Speaker 1: That they had your back and he'll help honest to
Speaker 1: do that. Yeah, it's huge, you know, having the support
Speaker 1: from your teammates, from your coaches. Um, you know, going
Speaker 1: out there in practice every day and seeing those old
Speaker 1: linemen just working with me and just you know, the communication.
Speaker 1: Everything's been great, you know. So having that support, having
Speaker 1: this team behind me, um, really elevates my confidence and
Speaker 1: that'll help me play better on Sunday, of course, And
Speaker 1: this has been a dream if you were since you
Speaker 1: were a little kid. I know you're trying to keep
Speaker 1: it in perspective and just say it's just football and
Speaker 1: stay calm, But a part of you when you run
Speaker 1: out of that field on Sunday for the first time
Speaker 1: and suit up and start, what do you think your
Speaker 1: emotions are gonna be? Like, Well, I thought done, I'm
Speaker 1: gonna be excited, you know I'm gonna be I'm I'm
Speaker 1: already excited. I'm trying to just control a little bit
Speaker 1: and just really focus in all week. Um, I'll be
Speaker 1: really excited. But like I said, once that kickoff happens,
Speaker 1: once we're playing ball, it's just football again. And Um,
Speaker 1: at the end of the day, I'll look back and
Speaker 1: realize it's just how special of a moment that really
Speaker 1: was for me. Um. But yes, I'm very excited for it.
Speaker 1: But you know, it'll be football once we get going.
Speaker 1: Have you followed r G three's career and on? If so,
Speaker 1: have you learned anything from his career? Um? You know,
Speaker 1: I followed him a little bit, just like all the
Speaker 1: other quarterbacks. Um, but I'm not sure what to take
Speaker 1: about about that. Um So yeah, I don't know, being
Speaker 1: a small school guy coming in starting for the Eavens.
Speaker 1: I'm playing in the NFL because like we've had, you know,
Speaker 1: Doug Ways went to Grambling, Steve McNair, with the Alcorn
Speaker 1: of course, Joe Flacco and people like that. But you're
Speaker 1: in a unique position. Man, How do you feel about that? Yeah,
Speaker 1: you know, I feel good. You know, I think everyone
Speaker 1: has their own story, everyone has their own background, and um,
Speaker 1: come from a smaller school, it just you you kind
Speaker 1: of have a chip on your shoulder a little bit,
Speaker 1: so to speak. But um, you know, I felt very
Speaker 1: confident with it, and it shows that it doesn't matter
Speaker 1: where you come from. If you can play, you can play.
Speaker 1: So so I'm really excited for it. And Cleveland had
Speaker 1: the chance that to the draft you what was your
Speaker 1: pre draft experience with them, like and how close did
Speaker 1: you think it was going to come to them? Yeah?
Speaker 1: You know, the pre draft experience was kind of a
Speaker 1: roll in with with literally everybody. But um, you know, really,
Speaker 1: right now, my focus is on playing them now. Um,
Speaker 1: you know, I don't really want to address address the
Speaker 1: past and everything. I'm really ecstatic. I'm here and I'm
Speaker 1: ready to go. Time did you get here this morning?
Speaker 1: I was here about five to fifteen along those lines.
Speaker 1: How much extra have you been doing this week in
Speaker 1: preparation now that you only have a week to get ready? Yeah,
Speaker 1: you know, I mean extra preparation. It's pretty normal. You know,
Speaker 1: it's pretty normal. I mean I've been preparing, you know,
Speaker 1: even though I haven't been playing, been preparing as if
Speaker 1: I were, you know, all the way through. Obviously it
Speaker 1: was preseason, so the preparation amps up a little bit.
Speaker 1: You have a little more time, a little more film
Speaker 1: on your opponent and everything. But um, to me, this
Speaker 1: is just the beginning of the new normal. So someone
Speaker 1: about trying to build chemistry with that first team offense
Speaker 1: that you didn't have too many reps with in the preseason.
Speaker 1: To get that connection down with these guys in a week. Yeah,
Speaker 1: you know, it's big. You know, every rep is is huge.
Speaker 1: Every rep is important if someone doesn't go right, you know,
Speaker 1: I'm grabbing the guys after practice, getting them after practice
Speaker 1: or during special teams drills or whatever, and really just
Speaker 1: repping it, um because the confidence that we both need
Speaker 1: to have in each other is huge. So um, like
Speaker 1: I said, every rep is huge, and you know, I'm
Speaker 1: very confident that will will make the plays on Sundays,
Speaker 1: Describe your u interaction with Doug since you got here,
Speaker 1: since you were drafted, and as it intensified since learning
Speaker 1: that you would be the guy. Yeah, you know, interacting
Speaker 1: with Coach Peterson has been awesome from from day one.
Speaker 1: He's been nothing but very helpful. Um, you know, very
Speaker 1: you know, he really just instills confidence in me. Just
Speaker 1: knowing that, Um, you know, he just has so much experience,
Speaker 1: you know, and the things that he sells me I
Speaker 1: can really take and trust from him and really coach
Speaker 1: right coach flip Um. Everything's been so positive with them,
Speaker 1: and you know, this week it doesn't feel anything crazier.
