Skins Quotes 12/30/19: Post-Season Player Comments

[Boone]

December 30, 2019

QB Dwayne Haskins Jr.

On his health:
“It is doing well. I am rehabbing my ankle and I will be full go in a couple of weeks.”

On his plan for the offseason:
“I will be here rehabbing. I will be traveling a little bit as well. I am excited for this offseason.”

On the 2019 season:
“It has been a learning experience. It is just being able to get better with my guys and the rookies in this room. I am very excited for the future.”

On the biggest thing he has learned this season:
“Just that the adversity you face in the NFL, it is inventible. To be able to get back and work on your craft with your teammates, that is the fun part about it.”

On the offseason changes:
“I am excited. Sometimes change is alright and is good. I am excited to have an opportunity to continue to learn here and grow with this organization. I am grateful for the opportunity.”

On his relationship with Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell:
“[Offensive Coordinator] Kevin [O'Connell] is a great guy and I hope he gets the opportunity to stay. We have grown a lot throughout the year. He is someone that I think is going to be a really great offensive coach in the NFL. I really hope he gets to stay.”

On his reaction to the team parting ways with Bruce Allen:
“I like Bruce [Allen]. We had a great relationship and I am sad he had to go.”

On what propelled him to have a strong finish:
“Just continuing to play ball and seeing the field. Just getting more comfortable in the offense, what we are doing and attacking the defense. Hopefully we can continue to do that in the future.”

On Ohio State Defensive End Chase Young:
“Two words, Chase Young. That is all I have to say.”

On who Chase Young is:
“He is someone that is a game wrecker. He is someone that is very hard to stop. He is from this area, so we will see what happens.”

On having a season under his belt:
“We won a couple of games when I was playing. There is so much more growth to happen and go through. I am excited to know that we can do things, we can win and we can do things offensively. I am looking forward to building on that.”

On Ron Rivera:
“I met Ron [Rivera] in the pre-draft. He sat me down in one of my visits. He is a good dude. I have heard a lot of good things about him. We will see what happens.”

QB Case Keenum

On what his emotions are with the season ending:
“It's all over the place. It was fun to wake up and hang out with my son this morning and getting him up. It'll be nice to enjoy some time with family. It was a tough year, for sure. Like I said before, it's the tough ones that make the good ones feel that much better, so you take it, you store it up and you use it in the offseason to motivate yourself and you get better.”

On his time with the organization this season:
“I mean there are, of course, some things that need to be addressed, but that's what happens in this league when you don't produce. I'm pointing the finger at myself. I need to get better from a quarterback standpoint, from a leadership standpoint. I'll be better and we'll move forward.”

On his reaction to the team parting ways with Bruce Allen:
“I don't have any reaction. I wouldn't say I have any reaction.”

QB Alex Smith

On how his rehab is going:
“Progressing. I think that's probably the best way to put that at this point. Still progressing, which I'm thankful for. Haven't hit a wall yet. Still moving forward.”

On whether he plans on playing next season:
“Without a doubt, yeah. Still continue to push this as far as it goes. I still have dreams of getting back to where I was and getting back out there. This has been, obviously, a crazy ride with a lot of unforeseen turns, but without a doubt that's still my goal.”

On how the season has been for him:
“I mean it has been so weird for me to be here and be a part of the team, but to still not be out there putting in the time. Obviously, I'm putting in the time elsewhere. Such a different point of view for me to be around and be with the guys, but at the same time not taking part on the field with them, putting in the time where it counts towards game days. So, difficult. Different appreciation for all the stuff that goes into this. I've been in the league a long time, had some great years, had some years that haven't been great. With that, you do have an appreciation for when it is good, and then also to keep calm when things do get crazy and just try to be a calming influence. I think when there is a turnover and things like this, it's hard to maintain your focus sometimes, especially for some of these young guys. This is pretty new to all of them. Just trying to be a calming influence on some of them and help them maintain their focus on what's important, and really that's on football and getting better.”

