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Press Pass | Christian Kirk: "It’s changed my whole entire career" · The Jacksonville Jaguars Official Podcast Network

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Most definitely, you know, the keys are his and you know,
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: we kind of have the saying, you know, Trevor can
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: get to anything at any time, and it's basically his
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: toolbox of all the tools that he's been equipped with
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: within the offense and when we go out there, if
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: he sees something on the fly or if the defense
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: comes out and something that maybe we weren't expecting, and
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: he knows where to go and what to get to
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: to get us into a better play.
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: Uh. They trust him to be able to do.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: That, and that's a thing that we did really well,
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: especially towards the end of the year, is just being
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: able to read and react and you know him kind
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: of thinking on his toes, but also knowing, you know,
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: what we're good at and being able to identify those mismatches.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: So he does a really good job and communicates with us,
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: you know, skill players, especially of you know, where his
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: mind is going into weekly of what he can get
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: to you.
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: He is now to dramatic analogy.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: I think he's played at a high level for a
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: long time, you know, I know early on in this
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: last year, you know, his second year in the league,
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: there's definitely you know, some learning curves, but I still
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: think he was playing at a high level. You know,
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: it was just more of us coming together as a
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: team and learn how to play together. But uh, you know,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: he's progressively getting better, But I wouldn't say there's a
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: drastic difference in you know, his level play.
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: How different is it this year from what it was
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: last year?
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I would say there's some similarities, but it's different
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: in a sense.
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: Of just the way that we operate.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: Uh, you just feel the efficiency, the effectiveness, and everybody's
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: on the same play, on the same page. Kind of
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: talked about it a lot, you know, this offseason of
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: being able to see you know, tons of different looks
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: and reps and being able to get time on task,
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: having a full you know season in this in the system,
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: you know you're coming now, and it's kind of like,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: you know it like the back of your hand. You know,
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: you know what you can get, you know what works
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: and what doesn't work, and you know what you know,
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: we're trying to accomplish on each and every play. You know,
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: that's a big part. You know, you may have a
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: route and a concept that you may think is you
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: know a route that you know you're trying to get
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: somebody else open, or you know, you're trying to do
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: you know, one thing, but it really has a great
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: impact on what.
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: You're you're trying to accomplish.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: So I think for all of us, we got more
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: of a grasp on what we like to do and
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: what we're good at. Some high expectations for the team
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: this year.
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: How did those feel head end of the year.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: You know, I think for us, and you know, my
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: mentality behind it is we have to block all that out,
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: you know. And now that's the difference is now there
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: are expectations for us. Last year, there wasn't any expectations,
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: so you know people kind of started raising eyebrows when
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: we were winning games last year. Uh, now people are
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: just gonna expect us to do that. So so for us,
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: it's just going out there and you know, playing to
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: our standard and playing to you know, our ability, and
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: just taking it one week at a time, you know,
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: not being able to lose that edge and lose you
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: know what got us to where we were last year.
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: A lot of teams views you know, your last loss
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: of the playoffs. It's sort of like that motivator throughout
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: the off season, did this team to do that or
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: is it more just about continuing.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: Across You know, I think it can be drawn from,
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: you know, in certain periods of time. You know, I
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: think it was spoken about a couple of times, but
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: I think that is it's something that you can draw
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: from and it it can be effective. Because the last
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: time we took the field, Uh, that's what happened, and
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: nobody liked that feeling. Nobody likes sitting in that locker room.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: And you know, when you go back and you put
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: yourself into that moment, you realize and you remember how
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: painful that was. Uh, just everything we had been through
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: and to come up short and to think about how
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: close we really were. Uh, you know, it's going to
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: take a long road to get back to that. But
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: you can pull from those moments and you can use
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: that as as fuel and be able to to push
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: you through moments of adversity and know, you know that
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: when when times get tough, you know that you can
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: you can pull from certain things to be able to
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: to get you through that.
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: One. Guys like that. It's exciting just to get that
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: world in early.
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, it's it's a big game for us,
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: you know, anytime we talk about divisional opponents, you know,
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: that's you know, those are the biggest games on our
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: schedule because that's step number one and getting to where
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: we want to be is you know, taking care of
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: our division, so you know, to be able to come
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: out week one. You know, those are already you know,
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: kind of heightened atmospheres, you know, going into divisional territory
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  Speaker 1: and whatnot, being on the road and in their stadium,
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: and you know, we know how much this game means
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  Speaker 1: to them as much as it means to us.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: Just to be able to get that.
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  Speaker 1: So, uh, you know, the the journal will be going
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  Speaker 1: and you know, the the level of expectation and standard
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  Speaker 1: and how we're going to have to execute is going
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: to be at a high level. So you know, we
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: expect to go out there and and and definitely uh,
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: you know, start off with a bank.
