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- Joined
- Apr 11, 2009
- Messages
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- Greensboro, NC
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April 29, 2020
On his favorite memory playing in college:
“I would say the kickoff return against SMU. I think I was coming out from halftime; I think we were down and that kind of set the tone for the second half.”
On why that is his favorite memory playing in college:
“Just from my teammates, they got out and blocked, they fought through and gave me enough time to get through and then we all celebrated. It was a good moment.”
On what NFL players he compares himself to:
“A lot of people. I feel like I compare myself to [Ty] Montgomery from Green Bay. He was running and catching. [New Orleans Saints RB] Alvin Kamara is another guy too for running the ball and catching as well. There are a lot of guys out there. I compare myself to a lot of guys like that.”
On what he takes from those players games and applies to his own game:
“Just how they are able to adapt. I’m pretty sure it is kind of hard learning that, it’s a lot to learn as a rookie but I don’t think that stopped either one of them from doing what they needed to do. So, just taking that and being able to apply that to myself. I know that I have to get to work and I know that I have to take it serious, so just trying to show that I can come in right away and affect the game.”
On if he has reached out to any of his teammates:
“Not yet. All of that is coming into play. They sent out some gear for me to get started. Other than that, I really haven’t talked to anyone much.”
On what position he sees himself taking the most reps at:
“If you asked that, everywhere. But, to answer your question it would be running back. The way the game is going today, a lot of running backs can play receiver. I feel like that is the reason that they love me so much is just being able to do both. So, I think I will start off in the running back room and work my way into learning more positions.”
On if there is a specific formation that he sees himself fitting into the best:
“What I can do best? I feel like everything. I feel like it is a repetition thing. I’m used to the gun, that’s where I came from in Memphis and that is all I did was the gun. I got a little bit out of the I-formation in the Senior Bowl. But to answer your question, I would say the gun.”
On what the process was like for him in figuring out his position:
“I feel like it started out when I was younger. They kind of realized I was an athlete, so I was always on offense and defense, especially in rec league. Then when I got to high school, I wanted to play receiver and just out of curiosity of the coaches they ended up moving me around. I ended up playing running back, ended up playing quarterback, receiver, safety, cornerback. They were just trying to see, ‘What else can he do?’ So, I feel like it was more the curiosity of the coaches to see what more I could do. I never had a problem with it because I loved to play football, so I was always open-minded.”
On if he is ready to play both ways:
“Yes sir.”
On if he had any interaction with the Redskins at the Senior Bowl:
“It was hectic. I can’t remember if I had an interaction with them at the Senior Bowl because it was just so much at the time. But, I talked to a few people and I think that was just when people really started to get to know me because I had just popped up onto the scene and ended up going to the Senior Bowl and I played running back which I mostly played at Memphis. I probably did, but I got a lot of feedback that I was doing good in practice and just needed the repetitions from the I-formation. Other than that, I feel like I impressed a lot of people at the Senior Bowl.”
On what NFL player he compares himself to:
“Me personally, I would say [Chicago Bears WR] Cordarrelle Patterson only because he played special teams too. I remember watching a game where he did punt and kickoff return, and I was just seeing him all over the field. Then he ended up in the backfield and I was like, ‘Alright, that is me right there.’ So, I would Cordarrelle Patterson.”
On what his approach is to the game of football after starting at a community college:
“Just knowing myself. Being true to myself. Not letting any of that get to me. I knew what I was capable of from the day I stepped in the door. It was just a matter of opportunity, so I had to wait. A lot of people have to wait their turn, it happens a lot in the league. You know, a lot of good guys come in the league, and that’s just how things go. You have to wait your turn, your opportunity to show what you can do. But that’s what I had to do. I told myself, when I got my opportunity, I was going to make the best of it.”
On what his role could be right away:
“Right away, you know, I don’t know. You got a lot of good guys. That’s up to Coach [Rivera] and the work I put in also. That comes with time, so I couldn’t tell you right now. But if I could, I would want to impact right away. I feel like I’m going to get my playbook, I’m going to learn what I need to learn from the jump and I’m going to get to work.”
On what he wants people to know about him:
“I’m selfless, I’m going to always put in the work to do what I need to do. I love giving back. Just a respectful young kid that’s ready to work.”
