Speaker 1: Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It is Friday,
Speaker 1: March fourteenth, and today the Ravens officially introduced their new
Speaker 1: wide receiver to DeAndre Hopkins. He was in the building
Speaker 1: today to sign his new contract and join the Ravens
Speaker 1: and also meet with the media this afternoon. If you're
Speaker 1: listening to this podcast in the Ravens Lounge podcast feed,
Speaker 1: well make sure you also subscribe to the Ravens Press
Speaker 1: Pass podcast. We have all of our press conferences posted
Speaker 1: there in their entireties, So if you're already subscribed to
Speaker 1: the loundview, that's great. Also subscribe to the press Pass
Speaker 1: feed as well. Here's the full press conference that Hopkins
Speaker 1: had with the media this afternoon after signing that new contract.
Speaker 2: So, DeAndre abut, I think people have been setting that
Speaker 2: picture of you lamar Derek Henry and say how many
Speaker 2: touchdowns can this trio total? Do you have any answer
Speaker 2: to that? Man? Hopefully enough to win a lot of games,
Speaker 2: you know, to win the games we need to win.
Speaker 2: So I don't have a number, but hopefully you know
Speaker 2: more more than a little bit.
Speaker 1: How excited are you to be united with.
Speaker 2: Derek har Ah? Very excited? Derek is you know, like family.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 2: You know, Derek and I have a long relationship. Uh
Speaker 2: you know we talked today. Actually well uh you know
Speaker 2: his trainer and uh you know m myself. Uh you know,
Speaker 2: we all work out together down in Dallas. Uh so
Speaker 2: uh you know, his trainer called me earlier. Uh while
Speaker 2: while Derek was working out. He really didn't say too much. Uh,
Speaker 2: but that's Derek, you know, he he he's grinding you
Speaker 2: talk to.
Speaker 3: You Lamar yet any any interactions with them?
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I talked to Lamar a couple of days ago. Uh,
Speaker 2: you know, just you know, just ready to get to work,
Speaker 2: you know, Uh, not really much need to be said,
Speaker 2: just you know, let's let's get to work. How much
Speaker 2: did did him be here?
Speaker 4: And you know, obviously it help with Patrick Finnity him,
Speaker 4: Like is that the sole reason or what what played
Speaker 4: into this?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Absolutely? Uh I think you know Lamar, you know,
Speaker 2: being uh the leader of this team is is you know,
Speaker 2: part of the reason that I came here. You know
Speaker 2: what he stands for and how he's led this team
Speaker 2: and this organization, uh you know, to to the playoffs
Speaker 2: in multiple years and you know since he's been here. Uh,
Speaker 2: you know, just how he's uh, you know, just led
Speaker 2: you know, any receiver group he've had, he's had, so
Speaker 2: I think, you know, let's play. That played a big
Speaker 2: part of me coming here for sure, Lamar being the quarterback.
Speaker 2: How would how did you come in here sort of
Speaker 2: come together in those those a couple of days. Did
Speaker 2: did you guys have a sort of a short.
Speaker 3: List of teams?
Speaker 2: Did you identify it joining de Bronzos or how did it?
Speaker 3: How did it?
Speaker 2: Uh? You know, obviously you know I was in Kansas City, Uh,
Speaker 2: you know, so you know we really you know, didn't
Speaker 2: you know, do too much, you know, thinking that, you know,
Speaker 2: possibility of me being back in Kansas City. But once
Speaker 2: we uh you know, found out that you know, I
Speaker 2: wouldn't be back in Kansas City, we made, uh, you know,
Speaker 2: a list and the Ravens was the first team on
Speaker 2: my list.
Speaker 4: DeAndre, I know you're coming off of with Kansas City
Speaker 4: getting to a super Bowl for the first time in
Speaker 4: your career, and I know it's only been about a month,
Speaker 4: But what do you take away from that experience? What
Speaker 4: do you learn from that experience that you now bring
Speaker 4: here not just for yourself but with teammates who the
Speaker 4: goal here for several years is to get over that
Speaker 4: help and get to.
