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AJ Barner: "I Expect Myself To Be One Of The Best Tight Ends In The League" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Oh what up got the crew? We just had Riley
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: builds up here? What do you remember about that sack?
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: I mean really just bulldozing the guard for that play
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: and take. I think he took down the guardian the
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: quarterback on that play. And just like obviously when any
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: of our teammates make a big play, we're gonna get
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: hype for him. And I think for Riley to make
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: his first play in that moment was awesome and I
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: think it speaks to the player that he is, and
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: you know, we're gonna be able to count on Riley
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: in big moments like it's a super Bowl and it's
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: his first game, first play, and the moment wasn't too
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: big for him, So that that that goes.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: A long way. Astralia over this obviously. When that was that,
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: it was sick.
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: I went to Australia down Under with some of the
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: Seahawks people as well, so it was cool and obviously
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: the game is gonna be going down there, so just
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: to get out and experience a different environment. Met a
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: lot of twelves out there too, which was awesome, So
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: I loved it. I gotta get back down there soon.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: What did you get to go?
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: I was in Brisbane and Sydney. It was awesome. I
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: would go back and it was it was it was
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: a great place. All healed up and fixed now and
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: feeling good. Yeah, obviously coach Mike said, I had the
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: things and you all saw what you know, what it
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: was during the season and stuff that I've been dealing
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: with honestly for really my whole pro career. And I'm
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: somebody that like, no matter how I'm feeling like, I'm
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: gonna play just like a lot of our other guys
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: in the locker room. So definitely feeling better, Definitely, you know,
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: still a process to get back out there, but by
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: the time training.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: Camp ros around, I'm i'ma be ready to go.
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: I mean, I think the way I would put it
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: is like you go, you get so accustomed to the
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: way that your body's moving and the way that you're
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: doing your job. And it's more so yes that on
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: the field, but everything that goes into getting yourself raid
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: just for practice the next day of the game on
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: the weekend. So I think, you know, I'm gonna feel
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: much better, and I'm already feeling much better, and I
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: think that's where I'll see the different strides maybe, well
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: not maybe definitely, but yeah, I'm feeling good and I'm
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: I'm chomping at the bit trying to get back out there.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: You've given all that, I mean, you put a pretty
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: big number. Yeah, I mean it's how much better I
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: guess can be this year if you're healthy.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: Definitely better, way better. I expect myself to be one
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: of the best titands in the league, and I think
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: I've you know, played up to that standard. Not consistently,
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: maybe throughout the whole season, but definitely you know, I
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: have done that. So I hold myself to a high
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: standard and the goals win championships and playing big games,
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: and also bring that same mindset to training camp when
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: I'm back out there with the guys, Like that's how
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: I'm feeling. So yeah, I think can take it to
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: a whole other level, and I think it's just gonna
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: make my job hopefully easier and my process leading up
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: to game day that much easier.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: Said you've been rehabbing from the procedures or whatever they
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: had done, how have you approached this offseason a little
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: bit differently or there's some ways that you've attend in
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: terms of the mental part of the game. Yeah.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean you go from winning the Super Bowl,
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: doing the parade to getting two surgeries the next week,
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: so like people don't really get to see that, and
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: like it was awesome to reach that pinnacle, but it's like,
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: all right, now I gotta go back kind of back
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: to the woods, like going to the dark and like
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: go get right.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: So that's kind of the mindset that I've had.
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: But I mean, I think I being that I was
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: dealing with those injuries and doing the things to get healthy,
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: Like it's a lot of the same things in terms
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: of anything that I can do to get better and
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: expedite the healing process. Like I'm doing the science to
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: do those things, which is like a hobby of mine.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: Really, where does all pro rank on your personal goals
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: that motivate you as.
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: That's something one definitely I think for sure, But I'll
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: leave that up to those people to determine that. But yeah,
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: I mean I definitely, you know, want to be one
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: of those guys and.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: That's definitely a goal. But AJ you have a ten
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: ends coach and coordinator, what does that kind of mean
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: for you? And you're expecting like an extra three hundred yards.