On what he learned transferring to Memphis from East Central Community College:
“Basically, I could overcome anything I feel like. If you know about the JUCO route, it’s pretty tough. I’ve seen a lot of great athletes come and go. I mean to like, coming in, and like gone in a week. I remember one, I won’t say his name, but he came in and simply because he was like, ‘I miss my mom, I’m homesick.’ So it’s pretty tough out there, so I’ve learned from myself that I can overcome anything, just need the right mindset.”
On playing with WR Antonio Gandy-Golden:
“Like you said, we were always around each other at the Combine because our names are so similar. We got to follow each other around most of the time throughout that process. I got to know him a little bit throughout the process. Great kid, talented. I had to watch his highlights. Amazing athlete. And when I heard he got drafted, it was funny because right before he got drafted, we were talking about him. I was like, ‘it’s the guy from Georgia he’s almost got the same name as me.’ I was talking to my parents, I think somebody was like he just got drafted to the Redskins. I was like that’s crazy. I knew his phone was blowing up, so I waited until a little later to hit him up. He was just talking about he was ready to go to work.”
On a message to pass on to Gandy-Golden:
“I already met him, but a message to pass on to him. Man, I don’t know. Let’s get to work. It’s so weird with all this stuff going on, but all I can say is I’m ready to get on the field and get to work with the older guys. I know there’s going to be so much to learn from them. I feel like it’s going to be exciting with me and him. I’m pretty sure a lot of people are going to come up with a lot of nicknames and things like that for us. I’m ready. I’m ready to get to work with him.”
On his ability to break tackles:
“If you come to me with arm tackles, I’ve just got this mindset, one person is not going to take me down. I’m always fighting for extra yards. You’ll never see me run out of bounds unless it’s a game situation where I need to. But other than that, it’s just in my mind. If you come to me with a little arm tackle or you don’t really want to hit me, I’m running through it and I’m going to keep going.”
On being a small school guy and having a chip on his shoulder:
“I definitely feel like I have had somewhat of a chip on my shoulder. The small school thing comes up a lot with me for some reason even though I have produced. I just felt like I need to (inaudible) and get my name as far as that goes. But I plan on coming into the league and playing right away, at least getting into the game and showing exactly what I can do. Whether it be at receiver or anything else.”
On why he chose to go to Liberty:
“The coaches. They were just amazing. They were honest from day one, they told me exactly what they wanted to do and what they expected and I kind of like that accountability factor of it and just how they wanted me to grow in multiple ways, not just in football.”
On if he practiced getting 50/50 balls:
“Even coming out of high school that was my thing. Whenever they threw the ball up, I usually came down with it as far as the 50/50 ball aspect of it. So just transitioning into college I just got better at it. We definitely practiced it every day in practice, just those contested catches and things like that. During the game not every ball I get is going to be wide open so just for the quarterback to be confident enough to throw it to me I feel like I have to come down with it.”
On what he can do to get himself mentally and physically prepared while having to do most of it virtually:
“Yeah, so basically just talking to the coaches and staff and having them help me as much as possible until I can get there. Hopefully, I will be able to get in touch with the vets on the team and eventually have them help me out too.”
On what the coaching staff has told him about his role:
“They haven’t really said much yet. It is still kind of soon and people are still trying to figure things out. So, I assume that will come here fairly soon, but I’m not exactly sure right now.”
On if his coaches at Liberty mentioned the NFL when they recruited him:
“Initially coming in, the NFL wasn’t the main focus. Really just winning games while I was there and ultimately moving up to FBS and taking our program to the highest level that we could. I would say that the NFL thing for me kind of came more junior year. I started getting more exposure after my sophomore year and after my junior year and then it was more of a possibility. They have always helped me be the best I could be so the NFL could be in my near future, but it was never a focus until these last few years.”
On what he thinks his success will do for the rest of the program:
“I feel like it will definitely bring a lot more exposure to the program, not only for myself but we had four other guys get picked up by teams too so I feel like just me and our group as a whole kind of paved the way. We’re getting more recruits and hopefully we will win a lot more games and just bring more to Liberty as a whole.”
On what catch in college stands out the most to him:
“I would definitely say the Rutgers game this past year. That was definitely one of my favorites. I caught the one-handed ball with my left hand, which I usually don’t ever do. But the DB was just tugging and pulling on me and I feel like I should have gotten a flag beforehand. But I just feel like that shows my focus, my determination and it is my ability to be able to fight through contact to get the ball.”
