May 25, 2023 • 6 mins
Tight end Darren Waller talks about building a rapport with his quarterback on and off the field.
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Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
There are how's it couldn't so far playing with Da
you'll what.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
You'll crush you on.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
I'm been very impressed with Dan arm talent, uh, intelligence,
Uh and funny guys.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Got a lot of personality that you really uh get
to see once you get to know him some more.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
So, Uh, it's been fun then getting extra throwing sessions
in working out in the weight room. It's a lot
of jokes having lunches together. You know a lot of guys.
Are you tell guys that are really close around here?
And he kind of leads that energy. Darry, what are
your thoughts about this offense? What do you like most
about it?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I love the most about it is a challenge.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Uh requires you to know everything that's going on in
the field, not just you know, have yourself fixed in
one spot, like you need to know the whole picture
of the offense. Why the quarterbacks looking in a certain direction,
why you need to be in a certain window at
a certain time, and you know it forces you to
move fast and think fast, and.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Uh, I love challenges. So that's why feel like I
love the most about him. And you look at yourself
as I tell your dad, or did you look at yourself.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Like past, I would just say it's a football player,
you know, like whatever, whatever it's required of me, I'm
willing to do, whether it's you know, more blocking on
a certain day, more dirty working on a certain day,
catching more passes on a certain day.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I don't try to put myself in the box anyway.
How do you hear your s this this season for
yourself after what you can through the last couple of
years and terms of not being on the field as much.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
As you wanted you issue, Yeah, I mean I've used
this season as uh there's some opportunity to get back
to having fun and just starting with being available for
my teammates each and every week, you know, I it's
not that's something I haven't been able to do the
last couple of years. And I'm fully aware of that
and doing everything in my control to be able to
be out there and uh be accountable, be reliable by
just being out there every day.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
So uh, I'm excited about that challenge. It better before
and I'm ready to do it again. And what's and
what's different here than where you were before? What what
feels different? What is different in your mind? I mean
it it's different from team to team.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
I'm my third now, so there's uh, there's different cultures
everywhere you go, different you know, type of energy. This
is you know, it's just a really uh like place,
really fun place, really uh you know, I empowering place
in a way where you know, y, you'd could just
be yourself in all ways as long as you're not
putting the team at risk by getting a flag or
things like that, you can really let your personality show.
(02:17):
And uh that's what I love about being here. It's
just been fun and uh it's also been challenging, guys
holding me to a high standard since I got in here,
and uh try to reciprocate that. Do you find that
they give you a like a little bigger.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Piece of ownership if you will, and you in your system,
like you through your contributions, your suggestions and stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Uh, yeah, they they they value our opinions here, and uh,
you know, as a player, I feel like a lot
of places I've gone, it's you know, you you're you're told
to do things a certain way and you and you
do those things, and but here it's like they they
ask a lot of questions. They wanna know what you're thinking, Why,
what would you like to do more and uh sort
of offer input. It's a really cool thing, Uh, because
(02:53):
you know, coaches and players gotta be in partnership. We're
all together and shouldn't be clashing with each other. It's
all we're all.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Going in the same direction.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You mentioned being with the uh new teams before this
time of year, when you're with a new team, what
are you.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
What are the priorities for you?
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Priorities for me is just putting time in uh learning
the system. Uh, putting time in building relationships with guys,
you know, cause that's the thing that's really the foundation
for where you're trying to go. Things only stack on
top of that, and uh, fuck you only go as
far as your knowledge, because if you don't know that,
you can't play fast and you can't respond to what
a defense is trying to do. And if you don't
have relationships with guys, then at first he's gonna hit
during the season, and sometimes guys may start pointing.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Fingers or or blaming, and uh, you can't have that. Guys.
You gotta stick together. Hey Darren, what have you learned
about your Potano challenge?
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I mean, he's I learned he's a smart guy. He's uh,
he's funny. He's uh, he's driven. He's one of the
hardest workers. Uh as far as like you know, coming
in early for preparation and staying after for recovery and.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Doing what he needs to do, having a routine, having
a plan. Fuck like that.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
That sets the tone where you know, like, Okay, this
guy that's stepping in the huddle tone, that's what we
need to do, where we.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Need to go.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
He's really out here putting all the work in and
then some and it all so once you have a
good time while you do it.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
That's why. That's why I learned about him. Its funny,
How how was you funny? Uh? You usually got jokes man.
