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Leonard Williams On Preparing For A Battle In The Trenches vs. The 49ers · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: S all sorts of emotions and energy.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: What do you look forward to most on Sunday?
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Uh, just looking forward to see everybody put together like
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: everything we've been training for throughout OTA's and camp. I
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: feel like, uh, you know, even though this isn't coach
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Mike's first season with us, it feels like he has
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: a bigger grasp on uh the team this year, just
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  Speaker 1: in terms of identity and culture and things like that,
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  Speaker 1: and I'm just ready to see it come to life
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  Speaker 1: on Sunday.
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  Speaker 2: Why does it feel like that?
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  Speaker 1: Uh? I think we've just been putting implementing, like certain
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  Speaker 1: ways that we want to see Hawks to represent, and
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: you know, it's just been showing up in pre season
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  Speaker 1: on the sideline, the energy just in the way we work,
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  Speaker 1: our work ethic and stuff like that. And I'm just
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  Speaker 1: really proud of the guys right now and I'm just
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  Speaker 1: excited for Sunday. What's been your role, Uh, just being
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  Speaker 1: uh a order vet on the team, just uh helping
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: where I can. Obviously he wanted to learn and be
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  Speaker 1: the best player I can be as well, but you know,
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  Speaker 1: helping guys like Murph and some of the younger guys
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  Speaker 1: be the best versions of themselves as well.
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  Speaker 2: It's been said after some games last year that Mike
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: was in his bag. Do you feel like, after a
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: year with a lot of the same guys now that
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: he has a bigger bag?
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  Speaker 1: I think so, you know, even the players like we
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  Speaker 1: understand each other better. He understands us better. He knows
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  Speaker 1: our strengths and weaknesses. He knows where to put us
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  Speaker 1: in our best position. Also, it was his first time
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: implementing the defense to all the guys last year, so
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  Speaker 1: I feel like maybe he held back in certain ways,
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  Speaker 1: whereas like, now, you know, we're kind of more accustomed
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  Speaker 1: and used to each other. I feel like he's throwing
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  Speaker 1: a lot more in there. It's harder for guys like
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  Speaker 1: d Law who just got here and he's kind of like,
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  Speaker 1: what the heck, we're learning something new every day. But
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  Speaker 1: I think he'll he'll learn that it's going to pay off.
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  Speaker 2: You've gone up against Trent Williams many times, you know,
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  Speaker 2: do you look forward to going against some of the
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  Speaker 2: best on the opposite side?
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  Speaker 1: I really do. You Know a lot of times defensive
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  Speaker 1: linemen like to go against, you know, the weaker guy
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  Speaker 1: on the offense, especially in past rush. I think I
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  Speaker 1: still prefer that, but uh, in games like this, In
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  Speaker 1: games like this against the Niners. You know, everyone knows
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  Speaker 1: about Trent Williams, and I think just from studying their
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: offense throughout the years, they like to run the ball
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  Speaker 1: to his side. He's a big part of, you know,
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  Speaker 1: what helps their offense operate. And you know, I take
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: probably of being a guy who can line up on
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  Speaker 1: his side and kind of slow down their offense because
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: you know, I like to match up against a guy
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  Speaker 1: like that.
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: You hear the word culture in the context of football,
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  Speaker 3: What does that mean you?
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  Speaker 1: I think it just means like if a new guy
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  Speaker 1: stepped into our building and facility today, like, is he
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  Speaker 1: going to get an immediate grasp of the way we
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  Speaker 1: operate around here? You know, I think guys will be
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  Speaker 1: able to come in day one and see exactly how
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: hard we work and how close and connected we are,
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  Speaker 1: how much we communicate, and just our energy on the
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  Speaker 1: sideline and the way we supported one another. I think
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  Speaker 1: that's all culture.
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: Jared was saying yesterday he felt like in the titan
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  Speaker 2: he's been here just kind of the closest team that way.