On if he sees a good opportunity to contribute right away with the Redskins:
“I definitely feel like it is a good spot for me to make an impact right away and come in and play. I feel like anywhere I would have gone, I would have definitely pushed and tried to do that. So, I don’t feel like being here will really change too much, but definitely feel like I can at least with the guys that are there as long as we get things rolling. I think they can help me out and I can help them out as well.”
On his communication with RB Antonio Gibson:
“We’ve kind of communicated on those things. Right now, we’re both kind of unsure because everyone is unsure. Right now, we’re just awaiting directions as we speak. When everything gets together, I feel like me and him will talk a little bit more and things like that, but we have definitely communicated a good bit.”
On the opportunities he got from Liberty and Coach Hugh Freeze:
“He and his staff had, obviously, a tremendous impact. You can see just from my stats from the year’s past, until this year, along with playing better competition. I went from those aspects and I feel like they were just great. He was very influential to me on and off the field, kind of made sure I was always in the right place at the right time and doing the right things. Anything that he and his staff saw that I could work on, they were telling me, not in a way to demean me, but just to help me out. I really feel like, them just coming in and bringing their football IQ and their high intensity on field, really made me the guy I was this year.
On whom in the NFL he compares his game to:
“I definitely see a little bit of [Former Lions WR] Calvin [Johnson] with the physicality. I’ve tried to model my game, personally, after [Cardinals WR] Larry Fitzgerald and [Falcons WR] Julio Jones, those are my two favorite receivers. I just love their game. I’ve always tried to pick, little bits and pieces off of them, trying to add it to myself, so I would definitely say those guys, just because I’ve studied them.”
On [Liberty Wide Receivers Coach] Maurice Harris’ influence on his game this past year:
“A tremendous, tremendous amount of technique, very small things. It may seem minute, but they made a great difference on how I played and how I operate on the field, in the classroom and stuff. Just taught me how to study film, how to really break it down, and really going into the week knowing my opponent. I really attribute him to a lot of my success this year, a great deal.”
On his ability to hit the crossbar from 50 yards out on his knees:
“It’s just something I kind of picked up. We would do, on Friday’s before our walk through, we would just go around and just toss the ball before it got too serious. I just practiced that, and it was real fun. I like to impress the guys and show them what I can do. So, we just kind of made it a thing. We would have competition on Fridays, before the games.”
On where he thinks he inherits his curiosity for learning:
“I would say, just my parents and my grandparents, putting me in things like that when I was younger. Just competitive things. I feel like I’ve always liked to learn, especially about things that I felt like were interesting. And they really pushed those things on me when I was younger, just to keep me active and keep me from staying in trouble. So, I definitely contribute that to them.”
On his interaction with teammate RB Antonio Gibson and others:
“I have not talked to anyone else, yet. I’m assuming it’s coming soon; you know, a lot of people are busy nowadays. I have definitely talked to Antonio a good bit. We became pretty close at the Combine, I would say. Just from being so close with each other with everything we did. I was 17, he was 18. It was kind of necessary, just to reach out and congratulate each other after the fact. And just voice how excited we are to be on the same team together.”
On what he thinks is the most interesting part of who he is:
“I would definitely say, the puzzles. A lot of people find it frustrating; I still get frustrated too, I don’t get it right every time, it’s just something about it that I love. I feel like people can see like, dang how’d he do that. So I feel like that’s interesting. If you look at me, you wouldn’t see that I’m the type of guy to be out here doing puzzles and things like that.”
On how he prepares himself mentally with everything going on:
“Stay focused, just set up that routine that I’ll have when I get there. Make sure you have a solid routine, so when you get there, even if you do have to change it, you will be used to doing things in a routine and not have to worry about being on time, eating, things like that.”
On criticism in the media:
"I mean, I feel like everybody is entitled to their opinions, but I feel like you can watch my film and see I do get past people. Of course, no one gets past everyone all the time. Something I’ll definitely be working on. Of course, I have a great coach now, I feel like he’ll definitely do all the things he needs to do to get me prepared. Of course, myself, I’ll be out here working too, so I don’t feel like it will be a problem.”