He's he's uh. He's got like a low like a
low key sense of humor. You know.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
He's a you know a little more uh introverted guy,
kind of like myself. You know, I'm I'm I'm like
that too, So I feel like we, uh have similar
sense sense of the hemors.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Has he given you any advice about New York or
New Jersey or how to handle it? He's really just
said to embrace it. You know.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
It's not a lot of people get to say that
they can play football in a market like this or
in a city like this with people as passionate as
his fan base is. So it's it's all about your
perspective whether you look at it as it's scary or
you look at it as this is.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
A really cool opportunity. So I view it as a
great opportunity. Have you gotten comfortable in wearing the blue
and being here him? And I would imagine it's always
a transition when you come.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
To a new team.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, nah, that it. It definitely is. I was just
handing the other day.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
I saw some pictures from practice, and I was just
like I getting used to the blue, man, you know,
cause it's a it's a new it's a new color.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
But uh, it's cool man. It's it's cool to have
a a new chapter.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
And just to be able to be out here and
play football, you know, it's a blessing to be able
to continue to play this game. I've been playing since
I was like four years old, you know, So just
try to keep it in Africa.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
For Daniels, Yalls, could you give me an example of
what of him being driven? What how you've observed.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
That, uh, setting up extra throwing sessions, making sure everybody
knows what time, the location. You know, he's in the
weight room, Uh, getting his body worked on prep work.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Uh with it be massages. Uh.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
The first time I met him, we were in Arizona.
I came in the house. He was getting bodywork done.
He was, uh, you know, gett getting his arm ready
to to throw the next day. So it's just like
he's always got a plan, He's always working towards something,
and uh, that's what I.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Respect abou him. What was that Arain What was that
Arizona trip line? It was a lot of fun. Man.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
It was Uh, it's like twenty plus guys in a
in a huge house and it was just you know,
eating food, uh, playing games, shooting on the court in
the back, uh, and going out and throwing and running
in the early in the day. So it was just
a like an opportunity to get into get a early
head start on what we installed, getting a learning system
a little bit, but also the relationship building, which we
(06:03):
feel like is most important. I know these guys value
and it's cool to see if they put that in
such a high regard.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
When Daniel watch one, when Daniel was talking about you,
he said he's a deep thinker. I mean, do you just.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Like to think about other things in football or is
that something you'll bring.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
To football or what some try to just bring to
everything that I do.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I don't pigeon myse hold myself to just football, but
I know that when I'm here, I this is my
top priority. When I'm here, I don't do other things
in place at the time I need to put into
this and so.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
But yeah, I like to make sure.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
That I'm meditating and putting a lot of thought into
why I do certain things on the field, why I
do certain things off the field, and making sure that
you know, I'm providing value in the fact that you know,
you know, the Giants go get somebody that's gonna make
make their team better, uh, in whatever way they ask
them to do.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So that's why I try to make sure I'm on
top of that
There are how's it couldn't so far playing with Da
you'll what.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
You'll crush you on.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
I'm been very impressed with Dan arm talent, uh, intelligence,
Uh and funny guys.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Got a lot of personality that you really uh get
to see once you get to know him some more.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
So, Uh, it's been fun then getting extra throwing sessions
in working out in the weight room. It's a lot
of jokes having lunches together. You know a lot of guys.
Are you tell guys that are really close around here?
And he kind of leads that energy. Darry, what are
your thoughts about this offense? What do you like most
about it?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I love the most about it is a challenge.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Uh requires you to know everything that's going on in
the field, not just you know, have yourself fixed in
one spot, like you need to know the whole picture
of the offense. Why the quarterbacks looking in a certain direction,
why you need to be in a certain window at
a certain time, and you know it forces you to
move fast and think fast, and.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Uh, I love challenges. So that's why feel like I
love the most about him. And you look at yourself
as I tell your dad, or did you look at yourself.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Like past, I would just say it's a football player,
you know, like whatever, whatever it's required of me, I'm
willing to do, whether it's you know, more blocking on
a certain day, more dirty working on a certain day,
catching more passes on a certain day.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I don't try to put myself in the box anyway.
How do you hear your s this this season for
yourself after what you can through the last couple of
years and terms of not being on the field as much.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
As you wanted you issue, Yeah, I mean I've used
this season as uh there's some opportunity to get back
to having fun and just starting with being available for
my teammates each and every week, you know, I it's
not that's something I haven't been able to do the
last couple of years. And I'm fully aware of that
and doing everything in my control to be able to
be out there and uh be accountable, be reliable by
just being out there every day.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
So uh, I'm excited about that challenge. It better before
and I'm ready to do it again. And what's and
what's different here than where you were before? What what
feels different? What is different in your mind? I mean
it it's different from team to team.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
I'm my third now, so there's uh, there's different cultures
everywhere you go, different you know, type of energy. This
is you know, it's just a really uh like place,
really fun place, really uh you know, I empowering place
in a way where you know, y, you'd could just
be yourself in all ways as long as you're not
putting the team at risk by getting a flag or
things like that, you can really let your personality show.