Speaker 1: You know, obviously we've had a little more communication but um,
Speaker 1: the communication, the lines of communication and really solid ever
Speaker 1: since I got here. But they've been tough on you
Speaker 1: in some ways too. I mean it's football. You know
Speaker 1: they're pushing me, you know, but but tough is probably
Speaker 1: not the right word, but just challenging me to be
Speaker 1: the best I can be and really pushing me. It's
Speaker 1: it's all been really positive though. Person, to win right away,
Speaker 1: you're used to winning, You won in college, but to
Speaker 1: come in here in the NFL, it's a whole different
Speaker 1: ball game. Despite limited experience in the preseason being hurt,
Speaker 1: do you think it'll be difficult to win right away?
Speaker 1: But you know, the goal is to win, you know,
Speaker 1: ultimately the goal is to win. So um, I'm not
Speaker 1: really concerned about each week or the final picture right now.
Speaker 1: It's just to win each week. So, UM, I don't
Speaker 1: see why we can't go out there and win every Sunday.
Speaker 1: We're going to go out there and compete. But you know,
Speaker 1: I don't have any you know, I've missed a couple
Speaker 1: of games. You know, we don't have any concerns about that.
Speaker 1: It's just here going forward, and um, we're gonna put
Speaker 1: our best foot forward. Person is the fact that the
Speaker 1: Browns that they didn't have you evaluate as a top
Speaker 1: twenty quarterback in this league. At any extra motivation this Sunday, Well,
Speaker 1: you know that that's for one in the past, and
Speaker 1: you know, I'm very motivated individual the way it is,
Speaker 1: so I don't really have the need for for extra
Speaker 1: motivation going into this one person. You get here to
Speaker 1: find fifteen what exactly what you're doing? You're just breaking
Speaker 1: out the film? Yeah, a lot of films study. You know,
Speaker 1: Chase got in here about the same time and we've
Speaker 1: been watching a lot of tape together and um, you
Speaker 1: know that's really studying the game plan and watching a
Speaker 1: lot of tape. Is it's really what you do? You
Speaker 1: have that open practice at the link. You said you
Speaker 1: were surprised you didn't expect that amount of people for
Speaker 1: the open practice And what is it going to be like?
Speaker 1: Do you think you're you're a start here on Sunday
Speaker 1: at the Link? Yeah, I'm really excited for that. You know,
Speaker 1: I'm excited to play my first NFL game. But to
Speaker 1: get in front of these fans, um that are so
Speaker 1: hungry for for some wins and some things. That's um,
Speaker 1: seeing these fans in the passion they have. I'm excited.
Speaker 1: It's hector to get out there in front of them,
Speaker 1: and I know they'll they'll bring the juice. I know
Speaker 1: that you say you don't act like a rookie, and
Speaker 1: they they's hit in a positive way. What do you
Speaker 1: think do you mean by that? Um? I guess I'm
Speaker 1: not really sure. We might have to ask them, but
Speaker 1: I think it's just the way I carry myself. But again,
Speaker 1: I might have to ask what those guys mean by that.
Speaker 1: There was a point in town where they the coach instead,
Speaker 1: they tweaked some of your mechanic as far as catching
Speaker 1: the throw on your footwork. You're gonna be in live
Speaker 1: game action. You have to go through your progressions, make
Speaker 1: your reads. You have to do that quickly. What do
Speaker 1: you think is the key to being able to do
Speaker 1: that when you go out here on Sunday? I mean,
Speaker 1: the key is just to trust what you've done, you
Speaker 1: know up to this point, Like I said, a lot
Speaker 1: of the reps um that we've already had, going back
Speaker 1: even to offseason. Um, you know all the reps we've had,
Speaker 1: and just really trusting you know, a game plan hasn't changed,
Speaker 1: nothing's really changes it's still just football. So you just
Speaker 1: got to trust, trust what you've been doing, and I
Speaker 1: think good things will happen. We have a lot of
Speaker 1: family everybody coming to parents. Yeah, there'll be There'll be
Speaker 1: a lot of family support here for me, that's for sure. Um,
Speaker 1: So I'm looking forward to that and looking forward to
Speaker 1: them getting able to share the experience with me as well.
