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Exclusive: WR Parker Washington On Increased Confidence | The O-Zone Podcast · The Jacksonville Jaguars Official Podcast Network

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: All right, welcome into this week's Ozone podcast. And we're
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: touch tight on time with a weird schedule this week,
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  Speaker 1: so I'll quickly welcome in Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for doing this, buddy, I appreciate you. So
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  Speaker 1: tell me about your opportunity this week. You've played before,
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  Speaker 1: but this is clearly an extensive opportunity going forward with
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  Speaker 1: Christian being out. Now, I do you Are you aware
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  Speaker 1: of that opportunity and are you excited about it?
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  Speaker 2: Definitely? You know, like I said, similar opportunities for my
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  Speaker 2: rookie year. Sure, I feel like through this off season
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  Speaker 2: I got more trust from QB one and my coaches
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  Speaker 2: to be able to have more opportunity in game. I'm excited,
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  Speaker 2: of course. I mean, I definitely see the opportunity. The
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  Speaker 2: business don't stop, the team doesn't stop. We got to win.
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  Speaker 2: So being ready to step up, that's my job, gotcha,
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  Speaker 2: and I'm excited for this opportunity now.
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  Speaker 1: Last year, though, when you stepped in, you had maybe
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  Speaker 1: played three or four games, you were coming on of
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  Speaker 1: an injury. You're a rookie. I guess the obvious question,
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  Speaker 1: how much more prepared do you feel now? Than a
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  Speaker 1: year ago, because in the NFL, second year versus rookie
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  Speaker 1: is a big difference.
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  Speaker 2: Definitely mentally, I feel like mentally that it's not the
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  Speaker 2: issue for me. It is more physically, like you said,
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  Speaker 2: coming off of injury. So I feel like just confidence
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  Speaker 2: in my and how healthy I am and the growth
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  Speaker 2: in that. I mean, that's big. And I feel like
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  Speaker 2: it showed a little bit and glimpses here and there
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  Speaker 2: this year. You know it's it's going to be broadcasted
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  Speaker 2: a little bit more now, just with the opportunity ahead.
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  Speaker 2: So I just got to be ready to step up.
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  Speaker 2: But just it's just confidence. I feel like, just confident
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  Speaker 2: in my confidence in myself to be too ready to perform.
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  Speaker 1: Tell me about the second year jump. Everybody talks about it,
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  Speaker 1: heard about it for years. Do you feel that it
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  Speaker 1: is the game a little slower, just a little more
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  Speaker 1: awareness out there?
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  Speaker 2: Definitely? Definitely. I mean I know what I'm getting myself into. Okay,
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  Speaker 2: that's how it goes as a rookie. You have no idea,
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  Speaker 2: You have no idea. You know it's the NFL dream.
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  Speaker 2: You know it's a dream. Now I feel like I'm
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  Speaker 2: I'm here now, So it's I know what I'm getting
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  Speaker 2: myself into. I have a better routine schedule like all that.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, it all goes intoccount and I'm just excited.
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  Speaker 1: They tell me about Christian Kirk your emotions as a friend,
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  Speaker 1: and I assume a little bit of a mentor when
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  Speaker 1: he gets hurt last.
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  Speaker 2: Week, definitely, And I was in on the play. As
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  Speaker 2: soon as I seen it, I was like no, Like
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  Speaker 2: I instantly just like took a knee by him, like no, no,
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  Speaker 2: don't be too don't be too serious because I mean,
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  Speaker 2: like just said, just right before my rookie year, I
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  Speaker 2: had a similar injury, Like not similar injury, but I
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: had an injury that took me out for a while.
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  Speaker 2: It's tough, and you know, I can definitely relate to that,
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  Speaker 2: and you know, it's just a process. It's a journey
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  Speaker 2: that you have to get through and go through, like
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  Speaker 2: you got to get in shape again. You gotta make
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  Speaker 2: sure everything's working the way it's supposed to. Worry, it's
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  Speaker 2: just a process when you get injured and have to
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  Speaker 2: be out for a long time. So I felt felt that. Man,
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  Speaker 2: it was just a tough situation. But like you said,
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  Speaker 2: I mean start to try and finish a game. I
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  Speaker 2: hate that we didn't get a chance to win it
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  Speaker 2: for him, But you know that's what it's about, you know,
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  Speaker 2: doing that, for doing this for him and continuing to
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  Speaker 2: make sure the Jaguars are handling business.
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  Speaker 1: Got you. Now you've been compared with him because relatively
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  Speaker 1: similar sized, similar position, it appears on paper, similar skill set.
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  Speaker 2: What is he taught you?
