To the depth at DE: That’s something I’m really excited about. We have the chance to rotate at any point in the game because we’re so well-staffed. We have so much depth. We can push each other every day in practice. We’re not just making each other better, we’re making the whole line better. So it’s like a big puzzle.
To be named one of ESPN’s Top 100 Players: It means a lot to me. I’m really excited about it, especially awards of this caliber. But if I don’t live up to expectations, it means nothing. If I don’t try my best and do my best, it means nothing. The watch list is like a nice pat on the back. It really means nothing. You still have to go out there and work hard to get the actual award. So I just say, “Thank you for watching out for me.” But I know what I have to do to get that award.
About the young DEs: All the rookies are pretty good looking, but the one that stands out to me the most is Cole McConathy. He’s a guy who always plays with his hair on fire. He also has my number (#44). He’s just a smart, athletic kid. He’s very active. It’s like everything comes naturally to him.
My advice is to be patient. Let football be football. At the end of the day, it’s all the same game. I don’t think that changes. People get a little too big playing in big numbers and in uniform. It’s really nothing to get upset about. Football is football. The game will come to him because he’s a great player. So just be yourself.
About playing with Akheem Mesidor: He helped me a lot. He was my main man, especially when I first came here. He always tried to help me. He could have been the bad guy. I’m behind him and I’m a young guy with all this hype around him. He could have been a guy who was just an asshole and turned his back on me. But he wasn’t.
He was the person who helped me the most out of anyone. Someone I always went to when I had a question. He always answered them, always wanted to watch film with me, always gave me little insights and details. Now that we get the chance to work together, I’m so excited about it. I can’t even explain it. I’m just ready for it. This season is going to be special for me.
About playing inside: It’s really a mix-up. What Coach G or Coach JT sees determines how much I’m going to play. I honestly feel the whole D-line can play inside, especially the older guys because we’re so versatile. Wherever they need us, we can go and get the job done.
I can’t even explain it, man. What we’re going to do in training is going to be crazy because we have this chemistry and connection with each other. We just flow off of each other, we trust each other, we work together, play good soccer and everyone can play all five positions in my opinion, because at least that’s what I see in training.
