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Sam Darnold: "I Play For The Love Of The Game" · Seahawks Press Pass

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  Speaker 1: All right. Yeah, obviously another tough challenge this week, you know,
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  Speaker 1: with with the Saints coming into town. Obviously a really
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  Speaker 1: good defense, really well coached with coach Staley over there,
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  Speaker 1: really good front, really good linebackers, great you know, back
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  Speaker 1: in the in the secondary, I feel like they they're
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  Speaker 1: doing some really good things, pressure wise, coverage wise, all
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  Speaker 1: those things. So it's a lot to a lot to
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  Speaker 1: prepare for, but it's exciting. It's exciting stuff to just
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  Speaker 1: be able to come in here and get to work
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  Speaker 1: every single day with these guys and uh, you know,
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  Speaker 1: we're excited about this opportunity.
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  Speaker 2: What does that do for an offense? Just conference wise,
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  Speaker 2: when you march.
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  Speaker 1: Down the field at the end of the first Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: you know, it's always great to score touchdowns no matter
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  Speaker 1: what the circumstances. But obviously opening drive, it's great to
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  Speaker 1: to start the game that way. You know, I feel like, again,
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  Speaker 1: we can be that efficient every single drive. That's a
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  Speaker 1: standard for us. But it was great to be able
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  Speaker 1: to get out there first drive and execute like that.
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  Speaker 2: What was a play that kind of demonstrated to you
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  Speaker 2: that off is operating like the way you wanted to
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  Speaker 2: and maybe a play that you'd like to have back.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I think one of the runs that
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  Speaker 1: we had we ran to the weak side with you know,
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  Speaker 1: K nine, not the touchdown. The touchdown was great too,
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  Speaker 1: but I think it was the play that Robbie kind
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  Speaker 1: of cleared the way for for Ken there and it
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  Speaker 1: was just really well blocked, really well executed. And then
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  Speaker 1: you know, there's a few plays you know that we'd
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  Speaker 1: all like to have back as an offense, and we'll
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  Speaker 1: continue to learn and get better from those plays at
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  Speaker 1: what that fullback does, but from what you need to
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  Speaker 1: do do Just having to full back.
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  Speaker 2: In the game change anything for you, what you see, how.
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  Speaker 1: You Yeah, you know, the last few years, I've been
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  Speaker 1: very fortunate to play on offenses where we utilize full
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  Speaker 1: backs and to have a full back like Utsi back there,
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  Speaker 1: and when Brady gets a chance to go in there,
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  Speaker 1: Brady does a great job as well. But when they
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  Speaker 1: get back there, you know, I have full full trust
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  Speaker 1: in them, not only in I mean because they have
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  Speaker 1: so much on their plate, right they have run game,
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  Speaker 1: have protection, they got to know what they're doing routes wise,
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  Speaker 1: and the you know, passing concepts. So it's it's a
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  Speaker 1: lot on their plate and they handle it every single week,
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  Speaker 1: and it's it's great to see with Utzi going out
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  Speaker 1: there and executing the way he has been.
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  Speaker 2: It's been the biggest influences on your perspective on good leadership.
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  Speaker 1: I don't know, there's a lot. I think you gain
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  Speaker 1: a lot from a lot of people, you know, whether
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  Speaker 1: they're vocal leaders, whether they're guys who state to themselves
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  Speaker 1: but just get their work done. There's so many different
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  Speaker 1: ways to lead, especially in what we do. Really in
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  Speaker 1: all facets of life. There's there's a ton of leaders
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  Speaker 1: out there, and you know, there's there's a lot to
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  Speaker 1: pick up from. So I just I do my best
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  Speaker 1: to to try to just learn from from guys that
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  Speaker 1: I feel like lead really well and go from there.
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  Speaker 2: You have any examples of some of those people that
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  Speaker 2: stand out to you.
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  Speaker 1: I feel like for the most part, you know, defensive
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  Speaker 1: offensive linemen really do a good job of, uh, just
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  Speaker 1: minding their business, you know. And and that's not to
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  Speaker 1: say that vocal leaders are a certain way. It's just
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  Speaker 1: you know, a lot of guys, you know in the
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  Speaker 1: offensive line room or defensive line room just they just
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  Speaker 1: go to work every single day and those are the
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  Speaker 1: kind of guys that you want to go to battle
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  Speaker 1: with on Sundays. And you know, that just really sets
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  Speaker 1: the tone, you know when when you got guys like
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  Speaker 1: that that go in the weight room, they do the
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  Speaker 1: things that they do moving that weight around, and then
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  Speaker 1: you know, taking care of their bodies, you know, outside
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  Speaker 1: of practice, and when they go home, they're not you know,
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  Speaker 1: they're not just going on the couch laying down. They're
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  Speaker 1: going on the couch laying down and looking at the plays.
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  Speaker 1: And I think that's that's kind of the next level
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  Speaker 1: for a lot of these guys. And I feel like
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  Speaker 1: the offensive line and defensive line kind of set the
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  Speaker 1: tone for us that way.
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  Speaker 2: What's your mindset as a leader when you face adversity,
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  Speaker 2: interception or the play that will go right?
