WEBVTT - Christian Wilkins 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:06.280 Factors, throw offers, factor drawing, high Parkard touchdown. What a 0:00:06.519 --> 0:00:12.240 win for this Miami Dolphin team. Wow? What is up? Dolphins? 0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:15.880 And welcome to the Drivetime Podcast, part of the Miami 0:00:16.000 --> 0:00:20.760 Dolphins official podcast network covering your Miami Dolphins. I am 0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:23.200 your host, Travis Wingfield, and I am here to bring 0:00:23.280 --> 0:00:26.720 you your daily dose of Miami Dolphins football. We are 0:00:26.800 --> 0:00:30.240 joined by a very very special guest number ninety four, 0:00:30.600 --> 0:00:33.080 Christian Wilkins. And let's not waste any more time on 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:36.400 this podcast. Let's jump right into the interview for this Friday, 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:45.080 March the sixth edition of the Drivetime Podcast. Wilkins, that's good. 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:50.120 Come on, then you can expand and make a point. Wilkins. 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:58.720 Wilkis textbook defens twitch to rock actor Roger Wilkins. Christian 0:00:58.800 --> 0:01:04.760 Wilkins start back as quite well and I'm thrilled to 0:01:04.800 --> 0:01:07.440 be joined now by the leader and tackles among all 0:01:07.600 --> 0:01:11.440 rookie defensive tackles in twenty nineteen. He played all sixteen games, 0:01:11.600 --> 0:01:14.720 started fourteen of them, and played a whopping seven hundred 0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:17.040 and twenty nine snaps As a rookie. He was the 0:01:17.120 --> 0:01:20.160 thirteenth overall pick in the twenty nineteen draft. He is 0:01:20.240 --> 0:01:25.119 Christian Wilkins. Christian, welcome in. Thanks for doing this, man, Hey, 0:01:25.160 --> 0:01:27.320 I appreciate it, so thank you for having me. Yeah, 0:01:27.360 --> 0:01:29.319 and it's no problem. May. And first of all, how 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:31.880 are you feeling. It's your first full offseason here as 0:01:31.880 --> 0:01:34.720 a professional. How's the mind, body and spirit working for 0:01:34.840 --> 0:01:39.920 you this March? Oh, well, good question. I'm definitely getting 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:42.200 all that back. You know, during the season, they could 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:44.319 get so busy, so hectic, and you know, it's it's 0:01:44.319 --> 0:01:46.800 a challenge to play sixteen games and you know, and 0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:49.000 it was a new adjustment for me and everything like that. 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:51.760 So I'm definitely enjoying my first off season and I 0:01:51.880 --> 0:01:54.400 never had this much time on so it's good. I'm 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:56.560 gonna joining it. I definitely still saying I'm locked in 0:01:56.600 --> 0:01:58.360 and focus on trying to you know, train my body 0:01:58.440 --> 0:02:00.760 and get ready for years for being year two coming up. 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:04.160 And you also had plenty of long seasons there at Clemson, 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:06.400 and I was always curious to ask guys in your 0:02:06.440 --> 0:02:09.480 position this question. The length of a rookie season one 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:11.840 starts out with the combine, then you go into your 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:14.400 pro day, and then you get drafted. Then rookie mini camps. 0:02:14.639 --> 0:02:17.639 It's like you don't have a any time off whatsoever. 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:19.960 Do you feel that grind late in the season, your 0:02:20.040 --> 0:02:23.960 rookie year, I feel like it could definitely pile up 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:25.880 and and at all. That's why a lot of people 0:02:25.919 --> 0:02:28.120 talk about the rookie wall, and I feel like that's 0:02:28.160 --> 0:02:30.600 a that's definitely a real thing for most guys. There 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:33.000 comes a point in the season where you just like, uh, 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:35.320 you know, you might be mentally into it, but your 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:37.079 body just can't do what you you know, what it 0:02:37.200 --> 0:02:39.480 what it needs to do. Or you might be physically 0:02:39.560 --> 0:02:42.360 feel good, but just mentally you're just so drained. Uh 0:02:42.440 --> 0:02:44.040 you know. So I definitely feel like the likes of 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:45.959 the niflus because this for rookies and stuff, because like 0:02:46.000 --> 0:02:49.400 you said, it starts almost immediately after after year, you know, 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:52.000 last year of football and college. Uh you know, you 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:53.919 go through training, you know, through a mini camp to 0:02:54.000 --> 0:02:55.800 go through you got a train all through the off 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:58.560 season and everything, and then the seasons asturing melong. So's 0:02:58.600 --> 0:03:00.919 it's a bit of a challenge and you know, but 