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  Speaker 3: The defensive lineman talking to offensive linemens like that or
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: they have to say, have you got.
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  Speaker 1: The sense of that? Yeah, for sure. I mean especially
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: like the Order guys like you just said, Jay read me.
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: Some of the Order guys. We talk about how, you know,
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  Speaker 1: we've been in the league for a long time and
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  Speaker 1: we understand that like every team has fresh rounder, every
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: team has all pro Pro Bowlers and things of that nature,
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  Speaker 1: and we understand that it's not just talent that it
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  Speaker 1: takes you all the way. It's the connection and the culture.
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  Speaker 1: And you know, it's easy for guys like us because
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  Speaker 1: we've been around for so long to see that it's
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: different here because we've been to other places. But what
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: really stands out to me is like seeing young guys
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  Speaker 1: like Nick in preseason games when the sideline is like
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: electrified because someone got an interception. He comes up to
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: me and even says like, Wow, we got something special here.
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  Speaker 1: So to see a young guy see that is you
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  Speaker 1: know that it's powerful.
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  Speaker 2: You know, you guys got on a roll the last
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  Speaker 2: half of last year and then you know a game
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  Speaker 2: like Green Bay is a tough first half. Do you
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  Speaker 2: feel like that the culture you're talking about in the time,
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  Speaker 2: you guys are better able to make adjustments and stop
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  Speaker 2: the bleeding.
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  Speaker 1: For sure. I think we definitely let some games slip
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  Speaker 1: out of our hands last year, where I think having
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  Speaker 1: a more clear identity as a team will help us
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  Speaker 1: push through those hard times that we went through last season.
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  Speaker 1: Me and Julian talked about this actually, where you know,
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  Speaker 1: every great team, every team in general, is going to
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  Speaker 1: go through at least two hard points in the season.
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  Speaker 1: And it's the great ones who can like bounce back,
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  Speaker 1: rely on their culture, rely on their training that will
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  Speaker 1: be able to push through those hard moments and make it,
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  Speaker 1: you know, through the playoffs and further. And I think
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: last year with a new coaching staff, you know, everybody
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  Speaker 1: get to know each other for the first time. Really,
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  Speaker 1: it was harder for us to push through those times
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  Speaker 1: without as much to lean on, Whereas I think this
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  Speaker 1: year we're gonna have a lot more to lean only better.
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  Speaker 3: Murphy, what have you seen from him from year long
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  Speaker 3: year too?
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  Speaker 2: Physically than them, you said, Murphy, yea.
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  Speaker 1: To me, it was just like his mindset stood even
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: in OTAs. I remember him saying something in the defensive
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: line room because we kind of all took turns one
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  Speaker 1: by one, uh, talking about you know, expectations of ourselves
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  Speaker 1: and of the d line going into the season, and
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  Speaker 1: he pretty much just said how he wasn't fulfilled with
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: his season last year. And me being a veteran guy,
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  Speaker 1: I understand that. You know, it takes a while to
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: develop as a player in the league, especially in the trenches,
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  Speaker 1: and I thought he had a pretty good season for
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: a rookie. But to see that he was not happy
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: with his success last year, it just shows me how
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: much he's willing to push and grow as a player,
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  Speaker 1: and just physically, I think he's uh just building more confidence.
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: Everybody excited for a game one, but to do it
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: at home against the divisional rival, against one of your
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: biggest rivals in the division also, and what's that like.
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  Speaker 3: For this team?
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  Speaker 1: I mean just overall thing is just gonna be a
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: great way to start the season. Like I said, we've
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: been working pretty hard throughout OTAs. We've been building the culture,
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  Speaker 1: building the identity, and what better way to show it
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: at a home game versus the divisional rivalry like the Niners,
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  Speaker 1: you know, good or bad. I think this is just
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  Speaker 1: gonna I mean, win or loss. We obviously want to win,
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: and I believe in our team. But I think it's
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: it's gonna be a good week one for us.
