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Jaxon Smith-Njigba: "We're Still Hungry For More" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What's spution.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: I don't know what. I don't know what this is. Honestly,
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: I got it. I got a couple I think a
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: year ago or so. I don't know. I I see something,
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: I like it, and I grab it. I'm not too
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: big on my brand stuff, but I'm sure somewhere around
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: here so nice. It's nice though, I like it.
• 0:20
  Speaker 3: What makes you grab it?
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Is it good?
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: Uh? It was at my locker. Just put something a
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: real quick.
• 0:26
  Speaker 3: When you when you look at facing the Jacksonville team
• 0:29
  Speaker 3: that is the opportunistic on defense. What are the reminders
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: you give yourself any time the.
• 0:33
  Speaker 4: Ball is coming your way.
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah, just be at the right spot at the right time.
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: You know. That's that's the name of the game. You know,
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: executing precision and uh timing with the quarterback. You know
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: that beats you know a lot of a lot of coverages,
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: especially zone and and man also, So yeah, just caning
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: in all my fundamentals, making sure, like I said, I'm
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: at the right spot at the right time, and then
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: just execution.
• 1:00
  Speaker 4: When you have a really strong chemistry with a quarterback,
• 1:03
  Speaker 4: what kind of plays does that show up on?
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: The most plays where you usually normally probably wouldn't get
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: the ball and then the ball's right on you. There's
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: a couple of plays like that this season, So just
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: sticking with you and giving you a chance, knowing that
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: you know, we put the reps in and that you
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: know it's gonna look like the situation and practices have
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: been and you know, like I said, just executing it
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: from there. So those always feel good, you know, to
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: catch those type of balls.
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: Could you tell that was emerging quickly with Sam when
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: he when he got in the spring and everything.
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I could. You know, some routes I had to.
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: I had to really tell myself to expect the ball
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: every play, honestly, because you know it could be there.
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: And you know, that's kind of the attitude and approach
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: that I have came into the season with you.
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: Guys started out in OTAs the defense seemed far ahead
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: of the offense. You know, when you were at that point,
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: did you anticipate being this far along this quickly?
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: Honestly, I didn't know how how the season would look.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: I know that we were going up against a really
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: good defense, and you know, I definitely trust trusted the
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: process and believed in our guys, you know, to do
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: the job. When you look at the names and across
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: the board on our offense, you know, just showing up,
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: you know, day after day I had I definitely had confidence,
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: you know, didn't exactly know where we can take this thing,
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: still don't, but you know, excited for the ride.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you said you had to tell yourself to expect
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: the ball of you play and that was your mindset
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: coming into this year as opposed to what like where
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: would you think like your first couple of year.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you know some looks, you know, some looks you
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: know a receiver, you know, a receiver, can you know
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: start to think, you know, they gave us this look.
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: You know I shouldn't be you know, it should be
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: going somewhere else. But you know, just flipping that mindset,
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: like I said, and and understanding that you know, no
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: matter what, you know, just expect the ball because you
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: know it could happen. And you know, and that's what
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: we've kind of seen a little bit.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: Of there OTAs or training camp where yeah, you've got
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: to look where it's like probably should go here, and
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: then you're like, oh damn, Sam.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's definitely was a learning experience. You know, firsthand,
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: you know, and uh, yeah, like I said, I just
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: had to flip that mindset. You know, some balls, a
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: couple of footballs caught me off guard, So just have
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: to have to be ready at all times. You mentioned mindset.
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: Coach mcconald's commending you yesterday for that of your willingness
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: to be great.
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: I'm curious for your and where does that stem from.
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: Where's the kind of where did that develop over some
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: key role models for you on that front.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, honestly, just I've had the knack of it, you know,
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: for when I was young, you know, honestly, Uh, I
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: just love the game and I respect, you know, all
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: the great players, all the good players that came before me,
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: and something that I've reached and tried to work towards,
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: you know, ever since I was a little kid. So
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: nothing really has changed from that aspect. I think just
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: the love for the game has pushed me and excelled,
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: excelled me to you know, wanting wanting to be great
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: every single day.
• 4:20
  Speaker 4: When Mike was asked about your deep catching ability, have
• 4:23
  Speaker 4: been a deep passing or deep reception every game?
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: You mentioned your ball tracking, like how you how well
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: you talked about on the air.
• 4:29
  Speaker 4: Is that something you've just sort of innately always had
• 4:32
  Speaker 4: or it come like I guess where does that come from?
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: As another sports?
• 4:35
  Speaker 4: Is it? Yeah?
