WEBVTT - Quan Martin "Belongs Here" | Next Man Up Podcast | Washington Commanders 0:00:01.240 --> 0:00:03.360 What's Good Command is Family Brian Cole Jr. And this 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:06.040 is the Next Man Up Podcast. Our next man Up 0:00:06.160 --> 0:00:07.560 is no other than rookie second. 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:09.039 Rounder Kwan Martin. 0:00:09.240 --> 0:00:11.800 Kwan talks about growing up at Fort Mines, Florida, having 0:00:11.960 --> 0:00:14.400 supreme confidence in itself, he's a relationship with his parents, 0:00:14.400 --> 0:00:16.479 and what it felt like getting picked up by the 0:00:16.520 --> 0:00:20.920 Commanders on draft night. All that and more starts right now. 0:00:22.720 --> 0:00:25.079 What's Good Command is Family? I'm Brian Cooviagin. And this 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:27.200 is the Next Man Up Podcast where it's not so 0:00:27.280 --> 0:00:29.680 much exits and those, but we look at your favorite 0:00:29.720 --> 0:00:32.600 Commanders player and get to know the person behind the helmet. 0:00:32.640 --> 0:00:34.879 And our next man Up is no other than our 0:00:34.960 --> 0:00:36.840 rookie defensive back Kwan Martin. 0:00:36.880 --> 0:00:38.360 Kuwan, how are you doing today, brother, good Man? 0:00:38.400 --> 0:00:38.880 How you doing? 0:00:38.960 --> 0:00:41.040 I appreciate you, man, I'm doing real good man. Happy 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:41.720 to be talking to you. 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:41.879 Man. 0:00:41.880 --> 0:00:44.320 It's always exciting to talk to the young guys because 0:00:44.360 --> 0:00:46.000 you guys give such a different perspective, you know what 0:00:46.000 --> 0:00:49.440 I mean, Like y'all just started playing. You know, y'all 0:00:49.560 --> 0:00:52.360 made y'all dreams come true, you know, So it's always 0:00:52.360 --> 0:00:53.640 good to talk to you man. I appreciate your time 0:00:53.640 --> 0:00:55.840 because I know you're extremely busy with halfway through the 0:00:55.880 --> 0:00:56.440 season and. 0:00:56.360 --> 0:00:57.720 We're gonna get into some football talk. 0:00:57.760 --> 0:00:59.440 But like I said, I really like to talk to 0:00:59.840 --> 0:01:01.640 the person and get to know who you are and 0:01:01.680 --> 0:01:03.880 get these fans to know the person behind the helmet. 0:01:03.920 --> 0:01:08.440 So first things forced First, Fort Minors, Florida. That's home. 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:09.480 What does that mean to you? 0:01:09.959 --> 0:01:13.119 Man? Means everything. Man's you know, where everything started, where 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:16.360 I grew up, born and raised. Nah, you know, just 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:17.920 to be from there, man, just to be one of 0:01:17.959 --> 0:01:20.080 those guys who you know, made it out of four 0:01:20.200 --> 0:01:22.840 miles and it's just you know, doing something that you know, 0:01:22.920 --> 0:01:24.520 I feel like the whole city is behind me. 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:26.920 Yeah, And what. 0:01:26.920 --> 0:01:28.600 Are those feelings where you say you know the city's 0:01:28.640 --> 0:01:31.520 behind you? Like, is that from Draft day where people 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:33.520 were there with you know, cheering you on. Like what 0:01:33.640 --> 0:01:35.920 makes you feel like, Yo, this city's really behind me 0:01:35.959 --> 0:01:37.040 and got my back through all of this. 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.280 Uh, you know, it's it's kind of always been there, man. 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:43.199 But you know, like you said, there's a couple people 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:46.600 who jumped on the bandwagon. Of course, you know, man, 0:01:46.640 --> 0:01:48.080 it's all love at the end of the day. 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:48.280 Man. 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:51.840 The support that you know my city had for me 0:01:52.000 --> 0:01:53.520 is you know, second to nine. 0:01:53.640 --> 0:01:53.840 Yeah. 0:01:53.880 --> 0:01:55.800 Man, And I've read that you've been playing football since 0:01:55.840 --> 0:01:58.440 you were five years old. And we talked before the 0:01:58.480 --> 0:02:01.480 show and you say it spen tackle since five years old. 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:05.120 What got you into football so young? Was just something 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:06.880 that you always had, like wasn't even a thought? 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:10.280 Uh? I don't know, man, I feel like just growing 0:02:10.360 --> 0:02:13.280 up like I've always had like older cousins, so you 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:15.720 just watching them play, and now you know when I 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:19.120 it was my turn, like I enjoyed playing. So I 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:21.960 just starting at five years old and all the way upuntil. 0:02:21.720 --> 0:02:24.519 Now, when was the moment where because starting at five, 0:02:24.560 --> 0:02:26.880 you're extreaming young, you're playing your whole life, so your 0:02:26.880 --> 0:02:29.360 memories could start right When was that moment where you 0:02:29.400 --> 0:02:31.760 were like, oh man, I'm nice at this, like this 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:33.239 could be my career path right here? 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:38.720 I probably feel like mile school, high school, just growing up, 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:43.280 you know, just watching the guys around me, and man, 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:45.160 just getting the opportunity to play at the next level. 