On his role over the last 18 months:
“I mean, my priority is to get better. That's my number one goal, to get back out there on the field and that's where my focus has been. With that, yeah, I'll be around here for the guys, especially for some of the young guys on the offensive side of the ball, be around. I remember what it was like to be young. There's a lot of similarities to my first years in the league when things were chaotic a little bit and there was turnover. Pretty foreign to a lot of these guys that are coming from college, so I think just trying to – like I said, if there was anything I could add to it as far as being a calming influence, let these guys focus on ball and getting better, try to ignore a lot of the noise that can be created around the team.”

On his relationship with QB Dwayne Haskins Jr.:
“Good. It's so much easier to be in that room and compete with somebody and be out there every single day with them, and not just talking at somebody and really just being more of an example. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do that, so I was pretty cautious with – I hate to be the guy that always just talking and offering advice, I don't think that's the way you learn and grow. Like I said, with that it's hard to play as a young guy. It's not always about X's and O's and he's got a lot of really good people talking to him about those things. For me, a lot of the extra stuff, the other things, kind of dialing in his work week, how he's preparing himself. I think those are things as a young player, you kind of fine tune. You find your way. It's not like there's one way, you've got to find what works for you, how you prepare your mindset, things like that. So, there's so much that goes into playing at this level, especially quarterback. I think some of it comes up as you go and just being there for him, being around.”

On his mindset to try and come back to lead a team:
“For me, that's the last of my concern. His path and trajectory and mine are not conflicting each other at all, so any narrative of that is just not real. Like I said, my focus is singularly on getting back to where I was and even better. That doesn't mean I can't also be a good teammate. Those things aren't exclusive from one another. I think I've learned that along the road. I've been so appreciative of the guys that have helped me along the way when I was young. I learned from a lot of different guys and I do feel like it's my job as a teammate to do that for everybody, not just [QB] Dwayne [Haskins Jr.], but especially him, too.”

On whether he has a future in a front office:
“Has there ever been a GM and quarterback at the same time? I love the rumor mill and all the stuff that circulates out there. Like I say, my focus is to get out there and play again. I'm very appreciative of [Owner] Dan [Snyder] and Bruce [Allen], everything they've done for me throughout this process. In a lot of ways, I feel injuries are obviously a part of the game, but certainly some of the things that have gone on with me have been unforeseen and you do feel a little like you've hamstrung the team with what's gone and how long this has gone on. There is some responsibility you do feel there as a player that I feel there. With that, I do feel Bruce and Dan very much throughout this process have been so supportive of me being around the team in whatever role this has been. I think with that they've tried to make things as comfortable as possible for me. I think they've shouldered a lot of responsibility. I mean that in a positive way, that they've both tried to lighten the load for me and make things as comfortable as possible. With that, I think things have kind of been taken astray with some of this stuff, but certainly there was a long time I couldn't even be on the sidelines medically, just wasn't even safe for me to be down there. It was a different perspective obviously to be in the coaches booth for part of the year, to be in the box with Mr. Snyder, so I'm very appreciative of everything they've given me through this process. A lot of it goes unnoticed. It doesn't get put out there for what they do for all the guys on the team, but especially me and what's happened over the last two years. So, appreciative of that, but I have no aspirations other than getting back on the field and playing football again.”

On how he feels about the changing front office:
“Like I said, I do feel personal responsibility a little bit with my injury. You look at this year and you take in my situation, [T] Trent's [Williams], [TE] Jordan's [Reed], I mean there are some key guys missing. It's a responsibility. Everybody puts in a lot of time and effort and sacrifice in this. It's hard to win football games. Everybody, like I said, puts a lot into this and to see guys lose their job, their livelihood over it is hard. I know it's a game to a lot of people, but for everybody in this building it is our job, it is our livelihood, it's serious. Appreciative of the opportunity Bruce [Allen] has given me to play quarterback for this organization. Like I said, it's on all of us, these guys that are taking the blame and taking that on. It's on all of us in this building. We're all responsible for it.”

