COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES RAMS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
(On the difference in how he is preparing physically and mentally for the season) “Definitely what you said about COVID changed up the routine. I feel like everybody went through that, but just doing a lot more things to take care of my body – running mechanics, getting hips, knees, ankles right and everything like that. Just the small details of obviously going into year six. You not a young guy coming in and can just hop off the couch and get to it and things like that. Just doing different things to take care of my body. Getting ready for a possible bigger load or anything like that. So, that’s what I really focused on throughout the offseason. Just really honing in on taking care of my body. Going into what I believe is year three or four with (Head Coach Sean) McVay, honing in on that play book, getting down to the real details of it. I know what I have but getting to the real concepts and knowing what everybody else has and playing off of that to my advantage.”
(On what advice he has been able to give to rookies)
“Just to know it. When you first get here, you have to lock in on what you have to do, you can’t worry about too many outside things going on. I know with McVay’s offense, there’s a lot of moving parts and a lot of things that can go on. Focus in and lock in on what you have and then move on to that different aspect of learning the concepts and different things like that on a later date. So, just focusing on the minor details and what McVay loves for us to do.”
(On what he anticipates his role will be this season)
“I believe we’ll really see once we strap the pads on and get training camp rolling and things like that we’ll kind of see how things play out. I know myself and my mind, what I have for myself in that running back room being the oldest guy, is to do my best to bring these young guys along. I know I’ve been in this offense longer than anybody and then with the great addition that we have with (Running Backs) Coach Thomas Brown, just to be an extra set of eyes, be an extra example for these young guys to play off of because, like I said, obviously I’ve been in it longer than anybody in the room.”
(On if he likes the possibility of a running back committee)
“Whatever role that these guys have us playing man. I know that all of us will buy into it got a lot of different versatile guys we all have our own skillsets. I know that these coaches will do the best that they can, I know that they’ll do a really good job of putting us in position to succeed.”
(On how he describes the skillsets of him and his running back teammates)
“Well, in this running back room everybody can really do everything. I may have mistakenly said that, but do everything. I just know RB Darrell (Henderson) has a lot of speed. RB Cam (Akers) is a guy with a lot of speed and can get on the edges and do their thing. I’m a downhill guy, but like I said, Coach McVay, he’ll have me doing the same thing Darrell is doing and Darrell’s doing the same thing as I’m doing. We’re all playing a part in doing what we can to contribute.”
(On stepping into a leadership position)
“Yeah, I mean it’s been easy to fall into that role. I knew right when ‘TG’ (Falcons RB Todd Gurley II) left, I would probably play a bigger of a role. It’s easy in that running back room because we all want to learn and we all want to get better. So, there is nothing drastic that’s happened or anything like that. But, like I said, throughout training camp, we’ll see how we’ll fall into our roles and everything like that. But, everybody in that room wants to learn and wants to get better and we play off of each other. It makes it so much easier.”
(On whether there is a generation gap between him and the young players on the team) “Man, I don’t know if I can think of any examples right off the bat. But, I definitely know what you’re talking about. Definitely. They always make jokes that I’m the old head in the room and stuff like that. They remind me on the daily, for sure. I can’t sit here and think of an exact example. But, I definitely feel exactly what you’re talking about and they’re going to remind me all the time.”
(On carrying the redzone success from the 2019 season into 2020)
“I think it really just starts in the film room, starts on the practice field, starts with the mindset to want to finish. Getting the ‘reds’ (redzone), that’s the best and most important and emphasized part of our offense. When we get in the redzone, we want to score points. We want touchdowns specifically. It all starts with that mindset and going into practice knowing the scheme and everything. But that mindset, once you get down there, it’s time to score. I think it’s a big mindset. There’s no complicated answer to it. I think it’s a pure mindset, we have to go score. We’re this close, there’s no way this defense can get us off the field right now.”
