Latest / Press Pass / Press Pass | Hunter, Strange & Oluokun Talk Recovery Process, "One Game at a Time" Mindset

Transcript

Press Pass | Hunter, Strange & Oluokun Talk Recovery Process, "One Game at a Time" Mindset · Press Pass

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: It's going to be something like 10 months since some
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: change since you were last on the field for a game.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: What is that moment on Sunday going to be like
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: for you?
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: Really just go out there and play football just to
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: reestablish my play style back on the football field, let
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: everybody know what I can do.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Is there excitement? Is there anxiety? What other feelings? Is
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: it just football for you?
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's really just football, but I'm really happy to
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: be able to go back out there and play football again.
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: Are you looking forward to that first hit?
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm I don't care about no hits. I've been
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: playing football for a long time.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: How was training camp for you? I know we talked
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: to you a few times, but just kind of now
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: that you had a chance to kind of evaluate everything
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: you were able to do.
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: I was a little rusty starting out. Like you said,
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: it's about to be 10 months since I played a
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: real down to football. So it started off a little rusty,
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: but I started to get back in my groove towards
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: the end of training camp.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: What was it like being able to spend a lot
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: of time with? Coach Kemp's defense and just kind of
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: all of the guys, it seemed like they shifted your
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: snaps heavily towards defense, towards the end.
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: It just helped a lot, being able to be comfortable
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: when I'm on the field with the guys, let them
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: know that they can trust me. I'm going to be
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: able to do my job. I'm going to be in
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: the right spot when I need to be.
• 1:07
  Speaker 4: Are there any kind of nerves just stepping back out
• 1:11
  Speaker 4: in the field because it's been so long?
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: No, no nerves. I'm really excited to be able to
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: go back out there and play.
• 1:17
  Speaker 4: What's more exciting, getting to get your first catch in
• 1:20
  Speaker 4: a game again or make.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: Your first hit? Just being able to be on the
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: football field for a down, really.
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: Is that one of the things you miss the most,
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: just being out there with the guys, being in the huddle,
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: that kind of thing?
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, because everybody knows I can't sit on the sideline.
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: I don't like sitting on the sideline. I didn't like
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: coming to the games last year because I really wanted
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: to be out there on the field with them.
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: And the coaches talk a lot about the communication and
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: chemistry and the secondary being so important. How important is
• 1:46
  Speaker 3: it for you guys just to be tight-knit like that.
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: And kind of, you know, whatever it is, take it
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: that way? We kind of have to. You know, you
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: really have no choice, you know. A lot of teams
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: are going to try to throw the ball back there,
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: so we all got to be able to communicate, be comfortable,
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: and we got to be on the same page.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Do you think about that first interception, getting that?
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: No, not really. Just going out there and playing on
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: my team, just being able to compete with them.
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: I talked to Coach Rouge, and he said he tells
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: you often it's you versus you. Just kind of having
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: that reaffirmation and somebody to tell you, like, cut out
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: all the outside noise, all the talking, it's you versus you.
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: What is that like having a.
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: Guy like that? Just being able to remind myself it's
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: me versus me. You know, sometimes the talent not up
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: to my level, so I got to continue to just
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: continue to be technical focused on my details and just
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: be able to be comfortable out there and just continue
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: to be Travis.
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: How different does it feel maybe this time now than
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: it did a year ago? I mean, you've played games
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: at this point. I mean, you've had all that time
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: with the playbook to know the scheme and everything under
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: your belt. Is it just going out there and just
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: being you now?
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: Yeah, just going out there, being me, going out there
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: and playing with the guys again, just being comfortable.
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: How much does that time on task kind of help?
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: It helped a lot, actually. You know, being able to
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: just focus on football really is what I, that's all
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: I had to do. You know, I was down. I
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: couldn't go out there and play, so I really just
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: had a chance to sit back, relax, and just being
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: able to watch football and continue the game of knowledge.
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: Is there something from that perspective that you can take
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: with you out there on the field where you kind
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: of did get a little bit of a different view
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: of things?