Speaker 3: A Super Bam.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, obviously, you know, I started off in
Speaker 2: Tennessee to win to Kansas City, So you know, I
Speaker 2: had best of both worlds, being you know, with the
Speaker 2: team that wasn't the contender and then going to a
Speaker 2: team like Kansas City who was obviously you know, we
Speaker 2: played in Super Bowl. So you know, a lot of
Speaker 2: a lot of lessons that you know, I can give
Speaker 2: to a lot of players, especially on this team. You know,
Speaker 2: being in the game that they were in last year.
Speaker 2: You know almost you know, basically you know about to playoffs,
Speaker 2: but you know, almost doesn't get it done in the NFL.
Speaker 2: So you know, I feel like I can give a
Speaker 2: lot to this, to the especially this receivers group, you know,
Speaker 2: and guys in the locker room as well. You know,
Speaker 2: I'm pretty sure there are some guys who's played in
Speaker 2: the Super Bowl, might have won a Super Bowl here,
Speaker 2: you know. But you know, for myself, you know, if
Speaker 2: if someone asks, you know, obviously I'm here to to
Speaker 2: help and uh, you know, make everyone better.
Speaker 4: You know, you mentioned the the guys you're gonna be
Speaker 4: playing here with you know the receiving room with say
Speaker 4: Rashad and also the tight ends. You know, I have
Speaker 4: a lot of good receivers. Have you Have you given
Speaker 4: a thought to your sort of fit in what you
Speaker 4: know your specialty is gonna be in the passing game.
Speaker 2: Uh, I haven't really given much thought. You know, this
Speaker 2: is my first day. I just came in, uh you know,
Speaker 2: signed my papers and did a little workout, uh you know,
Speaker 2: and met with you guys, so uh, you know, not
Speaker 2: really haven't given it much thought. You know, just really
Speaker 2: wherever I can be used is uh, you know doesn't
Speaker 2: matter to me. What do you know about.
Speaker 3: The receiver group that you're joining?
Speaker 1: Different guys in there, and have you spent eachini in
Speaker 1: in ten Uh?
Speaker 2: You know? Those those are some some some very talented
Speaker 2: young receivers. Uh, those guys zay uh bait Uh you
Speaker 2: know the tight ends that we have uh marking those guys,
Speaker 2: I think, uh you know what a receivers specifically. You know,
Speaker 2: they're young, uh fast, and those guys go out and
Speaker 2: make plays. They're exciting to watch, you know, But I
Speaker 2: don't know much about them outside of you know, just
Speaker 2: what I see on the football field. So you know,
Speaker 2: just looking forward to you know, just hanging out and
Speaker 2: learning more about 'em.
Speaker 5: Jumping from the offense that's led by Patrick Mahomes. You
Speaker 5: now one with Lamar Jackson. What was your mom and
Speaker 5: your family's reactions to that?
Speaker 2: I mean, obviously excited, you know, you know, a bittersweet
Speaker 2: that we couldn't you know, win uh Kansas City last year.
Speaker 2: But that's football, you know, still grateful for the opportunity. Uh,
Speaker 2: you know, but they're they're excited. You know, my family's
Speaker 2: big fans of Lamar DeAndre.
Speaker 5: You've been in the league twelve, even going out thirteen.
Speaker 5: What is it about your game that you feel like
Speaker 5: still allows you to be so effective?
Speaker 2: Uh? You know, I would say, you know, how I'm
Speaker 2: able to get open. You know, I've never been a four,
Speaker 2: three or four for a guy. Uh, you know, but
Speaker 2: I'm able to make plays on the ball and get open,
Speaker 2: uh and you know, contest to catch it. You know,
Speaker 2: I feel like that's been something that you know, I've
Speaker 2: been able to sail in and just you know, I
Speaker 2: would say my knowledge of defenses as well. Playing thirteen
Speaker 2: years in the in the NFL, you learn defensive coverages
Speaker 2: and you know how to get open and you kind
Speaker 2: of know what the defense is doing sometimes pre snap, Yeah,
Speaker 2: I do. You mentioned like thirteen years not a lot
Speaker 2: of guys get to be getting into it.