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: I think naturally. I think even like playing baseball when
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: I was a younger kid, like I was a shortstop
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: and they would hit the ball kind of short center
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: field and I would go and catch it and run
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: into people like that was just kind of my thing,
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: just go get the ball. And I've always been a
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: wide receiver ever since, you know, I was three years old.
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: You know, they would send me on a corner route
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: and the ball is up in the air for a
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: long time. So it was just something that I've naturally
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: been doing all my life.
• 5:03
  Speaker 4: Is that different like based on the quarterback just the
• 5:07
  Speaker 4: is it different tracking like one quarterbacks deep throw that
• 5:10
  Speaker 4: another mm?
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: Not really not really. I think it's just situational. Sometimes
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: it's a two ball, sometimes it's a three ball, you know,
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: over the shoulder catch. You know, it's kind of something
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: that I've always done as a receiver.
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: What what's two and three?
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: Two and three? Two is kind of like a shorter
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: line drive three. It's like a big ball. Maybe it's
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: a a one or three. It's kind of like more
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: up in the air too, is kind of like you know,
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: flat at you So just the quarterback tendencies kind of
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: all the same. You know. For me, Football's in the air.
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: Football is in the air, no matter where it's from
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: or who it is. You know, that's just what it is.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: I think you were you were miked up. I think
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: in after the game you talked to uh a Mecca
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: and then some Bucks coaches looked like they showed some
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: some love too. Did you know any of uh those coaches?
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: Yeah? I knew UH coach Strong, coach Charlie wrong him
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: being at Texas, you know, me being a Texa kid
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: watching him, I was always a fan of his. That's
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: really it. Though. Ran into Baker a few times and
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: obviously a Mecca.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: But yeah, has that been common this year with the
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: coaches or whoever? Players? Maybe the ones you don't know
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: being like wow, man you.
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: But yeah, yeah, there's a lot of coaches you know
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: I've seen from you know, pre draft and you know
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: that you know, you catch up with some I have
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: built relationships. Not a lot, but anytime, you know, to
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: see a familiar face is always cool, especially in the
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: game that we play. It's such a. It's just an
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: honor to play this sport and live in a dream.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: So you know, whenever you can catch up and catch
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: up with friends or family, it's it's always it's always cool.
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: You put in work to th way some strengths this offseason.
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: Are you noticing any impact.
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: Of that and you yeah, I mean goal of mine
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: was to get bigger, faster, stronger, and you know that's
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: how I feel, and I think you can see it
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: in my play a little bit. So you know, just
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: gonna continue to take care of that and to grow.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: You know, I feel like I got some years to
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: to continue that, so I'm just taking full advantage. And
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: it's definitely helped me this year so far.
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: What did you do to do that? What did you
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: change in your treating?
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: You know, I I uh, I think I just spent
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: more time on it. Honestly, my vacation break wasn't as
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: long as it was in the past years. And just
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: getting in the gym, you know, every single day and uh,
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: you know, just working literally every single day.
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: Where strength helped you the most as a.
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: Receiver, Yeah, I mean strength, you know, to get faster
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: to you know, the strength and the and the power
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: you know it comes from that. It's kind of my engine.
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: So you know, it's lower body. You know, even feel
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: like my arms, you know, being able to pump you
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: know faster, I feel like it. It definitely you know,
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: correlates so strengthened speed, So made sure to stay on
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: top of that.
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: Did you put on weight, Mule Masks.
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah, in the beginning of the in the beginning of
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: the off season training, I gained a lot of muscle
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: and then uh kind of shaved down, kind of shaved
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: down to like my normal weight, but I still feel
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: like the muscle mass. I'm usually around one ninety seven
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: two hundred and two pounds, so you know, just flirting
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: with that something you.
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: Had to work on to mean you always have because
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: you've got.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: To let's apart those Yeah, I do a lot of
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: mobility strengthening, so being in uh like different positions and
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: just strengthening being strong, you know from those positions, weird
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: positions and positions that I'm always in as a receiver,
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: So just strength strengthening that and yeah, just making sure
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: I'm on top of my game.
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: You said you were a little surprised when you know
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: the team moved on from DK and Tyler and Gino
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: and all that stuff. Curious, like with the OFFENSI performing
• 9:16
  Speaker 3: as well as it has, if you learned anything about.
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: You know, what makes an offense.
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: Really really good?
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean just the balance. I think balance is key,
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: I think, and it puts the defense on their toes,
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: being able to run the ball, being able to throw
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: the ball. It just opens up a lot of different things.
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: And I think we've been doing a pretty good job
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: at it. You know, we're still hungry for more to
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: get better, to get to an elite offense consistently. So,
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: but yeah, those are the things I kind of learned
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: throughout the years.