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:47.519 I felt like that was like my okay moment, like 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:48.679 all right, like I can do this. 0:02:48.840 --> 0:02:49.280 Yeah. 0:02:49.320 --> 0:02:52.040 And do you feel like when you started noticing your 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:54.520 ability do you feel that the people around you scouts. 0:02:54.520 --> 0:02:55.120 I mean there's a lot that. 0:02:55.120 --> 0:02:57.320 Comes into football, especially even for middle school. You're Florida, Man, 0:02:57.360 --> 0:03:00.360 they scout y'all right away. Do you feel everybody else 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:03.040 knew what you were gonna be or did you figure 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:04.640 it out first and they kind of had to catch up? 0:03:05.000 --> 0:03:07.040 Nah, I would definitely say, like I feel like I 0:03:07.120 --> 0:03:08.120 figured it out first. 0:03:09.000 --> 0:03:09.200 You know. 0:03:09.280 --> 0:03:11.320 For me, like man, throughout my career has always been 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:14.240 like prove it. So like for me, it's all right 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:16.000 every time I step on the field out I just 0:03:16.000 --> 0:03:18.639 felt like I had to prove myself. Even to this day, 0:03:18.639 --> 0:03:21.680 it's like prove it. Yeah, I'm here, but prove it. 0:03:22.240 --> 0:03:25.079 So you know, I just go out there, man, and 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:27.839 and give them my all every play, every down, every 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:29.639 opportunity I get. I just try to make the most 0:03:29.639 --> 0:03:29.840 of it. 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:30.640 And you definitely do. 0:03:30.720 --> 0:03:33.120 Man, You definitely go out there and ball, and you 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:35.840 know you have a very close support system. Talk about 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:39.240 Javon and Desiree Martin, your parents, the people that have 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:42.120 been there for Jarvis. I'm sorry, my dad. Talk about 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:45.280 them and what they've meant to you in this journey. 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:46.800 Man, It's been everything. 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:47.080 Man. 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:50.200 Parents has been there since day one. You know, my 0:03:50.280 --> 0:03:53.480 dad has always been there taking me on runs, you know, 0:03:53.800 --> 0:03:57.119 growing up littlely having to lose weight. He's always been there, 0:03:57.160 --> 0:04:00.920 like helping me out. And it's been that voice for me, 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:04.160 like in my ear bad game, good game, always tell 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:06.800 me what I could do better, just constantly reminded me 0:04:06.840 --> 0:04:10.080 of who I am and you know how I came up. 0:04:10.160 --> 0:04:14.200 So just to have those just to have my parents 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:17.000 in my ear man, just constantly checking in and constantly 0:04:17.000 --> 0:04:19.279 reminded me of who I am on and off the field. 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:21.760 Yeah, And they're very vocal and support you man. They 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:23.159 come to a lot of your games, especially when you 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:26.280 played Illinois. You decided to go there out of Florida. 0:04:26.360 --> 0:04:29.000 What goes into that decision? Because I can't imagine looking 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:31.080 at Chicago and that winner and that col weather and 0:04:31.120 --> 0:04:33.279 you're like, you know what, I'm at least sunny Florida 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:35.320 to get to Illinois. Man, what made you make that decision? 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:35.719 Right? So? 0:04:35.760 --> 0:04:38.240 I mean that goes back to the whole like prove it. Yeah, 0:04:38.480 --> 0:04:41.880 It's like I was under recruited coming out of high school. 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:46.720 So Illinois was one of my biggest offers I had, Illinois, 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:48.640 Iowa State. It was like my two powers of school. 0:04:48.720 --> 0:04:52.280 So took a visit to Illinois. Committed on the visit. 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:55.200 At the time, Lovey Smith was the coach, like man 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:58.440 NFL minded coach. I get to play for love Smith, so, 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:01.400 you know, just committed on visit. That was my only visit. 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:01.960 I took. 0:05:03.279 --> 0:05:06.719 Recruit process down from there and you know, the rest 0:05:06.800 --> 0:05:07.240 is history. 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:10.120 It's so crazy you say you weren't like super highly recruited, 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:12.320 because yeah, a star athlete. 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:13.599 You weren't just a football player. 0:05:13.800 --> 0:05:15.680 You were a hooper too, Like you were actually a 0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:18.680 pretty dark, good hooper. What made you decide to say, 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:20.479 you know what, I'm gonna go to the football route 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:21.200 seat of the hoop truck. 