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Press Pass | Arik Armstead: “I still feel like I’m an ascending player” · The Jacksonville Jaguars Official Podcast Network

0:01
Speaker 1: Hey, Eric, congratulations and welcome to Jacksonville. Just if if
0:06
Speaker 1: you could just just walk us through you know how
0:08
Speaker 1: this sort of came together. It seemed like it happened
0:10
Speaker 1: pretty quickly.
0:12
Speaker 2: Yeah, it all happened very quickly. You know, my my
0:17
Speaker 2: free agency was a little delayed, and so you know
0:23
Speaker 2: Wednesday when I was officially released, uh and and have
0:27
Speaker 2: the opportunity to talk to some teams.
0:29
Speaker 3: It all happened, you know, very fast.
0:31
Speaker 2: And you know me and being sure you have a
0:35
Speaker 2: great relationship. He drafted me, uh nine years ago, uh
0:40
Speaker 2: back in San Francisco, and you know, we we were
0:45
Speaker 2: able to talk and and you know, discuss my you know,
0:47
Speaker 2: situation and where I'm at in my career, and you know,
0:51
Speaker 2: I feel like this was the best decision for me
0:52
Speaker 2: and my family. And I'm really excited to get it going.
0:57
Speaker 1: And it seemed like you you posted something on on
0:59
Speaker 1: intag about watching Ryan Nielsen's defense. Just I know you
1:03
Speaker 1: haven't really taken a deep dive into it, but just
1:07
Speaker 1: how do you feel you fit into this defense and
1:09
Speaker 1: what do you expect?
1:12
Speaker 2: I feel, you know, I feel that it's it's Taylor
1:16
Speaker 2: made for defensive line. Coach Nilsen, being a former defense
1:20
Speaker 2: alignment himself, I feel that, you know, I can play
1:23
Speaker 2: a multitude of roles in.
1:24
Speaker 3: It, on the edge and playing the run to moving
1:29
Speaker 3: aside as a pass rusher.
1:31
Speaker 2: So I'm excited to see how you know the plans
1:34
Speaker 2: are and how they plan on using me.
1:36
Speaker 1: Awesome, thank you, all right.
1:38
Speaker 4: Thanks to Metris. We're gonna go next to me O'Brien
1:41
Speaker 4: and then Jeane Frenette.
1:43
Speaker 5: Great to meet you, sir. Let's begin with this UH.
1:47
Speaker 5: Your tweet on Saturday, number one. The reception to it
1:50
Speaker 5: number two, UH masterclass has become known as as a
1:54
Speaker 5: Trent Bulky term here in Jacksonville. If you could expand
1:58
Speaker 5: on your relationship with Trent over the last decade plus, that.
2:03
Speaker 2: Was that was terminology he uses. So that's news to me.
2:07
Speaker 2: I just used it on my own. But yeah, you know,
2:11
Speaker 2: I'm trying to Uh. I've been one place for a
2:14
Speaker 2: very long time, so you know, coming into a new place, you.
2:17
Speaker 3: Know, I want to learn the lay of the land,
2:19
Speaker 3: you know, the sayings, how people operate. You know, I
2:23
Speaker 3: don't want to I don't want to misspeak. And and
2:25
Speaker 3: so I feel like I got a lot of learning
2:27
Speaker 3: to do before. You know, I'm able to just just
2:30
Speaker 3: run with it.
2:31
Speaker 2: So, uh, I'm here for all the education and you know,
2:35
Speaker 2: this this next stage of the process and getting to
2:37
Speaker 2: know the people, getting to know the people of Jacksonville
2:41
Speaker 2: and uh getting another town and you know, my teammates
2:44
Speaker 2: and the organization.
2:45
Speaker 5: So and then as far as your relationship with Trent
2:49
Speaker 5: since you were drafted to now.
2:55
Speaker 2: We've had We've had a great relationship. You know, being
2:58
Speaker 2: with him, uh for those few years is drafting me,
3:01
Speaker 2: getting to know me as a young guy. Uh, and
3:03
Speaker 2: then him kind of watching me from afar. You know
3:06
Speaker 2: when we when we play the Jags, I will always
3:08
Speaker 2: see him, uh, you know right there pregame and we
3:11
Speaker 2: would talk and uh, you know, the sentiment of how
3:15
Speaker 2: proud he was of me and how my career had gone.