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:03.359 it's it's a bit of a justment player. Uh, you know, 0:03:03.560 --> 0:03:06.120 I'm definitely excited now that I'm you know I'm no 0:03:06.240 --> 0:03:08.840 longer a rookie, and I get to, you know, prepare 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:10.400 for that the right way coming in the year too. 0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:12.840 One of the things that Brian Flores and Chris Career 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:16.399 and pretty much everybody associated with the Miami Dolphins operations 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:19.480 said about drafting you was both your on field prowess 0:03:19.560 --> 0:03:22.440 but also you're off the field acumen and personality and 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:24.919 what you bring to this organization as a leader and 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:27.800 as a personality. And we saw that last weekend, Christian 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:31.280 when you participated in your first Dolphins Cancer Challenge and 0:03:31.639 --> 0:03:34.000 you won first place in your own race. So I 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:38.760 gotta ask you how extensive, how extensive is your cycling history? 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:40.360 Was that your first time on a bike or have 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:44.160 you have you done that before? H No. I actually 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:46.040 love riding bikes and trying to get on as mother 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:48.080 as I can and everything. Every since I was a kid. 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:50.080 I always just loved riding bikes. It was kind of 0:03:50.160 --> 0:03:52.080 just you know, like when you're a kid, that's your 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:54.400 first like sense of freedom a little bit, you know 0:03:54.440 --> 0:03:56.760 what I mean, Like you you're on your bike, get George, 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:58.720 you can go around and go wherever you want. Kind 0:03:58.720 --> 0:04:01.200 of So I've always enjoyed, loveing, uh, enjoying the love 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:03.840 riding bikes. Um, so as soon as they told me 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:05.240 that one it was for a good cause, and I 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:07.920 get the opportentities just drop my bike, you know, you 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:09.560 know for such a great Collins I was next time 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:11.920 yet by the way, um and you know, I've never 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:14.200 I've never wrote thirty one miles before in my life, 0:04:14.360 --> 0:04:17.360 but uh, you know I got it done. Uh, Doug 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:19.120 deep and was and was able to find a way 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:21.520 to push through. But that was definitely an awesome experience 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:24.120 at this cause. And I'm always down to uh you know, 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:26.240 trying to be a leader in the community as well 0:04:26.279 --> 0:04:27.560 as on the field. But you know I'm in the 0:04:27.640 --> 0:04:30.280 community is importing too, because this is this is I'll 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:33.000 take pie in Miami now this is my city. Uh 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:35.360 you know, I just take a lot of pie and 0:04:35.400 --> 0:04:37.599 then just getting comfortable and just long loan a lot 0:04:37.680 --> 0:04:39.760 of people and just get my face out there. We 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:41.440 we love to hear that on three or five day 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:43.960 especially here to talking to Christian Wilkins here on the 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:46.880 Drivetime podcast March the sixth, talking to him in March 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:49.600 the fifth. Right now, though, I gotta ask you, Christian you, 0:04:49.960 --> 0:04:52.640 John Jenkins, Ray Kawa, McMillan, plenty of guys out there. 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:55.120 Who made the cyclist suit? Is that what it's called, 0:04:55.160 --> 0:04:57.080 the uniform that you wear when you're on a bike? 0:04:57.160 --> 0:04:59.440 Who made that suit look best? Besides you? Of course? 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:03.680 I mean, I mean, I would like to say me, 0:05:04.760 --> 0:05:06.680 even though it was a little tight and I'm I'm 0:05:06.680 --> 0:05:08.960 a little too big to be having that much tightness song, 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:12.400 but I would say I would have to give it 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:14.880 to Ray Kwan. It's not me because he didn't get 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:17.039 anything else under race. He came in like dead last. 