May 6, 2023 • 6 mins
Running back Eric Gray spoke to the media Saturday from the second day of rookie minicamp.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Eric, can you talk about, Uh, having the Marco Marley
as a coach? What do he taught you that maybe
gave you an advantage to get to this point?
Speaker 2 (00:07):
You know, the Marco was a big important piece for me.
It's kind of the reason I went to Oklahoma. I
felt like him playing a game at a high level. Uh,
he could teach me a lot about being a pro
in this league, like what it takes to be a pro,
what I needed.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
To do to get better to get to this level,
and what's the one thing.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
In particular that really stood out to you?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
You know, the most important thing I took from him
is just being a pro every single day, no matter
what's going on. Everybody has something going on, and you
have to be on your p's and q's every single day.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
You gotta rep today and then yeah, and then you
talked to Brian for a little bit. What did he
talk to you about that?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
You know, he was just talking to me, you know,
more so about defining my routes, making sure I'm doing
everything correctly, just.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Getting me used to his style of coaching.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
No, I thought you probably could've come out of Tennessee,
cause you were excellent a Tennessee and move went into
your personal decision to go to Oklahoma to see I
have to work on X, Y and Z.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
I did a little bit more college football.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
So I was actually when I left Tennessee, I was
a sophomore, so I couldn't go yet. So I went
to Oklahoma just looking looking for a new home. I
feel like I'd be explosive in their offense as well as,
like I said earlier, with DeMarco, Murray felt like the
Marco was the key to teaching me a lot about
being successful in this league.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
What was that first year? Like you just reading about it?
Did you didn't seem like you got as many reps
as wanted that first year there? What was it that
like to have to deal with that? And how how'd
you get through that to get to the obviously a great.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Year last year?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Right that year was definitely adversity for me. But I
uh learned a lot in that time. You know, I
grew mentally, I grew speriually in that time, learning that
you just gotta keep working, keep going, and it's gonna
pay off one day for you. My dad had a
stand during that time that was like you can't keep
a good man down so I knew if I kept working,
kept going hard, that I would ultimately be where I am.
What what are like?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Maybe a couple of very specific things that De Marcoo
taught you that you're like, wow, he never thought of him?
That's that's really interesting expertise that I made you wouldn't
have gotten when who's not like a a massive expert,
right feel well.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
You know him playing the game. It's different from when
you were actually out there. So he knows about being
playing in the flow, playing during the then and the
heat of the battle, being out there, knowing fronts, knowing comfagt.
He taught me a lot about, you know, reading the
defense before the play happens, reading and preaching out to
give you a feeling where the ball's gonna hit or
in protection.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Maybe you know everybody talks about the position.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I want you to rank this the these skills set
that you need to play running back at the high
level position and footwork balance speed?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Well, which one is you know the first one for you?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
And it's vision first, vision, footwork speed balance.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
In your mind what came together last year to to
to make it your.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Most successful year?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
I would think my mindset, you know going into that
year saying I wanted this to be my last year.
I wanted to go out there and give my own
kind of have that season, put it all together, and
have that season that I wanted to have, you know,
the previous year, like I talked about, it was that
versit of the year. But I learned a lot in
that time, and I knew coming to the next year
that if I just stick to my cueue, stick to
my coach, and stay close to my teammates, that it
would happened for me.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
And And how hard did y y you didn't play
in there the Bowl game right now? And h how
hard is it to to make that decision?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
You know, it's a hard decision cause you think about
you you go out there with a team from January
all the way to December. So you go, you jail
with your teammates, you're there for a long time, working together,
you're in you're in Smitthy's workouts for a long time.
So just to it was at that time, it was
a hard decision for me, but my coach was the
ultimately said that it was the best decision for me. Eric.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
When you think about your position you play, it's a
valuable position.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
But in the league, as you see, if some of.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
The guys don't get drafted as high, you know, you're
not up to this yet. But sometimes they don't get
paid as much, you know, I mean, w W what
is the value of.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
A running back?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And you know, do you like the position? I mean
you wanna play a different position, you know, do different things.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I think it's a very valuable position.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Uh, you look at today's game, you look at just
a different run backs in the league, and you think
about how the important they are to the offense. You know,
they gotta learn protections, they gotta learn the passing game,
they have to know what everyone's doing. So in my opinion,
it's a very valued position that can make up a
lot of money.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
And do you think, I mean, you know you're a
A A A A L.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
The third day pick.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
You know there are third day picks that the.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Running backs you do well? Right?
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Do you look thinking of yourself as a third you
pick that want to do well? Or do you look
at yourself as No, No, that's.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Not a j fodition of what I yet.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
No, I don't look at it that way. I'm just
looking at you know, my opportunity to here, my opportunity.