On whether he has a blueprint for the next six months:
“I wish. I wish there was one out there. I think that's been a little bit of the unique circumstances of my injury that there really isn't a blueprint. There isn't somebody that I can follow that's had this, which is also for me the intriguing thing of the challenge. This hasn't really been traveled before and I kind of embrace this challenge and being able to overcome it. So, no, there isn't a blueprint. We're rolling with everybody that's an expert on this in the country and trying to figure that out and map it out.”

RB Adrian Peterson

On his personal success this season:
“Personally, I feel like it was a decent season. Obviously, personally I would've wished to accomplish a lot more, but it was a rocky season. I think it shows the grit of our team, us as individuals just to continue to push through the season, just continue to fight and that's what I've always been about, making the best of whatever circumstance or situation you're in just making the best of it. I feel like, personally, that's what I did.”

On the culture of the locker room and what it needs to be to win more games:
“You know, actually I love the culture of the locker room. There are a lot of young guys in here with a good mixture of some veteran guys, guys that've been in the league for five years and up. I feel like we didn't end it the right way yesterday, but everything that's needed is here and I truly believe that. From being here two years and seeing the jump from last year to this year and that's kind of funny to say that – we had more wins last year – but it's a maturity, additional young guys that came in that made a huge impact on this team and will continue to make an impact going forward. I feel like all the pieces are here. When you think about all the injuries we dealt with this year, missing a couple guys that might possibly be coming back here and hopefully get another good core of rookies to come that are able to contribute as much as these young guys did. With that, I feel like the sky's the limit with what this organization can accomplish, and I truly believe that from being around 13 years and having the experience to play down in New Orleans and being around the block. I feel like here, the talent is definitely in this locker room.”

On his reaction to the changes in the front office:
“It's unfortunate, but that's just how it goes. It's the business. I've been a part of it before, so we'll just see which direction they go in. I wish them the best.”

On what needs to change:
“Obviously, they're making changes and it started early in the season and they continue to make changes. So, I don't know if I've got the answer to what needs to change, but obviously things are changing here. But, the talent is here, that's what I just spoke on. That's the number one ingredient, having the right group of guys in the locker room, right leadership and just having that right guy to lead the way. I think [Interim Head] Coach Bill [Callahan] came in and did an incredible job with the circumstances that he had to deal with, and had a lot of guys fighting for him. So, we'll see what moves they continue to make.”

On what he knows about Ron Rivera and what he can add:
“Well, I've heard nothing but great things about him as a coach, as a person. Got some friends that played down there in Carolina and have always said great things about him. Had the opportunity to play with [Vikings CB] Captain Munnerlyn in Minnesota and he used to talk about Ron [Rivera] and how good of a coach he was. It all comes off of experience, but he's a guy that's one of my close friends, so he wouldn't lead me astray with what comes out of his mouth. I don't know what moves they're going to make, but I know that he's a heck of a coach.”

On what he sees from young core that makes him believe they can improve soon:
“Just the talent being put on display. Look at [WR] Terry [McLaurin] and the type of season that he was able to have, [QB Dwayne] Haskins [Jr.] and how he just continues to develop and become a player that opens your eyes. You see the jump from when he first got in to his last game, it was just like, ‘Wow.' It was a heck of a jump within a few weeks, so that right there alone was very impressive. You've got an entire offseason to just get better and come back bigger, faster, stronger. That's something that I know guys are talking to him about. Before he just headed out of the locker room, I told him, ‘Hey, I'll be hitting you up and in contact with you.' He gets it. He gets it, that's the most important thing when you're talking about a quarterback that you're looking to be the franchise. You're talking about [WR Kelvin] Harmon, [CB Jimmy] Moreland on defense. Man, there are so many guys, [LB Montez] Sweat. These guys have all improved with the time they've been able to get out there and play and get reps. That's what it's all about, doing it consistently, getting those game reps. These guys have shown what they're able to do. You sprinkle the core guys that've been here and the talent that's here, as well. You look at these games and how close some of these games were and with not that much experience with a lot of young guys. That's why I say the sky's the limit for what we can accomplish.”