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:19.640 We all sat at the same time. He finished twenty 0:05:19.640 --> 0:05:21.920 minutes behind all of us. So I'll give him, you know, 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:23.440 at least give him that he at least look good 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:25.200 when you know, from the crossing the finish line, he 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:28.080 looked solid. So i'll give him that. You mentioned thirty 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:30.480 one miles. I saw Ray Kwana mentioned they were supposed 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:32.000 to go twenty five and there was some kind of 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:33.920 detour that made you go further. Was that was that 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:38.120 the case? That's that's right. Yeah, So when I originally 0:05:38.160 --> 0:05:40.480 signed a BIS sign up for twenty five miles and 0:05:40.520 --> 0:05:42.520 then the detour made the thirty one, so I was like, well, 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:44.160 I guess you just gotta jump from the fly. It's 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:45.480 kind of like, you know, you're just taking rom with 0:05:45.560 --> 0:05:47.960 It's just like a football. He just gotta just just 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:49.760 as you do. You know, you got a game plan 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:51.920 and then you can switch it up sometimes. Okay, we're 0:05:51.920 --> 0:05:53.680 gonna get to some football here in just one second, 0:05:53.720 --> 0:05:55.760 but I have one more other sport question for you. 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:59.159 We posted your high school basketball highlights on the Miami 0:05:59.279 --> 0:06:01.920 Dolphins official Twitter account, and first of all, Man, you 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:03.880 love that drop step. I see you work in that 0:06:04.000 --> 0:06:06.159 thing every single play, it seems like. But I gotta 0:06:06.160 --> 0:06:10.680 ask you, who's the best Cooper on this team? Who's 0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:14.920 the best basketball player on the team? Christian, Oh, it's me. 0:06:16.360 --> 0:06:19.280 I feel like I feel like, skill set wise, I 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:22.479 might not be the best skill set wise basketball player. 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:24.480 Like there's other guys who can shoot who look more 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:28.000 like the typical basketball players, you know, uh, taller, skinnier. 0:06:28.400 --> 0:06:30.400 You know you've got a couple of those guys. But 0:06:30.560 --> 0:06:32.320 when it comes to just getting it done and getting 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:35.080 the job done and executing and winning, I think I 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:37.200 give that. I would you know I can do that 0:06:37.440 --> 0:06:40.040 guss out of anyone else on the team. So uh, 0:06:40.360 --> 0:06:42.160 you know, I know they posted another guy's stuff from 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:43.800 what they can do with all their prisses too. But 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:45.920 when it comes down to it, just get getting a 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:49.080 bucket and getting it done. You know, I'll get it done. 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:51.160 You know, it just might not be as pretty as 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:53.280 some of the other guys on the team. Well, it 0:06:53.320 --> 0:06:55.600 definitely shows off your athleticism. And I want to talk 0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:58.600 a little bit here, Christian about playing for Brian Flores 0:06:58.640 --> 0:07:00.839 and also Mary and Hobby. You're posession coach. You were 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:03.960 recruited by Marry and Hobby and played for him at Clemson. 0:07:04.120 --> 0:07:06.159 Can you talk about your time with him at Clemson 0:07:06.400 --> 0:07:08.159 and the transition to working for him as a pro, 0:07:08.480 --> 0:07:10.360 And then also we'll talk about Brian Flores as well. 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:15.840 Oh well, um no, it's definitely it's definitely been a 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:18.960 blessing to have a coach Hobby around because it's just 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:20.960 you know, he's known me since I was the sixteen 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:23.640 sixty year old kids pretty much, and you know now 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:26.000 that I'm twenty twenty four years old, you know, we've 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:29.200 had a long relationship and there's just you know, there's 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:32.600 just a level of expectations from both of us. I 0:07:32.680 --> 0:07:34.160 know what I'm gonna get from him another coach, and 0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:35.720 I know and he knows who's gonna get from me 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:38.640 as a player. So you know, when either when either 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:40.520 of us aren't reaching our standards as a culture or 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:42.560 the player, you know Woods Woods is, which is very 0:07:42.600 --> 0:07:44.000 