well congratulations on winning the Maurice bass award what what's your reaction uh I mean I'm always grateful for any type of Accolade or achievement so I mean when I saw it I was kind of surprised by it uh based on you know what I was doing this preseeding this camp but you know I'm I'm really looking forward to this upcoming season what was it like the moment you you found out you were actually making the what was what was that conversation like that moment for you um I mean I was I I'm I mean I was just surprised that you know that I made it um all my hard workers you know slowly starting to pay off for me so you know uh I appreciate ab and coach fanty for giving me an opportunity so I'm going just make the most of my opportunity this year you were surprised you made the team yeah like not not saying like I didn't think I was going to make it but you know it was always good to have that uh being confirmed that they're actually on the team so yeah and it really seems like you and Dorian developed a really nice chemistry Ander out there this summer can you just talk about how that help a little bit yeah so when I first got here probably like my first two days you know Dorian kind of you know showed me the ropes and so I feel like that kind of helped us on the field as well U i' I've actually had opportunity to hang with him a couple times you just getting know him as a person and so I think he does a good job you know on the field or when you know when he has a drive or a series of he does a good job of leading the offense did you feel like there was any kind of turning point in Camp for you where you're kind of everything clicked and you really turned it on after something um yes and no I probably say yes because you know as a rookie you know you still adjusting to you know waking up uh how they do things in the NFL so I think once I you know I start to get settled and start to get a little bit comfortable you know I start I feel like start things start clicking for me was was a moment I think you were going against one r one over Elijah Mo came over he was giving you some feedback I was wonder if you remember that and just over got yeah so they doing a good job of you know just letting me know where I'm where I may mess up at or you know things I can't approve on uh like like you said for green bar that example go to show you know Eli putting his shoulder around me letting me know like hey you know when you do this certain route you know you got to end up over here and that's you know that's where the quarterback threw me but I I kind of went too vertical so uh Eli Jew and C you know they doing a good job you know leading the way for me and just taking me up under the wingar you're going to get some of the best corters in the league been practice every day what conf does that give you going your personal season uh it I mean I feel like it does me a you know a great service of you know going against Ward and Emerson and and Greg so just going against them going against them a to make me better so I feel like you know taking the time out to understand their game and taking what I learned from their game and going against the next corner see what they do that this corner doesn't does so I feel like it'll always uh you know embrace me as a player did you have a moment kind of maybe OTAs early in the offseason where you're like wow this is different than College yeah most definitely cuz the uh the speed of the game is a little bit different well a the speed is a lot different then you know you got to be on your p and q's cuz if I'm not on my p's and q's then this other guy right here can't do his job so it's always you always got to be on your p's and q's how nice was it to see denz W back out there in practice today after he had been out since August 12th I mean it's always good to get one of our star defensive players back um and it not not only does the offense good it does the defense good know that one of their leaders are back how much has he helped you this just become a better receiver yeah I mean when I first got here you know he always was sitting me down like I remember like one of my first practices here I talked to him and gr and was like Hey like you know why you guys didn't go for this or why what can I do better on this and you know they always do a good job you know tell me what I can do better as a a rookie good thank y'all thank y'all thanks congrats how's it feel being back out here few practic oh man it feels amazing you know be back on the field with the guys uh you know power rushing like I like to do and um yeah it just feels amazing the energy you know it's always a weird couple days when you know cuts and stuff happen you know and uh yeah it feels good to be back home on the field the middle reps as you were you know you were out you know kind of talk about those and which how you were able to kind of stay up especially as a veteran you know kind of stay on top of things even though you weren't out there practicing oh yeah you know the mental reps is uh sometimes better than the actual rep because you could get those almost an endless amount of them because we run so many plays out here at practice and uh like being a vet you know you have to take advantage of those things because the older you get I guess you you know you limit reps on certain people and stuff so you have to be focused on those mental reps did you know when you left here after mini camp that you would have to have the scope not at all so what did it bother you when you get back or just the physical said hey maybe we should do this um more I would say bother me when I got back but uh yeah you know just it's in the past now we back out here on the field that's all that