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: Just being able to see the overall coordinator, seeing how
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: they like to play the game on both sides of
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: the ball, just being able to just watch football close
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: up and understanding why coaches call these calls and stuff
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: like that.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: We saw you catching some punts. Are you thinking of
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: taking this guy's job?
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: No, I'm not thinking of taking Parker's job. But, you know,
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: I don't got nothing else to do for the special teams,
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: so I go back there a little bit and go
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: in and catch a couple of punts, you know, just
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: in case I have to.
• 3:40
  Speaker 5: What about field goals?
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: We saw you knock over one during training camp.
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: I'm kind of like that at field goals now. That's
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: the only one I made. But I'm going to.
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: Try to get better.
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: What did you say? Your expectations for the season. My expectations?
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: Just going out there and competing. Really no expectations for me,
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: you know. It's going to be competing, following our motto,
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: doing what coaches is asking us, and just being able
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: to see what the outcome is at the end of
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: the season.
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: How has the balance been staying on time with Trev
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: when your snaps are kind of decreased? I know you
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: guys throw an extra after practice, but has that been
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: an adjustment trying to figure that out at all?
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: No, not really. Last year I was a rookie, so
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: we really had the same thing last year, coming in
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: and just trying to understand what he want really is
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: the only thing that matters. It really helps, you know,
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: just understanding what he wants me to be and how
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: he wants me to be and stuff like that. I
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: know it's one game at a time, right?
• 4:34
  Speaker 4: But just what do you feel like.
• 4:35
  Speaker 5: This team can achieve this season?
• 4:38
  Speaker 4: Like you said, it's one game at a time. And
• 4:39
  Speaker 4: when you want to achieve great things, you've got to
• 4:41
  Speaker 4: take it one game at a time. Those games in
• 4:43
  Speaker 4: the beginning of the year, they always matter. At the
• 4:46
  Speaker 4: end of the year when they do the rankings or whatever,
• 4:48
  Speaker 4: however it goes. So just one game at a time mindset.
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: I know you've seen Tanner and Nate in practice every
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: day for a few months now, but are you excited
• 4:55
  Speaker 3: to see just.
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: The game action, see them kind of on that stage
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: in that moment? Most definitely, man.
• 4:59
  Speaker 4: A lot of hard work has been put in this
• 5:00
  Speaker 4: offseason and just working with those guys every single day,
• 5:03
  Speaker 4: and I'm excited for them to go out there and
• 5:04
  Speaker 4: watch them pay off.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: What are your expectations for the team this year going
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: into the season?
• 5:10
  Speaker 5: I'm worried about week one, come out week one, get
• 5:12
  Speaker 5: this win. I don't really go with expectations year to
• 5:14
  Speaker 5: year because a season is what you make it. Everybody
• 5:17
  Speaker 5: in this NFL is good, so if you don't come
• 5:19
  Speaker 5: out playing the right way week one, week two, You know,
• 5:22
  Speaker 5: but it starts with week one. And expectations go from
• 5:25
  Speaker 5: how we play through the year. I want to win
• 5:27
  Speaker 5: every game, though.
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: Love it.
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: Yep. So, like, last year you guys won the AFC
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: South and knocked out week one of the playoffs.
• 5:34
  Speaker 4: Do you think you're going for just one.
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: Game at a time?
• 5:37
  Speaker 5: Yeah, we won the AFC South last year and only
• 5:39
  Speaker 5: played one playoff game. So let's do better than that.
• 5:43
  Speaker 5: But it starts with winning games through the year, understanding
• 5:45
  Speaker 5: what your formula is for winning games, getting to the playoffs,
• 5:48
  Speaker 5: which is always a race in the AFC South anyway.
• 5:51
  Speaker 5: But you control that by winning week one, week two,
• 5:53
  Speaker 5: week three. Football, you can't really look too far ahead
• 5:57
  Speaker 5: because that's how you get got. You just focus on
• 5:59
  Speaker 5: the task at hand. If you control the now, you
• 6:01
  Speaker 5: should control the future because the future becomes the now.
• 6:04
  Speaker 5: Somebody told me that back in the day. So just
• 6:06
  Speaker 5: control that. Get as many wins as possible. They'll keep coming.
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: What about the Cleveland Browns are you guys looking for
• 6:11
  Speaker 3: this week?
• 6:12
  Speaker 5: It should be their identity, who they've been, and their
• 6:15
  Speaker 5: personnel that's been and their team for a long time,
• 6:17
  Speaker 5: physical teams, scrappy teams. So we come out, we got to.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: Execute our calls.
• 6:20
  Speaker 5: We got to do it the right way, physical and
• 6:22
  Speaker 5: playing all the way through plays. You know, we got
• 6:24
  Speaker 5: a quarterback who can throw the ball accurately, can extend
• 6:27
  Speaker 5: the plays when he wants, can execute some quarterback run game,
• 6:30
  Speaker 5: which I know they got implemented from their offense that
• 6:32
  Speaker 5: they had in Baltimore. So we got to be ready
• 6:34
  Speaker 5: for anything that they're willing to throw at us in
• 6:36
  Speaker 5: order to stay ahead of the sticks and keep their
• 6:38
  Speaker 5: offense churning. We've got to execute, knock out this run
• 6:41
  Speaker 5: game emphatically, make it a drop-back pass game, and execute
• 6:45
  Speaker 5: our calls there too.
• 6:46
  Speaker 4: Last one for me.
• 6:47
  Speaker 3: You were nominated as captain fifth year running here.
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: What does that mean to you to be captain?
• 6:52
  Speaker 5: It's really cool. It's kind of the journey. Really, football-wise,
• 6:55
  Speaker 5: it's always kind of just do by example. I don't
• 6:58
  Speaker 5: really outwardly speak that much, but through the career, people
• 7:01
  Speaker 5: were looking up to me, wanting my advice and this
• 7:03
  Speaker 5: and that. It's cool to be able to feel like
• 7:05
  Speaker 5: a leader of the guys, but I don't ever overstep.
• 7:07
  Speaker 5: A leader has to be a good listener, seeing what
• 7:09
  Speaker 5: the team needs, seeing what guys need from me. So
• 7:12
  Speaker 5: I feel more like a service leader than I'll speak
• 7:15
  Speaker 5: up when I feel like it's needed. But get everybody
• 7:18
  Speaker 5: going in the right direction and feel their energy, the
• 7:20
  Speaker 5: energy that I hold inside. Let the whole team feel that,
• 7:22
  Speaker 5: and we'll keep on going day by day, getting better
• 7:24
  Speaker 5: and better.