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: And fives I mean hopefully, but uh, I think it's
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: just you know, do my job play after play and
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: show Coach Fleurry what I can do. But yeah, it's
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: exciting to have a tight ends guy. I mean, obviously,
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: you know the tight end position is do you want
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: people that you know appreciate it? But I think for
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: the whole offense, we're excited about Coach Fleurry and just
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: know like how much he's prepared for this moment.
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: You know, this is a guy that you.
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: Know has been around in different spots and different roles,
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: and we're excited to play for Coach Flurry. And I think,
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: you know, he fits right into like the culture that
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: Mike has and the person that Mike is and kind
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: of the same thing with Coach Koub last year. I
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: think he's gonna do a great job and us players
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: were We're gonna do whatever we can to to make
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: sure it's a great experience.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: For what's his offense, like.
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: I would say, I mean, I haven't practiced yet, so
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: but I mean obviously I'm following up with it, but
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: like similar, similar offense, you know, involving all the different personnels.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean I think it's a similar, similar offense,
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: what about him just as a as a person.
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: As a coach, I think coach Fleay, I mean, does
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: his own thing, like he's gonna you know, he's not
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: gonna lash out over some something, not make a big
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: deal out of, you know something, And.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: He's been good.
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: I think, you know, all the players are really liking
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: his process and the way that he installs plays and
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: stuff like that. So it's really just a process for
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: everyone to get comfortable with one another. But I think
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: the biggest thing is we believe in you know who
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: coach Mike brings in here, who John Schneider brings in
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: here as players, And we're excited about Coach Flurry.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: More meticulous on tight ends than most of those.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: Again, I I haven't been out there, you know, to experience,
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: you know, I haven't ran a rout wrong yet or
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: something for him to get on my case, So I
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: wouldn't say I'm too sure yet.
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: Did you keep football from the Super Bowls? That?
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I've kept all of my touchdown balls. I tried
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: to pump one in the stands one time. It didn't
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: make it up there, so I got that one too.
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: But I'm gonna try and keep all of them for
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: my whole career until you know, I'm sure I'll launch
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: one into the into the twelves this season and that
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: one will be gone, but all the balls I do
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: have the last.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: Year in ROO totally different players. What do you think
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: is realistic expect for them in their second year? I
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: think to take that next step.
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: I mean, I think that's you know, the goal for
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: all of us, and I think it's really you know,
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: up to me and sob to you know, help get
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: them there, but up to them as well, like they
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: can really accomplish whatever it is that they want. I
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: think for Elijah, you know, being one of the best
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: f tight ends like I think you Dog, you know,
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: has that talent and just being a great pass catcher
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: and really carving out his role. Like I think, it's
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: really just make play after play after play until they
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: have to you know what I'm saying, keep it, keep it,
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: keep it going to them, so that and then next
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: same thing, whatever that is. He's a why you know,
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: block the sea gap over and over and over again,
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: so they have to keep you out there. So we're
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: excited about them, and the more Titans we can get
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: out there, uh, the better it is.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: For the for the offense.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: You spend much time you cluck down on the Super Bowl,
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: I mean being the guy whos going the first touchdown.
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: And kind of the already of that moment.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think it's been you know, life
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: life changing experience for all of us. But at the
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: same time, you know, it just becomes your reality really
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: and the show goes on and your ambition. You know,
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: now it's time to you know, take the steps to
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: hopefully get back there again. So it's been you know,
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: a different you know, changed my life and my teammate's life.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: But again, it's just when you prepare for those moments
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: and they come true, it's like it was it was
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: meant to happen. J last year's t told this conversations
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: that you're expressing this desire, right, you're just saying, I'll
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: be the best kind of story. What did your goal
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: shift for the day and get to be flat And
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: you know, I just have an obsession with football and
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: I've had it since I was young, and I think
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: I really wanna be special at doing my job. And
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: that's really what it comes down to. Like it's really
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: not you know, that goal. It's more so like if
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: I do my job every time and do it to
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: the best of my ability and make a bunch of
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: plays like they're gonna have to do it, cause up
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: to this point in my career, like I've really had
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: a grind for everything that I've got, and it's, you know,
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: whenever they wanted, whenever that is is what it is,
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: that'll be the time. But I think, you know it's not.
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: I'm just focused on the processes of.
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: Each day to get to that point. Anything else cool,
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: I appreciate it.