On what he expects for himself next season:
“To be honest with you, this season – my trainer just called me and I was talking to him and I was like, ‘Man, this season was an eye-opener for me, personally.' I definitely did grind and put work in during the offseason, but when I look back, I feel like I left some stuff on the table. During the offseason, we'll kind of talk about that a little bit, so I look to come back and have one of my best years. That's just the mentality that I have. Being blessed to play 13 years and kind of like a slap in the face for me personally when I look back and say, ‘Man, it's a blessing to still be able to do it,' so making sure I'm not taking anything for granted. People say, ‘Well, you looked pretty decent this year and this could've happened, that could've happened.' Individually, when you look at yourself – you know, no one knows you like you. For me, it was just a good eye-opener for me to go into this offseason and come back and have the best season of my career. I know that might sound crazy to some people, but if you were in my shoes, you would definitely understand where I'm coming from.”

On whether he'll play for the Redskins next season:
“Yeah, I have another year on my deal, so I wouldn't expect anything else. But if for whatever reason that's not the case, I'm going to continue to go no matter what.”

On whether he thinks T Trent Williams will return to the team:
“I think it's a possibility. Before the firing, I kind of knew his feelings. Obviously, we all knew how he felt and what he had to say. So, I do feel like there's an opportunity for him to come back.”

WR Steven Sims Jr.

On how he would describe his rookie season:
“Exciting. It was fun. Came in, didn't really know where I was going to go, but I just fought every day, wanted a spot on this team and I took my spot.”

On how he grew as the season went on:
“I think just mentally, I slowed the game down. I'm seeing things faster, knowing what the defense is going to do to me after the snap, things like that.”

On the biggest challenge learning the offense:
“Just the terminology. The play calls are kind of long, they're kind of extensive at times, so just locking in, listening to everything [QB] Dwayne [Haskins Jr.] says and slowing it down.”

On whether there was a specific play this season that gave him confidence that he can play at this level:
“I don't think so. I mean, I kind of feel like practice earlier in the season, maybe. Around the 49ers game, in practice I started just slowing it down, like, ‘Okay, I really got this now.' It's becoming second-nature.”

On his knack for scoring touchdowns the last three games:
“Oh yeah, I love the end zone. Anytime we're down there in the red zone close to the end zone, I'm trying to score. All I think about is scoring.”

On where he wants to improve his game:
“I just want to improve every aspect, catching the ball, route running, just every aspect I can, even my speed – I think I need to get a little faster. I'm tired of getting caught.”

On whether QB Dwayne Haskins, WR Terry McLaurin and the other receivers will get together in the offseason:
“We plan to go down to Miami and get together. I know those guys are already going to be down there. I plan to train back at home in Texas, but I will go to Miami to get with them sometimes.”

DL Jonathan Allen

On the front office changes to the Redskins:
“It definitely wasn't the season we wanted to have, can't really speak too much about it. I'm not keeping track with any of that. Personally, I'm trying to stay as far away as possible. Just make sure, in my mind, I'm able to do my job come next season and that starts here in a couple of weeks, couple of months or a month or two.”

On the defense's performance and the talent on the roster:
“We had a lot of ups and downs. [There were] some games where we definitely played amazing and there [were] other games where it just wasn't there. So, the big thing for me is just consistency. We weren't consistent this year, so that's definitely one of the biggest focuses for me, this team and this defense going into next year.”

On a fresh start and building on the positives made this season:
“I definitely think so. We have a young group, young defense and, I mean, only place from here is up, honestly.”

On the defensive struggles:
“I don't really think there's one reason as to why our defense didn't live up to what we thought it could be. Just not consistent enough is the big word of the year.”

On the potential of the young defense:
“With this group? I think we can be really good. I think we can be really good, but it starts with young guys coming in here, really putting in a lot of work in the offseason and get ready for next year. Coming back, have good OTA's, mandatory minicamp and a good training camp.”

On the strides he made this season:
“Honestly, being a little bit more of a vocal leader. That's something I naturally never had to do at Alabama and so that's definitely new to me. But I think I did a pretty decent job at doing that, and I'm obviously not perfect and I'm still growing at that. So, I'm just trying to help this defense and this team, help what I can to help this defensive team be successful.”

