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AJ Barner: "I Can Be A Complete Tight End In This League" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Hello on your helmet now, yeah, might have to, but
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: apparently already had it on there.
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: So your first helmet catch, yeah, definitely, would would say, so, yeah,
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: did you see David Tyree catch?
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah, of course, I don't know what it might probably
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: would have been like what like two thousand and eight. Yeah,
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: so definitely have seen it before I was probably like
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: six years old.
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: But nice little rendition of it. Where's that rank on
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: your catches you've had? Definitely the top.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: I would say I had another catch like when I
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: was at Indiana Gainst Ohio State in the end zone
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: l fade that was kind of similar, but it was
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: a it was a good catch for sure. What's just
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: this whole year of bed like for you, I'm just
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: trying to learn every single week, some games better than others.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: For myself, I feel like this past week, like had
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: I not had that touchdown, I might not be sitting
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: here saying that I played a great game. So yeah,
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: every week, just trying to learn from the guys in
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: my room, my coach, and just get better and better. Yeah,
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: I saw I saw your TV interview after after that,
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: you seem like you're kind of hard on your guys.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Is walking yeah, I just felt like we could have run.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: We need to run the ball better. And I think
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: myself and I think the Titians would probably say the
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: same thing, that we can do a better job. But
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: I think myself, I thought, Noah, you know, played really
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: well in the run and pass game, and I thought
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: Pharaoh did as well. And I think I can continue
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: to step up. And at the end of the day,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: I just want to win personally, so I think that
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: could didn't get the job done this weekend, but Thursday night,
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: you know, it's up.
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: As I would say, that's a good run.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: After catch, Like physical is how much pride you take
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: in that side of your game once you get on
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: your hands to down, Yeah, a lot of pride. Apparently
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: coming out of the draft, I was just a blocking
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: tight end, you know. I think I broke that narrative
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: so far. So yeah, that's something that I feel like
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: when a tight end gets the ball in his hands,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: like you got to be able to make something shake
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: with it after the catch. So I need to continue
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: to do a good job doing that. You feel like
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: people mislabeled you as that or misunderstood your game. I
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: think mislabeled and kind of continue to do so, and
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: I'm far from where I can be as a tight
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: end and where I want to get to go. But
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: I think, you know a lot of times I kind
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: of flown under the radar and still continue to do so,
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: and not something that kind of continues to fuel me.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: But you know, people kind of said there things about
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: my production in college and what I can be in
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: the NFL, and you know, I think there's plenty left
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: for me to do, but I think I've done a
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: good job of showing that, you know, I can be
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: a complete tight end in this league.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: Did you get the sense of Seahawks saw something in
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: you that maybe some other teams?
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: For sure, I think, you know, by them drafting me,
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: that told me enough, just that belief that they have
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: in me. And then I think it's just on you
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: as a player to go out there and take advantage
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: of this opportunities and earn more for yourself and earn
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: the trust of the quarterback and in the play caller
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: and your position coach. You know, just a little bit
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: ago that you were asking him a lot about.
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: Rats early on in training camp.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: That was like pulled on a second, and he kind
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: of earned his.
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: Respects yeah, over time.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: That yeah, I think personally, I'm a curious person and
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: love football and want to be able to get better.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: And to be able to ask a.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: Guy like him that and you know, know that he's
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: been in the league for a long time and that's
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: your quarterback, Like you want to be on the same page.
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: So I think, you know, you got to earn that
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: trust over time and that just can continue to do so,
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: and you know, making plays for your quarterback.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: You know you should get more opportunities. So what do
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: you think that was the book on you coming out
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: of college?
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: I think just because the production piece. You know, I
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: was at Indiana and in their eyes, I feel like
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: they know I could have been the best tight end,
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: you know, a really good tight end to play there,
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: and then I went to Michigan. Maybe didn't have as
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: many opportunities in the past game and if you look
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: at numbers or maybe somebody that just watches football on
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: the TV and doesn't really know the intricate details about
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: a route, they might put that label on me. So
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: I think it's still kind of there, low key, and
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: I'm still something that I'm continuing to break. But I
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: just want to do a good job of getting open,
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: but you know, we kind of touched on it. I
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: feel like I can do a better job in the
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: run game because that's kind of been my m O.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: But like I said, I'm gonna be able.