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: This team is far and more confident than maybe you
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: were into last year. Last year's a lot of newness
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: this year. Like you said, you guys are of that nature.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think confidence is in there, but I think
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: I would describe it as we're just more comfortable with
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: who we are. You know, we we know who we are.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: We understand who we are, and you know we're going
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  Speaker 1: to own that and kind of going back to like,
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: you know, we know what we're good at, and you know,
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: we're not going to shy away from that, and we're gonna,
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: you know, kind of kind of beat that into what
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: we do and we're not going to not going to
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: get away from that. And so I think everybody individually
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: and as a team are comfortable with with who we are,
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: what we are, what we stand for, and what we
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: do best. You know, I know offensively we have that mindset,
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: and I know as a team we have that. So
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: I would say it's it's comfortability, but also you know
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: confidence as well. You talked about wanting to be a
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: leader this Officerason gone through pre season and training camp.
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: How have you seen some of those traits or have
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: seen that kind of growing yourself.
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's just you know, really getting to know my
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: teammates on a different level, expanding my relationships, you know,
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: outside of the receiver room, and you know, making sure
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: I know, or at least try to know everybody on
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: the team in a in a more of a personal
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: and intimate manner to where I can you know, sit
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: dout and have conversations with them. You know, know where
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: they came from, know their families, know what makes them tick,
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: and you know, know how to be able to go
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: and talk to them, you know, throughout the season, throughout
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: practices when you know, I may see a guy having
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: a tough practice or he may be tired, to be
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: able to go over to them and just give them
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: some words of encouragement, you know, if I can just
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: have that little bit of impact and be able to
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: push guys a little bit more and bring them with
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: you know, I think anything helps. But it's been really
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: fun to just you know, grow as a leader and
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: be able to see guys respond, you know, especially in
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: our in our receiver room, you know, we had a
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: young room this year, especially through training camp, and being
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: able to see those guys evolve and know that they're listening.
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: You know.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: I think that's the coolest part is you know they
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: really you know appreciate, you know, the coaching and the
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: knowledge that you may hand down to them. So it's
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: been fun and you know I look forward to, you know,
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: kind of embracing that role throughout the season.
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: We talk about all the.
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: Weapons around the Jaguars offense, get excited a little bit,
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: but how much of it do you have?
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: The balance kind of you want to go get yours
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  Speaker 2: and show.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: You're one of the elite receivers in the NFL, and
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: that selflessness of.
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: What the team means.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I think I thought about it a
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: lot this year, and it comes down to number one,
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: buying into you know, our ultimate goal, you know, and
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: and one of the the reasons why you know, guys
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: like me and guys like Zay and guys like Evan
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: were brought here you know last year, was to you know,
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: obviously have an impact on the game, but to change
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: the culture. And that's one of our ultimate goals is
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  Speaker 1: to change the culture.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: And so.
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  Speaker 1: You know, obviously personal I guess, statistics and accolades those
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: come with you know, how well the team does, how well,
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: how much success we have, that'll all take care of itself.
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: So if you buy into what we're trying to do,
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: and that's win a championship here, the rest will handle itself.
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: And you know, to me, you know, leaving a legacy
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  Speaker 1: means you know, being able to to make it to
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: the postseason and being able to do something special here.
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: And so that's where my mind's at and you know,
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: I know we have the pieces to do it. You know,
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: this is on paper and one of the more talented
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: teams I've been on it, and I understand that, and
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: so I don't ever want anything else to get slided,
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  Speaker 1: you know, from this opportunity to just be able to
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: buy in and cohesively as a group, you know, be
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: able to make a push. So I think we've all
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: kind of bought into just putting our pride to side,
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: checking it in at the door, and coming together as one.
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: And you know, we all know it's gonna be week
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: to week of who's able to have those opportunities to
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: individually have a big game. But as long as we're
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: walking off the field with a w I'm sure we're
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: all gonna be happy.
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: Just what is being in Jacksonville meant to you and
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: how it's kind of changed your career?
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's kind of gives me chills thinking about it,
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: because it's it's changed my whole entire career.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: I never take for granted.
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: And you know, any time I talk to Trent, I
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: always say, you know, thank you so much for giving
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: me this opportunity to come here and be a part
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: of this because it's just I never you know, forget
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: or take take for granted the opportunity that he's given
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: me to be able to come here and and be
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: a part of this, and you know, just walking around
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: town and talking to fans and not only would they say,
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: you know, good job on the field, great game and whatnot,
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: but when they say like, thank you what you've done
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: for Jacksonville. I think, you know, it's it's the coolest
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: part because we're just out there playing a child's game.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: But the fact that you know we're having an impact
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: on you know, the city and and and the fans
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: and you know how they feel about us, I think
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: is it's it's always bigger than football, and so to
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: be able to to be a part of that and
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: to be able to recognize how how cool of a
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: time it is to be a Jacksonville Jaguar, I think
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: is the most important part. So it's it's had an
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: everlasting impact on you know, changing the route of my
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: career and you know, my life in general.
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: Cool. I appreciate you, guys, Thank you appreciate it.