On LB Montez Sweat:
“As a rookie coming into the NFC East, this division has the best offensive linemen in football, so it's not easy for a rookie to come in here and have success. He's done a great job of not being too high and not being too low, just being consistent. I really think he's starting to put it together.”

On winning a lot at Alabama to the struggles of winning in the NFL:
“I just got to do my job and do it at a high level. Every week in and week out, I'm not focused on the score, I'm keeping my head down and I'm just trying to stop the run and get to the quarterback and affect him. That's what they pay me to do and that's what I'm trying to do to help this team win.”

On when offseason training begins:
“Everybody's different. I know I'll be back here right after the Super Bowl.”

LB Ryan Kerrigan

On overall health:
“Feel good, I'm doing more now. Rehab isn't as accelerated since we're not trying to get back for a game. I imagine if we were trying to get back for a game right now, I'd probably be able to roll this week. Of course, that is I haven't really done any football stuff, but that's just where mentally I think I'm at.”

On losing his consecutive starting streak:
“It was tough. That Carolina [Panthers] game was miserable. Watching that at home it was – that's the only word I can think of miserable. It was not a feeling that I want to get used to. Not a feeling that I ever want to have again. This was definitely a trying season from that standpoint.”

On Bruce Allen's dismissal from the Redskins:
“I mean, you hate to see anyone lose their job. He was one of the guys who brought me in here, allowed me to be a Redskin. Like I said, this is always a weird day in pro sports.”

On the culture of the Redskins:
“I think it comes down to a bunch of guys making individual decisions that are going to put the team first, that they're going to work their hardest, do everything they can to be the best version of themselves and ultimately give us the best chance to win.”

On if there needs to be a culture change:
“I don't know. It's tough for me to say because this is the only locker room I've ever been in. At times, we've won the division a couple of times and at times, we've had seasons like this. Like I said, it's about individuals collectively coming together and doing things that are going to improve themselves, which will ultimately improve the team.”

On his confidence in the Redskins medical staff:
“I have a very good relationship with them. Every time I've had an injury or something to work through, they've always really helped me out, really help me through my injuries. They are guys that I'm working with, that I've seen the progress I've been making and guys that I'm confident in.”

On feeling of a disappointing season:
“It's tough. You know there's going to be change on a day like this. Even though you're prepared for it, it's still tough. You develop relationships with people over the years and it's always a tough day.”

On rumors of hiring Former Carolina Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera:
“I know those Panthers teams are tough and physical – obviously, they made the Super Bowl that one year. We played against them that year and they were really a [darn] good team that year. He's always had a physical, tough bunch, I know that.”

On Rivera's defensive mindset and what it can bring:
“I mean, who knows? I feel weird talking about that because nothing's official. I just know defensively, we definitely dropped the ball this year. We have too much talent to be letting up 47 like we did yesterday and a number of other games where we let up 30 and other big outcomes. We got to get it together defensively, that's for sure.”

On what leadership means to Kerrigan:
“I guess it's just doing the right thing when no one's watching. I would say it's more about what you do and not so much what you say.”

On if Kerrigan would like to stay with the Redskins:
“Certainly. I want to be here. This is my home now. I've been here for nine years. I've been through some good seasons, I've been through some bad ones. I want to be here through the good and the bad. I love Washington D.C. I love the Redskins. I want to be here.”

On his contract:
“I don't know. I'll let my agent handle that. I definitely want to be around, I've made that clear to my agent – everyone – that I want to be here.”

CB Josh Norman

On missing the final game:
“I'm blessed, you know. Hindsight is 20-20. I come out here, I want to do a job, but the organization tries to do something different and I respect that because I signed on the bottom line. When you do that, I feel like that sense of view, you can take it one of two ways: you can go off the charts with it or you can be a character and be settled. For me, I just sat down and respected the chain of command and did my job. That's what they pay me to do and I did it with a smile on my face. I learned that throughout my past, so it came back to capture itself in the best manner that it could.”