3:19
Speaker 2: And you know, he he felt like he made a
3:22
Speaker 2: good decision then and he felt like he's making a
3:24
Speaker 2: good decision now. And having that, you know, someone that
3:27
Speaker 2: you are comforable with and have been around, you know,
3:30
Speaker 2: is going to make this transition much moving.
3:33
Speaker 5: Thank you, Welcome to jackson Thank you.
3:36
Speaker 4: Thanks Mio. We're gonna go with Jane Furnette next, and
3:38
Speaker 4: then on Hey.
3:40
Speaker 6: Eric, congrats on the on the move across the country.
3:44
Speaker 6: Uh you speaking very highly of Trent. And when we
3:49
Speaker 6: when we hear free agents come here to Jacksonville, people
3:52
Speaker 6: talk about, oh, this is the best fit for me,
3:55
Speaker 6: this is a good family atmosphere or whatever. But let's
4:00
Speaker 6: talk a little bit about how much did the contract
4:02
Speaker 6: factor into it.
4:03
Speaker 3: I mean, it was it looked like it was a
4:06
Speaker 3: very uh I don't know.
4:07
Speaker 6: I guess you would call uh accurate, correct, generous, whatever
4:11
Speaker 6: whatever terminology. How much does that factor into it versus
4:16
Speaker 6: you know, a relationship in this situation that you had
4:18
Speaker 6: with somebody who happens to be the GM.
4:22
Speaker 2: Well, you know, in all honesty, just like I'm sure
4:25
Speaker 2: all of you can uh, you know and agree with
4:30
Speaker 2: you know, money is a big factor. You know, you
4:33
Speaker 2: have to take care of your family. I have to
4:35
Speaker 2: take care of my family, So financially it is a big,
4:39
Speaker 2: you know deal in a situation. And you know, we
4:41
Speaker 2: play football because we love the game, and you know,
4:44
Speaker 2: we've been blessed and we're passionate and we love it.
4:46
Speaker 2: We make sacrifices, but you know, those sacrifices, at the
4:49
Speaker 2: end of the day are to you know, take care
4:51
Speaker 2: of the people that we love and so.
4:54
Speaker 3: Contractually, you know, that is a big deal.
4:57
Speaker 2: And you know coming here, uh and and learning everything
5:01
Speaker 2: about but it's it's a big deal.
5:03
Speaker 3: But it's not the only deal.
5:06
Speaker 2: You know, you don't want to be in a bad
5:07
Speaker 2: situation where you're miserable and unhappy and you know, then money,
5:12
Speaker 2: you know what, what's really money at that point when
5:14
Speaker 2: you when.
5:15
Speaker 3: You're you know, feel terrible.
5:17
Speaker 2: So getting that piece taken care of and then have
5:21
Speaker 2: an opportunity to learn about the city and you know,
5:24
Speaker 2: people's experience playing here and living here, you know, just
5:29
Speaker 2: just really you.
5:30
Speaker 3: Know, sold me on coming down to Jacksonville.
5:33
Speaker 6: As a as a quick follow up, if I may, Eric,
5:36
Speaker 6: how confident are you feeling right now at your age
5:39
Speaker 6: about your body holding up the way you wanted to.
5:43
Speaker 3: I'm very confident. You know. The past couple of years, uh,
5:48
Speaker 3: you know.
5:48
Speaker 2: I've had some some random nagging things going on, but
5:54
Speaker 2: you know, football is a is a sport with one
5:57
Speaker 2: hundred percent injury rate. You know, people want to talk
6:01
Speaker 2: about my past two years and you know I missed
6:04
Speaker 2: four or five games last year, but I finished the playoffs,
6:07
Speaker 2: I played in the Super Bowl, and you know, before,
6:11
Speaker 2: you know, kind of these past two years, I hadn't
6:13
Speaker 2: mixed it. I hadn't missed the game in five years.