I'm here now. T first day, second day, third day,
that's all out of the window. I'm here now, got
a chance to be in a special place like this,
so I'm happy about it.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
What is your what do you make of eventual? At
some point obviously being a.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Teammate of Saint Bots, you know that's a He's a
great player.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I had a lot of success in this league, so
I plan on learning a lot from him in the room.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
You had a chance to speak to him yet there No,
I haven't really happened. What what have you kind of
made of you know to obviously a world wind right
you're here right after you get drafted. Kind of what
is what are your kind of impression has it made?
Like what kind of what is kind of stood out
to you about being here? Like being on a professional
field in a professional uh environment and everything.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You know, it's been a a lot of emotions, you know,
like yesterday being on the NFL field and I was
walking on I was like wow, like the Giants really,
Like I'm really in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Now.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It's been it's been unbelievable, you know, to you think
about coming all the way from me coming all the
way from little league to now, it's it's flown by
and it's it's a lesson to be here. Threem r.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Did you hit? You got to play with Jaalin that Tennessee?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Right?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I did? I did? What stuck out with you from him?
I mean, obviously we all talking about his speed? Is that? Yes?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Ye a just sin when he came in as a freshman,
that's what you knew, like soon as first work got
his speed. His speed is what what he's good at.
That's his strength, his speed. So definitely notice that from
the first day. I'm sure you probably kept in eye
on Tennessee. Uh what did you think of you?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Did you watch that Alabama game or the and what
did you think of him?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
I think we actually I don't remember who we played,
but we played an early game that day and I went,
me and my whole family watched the entire game, and
I was rooting for him.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
I was rooting for him the whole way.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I had a lot of teammates that played it that
were still on that team, so I was happy for him.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
What did you think about what he did in that game?
I'm said that was a big time performance.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Unbelievable, Like I was. I was watching it live, so
I was like, Rod Jalen is doing his thing tonight.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Do you feel like you councilor fuck? Yes, I did?
I did. How do you have any question?
Speaker 1 (05:53):
You know when you look at though, you know where
you stacked up hipeweight speed, all those things you know.
You can't tell it yet, this you know. But you
have any down that your physical abilities will translate to
the NFL.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I think football is football in my opinion. I think
you go out there and you work hard, you do
what it takes on and off the field, and you
let your body take over when you get out there.
Eric, can you talk about, Uh, having the Marco Marley
as a coach? What do he taught you that maybe
gave you an advantage to get to this point?
Speaker 2 (00:07):
You know, the Marco was a big important piece for me.
It's kind of the reason I went to Oklahoma. I
felt like him playing a game at a high level. Uh,
he could teach me a lot about being a pro
in this league, like what it takes to be a pro,
what I needed.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
To do to get better to get to this level,
and what's the one thing.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
In particular that really stood out to you?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
You know, the most important thing I took from him
is just being a pro every single day, no matter
what's going on. Everybody has something going on, and you
have to be on your p's and q's every single day.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
You gotta rep today and then yeah, and then you
talked to Brian for a little bit. What did he
talk to you about that?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
You know, he was just talking to me, you know,
more so about defining my routes, making sure I'm doing
everything correctly, just.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Getting me used to his style of coaching.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
No, I thought you probably could've come out of Tennessee,
cause you were excellent a Tennessee and move went into
your personal decision to go to Oklahoma to see I
have to work on X, Y and Z.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
I did a little bit more college football.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
So I was actually when I left Tennessee, I was
a sophomore, so I couldn't go yet. So I went
to Oklahoma just looking looking for a new home. I
feel like I'd be explosive in their offense as well as,
like I said earlier, with DeMarco, Murray felt like the
Marco was the key to teaching me a lot about
being successful in this league.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
What was that first year? Like you just reading about it?
Did you didn't seem like you got as many reps
as wanted that first year there? What was it that
like to have to deal with that? And how how'd
you get through that to get to the obviously a great.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Year last year?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Right that year was definitely adversity for me. But I
uh learned a lot in that time. You know, I
grew mentally, I grew speriually in that time, learning that
you just gotta keep working, keep going, and it's gonna
pay off one day for you. My dad had a
stand during that time that was like you can't keep
a good man down so I knew if I kept working,
kept going hard, that I would ultimately be where I am.
What what are like?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Maybe a couple of very specific things that De Marcoo
taught you that you're like, wow, he never thought of him?
That's that's really interesting expertise that I made you wouldn't
have gotten when who's not like a a massive expert,
right feel well.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
You know him playing the game. It's different from when
you were actually out there. So he knows about being
playing in the flow, playing during the then and the
heat of the battle, being out there, knowing fronts, knowing comfagt.