RB Antonio Gibson
On his favorite memory playing in college:
“I would say the kickoff return against SMU. I think I was coming out from halftime; I think we were down and that kind of set the tone for the second half.”
On why that is his favorite memory playing in college:
“Just from my teammates, they got out and blocked, they fought through and gave me enough time to get through and then we all celebrated. It was a good moment.”
On what NFL players he compares himself to:
“A lot of people. I feel like I compare myself to [Ty] Montgomery from Green Bay. He was running and catching. [New Orleans Saints RB] Alvin Kamara is another guy too for running the ball and catching as well. There are a lot of guys out there. I compare myself to a lot of guys like that.”
On what he takes from those players games and applies to his own game:
“Just how they are able to adapt. I’m pretty sure it is kind of hard learning that, it’s a lot to learn as a rookie but I don’t think that stopped either one of them from doing what they needed to do. So, just taking that and being able to apply that to myself. I know that I have to get to work and I know that I have to take it serious, so just trying to show that I can come in right away and affect the game.”
On if he has reached out to any of his teammates:
“Not yet. All of that is coming into play. They sent out some gear for me to get started. Other than that, I really haven’t talked to anyone much.”
On what position he sees himself taking the most reps at:
“If you asked that, everywhere. But, to answer your question it would be running back. The way the game is going today, a lot of running backs can play receiver. I feel like that is the reason that they love me so much is just being able to do both. So, I think I will start off in the running back room and work my way into learning more positions.”
On if there is a specific formation that he sees himself fitting into the best:
“What I can do best? I feel like everything. I feel like it is a repetition thing. I’m used to the gun, that’s where I came from in Memphis and that is all I did was the gun. I got a little bit out of the I-formation in the Senior Bowl. But to answer your question, I would say the gun.”
On what the process was like for him in figuring out his position:
“I feel like it started out when I was younger. They kind of realized I was an athlete, so I was always on offense and defense, especially in rec league. Then when I got to high school, I wanted to play receiver and just out of curiosity of the coaches they ended up moving me around. I ended up playing running back, ended up playing quarterback, receiver, safety, cornerback. They were just trying to see, ‘What else can he do?’ So, I feel like it was more the curiosity of the coaches to see what more I could do. I never had a problem with it because I loved to play football, so I was always open-minded.”
On if he is ready to play both ways:
“Yes sir.”
On if he had any interaction with the Redskins at the Senior Bowl:
“It was hectic. I can’t remember if I had an interaction with them at the Senior Bowl because it was just so much at the time. But, I talked to a few people and I think that was just when people really started to get to know me because I had just popped up onto the scene and ended up going to the Senior Bowl and I played running back which I mostly played at Memphis. I probably did, but I got a lot of feedback that I was doing good in practice and just needed the repetitions from the I-formation. Other than that, I feel like I impressed a lot of people at the Senior Bowl.”
On what NFL player he compares himself to:
“Me personally, I would say [Chicago Bears WR] Cordarrelle Patterson only because he played special teams too. I remember watching a game where he did punt and kickoff return, and I was just seeing him all over the field. Then he ended up in the backfield and I was like, ‘Alright, that is me right there.’ So, I would Cordarrelle Patterson.”
On what his approach is to the game of football after starting at a community college:
“Just knowing myself. Being true to myself. Not letting any of that get to me. I knew what I was capable of from the day I stepped in the door. It was just a matter of opportunity, so I had to wait. A lot of people have to wait their turn, it happens a lot in the league. You know, a lot of good guys come in the league, and that’s just how things go. You have to wait your turn, your opportunity to show what you can do. But that’s what I had to do. I told myself, when I got my opportunity, I was going to make the best of it.”
On what his role could be right away:
“Right away, you know, I don’t know. You got a lot of good guys. That’s up to Coach [Rivera] and the work I put in also. That comes with time, so I couldn’t tell you right now. But if I could, I would want to impact right away. I feel like I’m going to get my playbook, I’m going to learn what I need to learn from the jump and I’m going to get to work.”
On what he wants people to know about him:
“I’m selfless, I’m going to always put in the work to do what I need to do. I love giving back. Just a respectful young kid that’s ready to work.”
