Like you weren't right. I like one I mean me and the coaches, you know, me
and D. ***, we had *** meeting yesterday mickey,
they told me what they're expecting from me to do what they need out of me
and what they need to see. So we had ***,
like *** workout in the morning or whatever, they wanted to see how I move
and I passed my test and they allowed me to come on tv someone that's as
competitive as you. People probably don't appreciate how hard this probably
was for you behind the scenes. Just, what was it like the last couple of
years, It just not play.
I mean, I'm all, I'm always up for *** good challenge. I mean, I feel like
life is, you know, is you go run into some challenges, you're gonna run into
some adversity, but I always was taught us about how you respond, how you come
out on that. Yeah, I took pride in that challenge.
I'm still working day to day, putting *** lot of work behind the scenes
and just, you know, stay consistent, stay honest with yourself, I love
playing this game, and just to be back out here is *** blessing. Just keep
putting one ft forward and keep coming out here and competing and getting
better.
Did that challenge ever get hard on you? Was it ever trying or were you able to
remain positive throughout?
You know, sometimes some ups and downs have *** strong line, wow and I feel
like I took the challenge head on
and I feel like,
you know, I mean, I'm here now and I'm ready to keep getting better and excel
in my game, people did you talk to to help get you through all this?
Probably anybody that had *** hankering crowd.
Travis Kelsey too,
12 packards. Mhm
Steph curry.
The list goes on and on. I was diving deep into it
and then, you know, I had never had, like an injury in my career, like
anything like this, So I feel like it was just the hand I was dealt everybody.
How far away are you from where you want to be right now, physically, I'm
always trying to get better even before I got injured, I felt like I was far
away from being the player I am now here is just day to day taking coaching,
listening to coaching, making every rep count and just stand discipline, my
approach, taking care of my body, so I can be out there
honestly, just competing at *** high level, stay positive in this process,
because sometimes they can get the better. Yeah, I feel like you hear that
so much that you almost have to challenge yourself to stay positive.
It's like if, you know, it's gonna be challenging, you have to accept the
challenge to accept the challenge then that's when you handle your business
because and you know it, everyone knows that the process could be challenging,
people could have their opinions and all that, so that's kind of what you
what you're fighting against to like, you know, that's kind of what you're,
it's kind of like defeating the odds or however you want to say it, it's just,
it's just like keeping your head down and stand consistent and stand honest
with yourself. Has everything pretty much gone according to plan since the
november surgery, have you been on? Yeah. For the most part, I believe
everything is, has
has gone like it's supposed to go,
you know, the surgery process, you know, it's opinion based, you know, sometimes
people don't get things right unfortunately, so sometimes you're out
there, you know how to pivot and respond in situations like that I come
from *** strong family, I feel like I watch my family stronger way harder
than what I'm going through. No, me being out there playing this game makes
them proud. I took *** lot of pride in that,
you know, I was home rehabbing back home and I got to see them *** lot more
often and uh I knew what I wanted to do and they come back
to make them proud, Keep *** smile on their face, you know, I feel like I'm,
I take pride in my hand. You mentioned opinions that are out there, obviously
you're aware of all kinds of speculation, but since you've been here,
this entire offseason is this much different than *** year ago, where this
is uh you gotta be able to control with your control. Now, we live in *** world
where everybody can have an opinion just where the world is now,
there's *** lot going on, but you just gotta stay focused, you gotta challenge
yourself to stay focused. I know what my job is. I know what my assignment is.
I know my teammates need me, I know my teammates needed me last year. I wish I
could have been there for him. But unfortunately, you know, that wasn't in
the plans and now I just have to control it. I can control and just
dominate and take advantage of what's in front of. They gave you the go ahead
this morning when you did the workout this morning. Did you take *** minute
to soak that in? Can you describe what that felt like at that moment after the
last two years? Uh
I kind of like
once I knew last night what I was going to have to do. So like I said, I'd like
to handle my business so I knew that I was gonna pass that test. What did they
do it? And then I just treated like I was going back out there to practice.
Obviously James is also coming up *** major injury and this is kind of your
first chance to work with him as *** QB one. You know, what has that experience
been like,
football is football attention to detail, working on our game, staying
honest with each other, you know, correcting our mistakes fast? I play
with *** great Hall of Fame quarterback who set *** great standard an example.