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  Speaker 1: What have you learned from him? I would think just
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  Speaker 1: sort of watching his approach every day is one of
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  Speaker 1: the biggest things, right.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, I feel like, really not even just approach.
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  Speaker 2: I would just say just his actual gameplay, actually the
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  Speaker 2: routes and you know, just him being an the least
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  Speaker 2: slot receiver. He has great qualities and great ways and
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  Speaker 2: he's so savvy and it's just it's unique how you
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  Speaker 2: run some of his routes. So you get a chance
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  Speaker 2: to learn and just see and kind of like incorporate
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  Speaker 2: that into your game, like you know, that's what That's
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  Speaker 2: the best part. And just being able to pick and
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  Speaker 2: choose what you want to add to your game. And
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  Speaker 2: like I said, it's just a great opportunity. I feel
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  Speaker 2: like for me, just in my journey, this was the
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  Speaker 2: best place for me.
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  Speaker 1: Tell me about the feeling on a Sunday when all
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  Speaker 1: of a sudden, you're down and you have two wide
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  Speaker 1: receivers playing and they tell you got to go twelve
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  Speaker 1: the rest of the way, and you're one of the
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  Speaker 1: guys who's sort of coming in. You're hearing that and
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  Speaker 1: you've kind of got a lift, right, like you've got
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  Speaker 1: to be a little a bigger role than you had.
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  Speaker 1: I what's that moment like? And what are you thinking?
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  Speaker 2: One play at a time, right, you know, just one
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  Speaker 2: player at a time, Like I said, in those moments,
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  Speaker 2: it was a lot of no huddle, so I was
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  Speaker 2: just breathed one player at a time and just attack.
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  Speaker 2: You know. I feel, like I said, it goes back
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  Speaker 2: to being the confidence I was talking about. I say,
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  Speaker 2: I'm confident in myself to go out there and step
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  Speaker 2: up and be ready for those moments. And I had
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  Speaker 2: a couple of catches, some good little route, still a
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  Speaker 2: lot of growing to take place, but it was an
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  Speaker 2: opportunity and I just wanted to see that.
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  Speaker 1: How much you were a big story during training camp
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  Speaker 1: because it was clear the steps you would take and
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  Speaker 1: you were getting open easier. You just looked different. Does
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  Speaker 1: any of that sort of confidence carry over or is
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  Speaker 1: that just sort of part of your growth? You know,
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  Speaker 1: get I mean, I guess did that helped your confidence
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  Speaker 1: a lot? And has it grown since then?
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  Speaker 2: I mean definitely, I would say just from off season,
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  Speaker 2: the training camp and just seeing the.
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  Speaker 1: Work payoff, seeing it all the time, right, Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Seeing that work payoff, that's what it's all about. And
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  Speaker 2: you know, of course that could just create a confidence.
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  Speaker 2: But most importantly, I was just out there just trying
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  Speaker 2: to put my best foot forward and be the best
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  Speaker 2: me I could be, you know, not worried about if
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  Speaker 2: I'm going to play or what how you know, playing time,
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  Speaker 2: what my number is going to be called. It's just
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  Speaker 2: I just want to approach each day to get better,
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  Speaker 2: to put my best foot forward, and just continue to
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  Speaker 2: grow that way because it might not be right now
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  Speaker 2: I'm about to get opportunity to start, but like then,
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  Speaker 2: it's like I might not get an opportunity to start,
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  Speaker 2: But that's not what it's about. I know that time
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  Speaker 2: will come.
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  Speaker 1: How much of a lift At the end of the
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  Speaker 1: Green Bay game, the loss was disappointing, but the offense
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  Speaker 1: put some stuff together and it felt productive and confident.
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  Speaker 1: Did you guys feel that and can that sort of
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  Speaker 1: carry over moving forward even though overall struggle.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been you know, just this year, Loan's been tough.
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  Speaker 2: But you know, I feel like we've took in small
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  Speaker 2: small steps and it's kind of it's going into the
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  Speaker 2: right direction and in that game that way. I know
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  Speaker 2: we want to win, but just seeing how we could
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  Speaker 2: still move the ball, I feel like that just brought
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  Speaker 2: confidence to everyone, especially to Trevor. You know, that's what
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  Speaker 2: it's all about. Making sure Trevor is comfortable and know
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  Speaker 2: that we have its back. And I feel like through
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  Speaker 2: that moment we did a pretty good job. You know,
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  Speaker 2: we want to win, we needed to win, but I
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  Speaker 2: feel like that should carry over and this I feel
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  Speaker 2: like it's done a good job this week at practice
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  Speaker 2: and you know, we just got to put it together
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  Speaker 2: on Sunday.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Christian was such a I hate the phrase safety
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  Speaker 1: and app but there's a little bit of that. There's
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  Speaker 1: such a good chemistry with Christian and Trevor. Is that
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  Speaker 1: something you just kind of have to build toward in
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  Speaker 1: your position and develop that trust over time?