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  Speaker 1: What is your mindset there? Yeah, just reset, you know.
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  Speaker 1: I I do my best to just you know, for stuff.
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  Speaker 1: I think it's you know, natural to want to you know,
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  Speaker 1: scream or do something to you know, let that frustration out.
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  Speaker 1: But you know, you gotta you gotta be able to
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  Speaker 1: move on really fast, because if you don't in this league, it'll,
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  Speaker 1: you know, it'll add up and you know, we'll just
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  Speaker 1: keep stacking, and so I think for me personally, I
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  Speaker 1: just I clap my hands, take a deep breath, and
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  Speaker 1: that's kind of my cue to myself to just say
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  Speaker 1: move on next play. Tight end, can you talk.
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  Speaker 2: About just the diversity. I know they can block and
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  Speaker 2: all that, but just as pass catchers for sure.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, you know, kind of like what I
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  Speaker 1: was saying about UTSI earlier. I think tight ends are
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  Speaker 1: the same way, right, they have to they have to
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  Speaker 1: know what they're doing in the run game, pass game
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  Speaker 1: protection wise sometimes, so they do a really good job
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  Speaker 1: for us that way. And obviously we got we got
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  Speaker 1: a few of them who who can really do a
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  Speaker 1: good job for us.
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  Speaker 2: What did you do for the offense to see that
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  Speaker 2: leap forward from week one to week two?
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  Speaker 1: Things were clicking, things were working so well in Pittsburgh.
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  Speaker 2: Something order to do You're always confident, right, but order
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  Speaker 2: to do for that unit.
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  Speaker 1: To see things take us that forward. Yeah, I think
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  Speaker 1: when you know you train so hard and you put
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  Speaker 1: the work in, you know Ta's training camp, during practice,
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  Speaker 1: throughout the week, getting ready for a game, to to
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  Speaker 1: just see it come into fruition on Sundays, it's always
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  Speaker 1: nice to see. You understand coming in here on Mondays
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  Speaker 1: after the game, the you know, the kind of work
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  Speaker 1: that we need to be able to put in to
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  Speaker 1: get even that much better. But it was good to
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  Speaker 1: see us take some you know, steps in the right
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  Speaker 1: direction as an offense.
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  Speaker 2: Seemed really fired up on Ken's touchdown.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I was that h third and nineteen. Man, it
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  Speaker 1: was I think I said it after the game, but
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  Speaker 1: you're not necessarily expecting that one to go, And you know,
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  Speaker 1: I have the highest expectations for our guys, and I
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  Speaker 1: know it was possible, but to just be able to
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  Speaker 1: see him, you know, especially from the angle that I had,
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  Speaker 1: just to see him kind of weave in and out
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  Speaker 1: of the defense and make a play, it was very special.
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  Speaker 1: And just the timing of the play too, I think
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  Speaker 1: in the game that was a huge pivotal It was
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  Speaker 1: a pivotal point for us in the game to score
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  Speaker 1: that touchdown, and I think that's kind of where that
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  Speaker 1: energy and excitement comes from.
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  Speaker 2: General, that was the best game he's since You've been
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  Speaker 2: his teammate, obviously, What did he make of what you
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  Speaker 2: saw from him?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, he's great. I mean just you know, his ability
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  Speaker 1: to to get in and out of cuts, you know,
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  Speaker 1: to hit when when he sees a crease, to be
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  Speaker 1: able to hit it. And then also in the you know,
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  Speaker 1: in the past game as well, just to be able
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  Speaker 1: to be there for me, whether it's a check down,
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  Speaker 1: whether it's actually you know, running around is number one
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  Speaker 1: in the progression. He's uh, you know, he's as good
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  Speaker 1: as they come. And he again, like I said about
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  Speaker 1: the offensive defensive line, he's one of those guys that
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  Speaker 1: just goes about his business every single day and that's
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  Speaker 1: something I respect about him.
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  Speaker 2: Get a lot of quick stuff to Cooper cut that
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  Speaker 2: he turned to a big game and he's kind of
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  Speaker 2: in a career of that stuff over the middle, all
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  Speaker 2: the edge.
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  Speaker 1: What what makes him so good at that yard after? Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: I think for Coop, he just understands coverage so well.
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  Speaker 1: He understands defenses, He understands what we're trying to do
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  Speaker 1: as an offense. So, you know, I think that's kind
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  Speaker 1: of the easiest way to say it is he's just
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  Speaker 1: very knowledgeable about defenses and certain leverages that guys are
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  Speaker 1: in in and uh, where the voids are in the
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  Speaker 1: zones that first touchdown?
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  Speaker 2: Just what did what did you see there? I mean,
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  Speaker 2: I don't know if he was the first the first
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  Speaker 2: target there or whatever, but I mean the rookie and
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  Speaker 2: kind of his first cast for a first test.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it was awesome. It was awesome to be able
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  Speaker 1: to get the ball to to Torri, especially in that situation,
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  Speaker 1: you know, one on one like that. It was great
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  Speaker 1: to be able to see him separate and make a play.