(02:17):
And uh that's what I love about being here. It's
just been fun and uh it's also been challenging, guys
holding me to a high standard since I got in here,
and uh try to reciprocate that. Do you find that
they give you a like a little bigger.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Piece of ownership if you will, and you in your system,
like you through your contributions, your suggestions and stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Uh, yeah, they they they value our opinions here, and uh,
you know, as a player, I feel like a lot
of places I've gone, it's you know, you you're you're told
to do things a certain way and you and you
do those things, and but here it's like they they
ask a lot of questions. They wanna know what you're thinking, Why,
what would you like to do more and uh sort
of offer input. It's a really cool thing, Uh, because
(02:53):
you know, coaches and players gotta be in partnership. We're
all together and shouldn't be clashing with each other. It's
all we're all.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Going in the same direction.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You mentioned being with the uh new teams before this
time of year, when you're with a new team, what
are you.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
What are the priorities for you?
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Priorities for me is just putting time in uh learning
the system. Uh, putting time in building relationships with guys,
you know, cause that's the thing that's really the foundation
for where you're trying to go. Things only stack on
top of that, and uh, fuck you only go as
far as your knowledge, because if you don't know that,
you can't play fast and you can't respond to what
a defense is trying to do. And if you don't
have relationships with guys, then at first he's gonna hit
during the season, and sometimes guys may start pointing.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Fingers or or blaming, and uh, you can't have that. Guys.
You gotta stick together. Hey Darren, what have you learned
about your Potano challenge?
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I mean, he's I learned he's a smart guy. He's uh,
he's funny. He's uh, he's driven. He's one of the
hardest workers. Uh as far as like you know, coming
in early for preparation and staying after for recovery and.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Doing what he needs to do, having a routine, having
a plan. Fuck like that.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
That sets the tone where you know, like, Okay, this
guy that's stepping in the huddle tone, that's what we
need to do, where we.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Need to go.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
He's really out here putting all the work in and
then some and it all so once you have a
good time while you do it.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
That's why. That's why I learned about him. Its funny,
How how was you funny? Uh? You usually got jokes man.
He's he's uh. He's got like a low like a
low key sense of humor. You know.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
He's a you know a little more uh introverted guy,
kind of like myself. You know, I'm I'm I'm like
that too, So I feel like we, uh have similar
sense sense of the hemors.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Has he given you any advice about New York or
New Jersey or how to handle it? He's really just
said to embrace it. You know.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
It's not a lot of people get to say that
they can play football in a market like this or
in a city like this with people as passionate as
his fan base is. So it's it's all about your
perspective whether you look at it as it's scary or
you look at it as this is.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
A really cool opportunity. So I view it as a
great opportunity. Have you gotten comfortable in wearing the blue
and being here him? And I would imagine it's always
a transition when you come.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
To a new team.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, nah, that it. It definitely is. I was just
handing the other day.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
I saw some pictures from practice, and I was just
like I getting used to the blue, man, you know,
cause it's a it's a new it's a new color.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
But uh, it's cool man. It's it's cool to have
a a new chapter.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
And just to be able to be out here and
play football, you know, it's a blessing to be able
to continue to play this game. I've been playing since
I was like four years old, you know, So just
try to keep it in Africa.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
For Daniels, Yalls, could you give me an example of
what of him being driven? What how you've observed.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
That, uh, setting up extra throwing sessions, making sure everybody
knows what time, the location. You know, he's in the
weight room, Uh, getting his body worked on prep work.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Uh with it be massages. Uh.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
The first time I met him, we were in Arizona.
I came in the house. He was getting bodywork done.
He was, uh, you know, gett getting his arm ready
to to throw the next day. So it's just like
he's always got a plan, He's always working towards something,
and uh, that's what I.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Respect abou him. What was that Arain What was that
Arizona trip line? It was a lot of fun. Man.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
It was Uh, it's like twenty plus guys in a
in a huge house and it was just you know,
eating food, uh, playing games, shooting on the court in
the back, uh, and going out and throwing and running
in the early in the day. So it was just
a like an opportunity to get into get a early
head start on what we installed, getting a learning system
a little bit, but also the relationship building, which we
(06:03):
feel like is most important. I know these guys value
and it's cool to see if they put that in
such a high regard.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
When Daniel watch one, when Daniel was talking about you,
he said he's a deep thinker. I mean, do you just.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Like to think about other things in football or is
that something you'll bring.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
To football or what some try to just bring to
everything that I do.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I don't pigeon myse hold myself to just football, but
I know that when I'm here, I this is my
top priority. When I'm here, I don't do other things
in place at the time I need to put into
this and so.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
But yeah, I like to make sure.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
That I'm meditating and putting a lot of thought into
why I do certain things on the field, why I
do certain things off the field, and making sure that
you know, I'm providing value in the fact that you know,
you know, the Giants go get somebody that's gonna make
make their team better, uh, in whatever way they ask
them to do.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So that's why I try to make sure I'm on
top of that
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