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  Speaker 2: Definitely, you know, and then having good conversation, getting on
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  Speaker 2: the same page. You know, it's a it's an aspect
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  Speaker 2: where you have to communicate in an aspect where you
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  Speaker 2: have to go execute as well. So I feel like
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  Speaker 2: it's it's just a balance between both and being on
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  Speaker 2: the same page. And like I said before, when see
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  Speaker 2: Kirk went down, and like when we were about to
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  Speaker 2: go out on offense, I was just telling trials, just
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  Speaker 2: how I got you right? I would say, just I
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  Speaker 2: trust you, I hope you trust me. Let's go. And
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  Speaker 2: I felt like him hearing that is always good. And
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  Speaker 2: then then going out there and putting a good ride
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  Speaker 2: out there and making a good catch. I mean, that's
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  Speaker 2: what it's all about.
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  Speaker 1: That.
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  Speaker 2: I feel like I just got to you to carry
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  Speaker 2: that on, and then the other guys around we just
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  Speaker 2: gotta do the same thing.
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  Speaker 1: The last thing we do we call it the ozone five.
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  Speaker 1: I'll call it the two minute driller today because we're
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  Speaker 1: up against time. Uh five quick questions, A lot of fun.
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  Speaker 1: Parker Washington, What was your last binge watch?
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  Speaker 2: I watched Blacklist.
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  Speaker 1: Good. That's a long binge watch. I didn't it takes
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  Speaker 1: some time.
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  Speaker 2: The only show of that I didn't finish it, but
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  Speaker 2: The only show I've ever finished is prison Break.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, got you? You have no attention span, is what
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  Speaker 1: you're saying.
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  Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, It's just every series that I
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  Speaker 2: like it's just super long.
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  Speaker 1: It takes time.
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  Speaker 2: And I watched Friday Night Light. I finished that.
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  Speaker 1: That was good.
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  Speaker 2: I like Friday Night Light. So yeah. I mean most
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  Speaker 2: of the shows that I've fell in love with are
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: just super long. And I finished out of Max.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, the last song you heard on the way in
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  Speaker 1: this morning.
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  Speaker 2: You've already won.
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  Speaker 1: William Murphy first touchdown ever in your career, in your life,
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  Speaker 1: in my whole life. Can you remember it?
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  Speaker 2: Oh? I can remember it?
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  Speaker 1: Okay.
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  Speaker 2: It was flag football. I was like kindergarten. Oh. My
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  Speaker 2: mom was screaming crazy. She was screaming crazy. It was
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  Speaker 2: like a super long touchdown. The first time I ever
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  Speaker 2: touched the ball I scored.
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  Speaker 1: Did you know then you were bound for the NFL?
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  Speaker 2: No, I was just I didn't. I didn't. It's funny,
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  Speaker 2: I didn't. I never thought NFL until I got my
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: first offer to Indiana a freshman year of high school.
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  Speaker 2: Then I was like, okay, college, I was like, it
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  Speaker 2: was just I was always yeah, I just I was
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  Speaker 2: just always just in the moment, and I never looked
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  Speaker 2: too far ahead. And I feel like that's helped me,
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  Speaker 2: and it's helping me now too.
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  Speaker 1: Got you your best touchdown.
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  Speaker 2: Ever, my best touchdown ever. I gotta say that that
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  Speaker 2: pump return because I just I just love I always
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: wanted to get a punker. That was my first time
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  Speaker 2: ever scoring a punt return.
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  Speaker 1: Really that high school of high school.
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  Speaker 2: I got close. I got you. That was my first
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  Speaker 2: time ever.
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  Speaker 1: Probably too good to return them in high school, right,
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  Speaker 1: you know, I mean I.
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  Speaker 2: Was receiver, one of the main guys. But yeah, that
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  Speaker 2: was my first time ever scoring like a special teams touchdown,
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  Speaker 2: and it.
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  Speaker 1: Opened right up for you. Hard had to work for it.
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  Speaker 1: Final question, The person or people most responsible for you
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  Speaker 1: being in the NFL.
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  Speaker 2: Definitely my parents, my sister, and then my trainer Alonzo
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  Speaker 2: for it.
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  Speaker 1: But your sister couldn't even get you with a bear.
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: She did have that type of Yeah, she would love
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  Speaker 2: to have me there, she would love to have me there, but.
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  Speaker 1: Her pay grade definitely Park Washington, I know you're up
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  Speaker 1: against time today. Thank you so much for doing this.
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: I appreciate you joining the ozone podcast.
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: I appreciate you appreciate that