On whether he has been told he's played his last game with the team:
“I don't know, a lot of people say that. A lot of people say a lot of things that they don't know the answers to what they don't know.”

On if he has been told that:
“Not that I know of. Not to my knowledge. I think everyone else is speculating that for some odd reason, I don't know why. I have a year left on my deal. I'm still here until something else changes. I'll still be here.”

On what he would expect if Ron Rivera would be named the next head coach:
“Things come full circle. I think a lot of things in life come full circle, especially when you do good to those who serve for the lord. For me, that's number one. It may be bleak and look down, but then you never know what may happen with the deck you've been dealt. Some people come back, some don't, but other people get leased and now they come and they affect you with their presence. Who knows if Ron [Rivera] will be here, who knows if he won't be here. Today is in the building. You guys know we have history and other folks have history as well. So, if that's the case then it will be so, but if it's not then I'm not going to sweat it.”

On what Rivera would bring as a coach:
“What is there to say, really? You guys are statistical guys, look it up. Fact-check it. It's there.”

On how Rivera is as a person:
“I do know him as a person. That's why he's a top candidate this year, that says everything there is to say. Really, there's nothing else that needs to be said.”

On what kind of culture would Rivera bring:
“Everything you see needs to be different.”

On why he feels Rivera is a candidate based on his experience playing under him:
“He gets the best out of player, simple as that. Cut and dry, short answer – other than watching the games – he gets the best out of players. Not just the players, but men. He builds men and guys that also build character. Not just for football, but in life. I think that's the first thing you want to see in anybody – they actually care about you instead of the game itself. That's what builds that family and that bond, guys can't break that.”

On whether he has talked to Rivera in the last 24 hours:
“You all are getting deep in detail. Some stuff I want to keep to myself, so I'll just let you all think about that one.”

On what makes Steve Wilks a good defensive coordinator:
“Same thing, [he] gets the best out of men. They build character, they're character guys that look for character. If you got that, you're going to be here. If you don't, you're obviously not. So that goes for myself, that goes for everyone. I'm not safe from anything just because [Ron Rivera] comes here. That's not the case at all. Let's get to the bottom line. Just because he comes here doesn't mean I'm going to be here in this locker. I think the guys he's going to bring in here are the guys he feels are best for here and that's just that. Whatever the case may be, he's the best guy for the job if you ask me.

On if he wants to stay with the team:
“Do I want to stay? I signed on the bottom line. I'm married to these guys whether I want to be or not, until something different [happens]. I'm one of those guys where if I come in and I shake your hand, that means something to me. So regardless of how good it looks or how bad it looks, ugly or great, I'm here until the end. Whatever I do is what they decide to do. I don't have a crystal ball here, I can't tell you what's going to happen. Hell, I couldn't predict this. Me coming here, old ball coach over there getting chopped, now he's here interviewing for the job. And the other coach, their coach in Cleveland got chopped, so now they released the defensive coordinator I was with [in Carolina]. I can't make none of this stuff up. It's happening for your very own eyes, you see it, and like I said, it's all God's doing. Don't ask me. You got to talk to him.”

On the culture of the locker room:
“It's hot. You guys are making it hot. But no, I don't know. I feel like you'll see a difference. From what you see now to what you'll see if this is the case. If I'm here, I'm super excited. It's a new day I feel like, if that is the case, that's for sure. I'm glad to be a part of something like that. That's special, that's really something special. We have something special here. Now that you look back on it – sometimes you go back and replay it in your mind what little stuff you would change. And that's only because of the people there and the coaches that made it that and you can't say anything less that I feel what anybody would say in that situation.”

On his reaction to the team parting ways with Bruce Allen:
“I don't know. No comment on that. Anybody losing a job, that sucks. It really does. So that doesn't tease for me to say anything bad about the guy because he only showed good rapport to me. It may not seem that way to other people. It sucks, it really does, but at the end of the day, I guess that's how it is. You're in one day and out the next. You think you're tight with somebody and it isn't the case.”

On what he can tell everyone about Rivera from a scheme standpoint:
“Xs and Os? You're going to see it on the field if he gets the job.”