Speaker 1: I want the regard this morning, you said that the
Speaker 1: stage won't be too big for you. What gives you
Speaker 1: the confidence in that? Um? You know, that's that's a
Speaker 1: good question. It's just kind of an inherent, inherent characteristic
Speaker 1: and part of my personality. I don't, you know, really
Speaker 1: make things bigger than they need to be. You know,
Speaker 1: I still view it as a football game. Don't get
Speaker 1: me wrong. It's a it's a big deal, big moment
Speaker 1: for me, and I'm excited for it. But you know,
Speaker 1: I'm not trying to make it bigger than it needs
Speaker 1: to be. It's it's still just game of football. And um,
Speaker 1: it's just an inherent confidence that I have about my
Speaker 1: game and about myself. Did you go with you allow
Speaker 1: yourself to enjoy it? Like absolutely this week this moment? Absolutely, No,
Speaker 1: I you know, football is a game that's that's fun
Speaker 1: and I got to keep it that way. And really
Speaker 1: I always have, you know, going back to college. Every
Speaker 1: every opportunity we had, even a practice, I enjoyed it
Speaker 1: and going into games or something, you know, you never
Speaker 1: know when it could be your last. So it's something
Speaker 1: I definitely don't take for granted, and I go out
Speaker 1: there and enjoy it and have fun with it. Working
Speaker 1: with the starters this week, you know, for the first time,
Speaker 1: what do you think from what you've seen that you
Speaker 1: need to work on and say, you know what this
Speaker 1: is going to separate me, whether it's in week one
Speaker 1: or down the line. Um, you know, that's a good question.
Speaker 1: I think just getting the reps with these ones. You know,
Speaker 1: we're really not focusing on down the line right now.
Speaker 1: It's just getting getting these reps and getting honed in
Speaker 1: on Cleveland what they're doing. And a lot of it
Speaker 1: comes in the film room as well, you know, getting
Speaker 1: on the same page as these receivers, as the old lineman,
Speaker 1: getting on the same page with Kelsey making the calls.
Speaker 1: So I think it's really just focusing in on a
Speaker 1: lot of the communication and execution of Carson you talked
Speaker 1: about leadership before and said you have to kind of
Speaker 1: be yourself. But now that you're the starter of this team,
Speaker 1: do you have to kind of start off slower and
Speaker 1: ease your way into that leadership role and you take
Speaker 1: it from the beginning. Um, you know, I don't really
Speaker 1: change who I am. I never really have. Um, you know,
Speaker 1: it's just kind of my personality and that comes out. Um,
Speaker 1: obviously being the starter, your influence in that area comes
Speaker 1: out a little more. But again, I'm not changing who
Speaker 1: I am. I'm not trying to put something else out
Speaker 1: there that that's really not me. So Um, again, that's
Speaker 1: just kind of natural thing that comes out Brown's defense
Speaker 1: in the film Studdy. Yeah, they do a little bit
Speaker 1: a little bit of everything. Um. Coach Horton does, likes
Speaker 1: to likes to mix it up, and UM, you know,
Speaker 1: it'll be interesting to see what they want to do,
Speaker 1: what their game plan is for me. Um, so we'll
Speaker 1: kind of see what happened in this week kind of
Speaker 1: a crash course. And are you going over back and
Speaker 1: forth with Doug about things that you're really really comfortable
Speaker 1: with things maybe not so comfortable within the playbook at
Speaker 1: this point. Yeah, we've had. We've had a couple of
Speaker 1: little exchanges like that with with Coach Peterson, with coach Ry,
Speaker 1: coach Flip, Um, we've kind of all relayed some some
Speaker 1: messages to each other. Um, nothing real in depth, but
Speaker 1: you know, as the game plan continues to get installed,
Speaker 1: but will definitely probably have more of those conversations to
Speaker 1: indicate that they're there are no limitations as far as
Speaker 1: the game play in the playbook going. Do you agree
Speaker 1: with that? I mean you feel it's the case. Yeah, Yeah,
Speaker 1: I definitely believe that the playbook is it was wide open.
Speaker 1: We have everything at our disposal, and you know, I
Speaker 1: feel very confident with with everything. The other day, we
Speaker 1: Chase was disappointed. He wouldn't be human if he wasn't.
Speaker 1: He's also the ultimate team player and what's the best
Speaker 1: for the team. How's he been with you this week?
Speaker 1: Chase has been great. You know, ever since I got here,
Speaker 1: Chase has been awesome. Um, and now this week has
Speaker 1: been even even better, you know, watching film and UM,
Speaker 1: he's he's another set of eyes for me when when
Speaker 1: I'm out there taking the reps and m helping after
Speaker 1: practice and everything. He's been nothing but but really helpful
Speaker 1: for me. So so that's been good as a good
Speaker 1: first game for you. Um, you know, obviously we want
Speaker 1: to win. You know, the goal is to win, and
Speaker 1: I just want to you know, play with him myself
Speaker 1: and just execute this offense. You know, I don't need
Speaker 1: to do anything crazy. I just need to go out
Speaker 1: there and execute and um, manage this offense and do
Speaker 1: it well. So the goal is to win. Will you
Speaker 1: do anything? What will you do? I guess Saturday night
Speaker 1: leading up to the Sunday for the game, will just
Speaker 1: be your head in the book? Do you do you
Speaker 1: have like a some sort of ritual before a game?
Speaker 1: What would you do before? Um, you know, nothing. I
Speaker 1: don't think it'll change much of anything. It's really just
Speaker 1: hang out, you study your playbook, you hang out with
Speaker 1: the guys, um at the hotel and everything. So it's
Speaker 1: it's really I don't even anticipate anything crazy changing. Um.
Speaker 1: So yeah, thanks, thanks everybody,