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  Speaker 2: You know, obviously with the Jets when Sam got drafted
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  Speaker 2: and you just kind of seen the evolution I guess
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  Speaker 2: with him from the beginning to now, What are the
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  Speaker 2: biggest ways.
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  Speaker 1: That he's a different, better quarterback, in a person, leader
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  Speaker 1: or whatever from what you've seen kind of I mean,
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  Speaker 1: huge maturity for sure. Like when I was around him
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  Speaker 1: last year was a rookie, So obviously he's grown a
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  Speaker 1: lot since then. He's been able to be a part
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  Speaker 1: of a few different teams, a few different offensive schemes
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  Speaker 1: and things like that. So from what I've been seeing,
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: he just learned how to really command the offense, take
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  Speaker 1: control of the offense, and just be a great team leader. Also,
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  Speaker 1: his skills set and just shows up. I think he
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  Speaker 1: just has developed more confidence in his game and as
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  Speaker 1: a player and as a man. He talked a.
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: While back about how it took him all to kind
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  Speaker 3: of discover who he was as a leader and not
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: just sort of trying to like fake it and do
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  Speaker 3: it how he's suppose how he thinks the quarterback is
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  Speaker 3: supposed to look. Did you notice that difference like when
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  Speaker 3: he was a rookie and maybe he was trying to
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  Speaker 3: be a certain way than he who he truly is.
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  Speaker 1: I can't remember seeing if he was like faking or
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: trying to be a certain way or anything like that.
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  Speaker 1: But I think like as far as just a quarterback
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  Speaker 1: in general, like when you are drafted the first round
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  Speaker 1: and you make it to a team in the NFL,
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  Speaker 1: it's like there's a lot of expectations that like outside
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: people have on you, maybe even more than you have
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: on yourself, and I think sometimes that puts a lot
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  Speaker 1: of pressure on a young guy. Whereas like I feel
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  Speaker 1: like now because he's been the league, he's year eight now,
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  Speaker 1: he's been around a few different teams, he's had he's
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  Speaker 1: had the success, and I think that just creates confidence.
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  Speaker 1: So you just see him not having like a lot
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  Speaker 1: of external expectations anymore.
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  Speaker 3: Talking about identity earlier, what's coming off the season you
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: had last year? Down here eleven year, what do you
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  Speaker 3: feel like your identity is as a player at this point.
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  Speaker 1: In your career. I mean, I think I'm just an aggressive,
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  Speaker 1: an aggressive attack style type of mentality player. I think
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  Speaker 1: I just played the same speed all the time, whether
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  Speaker 1: that's practice or in a game. I think my teammates
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  Speaker 1: can vouch for it. Sometimes I'm on the edge, which
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  Speaker 1: is like I think Mike wants us to be on
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  Speaker 1: that edge where you know, sometimes you're kind of like
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: I had a teammate a little too hard. But I
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  Speaker 1: think they appreciate it when I show that same thing
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  Speaker 1: on game day, and I think that's just my style
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  Speaker 1: of ball. Just attacking last year unlocked something that you
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: hadn't been seen in your game or you hadn't hadn't
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  Speaker 1: been able to show previously. I think I've always been
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: the player that I am, but I think I think
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: the coaches have been able to unlock something in me
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  Speaker 1: which is just bringing back, Like I've talked about this
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  Speaker 1: a few times, you know, playing for Mike and Ad,
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  Speaker 1: they just kind of brought back like the fun of
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  Speaker 1: football for me. And when it's fun and I'm able
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  Speaker 1: to play free and play my style of football, knowing
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  Speaker 1: that the coaches are going to trust me and my
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: decision making on the field, it just allows me to
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  Speaker 1: be like my best self. I'm not out there worrying
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  Speaker 1: about making a mistake or you know, not having the
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: coaches have my back or anything like that. It's just like,
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  Speaker 1: I know the coaches have my back, I know my
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: teammates hame my back. It's just allowed me to play
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  Speaker 1: at full speed without wearing.