6:15
Speaker 2: So injuries are a part of sports. And you know,
6:19
Speaker 2: I have my plan together in place to make sure
6:23
Speaker 2: that I'm putting my body and myself in the best
6:25
Speaker 2: position to be out there for my team. And I'm
6:28
Speaker 2: going to do that, and you know, I think it's
6:30
Speaker 2: going to go very well. And you know, I planned
6:32
Speaker 2: to have a long career. You know, I think I
6:36
Speaker 2: got a good five or six more years in me,
6:38
Speaker 2: so I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.
6:41
Speaker 3: Thank you, Thanks Gene.
6:44
Speaker 4: All right, we're going to go to mark a long
6:45
Speaker 4: and then Adam stites.
6:46
Speaker 7: Where are you by the way, that's a that's a
6:48
Speaker 7: sick looking background.
6:50
Speaker 3: I'm in Miami.
6:52
Speaker 7: Oh well, other guy, now now it looks familiar. How's
6:55
Speaker 7: the meniscus? What's your road to recovery from that? And
6:59
Speaker 7: then being a West Coast guy, any trepidations about coming
7:04
Speaker 7: across country for for now? I mean like you've spent
7:07
Speaker 7: your whole life out there, right.
7:10
Speaker 3: Yeah, I did.
7:12
Speaker 2: He's feeling good. Surgery went great. You know, I'll be
7:16
Speaker 2: back very soon. And I'm excited about that. You know,
7:21
Speaker 2: I'm on a very good road to recovery, so playing
7:26
Speaker 2: on being back to you know, playing football full.
7:29
Speaker 3: Time very soon with you know, when when my team
7:33
Speaker 3: needs me.
7:34
Speaker 2: And as far as moving, uh, you know, I feel like, uh,
7:41
Speaker 2: you know, everything happens for a reason, and you know,
7:43
Speaker 2: God is gonna put me where he wants me to
7:45
Speaker 2: be and needs me to be, you know, to be
7:48
Speaker 2: a blessing to others, and you know put me in
7:51
Speaker 2: certain situations too to learn and grow and you know,
7:57
Speaker 2: and so I think it's gonna be very great for
7:59
Speaker 2: my life, some transition, getting out of my comfort zone,
8:03
Speaker 2: you know, meeting a whole new host of people that
8:07
Speaker 2: I'm able to you know, bomb with, share relationship with,
8:10
Speaker 2: and get to know me and my family.
8:12
Speaker 3: So I'm excited about it.
8:16
Speaker 4: Thanks Mark, Let's go to Adam States and then Jamal
8:18
Speaker 4: Saints here.
8:20
Speaker 8: Congrats on the big deal. And you know, if you've
8:24
Speaker 8: sit in the league for a while, this is your
8:25
Speaker 8: first time hitting free agency. What were you looking for?
8:29
Speaker 8: What was what was kind of your your goal to
8:31
Speaker 8: find in this and why pick the Jaguars and of
8:33
Speaker 8: what stood out about this team in particular.
8:37
Speaker 2: My goal was to find the next stage in my career,
8:39
Speaker 2: someplace that I feel comfortable, that value me as a
8:45
Speaker 2: player as well too, and a place I could, you know,
8:48
Speaker 2: take this next step and grow in, and a place
8:52
Speaker 2: that is competitive and that I feel, you know, I
8:55
Speaker 2: can come in and help get them.
8:57
Speaker 3: Over the hunk. You know, the the Jags a good
9:00
Speaker 3: team before me.
9:01
Speaker 2: And you know, whenever I entered a situation, you know,
9:06
Speaker 2: not just football, but in life in general, when I'm
9:08
Speaker 2: meeting people, when I'm you know, entering situation working with people,
9:12
Speaker 2: you know, I want to make the place better than
9:15
Speaker 2: what I foundled. I want to make a positive impact.
9:18
Speaker 2: And so I think this team was already a phenomenal team,
9:23
Speaker 2: and I think I can help get into the next level.
9:26
Speaker 2: So having that opportunity is something I look forward to
9:29
Speaker 2: as well.
9:32
Speaker 4: And thanks Adam. Let's go to Jamal and then John Chipley.
9:35
Speaker 3: Hey, welcome to Jacksonville. Man.
9:37
Speaker 7: You played against the Jaguars last year.