few times. You know, it's just good that we have 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:46.320 each other, the challenge each other. Um, he gets the 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:48.240 best out of each other. And it's it's important to 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:51.120 always have that kind of relationship with here, Uh, with 0:07:51.280 --> 0:07:52.960 your coach. And I just got a lot of respect 0:07:53.000 --> 0:07:55.520 to CoA child because he's been allowed for a while. Uh, 0:07:55.600 --> 0:07:57.480 coach a lot of great guys and uh, you know, 0:07:57.520 --> 0:07:59.960 he said threw himself and I'm just you know, expect 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:02.040 and most other players. And that's what you want. You 0:08:02.080 --> 0:08:04.840 want that type of coach. He's gonna be commanding. Um, 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:07.200 you know. But it's all you know, it's all you 0:08:07.280 --> 0:08:09.120 know for your best interests and for you to be great. 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:11.880 And what was your biggest takeaway from year one playing 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:14.760 under Brian Flores the strong finish of the season. What 0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:16.720 did you take away from playing for coach Flores throughout 0:08:16.720 --> 0:08:20.480 the course of twenty nineteen, Well, I just love it's 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:23.280 all over our mindset and approach to not only the 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:25.760 game of football, but just to a game of life. Uh. 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:27.640 He's a coach. He always just has a chip on 0:08:27.720 --> 0:08:31.160 his shoulder. Uh. He's never satisfied with anything, whether it's 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:33.280 on our outhatility always looking for ways that he can 0:08:33.360 --> 0:08:35.960 do better and improve. And I feel like we as 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:38.920 players and we as an organization kind of sept out 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:42.000 to that mindset. Uh, you know, just being a tough 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:45.600 physical discipline, you know, and all that we do. Um, 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:47.600 you know, just being smart and just and just getting 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:50.199 it done and get pushing ourselves to the limits. And also, 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:52.319 you know, just never being satisfied and always having to 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:54.719 check no matter their money success you had. You know, 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:57.200 that's that's in the past. You're always looking at which 0:08:57.520 --> 0:09:00.959 which board and um, you know that's and I love 0:09:01.000 --> 0:09:03.160 having him as a coach. He's not gonna eat the 0:09:03.240 --> 0:09:05.640 same thing like kind of what I was explaining about, 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:08.200 how because he's very demanding. He expected the most un 0:09:08.240 --> 0:09:11.800 of his players, Um, you know, and and you know 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:13.559 it just works for him. You know, a lot of 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:15.719 guys got to respect. And I'm comproving by then on 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:19.120 him and his philosophy. And you know, I'm sure your 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:21.079 best to be selected here as the Dolphin, and you know, 0:09:21.280 --> 0:09:23.120 I'm glad to see what's supposed to come in the future. 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:25.360 I think one thing that Dolphins fans are most proud 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:27.360 of U last year's team was the way you guys 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:29.719 battle laid down the stretch and stayed in it and 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:31.800 won so many games there late in the year, finishing 0:09:31.840 --> 0:09:34.920 five before you'd beat two division or two division winners, 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:37.360 i should say, and you won three games as double 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:41.000 digit underdogs. What does that type of momentum or success 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:47.240 help you to carry into this offseason and into as well. Well. 0:09:47.320 --> 0:09:49.280 I mean, we can't go off a last year's success 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:51.400 or anything, but it's definitely like it was. It was 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:54.280 important that we ended the season that way, and uh, 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:57.079 you know, it just definitely was a little encouraging, especially 0:09:57.400 --> 0:09:59.160 having to deal with you know, the outside is on 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:01.520 the outside, no it's out and people are not believing 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:03.640 in us. Uh, And it was just important to see 0:10:03.720 --> 0:10:04.880 that the couple of guys that we had in on 