WEBVTT - Deommodore Lenoir: ‘It’s a Blessing’ | Press Pass

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<v Speaker 1>Relations.

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<v Speaker 2>Prowd said they were trying to get something done in

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<v Speaker 2>the off season. Is a good thing now because you're

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<v Speaker 2>asking price, You're asking price got higher.

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<v Speaker 1>Or uh we was all I mean, I knew this

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<v Speaker 1>where I wanted to be. So we was always in negotiations,

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<v Speaker 1>like after the Super Bowl. So I mean, I was

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<v Speaker 1>hopefully we could have got something done earlier. But I'm

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<v Speaker 1>I'm happy we got something done, you know, and I'm

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<v Speaker 1>here and I remain here for the rest of my career,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, So I wanted to I'd just like to think,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, the Yorks, this whole organization, uh Kyle John,

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<v Speaker 1>my coaches, you know, my teammates, you know, for pushing

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<v Speaker 1>me every day, you know, just being able to play

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<v Speaker 1>with you know, all these great guys.

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<v Speaker 2>You know.

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<v Speaker 1>I I had no no other option but to try

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<v Speaker 1>and be great. So I just tiped my hat off

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<v Speaker 1>to to my team. Why would you want to test

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<v Speaker 1>the restricted free agency? Why were you this? I've been

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<v Speaker 1>a West Coast guy my whole life. The camaraderie within

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<v Speaker 1>the team, you know, all the players, my brothers, my family,

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<v Speaker 1>m my family is from this side. Uh, So I

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<v Speaker 1>knew it was a place that I could see myself,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, long term.

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<v Speaker 2>A phone call that that the deal was done. But

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<v Speaker 2>do you take time to kind of reflect on your

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<v Speaker 2>journey to to get to that point and what what

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<v Speaker 2>we're kind of the emotions of of that.

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<v Speaker 1>Uh. I was, I was. I was happy, I my

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<v Speaker 1>uh when I heard my agent tell me the deal

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<v Speaker 1>was finally done. You know, I was, you know, I

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<v Speaker 1>I burst out into tears. You know it was you

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<v Speaker 1>know that I I finally you know, able to change

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<v Speaker 1>my family's life, you know, for for generations, you know.

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<v Speaker 1>So it was just a blessing you look back at

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<v Speaker 1>way like your draft day when it was oh yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>for sure. Uh. I actually was uh just telling uh

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<v Speaker 1>Tig and Malick about it this morning, you know, just

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<v Speaker 1>being you know drafted, you know in the fifth round,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, going four rounds going by and not hearing

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<v Speaker 1>your name. You know. I was just seeing Bleacher Report

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<v Speaker 1>articles and stuff, you know with my name on it

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<v Speaker 1>saying I was gonna be selected in the third round.

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<v Speaker 1>So I was. I was happy for day two. So

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<v Speaker 1>when that didn't happen, you know, day three, it started

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<v Speaker 1>to get a little scary for me. You know, I

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<v Speaker 1>thought I was gonna be able to hold my composure,

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<v Speaker 1>but no, I'll just I gave up honestly, you know.

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<v Speaker 1>And then there was a four oh eight number calling.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't know which team it was because I thought

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<v Speaker 1>the forty nine ers were in San Francisco, but I didn't.

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<v Speaker 1>So when when I answered the phone, you know, it

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<v Speaker 1>was it was John and I immediately just started screaming yes,

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<v Speaker 1>like it's finally happened. And after that it was, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>it was just all up to me, you know, to

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<v Speaker 1>just put everything into the plane.

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<v Speaker 2>Kind of was recounting the time and you've got him

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<v Speaker 2>a fine, what do you remember about that?

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<v Speaker 1>I remember it was posted by accident, So when I

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<v Speaker 1>posted it, I just seen my phone kept going off,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, and I was like, I didn't post nothing

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<v Speaker 1>on Instagram. So then when I look back, it was

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<v Speaker 1>like it was everywhere. Then I seen the Sports Center

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<v Speaker 1>and I was like, oh, this is bad. I might

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<v Speaker 1>be yeah, I was. I was like I might be cut,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, So I was nervous. I remember, h coach,

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<v Speaker 1>see you, Corey Underling. I remember him calling me and

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<v Speaker 1>he was like, why did you post that? And I

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<v Speaker 1>was like I didn't try to and he was like,

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<v Speaker 1>oh man, and then five minutes later he called me back.