9:39
Speaker 2: I'm just curious what your thoughts about where the team
9:42
Speaker 2: was at from the opposite sideline of different view than
9:45
Speaker 2: than you're gonna have next season. Yeah, you know last year,
9:52
Speaker 2: you know that game got out of hand, but to
9:54
Speaker 2: be honest with you're going into it, you know, we
9:56
Speaker 2: felt like we had a lot of challenges on our
9:58
Speaker 2: hands and coming into that, uh, you know, with with
10:04
Speaker 2: my old team, you know, we're coming off of bye
10:06
Speaker 2: week and looking at it like wow, you know, we
10:09
Speaker 2: we have lost three games previously and we were like, man, this,
10:12
Speaker 2: this can't be four in a row.
10:14
Speaker 3: So really, you know, we really gave it our all.
10:16
Speaker 2: But we were definitely, uh, definitely placed with a lot
10:18
Speaker 2: of challenges going into the game, and you know, the
10:20
Speaker 2: game got out of hand and sometimes football goes that way.
10:24
Speaker 2: But I don't think that you know, as an indicator
10:26
Speaker 2: of you know, where what type of team you know,
10:29
Speaker 2: the Jacks have have been and the type of team
10:31
Speaker 2: we're going to have this year. And yeah, I'm excited
10:36
Speaker 2: to be on the other side and you know, continue
10:39
Speaker 2: to get better.
10:41
Speaker 3: Thanks. Welcome to Jacksonville. Appreciate you.
10:44
Speaker 4: Thanks Jamal Okay, guys, you've got time for three more.
10:46
Speaker 4: We'll do John Shipley, Justin Lewis and Brent Martin now
10:52
Speaker 4: love man.
10:53
Speaker 9: Congratulations, Welcome to Jacksonville. I just want to ask about
10:56
Speaker 9: you know, Trevon Walker, Josh Allen. I know they're both
11:00
Speaker 9: younger guys. Have you been in contact with them at all?
11:02
Speaker 9: And just what do you really know about their game?
11:03
Speaker 9: We'll get you excited about playing next to them.
11:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, I talked to them with them, and I look
11:11
Speaker 2: forward to connecting with the rest of the guys as
11:13
Speaker 2: well too, as soon as I can. But obviously, those
11:17
Speaker 2: those two guys stick out immediately. You know, the top
11:20
Speaker 2: of talent they have, the production they have had in
11:23
Speaker 2: the NFL, and you know, playing with those guys and uh,
11:30
Speaker 2: you know Roy and Hamilton and you know a bunch
11:34
Speaker 2: of other guys too that I can't wait to meet,
11:36
Speaker 2: it's gonna be phenomenal. I think it's important, you know,
11:40
Speaker 2: especially in the league this long, that no one can
11:43
Speaker 2: do it on their own. I've seen a lot of
11:47
Speaker 2: situations where you know, guys aren't you know, you don't
11:52
Speaker 2: get the full potential out of guys because you know
11:55
Speaker 2: they're not surrounded with other great players as well too.
11:58
Speaker 3: So I'm excited to to, you know, take the field
12:01
Speaker 3: with those guys and you know.
12:03
Speaker 2: Learn and learn this new defense together and and start
12:06
Speaker 2: that journey.
12:08
Speaker 3: Appreciate it. Congrats, thank you.
12:10
Speaker 4: Let's go to Justin next.
12:13
Speaker 10: Hey, I just was gonna ask about the Walter Payton
12:16
Speaker 10: Man of the Year. I know you were nominated a
12:19
Speaker 10: lot of times for that, and just kind of some
12:21
Speaker 10: of your off the field work. Do you plan on
12:22
Speaker 10: bringing some of those things to Jacksonville with you?
12:26
Speaker 3: Yeah, one hundred percent. Uh.
12:28
Speaker 2: Part of my massive class tweet and what I want
12:31
Speaker 2: to get into is learning more about the city.
12:34
Speaker 3: Learning you know, where impoverished.
12:37
Speaker 2: Communities need the most help and how I can you know,
12:40
Speaker 2: bridge that gap. I'm excited to get to know the
12:43
Speaker 2: people there. My nonprofit is education based, which is across
12:48
Speaker 2: the globe. You know, I'm sure there's education inequities in
12:52
Speaker 2: Jacksonville as well too that I'm.
12:54
Speaker 3: Excited to.