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:07.600 locker room, that big focus, you know, kept a good 0:10:07.640 --> 0:10:10.440 positive energy around the building. I was staying locked him 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:11.920 all year long, and it was good that we were 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:14.760 able at least reach some from some rewards, you know, 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:16.640 and uh, you know, so that was that was definitely 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:19.000 a great feeling to get a few wins. But you 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:20.839 can't carry that in the next season. You know, you 0:10:20.920 --> 0:10:23.360 gotta start to over completely. You know, I can do 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:25.640 guys in the build and uh, you know, be a 0:10:25.679 --> 0:10:27.480 new team. So we gotta just do it. I'll start 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:29.640 all over again, create the right mindset and move forward. 0:10:29.920 --> 0:10:32.319 We've got Christian Wilkins hearing the Drivetime podcast on the 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:35.440 official Miami Dolphins podcast network. Christian, we talked a lot 0:10:35.480 --> 0:10:39.240 about the Dolphins cancer Challenge, some team accomplishments. What about 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:41.760 for you individually, what's one area of your game that 0:10:41.840 --> 0:10:44.400 you felt like really shine through in your rookie season. 0:10:46.600 --> 0:10:48.560 I just I just felt like my ability to play 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:51.079 with high effort and the motor um. That's what I 0:10:51.120 --> 0:10:53.400 problem myself on, especially as a big guy, because I 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:56.080 feel like, I know, disrespect to other big guys around 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:58.160 in the league or you know, uh, you know, it's 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:00.120 just tough being three in the pounds and you know, 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:03.480 playing with such high effort and energy. Um, And you know, 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:06.280 that's something I just had to problem myself on that. Uh, 0:11:06.440 --> 0:11:08.160 you know, someone may be better than me. I might 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:10.040 be better than some players, but with they're not gonna 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:12.319 be able to to uh you know, to say that 0:11:12.520 --> 0:11:14.720 they you gonna get a completely outwork. I just always 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:16.600 trying to tell myself on being like a hard worker, 0:11:17.160 --> 0:11:19.640 run into the ball. Uh, you know, just playing, you know, 0:11:19.800 --> 0:11:21.839 just trying to uh, you know, give every play, you know, 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:24.839 give everything, need my best on every play, regardless of 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:26.880 how tire and now emerging like that and decide for 0:11:26.960 --> 0:11:29.000 like I just was able to show that, um and 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:30.920 just you know, so I flashed that time to just 0:11:30.960 --> 0:11:34.000 show my ability to stop the one, get after the 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:36.640 pastor and things like that. Um, you know, I'm just 0:11:36.720 --> 0:11:40.520 looking forward to making that more consistent. Uh. And we 0:11:40.600 --> 0:11:43.040 talked about the seven D twenty nine snaps you played 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:45.360 last season as a rookie, a whole bunch, especially like 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:47.520 you mentioned, for a guy of your size in that position, 0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:50.040 played a lot of one tech, played some three tech. 0:11:50.080 --> 0:11:52.000 You even kicked out why is a five technique? And 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:54.280 some of those odd fronts. Is that something you're used 0:11:54.320 --> 0:11:58.679 to uncomfortable with? Yes, I love I love that, and 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:01.360 I feel like that's a you know, uh and and 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:03.439 it works well on our defense because they're pretty versatile 0:12:03.480 --> 0:12:05.640 as a defense. So it's it's good that when you know, 0:12:05.679 --> 0:12:07.240 when you can kick down to a five plat me 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:10.559 at three or four, I shade and zero, um, you know. 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:12.960 And I try to puind myself and being a versatile 0:12:12.960 --> 0:12:14.719 player because it's always the best with the more you 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:17.079 can do, uh, you know, the longer you tend to 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:19.040 last U in the in, the more value you have. 