• 9:50
  Speaker 4: When you're playing baseball at your center field or ever,
• 9:52
  Speaker 4: get mad at you for running out too far.
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, they would get mad at me. They would
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: get mad at me. I heard a couple kids. You know,
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: still feel bad about that, but but yeah, that's when
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: I knew I was probably a football player.
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: Those kids you.
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: Heard, nah, nah nah. He was way bigger than me
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: at the time. So nah, I never never ran into
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: to Canaan.
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: Who do you work out with in the summer?
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: Uh, his name's Jonathan Jones. You know that's my it's
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: my ace card. You know, he does everything everything with me.
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: It is with me every single day. Uh, and yeah,
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: we get after it is that a metroplex guy. He
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: is not. He is not. I met him in Pensacola,
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: Florida get training for training for the draft, and Uh,
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: I felt like we I got good working and decided
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: to have him on my team. And he's just been
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: He's been everything plus more, you know, for me to
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: make sure I'm ready for the season and make sure
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: my body is right during the season along with the uh,
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: incredible training stuff we have here.
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: You talked about how you take some pride in the
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: blocking the run game. Cooper obviously does as well. How
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: much time do you guys spend in the receiver room
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: actually watching film of your run blocking versus your your
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: route running.
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: A lot a lot. There's a time blocked off to
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: where you know we're going over the run plays and
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: coach Frisman Jackson made a little cut up for us
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: each week to make sure you know, we're on top
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: of it because it is very important, you know, if
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: we want to be successful, and we all know that,
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: and that's something that we want to be great at.
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: You know, we want to be a great overall sound,
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: receiver room and blocking is a part of that. So
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: we take time, you know, to make sure our keys
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: are right and and to know what what it's going
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: to look like and then just execute from there.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: When you're in with rich Eisend, he actually if you
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: had any goals statistically, I would imagine he's asking you
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: didn't want to share? Does anyone know those goals?
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: Anyone? I don't think so. Yeah.
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: The reason you keep those to yourself.
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just personal for me, you know, honestly, And
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: you know, I don't want to be called crazy or anything.
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: Do you like, do you have they just known that
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: you got them in a note tap on your phonus? No?
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: No, I wrote them down a long time ago. And yeah,
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: I wrote them down a long time ago. And you know,
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: we'll we'll see what happens, you know. Uh, Like I
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: always say, I think my main goal is just helping
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: his team and you know, getting to the playoffs, helping
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: us get a ring, And I feel like all the
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: personal goals just fall in after that. It always has
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: for me. Once I put my mindset, you know, with
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: the team goals, and and I just leave it at that.
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: Have you achieved a couple of them already. No, do
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: do you remember on draft table?
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: Were you not that you went low?
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: But were you?
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: Were you disappointed at all? Do you think you're gonna
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: go higher?
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: Or that was a stressful day? Honestly, I didn't know
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: where I was gonna go. Honestly, I believe you know.
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: I was in the first round, so I showed up
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: in the suit and everything to walk the stage. But honestly,
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: I didn't know. I didn't know what was gonna happen.
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: I knew I had a good meeting with Pete Carroll
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: and and and John and everybody, but I wasn't for
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: sure put a finger on, like hey, I'm getting drafted. Here.
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: You were four straight receivers drafted in that in that class.
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: You stay tight with those four guys.
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: I mean not tight, you know, not not super tight.
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: But I create relationships with a few of those guys,
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: and you know, I feel like we're definitely all competing.
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: But I wish the best for those guys. You know,
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: I've got to talk to a couple of those guys.
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: A Flowers, Quinn, Xavier, not Exavier Worthy, uh Rashid Rice
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: and uh you know Jordan not send those guys. Uh
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: wish those guys the best, but uh, you know we're competing.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: Was that meeting with uh, the good meeting you had
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: had with John and Pete? Was that at your uh prodect?
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: That was at my pro day? Yeah? And I only
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: got one meeting, didn't taking a visit or anything, so
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: you know, I was. I was sweating, honestly, and then
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: uh got that phone ring phone call, and you know
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: we're head to Seattle. Good feeling.
• 14:25
  Speaker 4: If I'm not mistaken. You weren't gonna run at your
• 14:27
  Speaker 4: pro day and then you decided to.
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: Right, Uh No, I was. I felt like I was
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: gonna I was gonna run.
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: Uh.
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: Some people wanted me not to, but I didn't see
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: the reason, you know, not to run at the pro day.
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: I felt good to to do it. Cool.
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: Thank you,