So we all know what we're capable of and we know what's expected in this
building,
feel like knowing that just that's just like the reminder all you need, like
past success in this league and I know how it creates success in this league
and repetition, just getting in the rhythm. So when one guy leaves the next
man steps up, it's still the same responsibility now that you're back on
the field was kind of the next big priority for you. Just keep getting
better every day and chill with the guys,
get out, you know, stay honest with each other, compete at *** high level
so we can build *** great team so we can come out here and have fun on
Sundays? What do you like about J. Mrs game Jamie's, he's *** competitor, he's
like the ultimate competitor. He he always shows up ready to work. It's
like you're not gonna all work him, you're not going to deny him.
He's always has that energy, He brings that energy and passion and you just
feed off that I'm excited to play with him. I'm excited to help change, I can
explain like
what happened,
what happened, It caused this to be *** two year. We gotta ask the trainers and
doctors about, do you have any regrets about no regrets now, how excited are
you to have?
I'm very excited, it's *** blessing to have *** guy like chris
you know Chris I've known chris before he got here and it's like to have the
opportunity to have *** guy like that to train with him too.
To kind of see him before the drive came *** year. We trained together.
It's an honor. Um I know the country came from, I know the environment he
came from, I know the guys I coached him and
just coming from that winning coach at Ohio State and that brotherhood and
bringing another guy here like that. I know he's gonna compete so I'm blessed
to have *** guy like that and to play with him. Mr Otter mike just so we can
put this to rest. Can you explain why the officers,
wow. Yeah we can put it to us right now. It's pretty much like when you come
into, when you go to *** doctor, doctor you go you get an opinion, Doctor is
gonna give you opinion, You go to two doctors, one person has an opinion.
Another person has an opinion. You have the right to pick the opinion. So one
of the opinions is you can rehab your ankle and it should be good bye camp.
I've never had surgery and I'm gonna stick with that one. That one doesn't
work. Go to the 2nd. That's pretty much how it works. I don't write the opinion,
I just have to pick
Michael, there are major differences that all we're working with.
Yeah, Cody has been great, tremendous. Even when I wasn't able, wasn't out
there too. It's like practice always. I saw the drills, he had the things he
was doing, he was doing is I feel like he has really attention to details and
that help us, help us get over. I love it drills. He always finds ways to just
allow you to keep working on your game. And that's kind of what I like to do is
just enhance my game and prove it and challenge myself with different things.
So he's very creative and he's *** grinder too. And he's been great. Like
when did you know that that training camp day one was realistic And just how
did it feel to make that that first catch in practice? Um I mean, I know
that, you know, everybody in this building wants me to be out there. I
know that, you know, that's, you know, like I was I was always trying to get
out there just like out of time when
I don't know, it's still kind of like, I still kind of have *** lot to say,
but it's just like,
I'm out here now and I'm ready to keep getting better.
Are there any particular misperceptions that you want to clear up that standing
out above others. No, it's just like, you know, the opinion thing. And then
also when you get surgeries, it's not really in your hands. You're not the
surgeon, you're not performing it. You're not the person you just have to
trusted and hope that the person does the right job. Then you'll be able to
be out there. But
like I said, control to control and that's what I've been trying to do,
make the best of. But outside of that, it's just
just, you know, some things you can't control, some things out of your
control and sometimes you get dealt about him. But everybody loves somebody
that, you know, comes back from adversity. I feel like *** lot of
people in this world can learn from like *** lot of people. It's better to
to have some adversity to not have some adversity just to show you respond. I
think it shows *** lot of character to show the type of man you are.
Yeah,
I mean, I accepted it.
I mean, I love football. So this is what it is. And I'm back out here and
now, every day I just have to
look in the mirror and ask myself, am I getting better every day? You said you
talked to people like Travis Kelsey, you've talked to doctors and everything.
How confident are you that when you're back? You you can be back.
I mean, even the year that I played, I was playing injured, I was still kind
of helping his team game move the chains and I was literally on one ankle,
Michael is the same as when I was got to go get the surgery
already early on in the season, played on it,
push through that and I'm just happy to be like trending now in the right
direction.
You actually feel better today than you felt since one of
did you follow Cooper Cup here? And what did you think of it and the
community that is an extra motivation?
Yeah. He, uh, he did tremendous last year and he finished the mission.
That's, that's what you wanna do. You wanna come out there, you want to
compete that
put up numbers, but you also want to help your team win and then you want to
make the big plays in the big game.
He definitely led by example and that's how you're supposed to do your business.
Much respect Michael. What is your assessment of the wide receiver room
like last year compared to where you're at right now? Um, tremendous. Even the
guys from last year, they love improving and getting better.
And then to add *** guy like Jarvis chris
young bugs, they come to work every day and they come to the chip on their
shoulder and they're ready to compete like that credit to the front office
for bringing talented group to come in here just now. We just have to work
everyday, Stay honest with ourselves and make our place. Great. Thanks.
Thanks Bye