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:21.959 So I try to pind myself on that and being 0:12:22.000 --> 0:12:24.719 able to play a bunch of different positions across the 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:27.280 line of scrimage um, you know, and even you know, 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:29.800 even playing some positions like running back or receiver. You know, 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:31.960 I got to get a catch this year too, which 0:12:32.040 --> 0:12:34.160 is pretty awesome. But I definitely take a lot of 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:37.040 pride in that UM and you know, definitely trying to 0:12:37.120 --> 0:12:40.280 improve on that as as a play as overall player. Well, 0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:41.880 I want to talk to you about that catch, because 0:12:41.920 --> 0:12:44.280 that's all my list of questions for you. Here, We're 0:12:44.280 --> 0:12:46.360 gonna circle around this question I had for you and 0:12:46.440 --> 0:12:49.520 ask you what what's the feeling like for Christian Wilkins 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:51.719 when the play call comes in there calling for the 0:12:51.880 --> 0:12:54.400 heavy package, but we want forty two at fullback? And 0:12:54.440 --> 0:12:56.480 the run of the flat route to Christian Wilkins. What's 0:12:56.480 --> 0:13:00.719 your thought process when that call comes in? Oh? My 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:03.319 thought process, this go time. It's money time. Getting the 0:13:03.440 --> 0:13:07.079 ends on by all means, by by any means necessary. Um, 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:09.800 you know. And it was close. It was close for me, 0:13:10.000 --> 0:13:12.160 but I got it it. I got in there by 0:13:12.200 --> 0:13:15.120 any means necessary. So, um, you know, it was good. 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:17.560 It was a good sided feeling. And in the moment 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:19.360 you try to stay really locked in look because you 0:13:19.360 --> 0:13:20.960 don't want to get too excited because then that's when 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:23.040 I feel you're gonna mess up. So you gotta try 0:13:23.080 --> 0:13:25.000 to like just stay lot good as much as possible. 0:13:25.320 --> 0:13:27.040 And then you know, after you execute the play, and 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:28.800 that's where you just let all the emotion out and 0:13:28.840 --> 0:13:30.839 celebrate and have a good time. And that's that's kind 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:32.640 of what I did. So so we talked about your 0:13:32.640 --> 0:13:35.360 basketball career. And sometimes guys will stat pad. They'll throw 0:13:35.400 --> 0:13:37.760 the ball off the backboard, get an extra rebound in there, 0:13:37.920 --> 0:13:39.959 and then flush it. Is that what you were doing 0:13:40.040 --> 0:13:41.559 with the fumbel on the goal one? They're trying to 0:13:41.600 --> 0:13:45.960 pad your fumbel recovery stats? Oh no, no, I thought 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:48.840 I got in on the first tie, just staying uh 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:52.240 but uh no. I really just tried to make it 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:54.000 look cool with the with the one hand and left 0:13:54.040 --> 0:13:56.319 hand and catch. I tried. I tried to make it 0:13:56.440 --> 0:13:59.040 look good, but then I got humbled really quick. The 0:13:59.080 --> 0:14:01.240 ball came loose, but it was good. I was able 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:02.920 to I was able to jump on me. Yeah. I 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:04.480 think if they would have gone through review, you would 0:14:04.480 --> 0:14:06.360 have gotten the initial touchdown first, but they just kept 0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:07.959 it there because you fell on the ball anyway. So 0:14:08.040 --> 0:14:11.480 that was my opinion of it. Exactly perfect, exactly. I 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:13.559 would agree with that. I would agree with that. So 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:15.160 I want to go back to that Bengals game. That 0:14:15.240 --> 0:14:16.840 was the game where you did catch a touchdown pass 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:19.640 and you kind of went viral there, I suppose when 0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:22.760 you were miked up for talking a unique brand of 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:25.200 trash talk. I want to ask you, what's the general 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:27.800 reaction you get from guys across from you when you 0:14:27.920 --> 0:14:32.880 kill them with kindness like that? Um, I didn't me. 0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:35.240 I just have such an amazing time play in the game. 0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:37.400 I just enjoyed a lot. I have a lot of fun. 