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  Speaker 1: Can you consider your defense? The right at which their
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  Speaker 1: pressuring quarterbacks is pretty.
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  Speaker 2: Impressive for doing it with a four man rush. What
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  Speaker 2: would be frustrating for you as a quarterback to look
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  Speaker 2: at that and say, how.
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  Speaker 1: Are they getting that done? Yeah? It's uh. I had
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  Speaker 1: to deal with it all training camp, right, So it's uh,
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  Speaker 1: it's you know, it's a special group up front that
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  Speaker 1: we have on defense, and you know, I just I'm
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  Speaker 1: glad they're on our team. That's all I say about that.
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  Speaker 2: What did you get into football?
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  Speaker 1: What's that?
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  Speaker 2: Why did you get into football?
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  Speaker 1: Uh? I think I just really enjoyed playing it. I
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  Speaker 1: enjoyed watching Uh. You know, I think first and foremost,
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  Speaker 1: my my dad and my my mom and my older
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  Speaker 1: sister were very into watching it on Saturdays and Sundays,
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  Speaker 1: even on Fridays. Going to the local high school games,
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  Speaker 1: so I think that was the main reason. And then
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  Speaker 1: you know, when I was out in the backyard or
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  Speaker 1: the front yard, you know, playing catch with my friends
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  Speaker 1: like that was some of my best memories that I
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  Speaker 1: have as a kid, and that's that's really why I
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  Speaker 1: got into football. Did you start playing I started playing tackle.
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  Speaker 1: I played some flag every now and then, you know,
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  Speaker 1: you know, like summer camp stuff like that. But I
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  Speaker 1: really started playing tackle when I was in third grade.
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  Speaker 2: When did you At what point was it USC or
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  Speaker 2: before that you thought you could make a career out
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  Speaker 2: of it.
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  Speaker 1: Probably at usc uh kind of when everyone was telling
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  Speaker 1: me I could make a career out of it. I
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  Speaker 1: think that was the time I actually realized that I could.
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  Speaker 1: I was just, you know, I still am to this day.
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  Speaker 1: I played for the love of the game, and nothing
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  Speaker 1: is ever going to change that. As soon as that changes,
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  Speaker 1: I feel like I'll be done playing.
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  Speaker 2: What are your favorite quarterbacks growing up?
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  Speaker 1: It's funny you asked that. I mean, we just played
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  Speaker 1: one of them last weekend. Aaron's one of my favorite
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: quarterbacks growing up, Tom Brady as well, Peyton Manning. You know,
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  Speaker 1: I have a ton of respect for guys like Philip Rivers,
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  Speaker 1: Ben Roethlisberger, just Eli Manning, that whole kind of generation
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  Speaker 1: of quarterbacks there. I feel like I've I have a
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  Speaker 1: ton of respect for I've. I've you know, been very
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  Speaker 1: fortunate to be able to meet a lot of them.
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  Speaker 1: And you know, they a lot of people say, don't
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  Speaker 1: meet your idols, but I you know, I was very
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  Speaker 1: fortunate to be able to meet them and just to
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  Speaker 1: see what kind of people they were. It was a
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: you know, it's a it's awesome to see. Were the
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: Chargers your team growing up? I like the Chargers, I
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  Speaker 1: wouldn't say they were my team. I was more of
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: a USC Trojans guy because the Rams were in LA
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: at the time and we had season tickets our whole family,
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  Speaker 1: and so I was fortunate to go to you know,
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  Speaker 1: one or two games a year going up to the coliseum.
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  Speaker 2: JSN guy that like. Coming into the season, some people
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  Speaker 2: said he's just a slot receiver. Some people said, you know,
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  Speaker 2: maybe not the biggest deep threat. Not tied for the
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  Speaker 2: league lead. It was explosive catches. He's playing outside a lot.
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  Speaker 2: What what are you seeing from him?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah? I mean Jason is a really good football player.
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  Speaker 1: He's a really good receiver. He can do a lot
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  Speaker 1: of good things on the football field, whether it's obviously
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  Speaker 1: catching the rock or you know, giving it to him
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  Speaker 1: just out in space. He can make people miss. He's
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: doing really well in the run game, blocking and gaining
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: on the backside of certain run concepts. So he's uh,
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  Speaker 1: he's doing a lot for us, you know, and has
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  Speaker 1: to be expected. You know. He's a he's a really
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  Speaker 1: good football player, and we're just gonna continue to keep
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  Speaker 1: putting him in positions to to be able to make plays.
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  Speaker 1: Cooper City likes.
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  Speaker 2: He likes to meet with the quarterbacks throughout the week
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  Speaker 2: to kind.
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  Speaker 1: Of get you guys' perspective on things. Have you had
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  Speaker 1: a receiver, I guess any just non quarterback spend as
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  Speaker 1: much time with the quarterbacks as he does. No, I haven't.
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  Speaker 1: He's uh, he's always in the QB room, you know,
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  Speaker 1: very early in the morning, uh, very late as well.
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  Speaker 1: He's uh, he just loves football, and that's what you
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  Speaker 1: want out of out of everybody on the team. Appreciate
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  Speaker 1: I got stay given. Ki