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<v Speaker 1>He was like, you're good, You're good. It was a

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<v Speaker 1>good post. But yeah, now I can finally pay Kyle back,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, for Carter's tuition. Kyle mentioned that your rookie year,

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<v Speaker 1>your confidence was a little bit down, and now that

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<v Speaker 1>you're one of the more confident people, the most confident

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<v Speaker 1>person on the team.

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<v Speaker 2>When did that really change for you?

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<v Speaker 1>That really took place when I had my son at

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<v Speaker 1>that time, the season had just ended, he was about

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<v Speaker 1>six months. I had moved to Arizona, and I felt

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<v Speaker 1>like that was like my my growth, my growth stage.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I stayed. I stayed in that whole off season.

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<v Speaker 1>I stayed, just stayed my head down, working really just

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<v Speaker 1>putting myself in situations, watching film, like you know, with

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<v Speaker 1>with our defense, making different calls and checks and seeing

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<v Speaker 1>you know, like how teams attacked certain coverages and stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>And I felt like that that what elevated my game.

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<v Speaker 2>Congrats some of the new deal. There's nobody does it alone.

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<v Speaker 2>Who were there some guys along the way. I know

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<v Speaker 2>you worked at the mom bansitute. Who are some guys

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<v Speaker 2>that kind of helped you get to this point?

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<v Speaker 1>I would say, my family, family and friends, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>just pushing me to be great. You know, always I was.

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<v Speaker 1>It was kind of like never like the people I

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<v Speaker 1>had around me, they were never like I would say,

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<v Speaker 1>haters or were like they always told me that you know,

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<v Speaker 1>they look for for them for me to be great,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, to push me to get to new heights.

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<v Speaker 1>And they always was telling me like, oh you can't,

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<v Speaker 1>you can't do this, like just as a way of

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<v Speaker 1>a challenge, because I'm the person like I like to

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<v Speaker 1>be challenged. I'm like a competitive, competitive person. So when

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<v Speaker 1>they would tell me stuff like that, I would like

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<v Speaker 1>to try to prove them wrong. So I would say

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<v Speaker 1>them they actually, you know, moted me to the player

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<v Speaker 1>I am right now.

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<v Speaker 2>At the time that you were drafted, we learned that

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<v Speaker 2>you had a connection with Richard Sherman, both being from

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<v Speaker 2>LA How big of an influence has he been? And

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<v Speaker 2>it just realized also when you were talking about the

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<v Speaker 2>fifth round, he also dropped, yeah, ground, is that something

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<v Speaker 2>that that you talked to Richard about? Oh?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, for sure. You know, he paved the way you

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<v Speaker 1>know for guys like me in my in my area.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, he was like one of the first to

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<v Speaker 1>do it. So to see him get a big contract,

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<v Speaker 1>it was like motivation to me to let me know

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<v Speaker 1>that I can that I can do the same. And

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I appreciate him also, you know, for just

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<v Speaker 1>being that big brother and you know, uh calling me,

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<v Speaker 1>you know when times weren't good and uh and just

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<v Speaker 1>getting me through it and just telling me to be

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<v Speaker 1>that dog. You said you'd be.

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<v Speaker 2>Wornting a rush to get a deal done. You were

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<v Speaker 2>more focused on kind of solidifying yourself as a top

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<v Speaker 2>corner in this league. Do you feel like this deal

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<v Speaker 2>solidifies that that everybody else now agrees with yourself?

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<v Speaker 1>Oh? Yeah, for sure. I wanted to, you know, prove

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<v Speaker 1>to you guys. You know, I was always the person

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I would be confident and then speaking speaking

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<v Speaker 1>aloud and saying stuff like I'm the best. But I

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to prove to you guys first, you know, and

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<v Speaker 1>prove to the world you know who I am. You

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<v Speaker 1>can deal puts a target on your back or do

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<v Speaker 1>you feel like it's already be Oh yeah, I mean

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<v Speaker 1>I'm I'm happy if it did put a target on

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<v Speaker 1>my back, because you know, I'm ready for anything.

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<v Speaker 2>On you. If you talked to him at all.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh yeah, I talked to Mooney. You know, he was

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<v Speaker 1>I talked to him last night. It was he was

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<v Speaker 1>excited for me, you know. I I was just telling him,

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<v Speaker 1>can't wait to have him back, you know, so we

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<v Speaker 1>can get this thing on the road and uh get

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<v Speaker 1>a bowl. You know. But he was in good spirits

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<v Speaker 1>and uh, you know he was happy for me. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>we we talked about this all the time. He used

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<v Speaker 1>to always tell me, I can't wait. I can't wait

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<v Speaker 1>till you get paid, you know, change your life. Thank

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<v Speaker 1>you