On what he learned transferring to Memphis from East Central Community College:
“Basically, I could overcome anything I feel like. If you know about the JUCO route, it’s pretty tough. I’ve seen a lot of great athletes come and go. I mean to like, coming in, and like gone in a week. I remember one, I won’t say his name, but he came in and simply because he was like, ‘I miss my mom, I’m homesick.’ So it’s pretty tough out there, so I’ve learned from myself that I can overcome anything, just need the right mindset.”
On playing with WR Antonio Gandy-Golden:
“Like you said, we were always around each other at the Combine because our names are so similar. We got to follow each other around most of the time throughout that process. I got to know him a little bit throughout the process. Great kid, talented. I had to watch his highlights. Amazing athlete. And when I heard he got drafted, it was funny because right before he got drafted, we were talking about him. I was like, ‘it’s the guy from Georgia he’s almost got the same name as me.’ I was talking to my parents, I think somebody was like he just got drafted to the Redskins. I was like that’s crazy. I knew his phone was blowing up, so I waited until a little later to hit him up. He was just talking about he was ready to go to work.”
On a message to pass on to Gandy-Golden:
“I already met him, but a message to pass on to him. Man, I don’t know. Let’s get to work. It’s so weird with all this stuff going on, but all I can say is I’m ready to get on the field and get to work with the older guys. I know there’s going to be so much to learn from them. I feel like it’s going to be exciting with me and him. I’m pretty sure a lot of people are going to come up with a lot of nicknames and things like that for us. I’m ready. I’m ready to get to work with him.”
On his ability to break tackles:
“If you come to me with arm tackles, I’ve just got this mindset, one person is not going to take me down. I’m always fighting for extra yards. You’ll never see me run out of bounds unless it’s a game situation where I need to. But other than that, it’s just in my mind. If you come to me with a little arm tackle or you don’t really want to hit me, I’m running through it and I’m going to keep going.”
WR Antonio Gandy-Golden
On being a small school guy and having a chip on his shoulder:
“I definitely feel like I have had somewhat of a chip on my shoulder. The small school thing comes up a lot with me for some reason even though I have produced. I just felt like I need to (inaudible) and get my name as far as that goes. But I plan on coming into the league and playing right away, at least getting into the game and showing exactly what I can do. Whether it be at receiver or anything else.”
On why he chose to go to Liberty:
“The coaches. They were just amazing. They were honest from day one, they told me exactly what they wanted to do and what they expected and I kind of like that accountability factor of it and just how they wanted me to grow in multiple ways, not just in football.”
On if he practiced getting 50/50 balls:
“Even coming out of high school that was my thing. Whenever they threw the ball up, I usually came down with it as far as the 50/50 ball aspect of it. So just transitioning into college I just got better at it. We definitely practiced it every day in practice, just those contested catches and things like that. During the game not every ball I get is going to be wide open so just for the quarterback to be confident enough to throw it to me I feel like I have to come down with it.”
On what he can do to get himself mentally and physically prepared while having to do most of it virtually:
“Yeah, so basically just talking to the coaches and staff and having them help me as much as possible until I can get there. Hopefully, I will be able to get in touch with the vets on the team and eventually have them help me out too.”
On what the coaching staff has told him about his role:
“They haven’t really said much yet. It is still kind of soon and people are still trying to figure things out. So, I assume that will come here fairly soon, but I’m not exactly sure right now.”
On if his coaches at Liberty mentioned the NFL when they recruited him:
“Initially coming in, the NFL wasn’t the main focus. Really just winning games while I was there and ultimately moving up to FBS and taking our program to the highest level that we could. I would say that the NFL thing for me kind of came more junior year. I started getting more exposure after my sophomore year and after my junior year and then it was more of a possibility. They have always helped me be the best I could be so the NFL could be in my near future, but it was never a focus until these last few years.”
On what he thinks his success will do for the rest of the program:
“I feel like it will definitely bring a lot more exposure to the program, not only for myself but we had four other guys get picked up by teams too so I feel like just me and our group as a whole kind of paved the way. We’re getting more recruits and hopefully we will win a lot more games and just bring more to Liberty as a whole.”
On what catch in college stands out the most to him:
“I would definitely say the Rutgers game this past year. That was definitely one of my favorites. I caught the one-handed ball with my left hand, which I usually don’t ever do. But the DB was just tugging and pulling on me and I feel like I should have gotten a flag beforehand. But I just feel like that shows my focus, my determination and it is my ability to be able to fight through contact to get the ball.”