He taught me a lot about, you know, reading the
defense before the play happens, reading and preaching out to
give you a feeling where the ball's gonna hit or
in protection.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Maybe you know everybody talks about the position.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I want you to rank this the these skills set
that you need to play running back at the high
level position and footwork balance speed?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Well, which one is you know the first one for you?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
And it's vision first, vision, footwork speed balance.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
In your mind what came together last year to to
to make it your.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Most successful year?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
I would think my mindset, you know going into that
year saying I wanted this to be my last year.
I wanted to go out there and give my own
kind of have that season, put it all together, and
have that season that I wanted to have, you know,
the previous year, like I talked about, it was that
versit of the year. But I learned a lot in
that time, and I knew coming to the next year
that if I just stick to my cueue, stick to
my coach, and stay close to my teammates, that it
would happened for me.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
And And how hard did y y you didn't play
in there the Bowl game right now? And h how
hard is it to to make that decision?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
You know, it's a hard decision cause you think about
you you go out there with a team from January
all the way to December. So you go, you jail
with your teammates, you're there for a long time, working together,
you're in you're in Smitthy's workouts for a long time.
So just to it was at that time, it was
a hard decision for me, but my coach was the
ultimately said that it was the best decision for me. Eric.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
When you think about your position you play, it's a
valuable position.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
But in the league, as you see, if some of.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
The guys don't get drafted as high, you know, you're
not up to this yet. But sometimes they don't get
paid as much, you know, I mean, w W what
is the value of.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
A running back?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And you know, do you like the position? I mean
you wanna play a different position, you know, do different things.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I think it's a very valuable position.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Uh, you look at today's game, you look at just
a different run backs in the league, and you think
about how the important they are to the offense. You know,
they gotta learn protections, they gotta learn the passing game,
they have to know what everyone's doing. So in my opinion,
it's a very valued position that can make up a
lot of money.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
And do you think, I mean, you know you're a
A A A A L.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
The third day pick.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
You know there are third day picks that the.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Running backs you do well? Right?
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Do you look thinking of yourself as a third you
pick that want to do well? Or do you look
at yourself as No, No, that's.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Not a j fodition of what I yet.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
No, I don't look at it that way. I'm just
looking at you know, my opportunity to here, my opportunity.
I'm here now. T first day, second day, third day,
that's all out of the window. I'm here now, got
a chance to be in a special place like this,
so I'm happy about it.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
What is your what do you make of eventual? At
some point obviously being a.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Teammate of Saint Bots, you know that's a He's a
great player.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I had a lot of success in this league, so
I plan on learning a lot from him in the room.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
You had a chance to speak to him yet there No,
I haven't really happened. What what have you kind of
made of you know to obviously a world wind right
you're here right after you get drafted. Kind of what
is what are your kind of impression has it made?
Like what kind of what is kind of stood out
to you about being here? Like being on a professional
field in a professional uh environment and everything.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You know, it's been a a lot of emotions, you know,
like yesterday being on the NFL field and I was
walking on I was like wow, like the Giants really,
Like I'm really in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Now.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It's been it's been unbelievable, you know, to you think
about coming all the way from me coming all the
way from little league to now, it's it's flown by
and it's it's a lesson to be here. Threem r.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Did you hit? You got to play with Jaalin that Tennessee?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Right?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I did? I did? What stuck out with you from him?
I mean, obviously we all talking about his speed? Is that? Yes?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Ye a just sin when he came in as a freshman,
that's what you knew, like soon as first work got
his speed. His speed is what what he's good at.
That's his strength, his speed. So definitely notice that from
the first day. I'm sure you probably kept in eye
on Tennessee. Uh what did you think of you?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Did you watch that Alabama game or the and what
did you think of him?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
I think we actually I don't remember who we played,
but we played an early game that day and I went,
me and my whole family watched the entire game, and
I was rooting for him.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
I was rooting for him the whole way.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I had a lot of teammates that played it that
were still on that team, so I was happy for him.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
What did you think about what he did in that game?
I'm said that was a big time performance.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Unbelievable, Like I was. I was watching it live, so
I was like, Rod Jalen is doing his thing tonight.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Do you feel like you councilor fuck? Yes, I did?
I did. How do you have any question?
Speaker 1 (05:53):
You know when you look at though, you know where
you stacked up hipeweight speed, all those things you know.
You can't tell it yet, this you know. But you
have any down that your physical abilities will translate to
the NFL.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I think football is football in my opinion. I think
you go out there and you work hard, you do
what it takes on and off the field, and you
let your body take over when you get out there.
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