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:40.360 I'm very locked in the series before the game, but 0:14:40.440 --> 0:14:42.520 once the game starts, I'm a little a little a 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:44.080 little fat eight year o kid. I was, you know, 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:46.200 a little chevy eight year o kid. I was, you know, 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:48.640 playing the game that you love, and that that's side 0:14:48.680 --> 0:14:50.480 of me always comes out. So I just like to 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:52.600 have fun. That's probably other fun and enjoyment of having 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:55.080 the game just you know, talking trash, but not only 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:57.280 you know, saying bad things are mean things. It's also 0:14:57.400 --> 0:14:59.160 just kind of like throwing people off of their game 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:01.800 or just like you know, having them here is something 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:03.520 that did not used to be hearing during the football game. 0:15:03.520 --> 0:15:05.320 They're like, what are you guys talking about? You know, uh, 0:15:05.600 --> 0:15:07.240 And that's just kind of just the funding in two 0:15:07.360 --> 0:15:09.120 that I enjoy about the game. And you know, I 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:11.080 have a lot of respect for all the guys in 0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:13.480 the league. To make it to this would be a pro. 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:16.200 I got a lot of respect for everyone. But you know, 0:15:16.440 --> 0:15:18.640 in between the lines, uh, you know, while we're playing 0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:20.240 on the clock's thinking I'm gonna try to get you 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:21.880 at your game and talk a little trash, make fun 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:23.920 of you, make fun of myself. I mean, this is 0:15:23.920 --> 0:15:26.600 and I mean and nobody's safe. Uh, you know, but 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:28.400 it's all just part of having fun. And then but 0:15:28.520 --> 0:15:29.840 you know, once we get out of the field, once 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:31.800 the game's over, you know, I'll shake your hands to 0:15:31.920 --> 0:15:33.280 my hand to you because I have, you know, a 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:35.040 lot of respect to a lot of guys around the league, 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:36.760 but definitely a lot of those sixty minutes I'm playing, 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:39.120 I'll touch some trash. So we talked about you scoring 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:40.640 the touchdown in that game, and you've got to be 0:15:40.760 --> 0:15:43.480 part of the offensive celebration. And I want to talk 0:15:43.520 --> 0:15:46.040 about when the offense scores. When forty two is not 0:15:46.400 --> 0:15:48.840 not forty two, I'm sorry, nine four is not on 0:15:48.960 --> 0:15:52.080 the field, when it's when when it's Preston Williams and 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:54.680 DeVante Parker and Mike get sicky and then here comes 0:15:54.760 --> 0:15:57.800 ninety four into the into the frame celebrating the touchdown. 0:15:57.880 --> 0:16:00.280 What started that? And kind of what's the motor vacion 0:16:00.320 --> 0:16:04.240 to get down there and celebrate with your boys? Well again, 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:07.000 I like, like I said, like that stuff, that's kind 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:08.680 of stuff I've been doing since I was a little 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:11.560 kid playing the game. And and honestly, I get more 0:16:12.320 --> 0:16:15.960 more joint excitement out of watching my teammates sixte um 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:18.880 than than myself a lot of the time. Uh, you know, 0:16:18.960 --> 0:16:21.280 because you you just see and how hard guys work, 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:23.640 you know, and it's not there's nothing to take it 0:16:23.720 --> 0:16:25.080 light of being able to move the ball down the 0:16:25.080 --> 0:16:27.360 field and gonna score a testdown or when you got 0:16:27.440 --> 0:16:29.520 a guy like Galata would rip waffa block and may 0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:31.520 get tackled. It's not just on the testdowns, you know. 0:16:31.560 --> 0:16:33.040 I do it to the guys on the defense, Like 0:16:33.080 --> 0:16:34.600 everybody knows they're on the way from me when they 0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:37.120 make a big play because they know I'm gonna be 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:40.160 like a great game or something that jump all over you, 0:16:40.840 --> 0:16:42.680 uh you know, and just end up being excited for 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:44.280 you to behalfy because it's great to see you know, 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:46.320 all the work you put on it. But then you 0:16:46.320 --> 0:16:48.360 don't have some success and uh you know, you know 0:16:49.080 --> 0:16:51.800 Preeper Year Awards. So I definitely, you know, that's just 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:53.560 something I've always done since I was a little kid. 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:56.480 Always try to celebrate with my guys, have fun, have excitement, 0:16:56.520 --> 0:16:58.720 and I feel like it's some textious to uh you know, 0:16:58.800 --> 0:17:00.960 then other guys get excited for everyone else too, um 0:17:01.000 --> 0:17:02.920 and it's just the right mindset and right energy to have. 0:17:03.400 --> 0:17:05.760 Well you use the perfect word. They're infectious across your 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:07.600