12:56
Speaker 2: Explore more and and really see how I can be
13:00
Speaker 2: of a huge impact in Jacksonville.
13:02
Speaker 3: As well too.
13:04
Speaker 2: It's across the country, but like I said, these issues
13:07
Speaker 2: that are trying to solve are across our nation and
13:10
Speaker 2: every community. You know, there's there's equity gap, there's achievement gap,
13:16
Speaker 2: there's there's poverty, and I really feel that education is
13:21
Speaker 2: the key to solving a lot of issues in our country.
13:23
Speaker 2: We look at social injustice and other issues as well too,
13:27
Speaker 2: So I'm passionate about that, and that's gonna follow me
13:29
Speaker 2: wherever I'm at. So I'm excited to learn Blackroonville and see, uh,
13:34
Speaker 2: you know where and how I can help.
13:37
Speaker 10: If I could follow real quick? Just when when did
13:39
Speaker 10: that start for you?
13:40
Speaker 3: Like?
13:40
Speaker 10: When did that kind of click for you? Has that
13:43
Speaker 10: always been a thing or was it kind of as
13:45
Speaker 10: you've gotten older?
13:48
Speaker 2: It started my rookie year, you know, I had a
13:51
Speaker 2: free football camp and it just started with that, you know.
13:55
Speaker 2: And after my free football camp, I was like, I
13:58
Speaker 2: don't feel like I'm doing.
13:59
Speaker 3: Enough for for you know, you know, my people.
14:03
Speaker 2: I don't feel So then it turned into doing a
14:06
Speaker 2: football camp and a healthcare and offering health services and
14:10
Speaker 2: blending the two. Then I was like, dang, I don't
14:12
Speaker 2: I don't still don't feel like I'm doing enough. How
14:14
Speaker 2: can I have the biggest impact? And education was a glaring,
14:18
Speaker 2: glaring space to have impact.
14:20
Speaker 3: And uh, you know, we talked about living.
14:22
Speaker 2: The American dream, but how can you live the American
14:25
Speaker 2: dream quote unquote without having a quality.
14:29
Speaker 3: Equitable education. And so.
14:32
Speaker 2: To me, that's where I got passionate and felt like
14:35
Speaker 2: I could have the the.
14:38
Speaker 11: I have an opportunity to have a huge impact the
14:41
Speaker 11: same as simple as you know, getting kids to reading
14:44
Speaker 11: level by fifth grade, you know, percentage to show that
14:49
Speaker 11: they have a way higher percentage of being.
14:51
Speaker 2: Successful and graduating high school and going on to get
14:54
Speaker 2: a job. So you know, those those things I'm passionate
14:59
Speaker 2: about and I love love trying to tackle and love
15:02
Speaker 2: kind of accomplished. So but it grew throughout my career,
15:06
Speaker 2: you know, and you know it really is huge, you know,
15:11
Speaker 2: foundation in my in my faith and my family as
15:13
Speaker 2: well too. I had a kid, you know, we need
15:16
Speaker 2: to do stuff like this all the time. So it's
15:19
Speaker 2: just in me and always will be.
15:24
Speaker 4: Thanks justin all right, We've only got two more, so
15:26
Speaker 4: we're anya with Brent Martineau and then we will finish
15:28
Speaker 4: with Mike Duraco.
15:31
Speaker 12: Eric, how much conversation when you were being you know,
15:36
Speaker 12: talking to the Jaguars was about leadership and guys that
15:41
Speaker 12: have made deep runs and know what it looks like
15:43
Speaker 12: to succeed, because you look who they picked up last week,
15:46
Speaker 12: obviously the Bills.
15:47
Speaker 13: And the Ravens where a couple of teams guys came
15:49
Speaker 13: from and and you're coming from San Francisco. All guys
15:52
Speaker 13: that have made deep runs So was was that part
15:55
Speaker 13: of it in any of your discussions or was it
15:57
Speaker 13: more just fit on how you kind of fit into
16:00
Speaker 13: Nielson's defense.
16:03
Speaker 2: I think they both go hand in hand. You know,
16:04
Speaker 2: we had conversations about that, and I'm sure you know
16:10
Speaker 2: the Jags and other teams you know saw that as
16:12
Speaker 2: well too. It's trying to you know, teams are always
16:15
Speaker 2: trying to get a winning culture in their building.