On if he sees a good opportunity to contribute right away with the Redskins:
“I definitely feel like it is a good spot for me to make an impact right away and come in and play. I feel like anywhere I would have gone, I would have definitely pushed and tried to do that. So, I don’t feel like being here will really change too much, but definitely feel like I can at least with the guys that are there as long as we get things rolling. I think they can help me out and I can help them out as well.”
On his communication with RB Antonio Gibson:
“We’ve kind of communicated on those things. Right now, we’re both kind of unsure because everyone is unsure. Right now, we’re just awaiting directions as we speak. When everything gets together, I feel like me and him will talk a little bit more and things like that, but we have definitely communicated a good bit.”
On the opportunities he got from Liberty and Coach Hugh Freeze:
“He and his staff had, obviously, a tremendous impact. You can see just from my stats from the year’s past, until this year, along with playing better competition. I went from those aspects and I feel like they were just great. He was very influential to me on and off the field, kind of made sure I was always in the right place at the right time and doing the right things. Anything that he and his staff saw that I could work on, they were telling me, not in a way to demean me, but just to help me out. I really feel like, them just coming in and bringing their football IQ and their high intensity on field, really made me the guy I was this year.
On whom in the NFL he compares his game to:
“I definitely see a little bit of [Former Lions WR] Calvin [Johnson] with the physicality. I’ve tried to model my game, personally, after [Cardinals WR] Larry Fitzgerald and [Falcons WR] Julio Jones, those are my two favorite receivers. I just love their game. I’ve always tried to pick, little bits and pieces off of them, trying to add it to myself, so I would definitely say those guys, just because I’ve studied them.”
On [Liberty Wide Receivers Coach] Maurice Harris’ influence on his game this past year:
“A tremendous, tremendous amount of technique, very small things. It may seem minute, but they made a great difference on how I played and how I operate on the field, in the classroom and stuff. Just taught me how to study film, how to really break it down, and really going into the week knowing my opponent. I really attribute him to a lot of my success this year, a great deal.”
On his ability to hit the crossbar from 50 yards out on his knees:
“It’s just something I kind of picked up. We would do, on Friday’s before our walk through, we would just go around and just toss the ball before it got too serious. I just practiced that, and it was real fun. I like to impress the guys and show them what I can do. So, we just kind of made it a thing. We would have competition on Fridays, before the games.”
On where he thinks he inherits his curiosity for learning:
“I would say, just my parents and my grandparents, putting me in things like that when I was younger. Just competitive things. I feel like I’ve always liked to learn, especially about things that I felt like were interesting. And they really pushed those things on me when I was younger, just to keep me active and keep me from staying in trouble. So, I definitely contribute that to them.”
On his interaction with teammate RB Antonio Gibson and others:
“I have not talked to anyone else, yet. I’m assuming it’s coming soon; you know, a lot of people are busy nowadays. I have definitely talked to Antonio a good bit. We became pretty close at the Combine, I would say. Just from being so close with each other with everything we did. I was 17, he was 18. It was kind of necessary, just to reach out and congratulate each other after the fact. And just voice how excited we are to be on the same team together.”
On what he thinks is the most interesting part of who he is:
“I would definitely say, the puzzles. A lot of people find it frustrating; I still get frustrated too, I don’t get it right every time, it’s just something about it that I love. I feel like people can see like, dang how’d he do that. So I feel like that’s interesting. If you look at me, you wouldn’t see that I’m the type of guy to be out here doing puzzles and things like that.”
On how he prepares himself mentally with everything going on:
“Stay focused, just set up that routine that I’ll have when I get there. Make sure you have a solid routine, so when you get there, even if you do have to change it, you will be used to doing things in a routine and not have to worry about being on time, eating, things like that.”
On criticism in the media:
"I mean, I feel like everybody is entitled to their opinions, but I feel like you can watch my film and see I do get past people. Of course, no one gets past everyone all the time. Something I’ll definitely be working on. Of course, I have a great coach now, I feel like he’ll definitely do all the things he needs to do to get me prepared. Of course, myself, I’ll be out here working too, so I don’t feel like it will be a problem.”