Speaker 3: But you know, when when players.
Speaker 2: Get through that, their question comes, you know, how much
Speaker 2: do you have left in the pack? I mean, what
Speaker 2: would you kindly be your answer to that?
Speaker 1: Uh?
Speaker 2: How much I have left in the tank? You know, man,
Speaker 2: I'll take a day by day honestly. You know, I
Speaker 2: really never thought about that or look forward to it.
Speaker 2: You know. You know they say, you know, you'll know,
Speaker 2: you know when your body gives out on you, and
Speaker 2: they haven't hasn't given out on me yet or or
Speaker 2: for me, I feel like gotten close. So you know,
Speaker 2: who knows? Man? Who knows? The angry you?
Speaker 4: Baltimore has kind of been in a room or every
Speaker 4: off seal for like four years now.
Speaker 2: How much did did you? When you're doing your research
Speaker 2: deciding where you want to play?
Speaker 4: Do you call for her and Kurve Ravens kind of
Speaker 4: talk to her about what it's like? Is there something
Speaker 4: about this organization other than obviously the quarterbacking being contenders
Speaker 4: that was really attractive to you?
Speaker 2: I mean, Coach Hoball man, you know Lamar, all those
Speaker 2: you know Derek. You know, Derek and I talked throughout
Speaker 2: the year, and that's one of my best friends. You know,
Speaker 2: he keeps an honest So for myself, you know, it was, man,
Speaker 2: a couple a couple of different things, you know, but
Speaker 2: I mean coach from the head coach down. Man, I
Speaker 2: feel like everyone you know, man, they compete their dogs,
Speaker 2: and I feel like this organization and this team matches
Speaker 2: who I am.
Speaker 4: You gotta get back to Jamison's that's about your experience
Speaker 4: and left in tank. I mean, do you take some
Speaker 4: inspiration from what Derek did last year because he was
Speaker 4: getting some of those same questions and running back turns thirty?
Speaker 4: What about his campaign last year maybe kind of pushes
Speaker 4: you to do more?
Speaker 2: Oh? Man, you know, you know, Derek is definitely inspiration,
Speaker 2: not just to myself, but I think everyone in the
Speaker 2: league as well. You know, for a guy you know
Speaker 2: who plays running back in that age to do what
Speaker 2: he done, it's it's, you know, it's very rare. So
Speaker 2: you know, I can't say that he's not inspiration. He's
Speaker 2: definitely inspiration. But for myself, you know, I don't look
Speaker 2: at really not one single person to motivate me to
Speaker 2: keep going. You know, I I think you know, when
Speaker 2: you play football, you have to have it within yourself
Speaker 2: and you got to know who you are.
Speaker 3: Andrea, I don't know that every free agent comes in
Speaker 3: and gets a workout done before their introductory press conference.
Speaker 4: What what made you do that?
Speaker 3: And is your workout routine do you feel like part
Speaker 3: of what's allowed you to still be productive at at
Speaker 3: your agent?
Speaker 2: Oh? For sure. My workout routine has changed throughout the years,
Speaker 2: but it's definitely been a key part of of me
Speaker 2: still being able to come out and you know, play
Speaker 2: at high level at at the age of thirty two.
Speaker 2: You know, I'm not sure you know why why you
Speaker 2: wouldn't you know, workout if you have a weight room
Speaker 2: this nice or you know you have the chance to
Speaker 2: work out, you know. So for myself, I just like
Speaker 2: you know, working man, just just you know, when no
Speaker 2: one's looking, if that's you know, at my house at night.
Speaker 2: But it's definitely been a key part of me, uh,
Speaker 2: you know, still playing and also my diet. You know,
Speaker 2: it's it's not just the workout, but it's everything else.
Speaker 3: An influence from Derek.
Speaker 2: I thought, no I'm a little older than Derek, but
Speaker 2: you know Derek, you know, but not Derek definitely, you
Speaker 2: know big in Tennessee with him, he's he's picky about
Speaker 2: what he what he is. You won't see him in
Speaker 2: the cafeteria going through the line too much. Do you
Speaker 2: remember when Lamar.
