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AJ Barner: "There's A Lot More For Me To Do" · Seahawks Press Pass

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  Speaker 1: Ye when you talk about, like you said, your player
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  Speaker 1: wants to be like an elite tight end in this
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  Speaker 1: when for you did that becomes something you thought was
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  Speaker 1: a real goal versus, Hey, I.
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  Speaker 2: Just want to be in the NFL.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, honestly, probably like in college at Michigan and Indiana
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  Speaker 3: as well, Like once I got to Indiana, people like
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  Speaker 3: kind of felt like I had a good chance to
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  Speaker 3: go to the NFL. And then once I got to
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  Speaker 3: Michigan and what my role was at Michigan was like
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  Speaker 3: kind of developed me, developing me for the NFL. And
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  Speaker 3: when I got here, I felt like I had the
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  Speaker 3: good combination of the blocking, the pass pro the catching.
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  Speaker 2: So that was just the goal.
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  Speaker 3: And I think in my draft call I mentioned that
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  Speaker 3: and like anything that I do, like I obviously want
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  Speaker 3: to be very talented at it, and again I just
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  Speaker 3: feel like I have the talents to do that.
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  Speaker 1: Sell to you or was it the demands of the
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  Speaker 1: position that you were drawing?
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  Speaker 3: So I played linebacker for like almost all my life,
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  Speaker 3: and I really wanted to play linebacker in college, and
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  Speaker 3: like I tell people, like, I think I could play
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  Speaker 3: linebacker in the league too, But uh, when I got
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  Speaker 3: when I was getting recruited for college, it was like
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  Speaker 3: my size was just like like I'm not going to
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  Speaker 3: be covering anyone, Manda Man. So they switched me a
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  Speaker 3: tight end and it was just a great fit for me.
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  Speaker 3: But I still have like those characteristics of a linebacker.
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  Speaker 3: I think the defensive coaches know that here, so it
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  Speaker 3: serves me well. But it was definitely wasn't a tough sell,
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  Speaker 3: but like I definitely did want to play linebacker for
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  Speaker 3: a long time.
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  Speaker 2: What does being an elite typn't mean to you?
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  Speaker 3: Though?
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  Speaker 2: Like you say, as a goal, yeah, Like what does
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  Speaker 2: that entail? What are your goals within? Yeah?
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  Speaker 3: I feel like when you watch the film and you
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  Speaker 3: see guys that do it, playing and playing and play
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  Speaker 3: out and like the techniques, like they're moving guys off
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  Speaker 3: the ball, not just position blocking people, and and well
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  Speaker 3: rounded in all those phases as well. Like you have
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  Speaker 3: some tight ends that you know, really don't mix it
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  Speaker 3: up in the trenches. You have guys that are more
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  Speaker 3: just blockers, and you also have a lot.
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  Speaker 2: Of tight ends that do both.
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  Speaker 3: Like I feel like the state of the NFL that
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  Speaker 3: it's in, like there's some very talented players in this league,
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  Speaker 3: and especially in our division too, like the Rams got
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  Speaker 3: great tight ends, George McBride, the Cardinals, Like we watch
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  Speaker 3: all this tape, right and you and you see these
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  Speaker 3: guys on tape because we're playing a lot of the
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  Speaker 3: same teams in the division. So there's a lot of
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  Speaker 3: great tight ends in the league. But I think, you know,
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  Speaker 3: the guys that can do it all are those unicorns.
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  Speaker 2: I guess those guys right now.
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  Speaker 3: I think I have a lot of work to do,
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  Speaker 3: but I think my ceiling is right up there with them.
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  Speaker 3: So you know, I think I had a great game
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  Speaker 3: this week and people are starting to take notice, but
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  Speaker 3: I think there's a lot a lot more for me
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  Speaker 3: to do. He came into the league with reputation not
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  Speaker 3: necessarily being a receiver.
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  Speaker 2: Elijah Royo came in the league with a reputation not
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  Speaker 2: necessarily being a blocker. Yeah, he's seeming to do a
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  Speaker 2: pretty good job blocking. Yeah, what do you see from him? Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: Elijah's doing a great job.
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  Speaker 3: And honestly, I can't wait for the world to see
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  Speaker 3: how talented of a player that Elijah is. The routes
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  Speaker 3: that he can run, the way that he moves, for
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  Speaker 3: his size and his willingness in the run game as
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  Speaker 3: well is going to serve him very well.
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  Speaker 2: And uh, I mean, I told him.
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  Speaker 3: After the game, like I don't I really don't know,
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  Speaker 3: like another tight end that can move the way he
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  Speaker 3: does in this league. Like I guess Darren Waller is
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  Speaker 3: a nice fit for him. But you know, the world's
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  Speaker 3: gonna find out about Elijah very soon and he's just
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  Speaker 3: tremendously talented.
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  Speaker 1: How much do you like this offense for tight ends?
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  Speaker 1: Like a Law twelve personnel.
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  Speaker 2: Yahuys really involved?
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  Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I love it for all positions. Clinton does
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  Speaker 3: a great job of just getting everyone involved. You know,
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  Speaker 3: we have an identity with the offense. The offense has
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  Speaker 3: been in the league for quite some time now, but
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  Speaker 3: obviously there's different spins that he has on it. And
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  Speaker 3: for the tight end position, we're asked to do a
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  Speaker 3: lot and there's quite a bit of us on the field,
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  Speaker 3: So it's a it's a great offense for tight ends.
