What does it mean for you to have signed a big contract deal after having spent a lot of time on practice squads?
"Signing the deal was a goal of mine, so that was good. Being undrafted and in my career bouncing off and on practice squads. It's a little bit of a blessing but you can't get comfortable in this league. The first thing was to just keep working because I know a lot is going to be accounted on me this year, with it being a weird year. I'm just controlling what I can control. I'm going to keep being the same person I've always been."
What advice have you been able to give DT Ross Blacklock and what has been your impression of him so far?
"The rookie has done good, man. He plays hard. He's very coachable. He listens. He asks. He goes to work every day. That's all you can really ask out of a rookie. Just seeing from him, you just see a guy who just actually loves ball. You can just tell the way his mannerisms are and the way he is on the field, he actually wants to be here and get better. That's all you want to see out of a rookie. It can get kind of crazy sometimes in your first year, especially this year, but he's working hard."
With D.J. Reader now gone, what do you think you all will need to do to fill that void?
"It's a culture that was set by everybody. The next man up, next guy up. The void will be filled. There's no void. We're just going to keep playing and keep pushing. We have goals of ours in our room that we're striving to hit and we're just going to keep getting better every day."
How would you describe your style and your work ethic?
"I just come in and do my job. I know my job doesn't get a lot of credit through the media, but I really was never looking for that. I was always just looking for a team win. Really just buying into my job and how can I help get better and help my team get better. That's the only thing I've ever wanted to do and hopefully I've tried to get that job done. For me, it's always just getting better, making some plays when the plays present themselves and helping my team win."
Is anything going to change with Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Line Coach Anthony Weaver now calling plays?
"No, nothing changes. Coach Weav has high expectations each year and we always hit those goals. Nothing changes just because he's the DC. He still has control over the defensive line. He has more control over the defense but nothing changes. He expects great things from us and we just have to deliver."
Do you keep a chip on your shoulder, being undrafted, and do you pull for the other undrafted guys during training camp?
"Oh, for sure. It's a special relationship and a little pool that guys come from, being undrafted. That chip on my shoulder, yes, drives a lot of my career. That's the engine behind me and I always take that every rep, every practice, every day with me. I also got a soft spot for guys who were undrafted because I know how hard it is. With this year being unprecedented, you don't really know what's going on so it's a tough year for all rookies, especially undrafteds. I'm giving them as much advice as I can. A lot of guys know who I am and I just tell them the truth."
Given the times, will this be the first time you have played without fans in the stands and how will that affect your game?
"It shouldn't. The fans, we love the fans. The atmosphere is something we're going to have to get used to. When they put the ball down, we all have to be ready. Let's just keep it real. We have to be ready to play football. I know it's a crazy situation and it's a crazy time going on in the world. As a football player, you just have to block out the noise and the small things and figure out a way to get better because on September 10th, when we play, we've got to be ready to go."