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  Speaker 3: Three of the most experienced guys on this roster are
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: defensive linemen and you and Jaron and DeMarcus and it's
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: four when Hank is healthy. What do you think it
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: is about that position group that guys can kind of
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  Speaker 3: age well and play longer.
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  Speaker 1: The thirties, h I mean, I would say part of
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: it is just like grown man strength, Like like being
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: in the trenches, you got to be a strong person.
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: I don't think you have to be the fastest person.
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  Speaker 1: And I think as you get older, it's known that
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: you know, you may lose a step in speed, but
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: you get a little stronger. And I think just being
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: able to play in the trenches like Kalais Campbell has
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: been doing it for so long, I think it just
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  Speaker 1: shows that you know you could play in the trenches
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: for a long time.
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  Speaker 3: Are there nuances to that too, like just thinks you
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: learn along the way that maybe show up later in
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: your career.
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. I mean I think just comfortability, Like
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: I feel like I've seen all the schemes that you
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: can see at this point. You know, I played against
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: the nine ers countless of time, so it's like there's
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: a certain level of speed that I can play with.
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: Like even if they say you lose a step because
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: of age, it's like I'm almost playing faster because mentally
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: I'm seeing things faster, you know what I mean. So
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: when I was young, I'm just going off of pure
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: talent and raw ability. I'm not really knowing what the
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: offense is doing, so I'm almost like playing behind in
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: a way. But like when I know what the offense
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: is doing, when I know what I'm capable of, it
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  Speaker 1: just allows me to play just a little bit head
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  Speaker 1: ahead of the snap.
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: On the flip side, how hard is it for a
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: rookie to be a good run defender in the middle.
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: I think it's pretty hard, But I think Byron just
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: has the body, you know, designed for it. He's uh,
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: He's somebody who like prides himself and like taking on
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: double teams and stopping the run, which is different for
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: a D lineman. I think most D lineman will want
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: a pass rush and get to the quarterback and stuff
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: like that, and I know he wants to do that
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: as well, but you could tell, like one of double
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: teams coming his way, he takes pride and like splitting
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: the double team, helping the lineman stay off the linebacker
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: and stuff like that. I think it's definitely hard as
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: a rookie just not knowing all the NFL schemes and
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: stuff like that. Welldemauri came up to you said, why
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: would we get some specials? Was that after one of
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: those unsportsmen likes when you all ran to.
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: The zone receptions?
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that was And that's one of those moments that
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: we talk about of being on the edge as a team,
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: playing on that fine line where like we want to
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: be aggressive, we want to be loud, we want to
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: be nasty in like a legal way, Like we don't
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: want to be doing a bunch of chirping or fighting
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: after the whistle, but you know, if the guys in bounds,
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: we want to hit him. And if one of our
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: guys makes a play, whether it's special team's offense or defense,
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: we want to celebrate it. And I think that is
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: just It creates a culture that we've been talking about
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: of just having each other's back, and I love it.
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: Have you ever been on a defense with get two
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: on sports fan likes for celebrating in any game.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: I think that was my first time actually ever getting one,
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: but it was something that I was proud of our
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: team for actually yeah, I mean even yeah. Luckily we
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: got it out of the way in the preseason, but
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: I doubt that will happen now going into season. But
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: either way, I think it showed what type of team
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: we are, and we're a passionate team. Is it worth
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: the investment the preseason have a couple of those to
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: try to build that camaraderie, I think so. You know,
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: it's not gonna cost us too much. It helps create
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: an identity. It helps a young guy see how we
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: handle things here where we're going to celebrate each other.
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: You know we're gonna not run onto the field during
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: the season, but I still want to the sideline to
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: be just as electrified if somebody makes a big play
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: anything else.