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: To do both.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: Gino mentioned that Kenny macintosh might get more reps this week.
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: We don't really know what's going on at running back.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: Does your blocking style change for the running back? And
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: I'm thinking about the way that Kenny finishes place. I
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: don't think so it shouldn't if I think Kenny will
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: do a great job when we need him to step up,
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: as well as Zach or Ken Walker or really any
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: of the running backs. And I think the biggest thing
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: is just like the scheme and knowing who my assignment is,
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: especially on a short week, like you know, there's not
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: as much time to prepare.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: So I don't think it changes.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: Whoever's carrying the Rocket's kind of just a trust that,
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: like you know, they're gonna whatever they see, they're gonna
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: hit the hole and I got to do my job
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: and make sure my gout doesn't make the play.
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: Remember after the draft, I think we asked about Michael
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: Pennix him in Indiana. It's cool to see.
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: Him, of course, Yeah, glad that he's getting the opportunity
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: to start. I saw that they won, and uh, you know,
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: just like you guys and the people in Washington, I
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: feel like we all expect great things and Mike, and
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: I'm sure he's gonna do a great job there.
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: With the blocking. Is there kind of an adjustment to
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: the NFL that you're yes.
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: I think the biggest adjustment for me is, like, you know,
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: I started some games this year and you know, you
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: go from playing twenty five thirty snaps of the game
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: on offense to seventy plus snaps on offense and being
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: able to play down in and down out and with
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: that effort and with that technique. You know, that's a
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: big step as a young player, and especially a tight
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: end like this is a position where you have to
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: be able to run block against the highest paid dudes
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: in the NFL, and run routes against linebackers dbs and
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: do all the things.
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: So it seems like.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: Sometimes when you catch your ball and you're near the
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: sideline and you like look at the sideline, you look
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: at the players you.
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: Can hit, and you choose to hit the player. Yeah,
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: you got to going through your head.
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: That's just something that the tight end room we talk
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: about our coach dresses on at Coach Mack and Pharaoh
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: and Noah and Brady and Tyler. We always say stay
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: off the tics, and so that just means stay off
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: the tick marks on the sidelines, because you know, once
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: you get close over there, you don't have as much
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: room to work with. So just trying to stay off
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: the tics and you know, make at least one guy
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: miss on every play, finished runs falling forward. One guy
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: that did believe in you as a pass catcher was
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: your quarterback in college.
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: Curious if you got a chance to check in with.
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: Him after JJ. Yeah, I called him right after the game.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: I told him we let him off the hook. But yeah,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: I'm stoked for JJ. I know he's rehabbing super hard.
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: You know, I know he'll be back better than ever.
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: And I feel like his greatest quality is him as
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: a competitor. I think once he gets his opportunity, he
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: just loves to compete. I'm sure he'll do a great
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: job there in Minnesota.
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: What's the first most effective message that Mike McDonald gives with.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: I think just his philosophy of just staying the course
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: stacking wins. You know, he's been a able to you know,
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: it's his first year obviously as a head coach, but
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: just you know, continue to keep the message the same
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: thing and just understand, you know, the style that we
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: want to play, the style that he wants. And I
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: think I'm a guy that fits that. We have plenty
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: of guys in our team that can do that, and
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: uh yeah, So I feel like, you know, he's done
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: a really good job. Do you remind you of any
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: coach you've had? Honestly, not really, And I feel like
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: that's just because you know, I'm new to the NFL,
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: and I feel like the style is a little different,
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: you know, as an NFL coach, and you know, he
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: has his own style of doing things, obviously a tremendous
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: football mind, and I think he's done a really good
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: job of, you know, getting the locker room together, and
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: you know, as kind of like when I first got here,
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: you know, everyone's just kind of learning and acclimating to
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: new things. But I feel like, you know, he's kind
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: of you know taking the reins at this point obviously
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: as a head coach, and you know it's his building.
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: So anything else sh