On if how his season went gives him extra motivation for the offseason:
“No, it doesn't, but it also gives me a better understanding of who will be here, so I know what it looks like and to attack –¬ that is to attack that the person is in the building. I feel like to understand who I am to them and that'll give me a better understanding of putting me in the right position to be successful in everything I do and to give that back to the coach, whoever coaches me.”

On what type of situation he would be most successful in:
“You got to play in a situation to where you're successful. Certain things – I'm not going to speak on what happened here or the guy who was coaching at the time. Things happen. You got to put that on yourself as a person to be better within what is happening, and I wasn't and I can accept that. It is what it is. But you also know what you're capable of doing and you know you can play in any system and anybody's system to do whatever needs to be done to be successful and that's what I've done. So, whether a guy comes back I played for and you know what's going on, that enhances that even more.”

P Tress Way

On what his emotions are with the season ending:
“It really stinks that we didn't win as many games as we wanted to. This is one of the closer locker rooms that I've been a part of even with as much turnover as we've had with injuries and things like that. It's part of the gig. It happens every year, but it just stings seeing some of these guys cleaning out their lockers and loading things up because you don't know who is going to be back or who you'll play with again, and that's tough. When you're teammates, that's one thing. But when you become friends and your wives start hanging out, you all hang out with each other, it's always a tough day. It really is.”

On his reaction to the team parting ways with Bruce Allen:
“Bruce [Allen] is the one that gave me a shot coming in from Chicago. I'm so thankful for how he treated me. I'm so thankful for our relationship. When [Interim Head] Coach [Bill] Callahan took over for Jay [Gruden], he said, ‘Man this is such a fun game, but it's a tough business.' I know that Bruce knows that. I'm so thankful for the opportunity that he gave me. I'll always be thankful. Not even my wife could convince me to be Freddie Mercury at the Redskins Runway, but somehow Kirsten [Allen] could, so his wife could do that one. They'll be missed for sure.”

On if the culture of the locker room needs to change:
“Every Wednesday is our big punt day, so every Wednesday on my way home I call my dad and we just talk shop, talk football for a little bit. It's incredible to go back and look at all these games against really, really great teams that we've played, and we were right there. I know that you guys see it, I know that the fans see it and you better believe that we see it and we know it and it's just that edge. For the question on whether the pieces are here or not, I feel like that's a no-brainer. You guys have seen some of those playoff run years, teams across the league, you have to get over that hump. At the end of the day, one team is going to win that game and you have to be the team to do it. I'm pretty optimistic. You see the team we have in this locker room, so hopefully it keeps trending upward.”

On how he felt the punting unit performed this year:
“I've got to give a huge tip of the cap to [Special Teams Coordinator] Nate Kaczor. He came in here day one and said, ‘We are going to positively affect the game.' It wasn't playing it safe, it wasn't, ‘Oh, we don't want to screw anything up.' It was, ‘When things aren't going well, we are going to create the momentum.' That was really cool to be a part of with him.”

On being selected to the Pro Bowl and his performance this season:
“That's so awesome, the accolades like that and getting to go to the Pro Bowl. I'm so pumped, so thankful. To put it in perspective, yesterday we knew that we were second in the league in net average and we knew we needed a big day to try to get to No. 1. [Jaguars P] Logan Cook in Jacksonville had another really good day, so we couldn't catch him, but I had six guys throughout the game saying, ‘Tress, let's go get it.' [The Cowboys] had [WR] Tavon Austin back there, so they were saying, ‘You handle you and we'll take him down.' So to have that, that's what Coach Nate had created with these guys. I was just talking to [FB] Mike Burton and he was like, ‘I love being a part of the unit that we have.' It was so special.”

 

[Fear The Spear]

Great quotes from key people.
I actually like listening to Norman. He at least tells it like it is, better than a lot of people.
Only regret is I would have been curious to hear quotes from Callahan regarding his future, even though he wouldn't have revealed much, sometimes you can still read between the lines, and interpret things that are not actually said.