matters I feel like I mean you're a guy that hasn't missed many games in your career so was that tough and how I mean I know it's unusual so how difficult was it the whole process and having a hands of surgery uh it's it's always tough uh you know me being an Alabama guy you know you always want to get it out the mud and grind every single day and earn every uh rep you get during the season in training camp and on the field and pretty much uh prove your worth every day you're out here and uh it was all it was definitely tough uh not being out there but uh it it makes it mean that much more being out there now what do you expect yourself the second season in this defense uh you know always Improvement everybody expects that uh but uh you know just have a more of an understanding of the defense go out there have more fun and uh try to improve on what we did last year just add on to it and just keep going The Middle's it been like to that how aggressive he is out there oh yeah Q is a great guy man you know he's played in the defense before and uh the scheme before and everything and he he has a lot to our def our front and um in the past and um The Run game and uh just having another vet in there you could pick up some more more moves and tips from him and uh get my technique that much better you know feeding off of him and everything and uh yeah it's great having Q in the room a great guy asked you don't have to answer it again but how nice was it for you to see Denzel back out there today and you know what does he mean to this defense you know the Wardens a guy you know Denzel it means a lot to see him back out here healthy and everything running around and yeah it's just you happy to see your guys get back on the field your brothers you play with and everything you know all of us are happy to be back out here worried about and conversations amongst players changed in your years in the league and talking about concussions and guys just taking better care of themselves uh most definitely you know it's a whole different uh awareness in that field in this day and age and you know we have different helmets we they upgrade to every single year we get head scans we do all the the things necessary for that and uh you know we're playing a very violent physical game and we do the best of our ability to protect ourselves from that did you worry about him when you heard that it was concussion that that it's it's hard to worry about somebody you know who works so hard and you know I knew he was going to you know take it one day at a time and come back when he was right and um yeah you know when you you know somebody on that level and then you know how hard he works and what the work he p 10 every day it's hard to hold somebody back like that have you ever had a concussion no no thank God I have I ain't a knock on wood but I haven't had a concussion tell me is it two weeks of practice enough to be ready for week one for you uh I feel like you know long as you you know you're in shape you techniques and everything's right you know take it day by day and uh you know take it day by day but you know take care of all the small steps along the way and then you know be good Greg yesterday talked about like the way last year ended something that really motivated him while he was rehabing and he thinks it kind of motivated the whole defense just watching practice do you feel that to oh yeah most definitely just because uh uh you feel like as a as a defensive player last year we we had a great defense had a great season but we didn't finish the way we wanted we didn't play the last game we played out here together we didn't play the way we wanted to and uh as a defense you know you can't live off of last year because you have to come out here every single day and prove it again next year it's a new year so last year doesn't count and now that was great motivation for us on defense I feel like because uh we're all hungry we're more hungry than we were last year what is your theory on why the defense played so much better at home than on the road last year um I honestly don't know uh you know just you know we got some some of the great greatest fans in the NFL so at home it's just I don't know it's just it's a great atmosphere it's uh it's different to play play at home out here just that the atmosphere is is unmatched Russell Wilson was made the Ste starting quarterback today so I'm just wondering you know when you just look even at the AFC can you just comment on just what the quarterback lineup for you guys is in the AFC North uh you know got great quarterbacks in the AFC but and also you know I haven't even been looking at that focus on practice and you know we got Dallas we getting ready for Dallas uh actually doing Cleveland first this week and then Dallas next week so haven't even looked that far ahead what do what does that mean like doing Cleveland first and Dallas because uh you know the biggest it's like something I feel like we picked up I picked up from Alabama you know some like this week you know consider it almost like extra practices that you want to tweak the fun things you need to tweak with uh personal growth on the field are there differences um just in terms with Jo as your defensive coach are you guys not playing as wide are you I mean are you doing anything different philos and the uh I feel like uh we go deep on a much deeper level this year just because most of all of us most of us are returning this year and Schwarz going into his goodie bag and bringing stuff out for us and everything so it's just uh you know jock is a great coach you know he played in the league and everything so he's he bring another Dynamic to us coaching us up front good all right appreciate it