COURTESY OF TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
(On playing for Bruce Arians and his staff as a member of four different organizations)
“I think he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for, if not the best. I’ve got a good relationship with ‘Goody’ [Harold Goodwin] and the O-Line guys, so I understand this offense. I’ve been in it long enough now where I really didn’t have a meeting before my first full-pad practice and I was able to just go out of and kind of pick up right where I left off. I think that’s obviously a thing. I think they trust me, they’ve put me in some situations where they trust me and know that I’m going to know the system and not make mental errors. I hope that’s what I can bring here.”
(On how he has managed to maintain his longevity in the NFL)
“I think just coming from where I came from in Pittsburgh, I think it’s a breeders ground for hard work and work ethic, and I think that was instilled in me from a young age from my dad and my mom, obviously. There was a point where I probably had a pretty decorated college career and then things didn’t kind of go my way the first couple years in the NFL. I was like, ‘Man, I know I can do this, I just need an opportunity.’ I finally did and I finally got it and then once I did, I kept grinding. My whole mindset was, ‘Listen, I’m going to be the smartest guy on the field. They’re always going to be able to trust me in a situation and then my physical aspects will be able to take over from there.’ That’s where I’ve always prided myself in, and here we are.”
(On what has stood out about QB Tom Brady)
“He’s obviously the greatest of all time – I think his Super Bowls speak for themselves. Just the way that he approaches it – the good ones that I’ve been around, regardless of how good they are, regardless of how long they’ve played, they still approach the mental aspect of the game almost like a rookie. They’re still first in, last out. They grind over every mistake, they grind over the scheme and the process of the practice week and things like that. Obviously, I’ve only been here three or four days, but just watching his approach to the game, it’s special to watch. Just the finer details – for a guy that’s done it as long as he has, that’s an unbelievable leader [for] a young guy and all the way up through this team to look out there and say, ‘That’s how you’re supposed to do it.’ It’s pretty special to watch.”