16:18
Speaker 3: And you know, guys that I've had success and know
16:21
Speaker 3: what it looks like.
16:21
Speaker 2: So that definitely, that definitely is part of it, and
16:24
Speaker 2: that's something I look forward to, you know, entering your
16:27
Speaker 2: teen I feel like I have a lot to offer
16:30
Speaker 2: to my teammates, and you know, not just from a
16:34
Speaker 2: football perspective or not just what I do on the field,
16:38
Speaker 2: but you know, being able to to share the knowledge
16:41
Speaker 2: and different situations I've been through in this league.
16:45
Speaker 3: It's been a lot, and uh, being able to share.
16:48
Speaker 2: That with them, you know, something as simple as a
16:52
Speaker 2: Super Bowl experience. You know, this team has Super Bowl
16:55
Speaker 2: aspirations and you know when we get there, Uh, I've
17:00
Speaker 2: already been through that and I know what it's going
17:02
Speaker 2: to look like and what to expect, and I know
17:04
Speaker 2: how guys can get into the wrong things at a
17:08
Speaker 2: super Bowl and how to stay focused and locked in
17:11
Speaker 2: on the game because a lot comes with it. So
17:14
Speaker 2: there's something like simple like that, you know, playoff games,
17:18
Speaker 2: different different things that I've been through that you know
17:21
Speaker 2: I feel, you know I'll be able to help.
17:23
Speaker 3: With and share.
17:26
Speaker 4: Thanks Brenton. Last question from Mike Derocco.
17:30
Speaker 3: Welcome Eric.
17:31
Speaker 14: I'm curious you asked a question on Twitter, I think
17:33
Speaker 14: yesterday or the day before about what you needed to
17:36
Speaker 14: know about Jacksonville. What's the most interesting thing or the
17:39
Speaker 14: biggest thing you kind of took away from all those responses.
17:45
Speaker 2: That we hate the Titans. Okay, so I understand, I
17:49
Speaker 2: understand that rivalry. So that I noted that somebody sent
17:55
Speaker 2: me a bunch of good food places which I appreciate
17:58
Speaker 2: and big foodie, so yeah, other things to do around town,
18:09
Speaker 2: so yeah, those are too big. A two big takeaways
18:13
Speaker 2: is our rivalry with with Tennessee, which I wasn't aware
18:16
Speaker 2: of till now. And you know some good spots to
18:21
Speaker 2: check out around town.
18:23
Speaker 14: You're you're gonna be in year ten? Is there is
18:26
Speaker 14: that a significant number for NFL guys, like everyone wants
18:30
Speaker 14: to play as long as they can, but not a
18:32
Speaker 14: lot of guys are able to get to year ten.
18:34
Speaker 3: H So how does that? How do you view that
18:36
Speaker 3: in your eyes? Uh?
18:37
Speaker 14: You know, for guys around the week.
18:41
Speaker 3: I view it as it is. It is accomplishment.
18:44
Speaker 11: You know, having a longevity in this league is tough
18:50
Speaker 11: for a multitude of reason.
18:52
Speaker 3: But I do view it as an accomplishment.
18:55
Speaker 1: Uh.
18:56
Speaker 2: But also too, I view it as a lot more
19:01
Speaker 2: to give a lot more, to offer a lot more
19:04
Speaker 2: good football ahead of me. And I do that as
19:09
Speaker 2: I continue to get better.
19:10
Speaker 3: You know.
19:10
Speaker 2: Last year, I'm constantly working on my game, working on
19:15
Speaker 2: my craft, and I continue to get better. You know,
19:20
Speaker 2: last year I had one of my best past RUSS
19:23
Speaker 2: seasons of my career in year nine, and so in
19:28
Speaker 2: the all season, what I do is I watched all
19:30
Speaker 2: my film how to fine tune, get better, work with
19:33
Speaker 2: my technique, different things I need to do, work on
19:36
Speaker 2: my body, and then you know, so I still feel
19:40
Speaker 2: like I'm an ascending player, even though you know that's
19:42
Speaker 2: tough to say.
19:43
Speaker 3: You know, for for most people in the year ten,