1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,720 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you a little bit about your 2 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: background at doing a little bit of research on to you. 3 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: And so obviously you were very accomplished in your home 4 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: state of Kentucky before obviously having a good career in Alabama. 5 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: When when for you to become evident that the NFL 6 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: would be a possibility? Um? Honestly, and I say this modestly, 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 1: but my first carry, um in high school when I 8 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: was a freshman, it was like a sixty yard touchdown 9 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: or something like that, and so I was like, Okay, 10 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 1: well maybe I got a shot at this. You know, 11 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: going into it, it it was it was obviously always a dream. 12 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: But that first time I touched the ball in high 13 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: school and I took it for like sixty and a 14 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: touchdown and like a scrimmage, I was like, Okay, maybe 15 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: I got a chance. And that's when I really started 16 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: to focus on making this a goal more so than 17 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: a dream, and one last one for me. Obviously, you played, 18 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 1: you know, with a lot of good running backs at Alabama. 19 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: How much did that situation just helped prepare you for 20 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: the NFL with the Patriots or obviously you know you 21 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: guys played with you have good depth as well. As 22 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: a running back. I think it was very important, UM, 23 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: just having that understanding that, um, you know, you're not 24 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: always just gonna be a one man show. UM, I 25 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: know that there's there's some guys out there that you 26 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: know they're the future back and then that's just kind 27 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,559 Speaker 1: of it. You know, that's your first, your second, third 28 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 1: down back, you know, every every situation, and I think 29 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: being in that situation kind of helped me prepare for 30 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: coming to a team where we had, you know, a 31 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: lot of great guys in one room. And so yeah, 32 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: I was thankful for that in college because I had 33 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: an opportunity to learn from a lot of guys and 34 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: see guys out there, UM that knew how to do 35 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: things better than I did. And so then whenever I 36 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: came to the league, I think that kind of helped 37 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: my transition. Awesome, Thank you. Next question Chris Ryan, followed 38 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: by dun Kine, Hey, Damien Hopeball as well with you. UM. 39 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: Wanted to ask you a little bit about what the 40 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: last couple weeks have been like for you where defense 41 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: is a bit more keyed on on the run, particularly 42 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: last week against the Cardinals, and what's that experience been 43 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: like after you've had such success the previous weeks. Um, 44 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: it's part of the game. You know, teams make adjustments 45 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: and teams do things to stop what we do well, 46 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: just like we do for other teams. So you know, 47 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: it's just kind of is what it is. You know, 48 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: we still go out there and we try to put 49 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: together the best game plan to give us success, no 50 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: matter you know what the defense is, how they're playing us, 51 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: and you know, sometimes the games have to go a 52 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: different way. You know, Sometimes you gotta go out there 53 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: and run the ball. Sometimes you gotta go out there 54 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: and throw the ball. Sometimes you gotta go out there 55 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: and do boths. So whatever opportunity we get, we want 56 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: to make the most of it. And you know, we 57 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 1: know that we're playing good defenses weekend and week out. 58 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: You know, great players and great coaching, so it's no 59 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 1: surprise whenever a team goes in and tries to stop 60 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: something that we do well. And we just got to 61 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: step up in other areas and continue to try to 62 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: play complimentary football, from offensive defense to special teams. You know, 63 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: run to pass however you want to, however you want 64 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: to dice it up. So you know, we just gotta 65 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: keep going out there and keep executing whatever's called executing 66 00:02:58,320 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: the game plan that's put in front of us and 67 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: try to go out there and have success on offense. 68 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: Do you see anything personally that you can do? You 69 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 1: know differently in watching the tape because it looks like, 70 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 1: you know, there's not much that you can do in 71 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: order to try to get extra yards in that you 72 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: don't have a lot of options out there in order 73 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: in order to do so. Is there anything that you 74 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: look at and say, I can do more and I 75 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: need to adjust to what defenses are doing well? Every week? Um, 76 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 1: my job is to get better and that's my that's 77 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: my focus every single week, regardless of what the previous 78 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: game was. I know that there's always an opportunity for 79 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: me to get better, to learn and to go out 80 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: there next week and try to play better. So, like 81 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: I said, regardless of how the game goes, UM, you know, 82 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: it's one game at a time, and you know, I 83 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: just want to go out there and do my job 84 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: and do it better the week, do it better week 85 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: after week and continue to improve and you know, just 86 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: continue to try to do my job to help this 87 00:03:50,400 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: offense be successful. Thanks Damon don Okay. I think Doug 88 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: might have dropped off. Um. Last question. We'll try to 89 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: go to eleven read one more time. We can't really 90 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: hear you eleven sorry, UM. Last question, Max Rulo, Hey Damien, 91 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 1: how's it going good? How you doing? I'm doing good. 92 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: I just wanted to come two quick questions for me. 93 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: One just wanted to ask about James White. Um, you 94 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,479 Speaker 1: guys have followed kind of similar trajectories where you know, 95 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: he also didn't play very much as a rookie and 96 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: then kind of came on, you know, in his year, 97 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: and I just wanted to get a sense of what 98 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: you've learned from him as you've you know, grown as 99 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: a player over the last couple of years. Yeah. Um, 100 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: I mean I can't even really put in a word, UM, 101 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: how much you can learn from a guy like James White. 102 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: First of all, just being a professional, Um, the way 103 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:00,840 Speaker 1: that he takes care of it business, the way that 104 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: he comes to work every single day with the mentality 105 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: of being a leader and being a guy, a go 106 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 1: to guy that we can depend on and you know, 107 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: he never lets us down. And I think that's all 108 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: just a testament to his UM. The way that he leads, 109 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: the way that he approaches the game and just the 110 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: way that just the type of person that he is. Um, 111 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: you know, he shows up to work every single day 112 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 1: and does his job, does it well, rarely ever makes 113 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: any mistakes, and he's just a guy that you can 114 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: look to and be like, that's what you know this 115 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: team is supposed to be about. You know, his toughness, 116 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: you know his mental the way that he approaches the 117 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,239 Speaker 1: game mentally, physically, the way he takes care of himself, 118 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 1: keeps himself available and then goes out there and does 119 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: his job. So just just for short, I mean he 120 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: I think that having a guy like him to look 121 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: up to has been very helpful in my development as 122 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: a player. And you know, I just I really look 123 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: up to him a lot, and he knows that I 124 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: tell him every day every chance I get. But you know, 125 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: James White is definitely a guy that you can say, yeah, 126 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: like I want to be like James White when I 127 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: grow up. Thank you, Thanks Damien, Thanks everyone,