COURTESY OF JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
(On WR Collin Johnson’s performance) “No, Collin has been great man. First thing is just [he’s been] coming in and showing the willingness to learn. You know, it’s tough for all these rookies coming in without OTAs [organized team activities], but he’s done a really good job studying. And then like, physically, he’s a really big guy that moves well, he can drop his weight getting in and out of cuts. He’s made some big plays so far and I’m excited to work with him.”
(On Brandon, Mississippi) “Brandon is awesome, man. It’s my hometown, it’s a really tight-knit community, tight feel, everybody rallies around. You know, Friday night football, church on Sundays, it’s an awesome place.”
(On growing up and hoping to get out of Brandon, Mississippi) “Oh no, it’s—[I’ve] always searched for opportunities, but you know, more than anything, I’m grateful for the opportunities that Brandon gave me that led me to really get out and be where I am today.”
(On one thing one has to do when visiting Brandon, Mississippi) “The thing you have to do? Oh man. I mean, I guess if you can, go to a Friday night football game at Brandon High School. If you’re really lucky, go to Brandon vs. Pearl [HS], do Pearl, that’s kind of the big rivalry in the state.”
(On working with Quarterbacks Coach Ben McAdoo despite McAdoo having been out of the league for two years) “Yeah, no, it’s been awesome working with Coach McAdoo. He brings a lot of experience, you know, [he’s] worked with a lot of good guys. And you know, he’s been out of the game, so he’s just that much [hungrier] and [more] eager to get back into it and I think that’s where it’s fun. We both have a lot of energy and passion for the game and it’s been a lot of fun working with him.”
(On Coach Ben McAdoo’s humor) “Yeah he does. I mean, with our room, we’ve got him and [Offensive Coordinator Jay] Gruden, which is—so every meeting is pretty fun and goes by pretty quick.”
(On the proficiency of this offense and prediction for the offense’s scoring this year) “Yeah man, we’ve been working hard, I believe in these guys. You know, you really can’t—it doesn’t do you much good making a case right now. You know, you really can only make a case on Sundays. I think if you talk about it right now, there’s nothing but—that’s all it is, just talk. So, I’m looking forward to actually getting out there and proving it.”
(On the “menu” of players in the offense) “Yeah no, it’s even better than I expected. And I was expecting really good things. Each of these guys have come in, learned the offense and [have] really integrated themselves with the team. And each of them brings different things to the table. So, I think we’ve got kind of a wide array of tools and different skill sets in those rooms.”
(On progress of players with Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden’s offense) “Yeah, absolutely. I think our coaching staff has done a really good job teaching this, kind of breaking it down, taking a little bit at a time. And the guys have really put the work in to learn it. And I think we’re at the point now where we’re actually just going out and playing, it’s not as much thinking. And that’s only going to get better.”
(On what you do best, offensively and schematically) “I don’t know man, the things I think I try to bring to the table, you know—Like today, we had a little bit of a lull, I try to bring the juice, get everybody going, so I guess I’d say leadership. And then, you know, schematically, I like just getting the balls in our guys’ hands. Let the playmakers make plays. We’ve got guys that are a lot better with it than I am, so [I] just try to distribute the best I can, get everybody involved and just try to make everybody better.”
(On the difficulty of keeping the chip on his shoulder) “No, I don’t think so. I think if you’re the type of guy that, once you get somewhere, that chip is no longer with you, then you probably never really had it in the first place. I think the guys that are really hungry, carry that with them whether—like, you see [Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB] Tom Brady, he’s 42 or whatever years old and he’s still working as hard, if not harder than he always has. And I think there’s certain guys that are going to push themselves no matter what situation they’re in.”
(On the similarities and differences between OC Jay Gruden and QB Coach Ben McAdoo) “No, it’s great. A lot of times we have both Coach McAdoo and Coach Gruden in the meetings and both of them have so much experience. You know, it’s fun, those conversations as we’re kind of talking through things. They both come with different perspectives, but eventually we all get to the same point, trying to just make us better. And I’m appreciative of all the lessons that they’re teaching me.”
(On brainstorming between the three of them: QB Minshew, OC Gruden and Coach McAdoo) “Oh it is dude. We’ve got freaking mad scientists in there. It’s—it gets pretty fun.”
(On comfort level with the offense growing during training camp) “Yeah, [I’m] getting a lot more comfortable, not only in the offense but with the guys around me. A lot of those touchdowns are just from giving our guys chances to make plays and they make the plays for me. You know, DJ [Chark Jr.] has been great, James O’Shaughnessy had some big plays. We had a bunch of guys really step up yesterday and really throughout the whole camp. And I think it’s just, more than anything, it’s just us getting on the same page and putting trust in each other.”
(On feeding off of the personalities of Coach Gruden and Coach McAdoo) “No, it’s I think that quarterback room has to be kind of like a safe haven for you when everything is going crazy. You’ve got to be able to come back to those guys and either they’ve got to shake you right or get you back to level. And I think those guys, as long as there’s a respect there, the communication, just the transparency there, I think that’s really what matters. Because you want everybody to be themselves in that room and I think if you do that with respect and honesty then it’s a recipe for success.”
(On having fun in the quarterback room) “Oh dude, yeah we have a blast. Yeah, you don’t have to worry about that. We’re going to have plenty of fun.”
(On noticing a big crowd when walking out on the field) “Uh, I don’t know what the biggest—probably Virginia Tech maybe? I don’t know what they hold, but that was pretty big. I don’t know what the biggest crowd we played in front of this year was, honestly. I couldn’t tell you. They all feel about the same, you know. I feel like even going back to Friday night, like that, relatively felt about the same. So, yeah I think it’s more about just kind of the energy around it than necessarily how many people are there.”
(On ever thinking about the fans going “nuts” during a game) “No, I mean, you hear some stuff. Like, I played at West Virginia, those people are crazy, like for real. Like different type of people up there. But yeah, it’s—you hear some of that.”
(On his throwing arm during training camp and on potentially limiting his number of throws in the future) “No, I think honestly, I probably threw more last year. Because you end up throwing a lot of scout team type stuff whether you’re just throwing—you go down, throw to all the tight ends, throw to all the running backs. I’m very comfortable with how our staff is kind of—had not necessarily a pitch camp, but made sure I’m getting adequate rest, getting adequate recovery, so that I can maintain my arm strength and health throughout the camp.”
