's play football and be out there with the guys.
But yeah, no, I'm excited to be out there for sure.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
A lot about the young guys in twenty seven.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Does it feel weird to be like one of the
old heads in this so weird.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
I didn't even know I was the oldest to one
day coach had brought it up in the meeting, was like,
how old you twenty seven?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Nick?
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Talking about twenty years old. I'm like, dang, I'm looking
aroun I'm the oldest. I'm the oldest dude in here.
It was different, but you know what I'm saying, Obviously
I've adjusted to it and.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
They call me old head. Now I'm like, bro, I'm
not even old.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I'm twenty seven, and I still got a long way
to go, but now it's cool. I embraced it, and
you know what I'm saying, it's just being that great
role model for the guys, and it's been big for me.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I mean he's pretty young too, as like two thirty three.
What's it like to have a coach that's like so
close in age and being able to relate to you guys.
I guess a lot of young guys in that room.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
It's good because it's kind of like you know what
I'm saying, he helping us, kind of raising us, and
were kind of helping him too, especially with this being
his first head job.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
As you know what I'm saying. Defensive outside lot back
to coach.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Just having him being able to like actually show us
a drill, show us what we need to do, actually
be able to run and show us, and it kind
of give us a better feel of what's going on.
And just having his energy. I feel like it likes
to fire in us every day just to have him
as that.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Mentor for us. So we love we love Ac and
he's getting us better.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
For sure, things matter to players. I mean does the
age lack of a gap really matter to players? I
mean because it can be pull you where you know
you're only a couple of years old, and that's sort
of it, you know, that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
It don't really matter just because of I feel like
he has a lot of knowledge, you know what I'm saying.
He just been through being in different organizations and he's
kind of came up and seen different things. So I
feel like he's just like, oh, coach, he's ready to go.
So that age gap don't really bother us. It kind
of helps us because he can kind of relate to
us a little bit more kind of know what we're
going through. So yeah, nah, just having him be youngest,
it's good for us
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