(On Running Backs Coach Thomas Brown)
“He’s a great dude, man. You can tell his intensity right off the bat, getting his focus on the details of the game. Just some of the smallest things you can think of. To have that addition to our staff has been amazing already, and we haven’t even gotten into the bulk of it. He’s a guy, like I said, you can just tell from the jump he’s intentional, he’s intense about what he does. He loves what he does, and he wants us to learn. He wants us to learn this game and not just be out there doing what we have to do and forget everything else. We’re digging into the playbook and we know every spot. Anywhere you line us up, he wants us to know it. So, to bring in that aspect in to the running back room is great for us.”
(On having pride in being in the league for this long and now having the opportunity to play a larger role for the Rams)
“It’s definitely important to me. I tell guys all the time I take pride in my consistency and being able to stay into this league for this long. I’m proud of it. They make jokes and stuff all the time. I take pride in it. To be able to possibly fall into a bigger role, it’s a blessing just because I’ve stayed in for so long, I’m falling into this spot. It’s great for me. I love it. I’m just going to keep this thing moving and keep doing what I’ve been doing for this long and do it even better.”
(On his mentality and process for being patient as a back-up RB)
“Really just the support of my family, my friends. I mean, Todd was probably one of the coolest dudes I ever met. That made it that much easier anyway. We always fed off each other and things like that. It’s just a mindset. I feel like a lot of guys get caught up in wanting to be the man immediately. But, it’s a grind. I knew what was coming from the jump. I’m undrafted. The running back class I came in with was crazy. I knew what it was from the jump. I knew that I had to focus in on playing my role. I think that’s the biggest thing, you have a role when you get into this league. You can’t just hop in and be the man all the time. So, I hoped in my role. I played special teams. Did my thing there. I just made sure I was always in my playbook and if they ever asked me a question or if I was ever on that field, I knew exactly what to do.”
(On his favorite moment in his career so far)
“Probably that team that went to the Superbowl (LIII). That was a fun time. Obviously, I went down in the Detroit game and wasn’t able to come back throughout that season. But man, the way that year went for me was great. I feel like I came in the best shape of my life. You know, a freak accident happened throughout that season. That entire season was a great moment for this organization, for this team, for me. It was a fun time.”
(On how in-person team meetings and position group meetings are being held)
“It’s a lot of moving parts. I feel like this team has done a pretty good job of just adjusting to everything. It’s definitely a weird time that we’re living in right now. But, we’re all outside. We have different tables set up everywhere and it’s kind of a team meeting section. It’s split up to where defense is on one side after the team meeting, offense is on one side. We have a couple other tv’s and separate chairs and tables set up in different corners of our little ‘outdoor facility’, I guess you could call it (laughs). We’ve just been adjusting on the fly. Big huge shoutout to the equipment guys and the video guys for being able to set all that stuff up and get us through, sanitizing everything after every meeting. Like I said, it’s just a lot of moving parts, but we are making it work. We’ve been adjusting and doing a good job with it.”
(On if he ever imagined holding NFL meetings in tents)
“Never in my life. Never, never. It’s a crazy time, but we’ve got to make it work.”
(On having a personal goal coming into the season)
“I guess I really haven’t made a specific goal like that. More so, my goal was to be just very detailed and intentional with everything I do. Just the small parts of being a pro. Like I said a little earlier, going into year six, bringing these guys along, more so, my goal was to carry a different type of leadership role in that running back room, just knowing that I would probably be that guy that these guys are looking at and getting an example off of. So, my goal was to just take on that role and make sure I do a good job of it, so when whoever’s in the game, they know exactly what they’re doing. They’re feeding off the consistency that I take pride in and that they are going out there and doing the same exact things. I think the type of goal I had in mind was to take on that leadership role in that running back room.”
(On how aware he is of being in a contract year)
“I knew it was coming, but at the same time you’ve really got to focus on what’s right in front of you. That is months and months down the line, so right now I’m really focused in on the Rams organization. This is what I’m a part of, this is what I love right now, and this is what I’m going to do. That part will take care of itself. Whatever happens, happens with that, but right now I’m focusing on today and right now I’m in this Rams’ uniform, I love this Ram’s uniform and that’s what I’m going to rock with.”