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  Speaker 1: What did you think when they when they made the
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  Speaker 1: move with Noah and then they kind of said, you know,
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  Speaker 1: we're gonna count on you guys that are kind of there.
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  Speaker 2: And just nature of the business.
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  Speaker 3: Obviously, you know, I expected Noah to be here, you know,
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  Speaker 3: when he when he was, and then when that change
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  Speaker 3: was made, I felt like kind of my role remained
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  Speaker 3: the same for the most part. You know, I felt
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  Speaker 3: like I was gonna be that quote unquote why and
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  Speaker 3: no I would play more of the f So, I mean,
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  Speaker 3: it's just the nature of the business, like whoever's here,
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  Speaker 3: whoever's not, you gotta get it done. But you know,
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  Speaker 3: he's off to a great start in Sincy. And you know,
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  Speaker 3: we all know Noah is a very good player.
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  Speaker 2: So you've got an eclectic music taste. What's on your
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  Speaker 2: pregame playlist right now? Let's see.
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  Speaker 3: A lot of a lot of rock, get down with
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  Speaker 3: the sickness, maybe uh rap to some chill music. And
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  Speaker 3: I'm kind of the type of person or like I'm
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  Speaker 3: not trying to be superstitious, like I don't need all
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  Speaker 3: these different like routines to get into, Like let me
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  Speaker 3: just put the music on whenever they tell us go
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  Speaker 3: out to the field, Like my mind's going to be
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  Speaker 3: in that place ready to go. So I'll listen to
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  Speaker 3: pretty much the same vibes that I have outside the building.
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  Speaker 1: When how benef tight end you stuff you guys are
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  Speaker 1: all doing where you get to be around me great
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  Speaker 1: current and former players.
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  Speaker 3: The tight end you, Oh yeah, the tight end you
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  Speaker 3: is phenomenal just to you know, take notes, learn from
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  Speaker 3: those guys, ask questions not only about things they do
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  Speaker 3: on the field, but off the field with their recovery,
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  Speaker 3: their time away from football, and then just to kind
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  Speaker 3: of like get the respect of other tight ends and
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  Speaker 3: know that like they see you, like they see the
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  Speaker 3: work that you're putting in.
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  Speaker 2: So that was huge.
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  Speaker 3: And just just be able to ask questions, like I said,
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  Speaker 3: is just great. And tight ends a position too where
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  Speaker 3: like a lot of these guys are more than willing
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  Speaker 3: to help, which is.
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  Speaker 2: Really cool to see.
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  Speaker 3: And I think any tight end room that you go to,
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  Speaker 3: like it's a very tight knit group. So it's the
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  Speaker 3: same type of thing at tight end you.
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  Speaker 1: How does that work?
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  Speaker 2: Does someone invite you to the head it's all tight
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  Speaker 2: ends in the league can go. So yeah, do you think.
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  Speaker 3: Tight ends are more similar to offensive linemen or more
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  Speaker 3: similar to receivers.
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  Speaker 2: I think it's just whichever.
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  Speaker 3: You know, it's different for every guy, but I think
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  Speaker 3: the best ones are both, and the best ones are themselves.
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  Speaker 3: Like it's very powerful to just be authentic and be
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  Speaker 3: yourself in the NFL, like you do you fit in
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  Speaker 3: or you want to be loud if you want, be
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  Speaker 3: quiet if you want, but make plays and do your
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  Speaker 3: job and people will like you. Think so unique because
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  Speaker 3: you can be EG one.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, you gotta be able to float.
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  Speaker 3: You gotta be able to fit in with the O line,
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  Speaker 3: communicate with them both on and off the field, and
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  Speaker 3: the receivers and yeah, you get a pluth throughout of
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  Speaker 3: different guys in that position, room guys from all over.
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  Speaker 2: So you got to be able to fit in with both.
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  Speaker 2: Security is important every week.
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  Speaker 1: But when you're passing a defense like Jacksonville's at leads
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  Speaker 1: leading takeaways, is that just that you have to be
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  Speaker 1: all the more cognizant of this week.
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  Speaker 3: For sure, they do a good job raking at the ball,
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  Speaker 3: do a good job of you know, dropping to their
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  Speaker 3: spots and zones.
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  Speaker 2: So definitely someone we're cognizant of. That's every week.
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  Speaker 3: Obviously taking care of the football, but you know, when
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  Speaker 3: you're playing a team like this, definitely a point of emphasis.
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  Speaker 3: So you know, getting into contact, definitely want to you know,
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  Speaker 3: put a seat belt on it, put two hands on it.
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  Speaker 3: But really, just like any other week. But you know
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  Speaker 3: they they do have a talented defense and they are
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  Speaker 3: good at taking the ball away. It seems like a
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  Speaker 3: pretty good description.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, put a seatbelt.
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  Speaker 3: This is you know, your one hand you're carrying it,
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  Speaker 3: seep out the second one or vice versa.
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  Speaker 2: So anything else that of course
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  Speaker 3: H