Speaker 4: Kind of first plusted onto your radar screen and you
Speaker 4: maybe thought.
Speaker 2: Well that could be fun. One day, man, I was
Speaker 2: watching Lamar when he was at Louisville against Clemson, and
Speaker 2: I remember like, man, it's you know, this was when Clemson,
Speaker 2: I think might have won national championship and was giving
Speaker 2: a run for their money. I was like, who is
Speaker 2: who is this guy? You know? And I think I
Speaker 2: started following his career after that, uh cause obviously I
Speaker 2: went to Clemson, and you know, Lamar was, you know,
Speaker 2: a couple of plays away from basically you know, single
Speaker 2: handley beating him, and I was like, man, this kid's
Speaker 2: gonna be special.
Speaker 3: What what?
Speaker 4: What?
Speaker 2: What about this game? Is Valtomore's game that it looks
Speaker 2: impressive to? Uh, you know, I would say, it's it's
Speaker 2: it's football, like you you know, outside of his running ability, uh,
Speaker 2: you know, he only threw four interceptions last year if
Speaker 2: I'm not mistaken. Uh, And it takes a very uh,
Speaker 2: very high iq A at the quarterback position for that
Speaker 2: to happen. Uh. And that's that's that's very impressive. If
Speaker 2: if you play football, you know that's that's not easy
Speaker 2: to do. How much does that way in your decision
Speaker 2: you're considering, like where to go?
Speaker 4: Is just looking at the obviously the marks down to
Speaker 4: keep himself put looking out.
Speaker 2: Of who was that strict? H U A big, a big,
Speaker 2: big part of my decision obviously. You know Lamar is
Speaker 2: you know, known for for running, but you know, watch
Speaker 2: film and you know, I was watching YouTube highlights of
Speaker 2: this offense kind of get familiar with it. You know,
Speaker 2: he makes some incredible throws and so of the interceptions.
Speaker 2: You know, as a receiver, you know, you got to
Speaker 2: take responsibility yourself. So Lamar's man, he knows how to
Speaker 2: thread the needles. So I think for myself that was
Speaker 2: definitely a big part of the decision. Deandrew Lamar typically
Speaker 2: practiced with his wide receiver students during the offseason. Have
Speaker 2: you spoken with him and will that be the plan
Speaker 2: for you? Oh? Yeah, I spoke to him, and you know,
Speaker 2: we'll we'll get up when he can. When when we can.
Speaker 2: You know he's he's a busy guy, so as myself.
Speaker 2: But you know, I'm sure we'll find time to work
Speaker 2: before we get here. Yadre, I know.
Speaker 4: You played through that MCL injury last year. Was that
Speaker 4: any kind of limitation for you just going through and
Speaker 4: tough men?
Speaker 1: Now?
Speaker 2: No, it wasn't, Man, it wasn't you know, it wasn't
Speaker 2: something that I had to play through. It was kind of,
Speaker 2: you know, something that happened, and you know, I was
Speaker 2: able to play week one and you know, I would
Speaker 2: say after after my my first week of playing, you know,
Speaker 2: it's kind of you know, really nothing that bothered me.
Speaker 2: So you know I felt good. Man, didn't feel like
Speaker 2: you would need surgery for that. It just kind of kills.
Speaker 2: I had surgery on my right m c L like
Speaker 2: maybe like seven years ago, and uh, you know, so
Speaker 2: you know I've I've had an MCL surgery. So you know,
Speaker 2: I'm definitely one to ask if you got m c
Speaker 2: L problem. A couple more really good?
Speaker 5: Well, I have one more, DeAndre, just from your journey
Speaker 5: going from the Texans to Tennessee to Kansas City, how
Speaker 5: do you think that will help you with like adapting
Speaker 5: to I guess what have you learned that will help
Speaker 5: you adapt to different organizational cultures teammates systems.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I've definitely been around a lot of players in
Speaker 2: you know, even Houston seven years, they're seeing a lot
Speaker 2: of people come and go. Uh, you know, it's it's
Speaker 2: part of it, you know, just accepting it, accepting your
Speaker 2: role and your job and you know me being to God,
Speaker 2: just embracing everything and and uh, you know, embracing the
Speaker 2: questions from the younger the younger people, and you know,
Speaker 2: it's a business. You really can't take it personally if
Speaker 2: you get traded or you get released or cut. And
Speaker 2: so for myself, you know, just having gone through those things,
Speaker 2: it's you know all you know, my first trade, I
Speaker 2: would say, wasn't as easy, uh to accept because you know,
Speaker 2: I was young, and I'm like, I'm at the top
Speaker 2: of my game while they trade me. But you realize,
Speaker 2: you know, after a while, it's a business. And uh,
Speaker 2: you just got an embracing, you know, not taking personal.
Speaker 5: Close to you without talking again and offers.
Speaker 2: Uh they they they they're they're winning, you know, they
Speaker 2: and he knows how to get guys open, and uh
Speaker 2: you know, it's it's offense that's worked and it's it's
Speaker 2: still working.
Speaker 5: When did you realize you stepped into that leadership in
Speaker 5: your career?
Speaker 2: I would say like year year four, year three, when
Speaker 2: I had an older guy come in and you know,
Speaker 2: he was asking me questions when I was younger, and
Speaker 2: I was like, wow, you know, I guess I am
Speaker 2: you know what they consider the number one receiver. Uh
Speaker 2: So I would say it was early in my career.
Speaker 4: You talked about your experience different places earlier, you've been
Speaker 4: placed where you were the guy.
Speaker 2: Uh here, there's a lot of guys. How much you
Speaker 2: think that'll help you playing with so many guys and
Speaker 2: how much do you think your experience will help you
Speaker 2: deal with it if one day you're getting two jargs
Speaker 2: next day August. Well, you know, I've I've definitely been
Speaker 2: in situations, you know, past couple of years we only
Speaker 2: got you know, a couple of targets. So for me,
Speaker 2: it's really never bothered me. And you know, I I
Speaker 2: embraced it. You know, I love that. You know, there
Speaker 2: was a draft every year for the organization two draftegue guy.
Speaker 2: That's part of football and you have to you know,
Speaker 2: realize and understand this. This is a business and that's
Speaker 2: how it goes. So I love it. And you know,
Speaker 2: the guys that are out there, they're gonna they're gonna
Speaker 2: get open like they have done the past couple of years.
Speaker 2: Hopefully I can, you know, give them a couple of
Speaker 2: little tricks to help them, you know, advanst their game
Speaker 2: a little more. You know, if there's something that they're doing,
Speaker 2: you know, I'm sure you know, I'll ask, like, you know,
Speaker 2: what what are you doing? I can add in my
Speaker 2: game because at this at this position, you never want
Speaker 2: to feel like you know everything at the receiver position
Speaker 2: because there's always little things that you can learn from
Speaker 2: a scout team guy or a rookie. That's how you
Speaker 2: get better.
Speaker 1: All right, thank you, thank you. So that's what Hopkins
Speaker 1: had to say after signing that new contract. I also
Speaker 1: had a chance to sit down with him for a
Speaker 1: one on one conversation. You can check out that video
Speaker 1: on our app our website as well as our YouTube channel.
Speaker 1: You shared a really good insight about coming here to
Speaker 1: Baltimore and what kind of impact he expects to make
Speaker 1: on this team. Now, as you know free agency is
Speaker 1: always exciting and unpredictable, so there's lots of news happening.
Speaker 1: Make sure you're subscribed to the Lounge treat if you
Speaker 1: haven't done so already. We're going to continue to break
Speaker 1: down all the news that's happening over the course of
Speaker 1: free agency and coming up next week, the Ravens planned
Speaker 1: on having Ronnie Stanley in the building on Monday to
Speaker 1: officially sign his contract that the Ravens agreed to terms
Speaker 1: with earlier this week. That's it for us on the
Speaker 1: Press Pats podcast and the Lounge Feed. Thank you for listening,
Speaker 1: and we'll be back with you again next week.