0:05:21.960 --> 0:05:25.159 I mean, football has always been my number one. I 0:05:25.160 --> 0:05:27.919 got an older brother, so he played basketball, so I 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:29.240 was kind of in it because he was in it. 0:05:29.720 --> 0:05:31.720 Okay after a while, okay, like I could do this 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:33.560 a little bit. So man, I was just out that 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:36.320 hooping man balling. But football has always been my number one, 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:37.840 and you know, I always knew that was the rite 0:05:37.839 --> 0:05:38.480 I wanted to take. 0:05:38.800 --> 0:05:41.320 It's funny because we had jameson Crowded on the show 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:44.480 not too long ago, and he's a hooper as well. Right, 0:05:44.880 --> 0:05:46.880 he told this story about hooping that duke like against 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:49.039 Kyrie IRV and all that during his visit and I 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:51.000 asked him, I said, Yo, who's the colder hooper on 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:53.280 the team. Now, I don't know you are rookie, so 0:05:53.279 --> 0:05:54.760 I don't know if you really gotta know hoop and 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:56.960 be like that. But would you say you're the coldest hooper. 0:05:56.720 --> 0:05:57.240 On the team. 0:05:57.360 --> 0:06:01.640 I mean, yeah, somebody else cruising prove me otherwise, man, 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.880 But you know, and my I definitely feel like I'm the. 0:06:04.839 --> 0:06:07.760 Co And you know, man, we talk about your athletic 0:06:07.760 --> 0:06:11.919 ability and your prove it mentality. Finished school illinoiing you 0:06:12.000 --> 0:06:13.920 go to the combine and you really turn a lot 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:14.360 of heads. 0:06:14.720 --> 0:06:17.200 We have some big, big numbers. Never been in a 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:19.440 situation like that the combine. All eyes are on you, 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:20.720 you're trying to prove it. 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:23.200 What was that moment like in going through that process 0:06:23.200 --> 0:06:24.599 of the combine and getting drafted? 0:06:25.040 --> 0:06:27.479 Uh, Like I said, man, it just goes back to 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:31.000 that whole like proving mindset. You know a lot of 0:06:31.000 --> 0:06:33.760 people like going into the combas like are you nervous? 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:36.400 Like how are you feeling? And for me, it was like, man, like, 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:38.960 this is my opportunity to really just show the world 0:06:39.080 --> 0:06:41.600 like the athlete I am, and like what I'm capable of. 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:44.239 So it wasn't like a whole lot of like nerves 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:46.719 going into it. It was more like, let me show 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:50.880 these people, like, let me show everybody that I belong here. 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:53.840 So I mean, I always knew that I could jump high, 0:06:53.839 --> 0:06:56.400 I run fast, So like all the tests and stuff, 0:06:56.440 --> 0:06:58.680 it was like I knew I was gonna blow that 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:01.359 out of the water. So it's like I knew, like 0:07:01.400 --> 0:07:03.919 my numbers was gonna be good. So you know, I 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:06.159 just went out there, man, and did what I always 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:09.600 could do, honestly, so you know, and that got me here. 0:07:09.800 --> 0:07:12.360 And it's obviously you have supreme confidence in yourself. I 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:14.440 can just tell by talking to you. Where's that confidence 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:15.040 come from? 0:07:15.240 --> 0:07:20.160 Man, I feel like it comes from like I don't know. 0:07:20.560 --> 0:07:22.440 I feel like my motivation is kind of weird the 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:24.840 way I look at it. It's more so like I 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:29.120 don't know, I'm always motivated by being overlooked or you know, 0:07:29.200 --> 0:07:31.440 like people doubting me. Like that's where like part of 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:33.840 my motivation comes from. So that's when I say, like 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:36.840 the whole proven thing is like like, man, like, this 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:39.400 person don't believe me. That person don't believe in me. 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:41.720 They don't believe me, Let me go prove it. Let 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:43.960 me go show them like I belong here and I'm 0:07:43.960 --> 0:07:47.120 capable of, you know, playing at a high level. So 0:07:47.840 --> 0:07:49.880 I feel like that's that's where that confidence come from. 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:53.160 And just believing in yourself, man, like knowing your capability, 0:07:53.240 --> 0:07:55.480 knowing what you're capable of and you know, and going 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:57.240 out and showing it to the fullest. 0:07:56.880 --> 0:07:59.880 And clearly believing yourself worked. Man, you made it draft 0:08:00.120 --> 0:08:02.960 night with your family. You didn't go to the draft 0:08:03.000 --> 0:08:04.920 you were think of Airbnb or something like that with 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:07.240 like your whole family. They got the shirts on, they're 0:08:07.280 --> 0:08:10.000 representing you. Take us to that moment, right, This is 0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:11.920 a moment you dreamed of your whole life since you were. 0:08:11.840 --> 0:08:13.080 Five years old, even playing. 0:08:13.160 --> 0:08:15.360 Right, take us back to that moment being around your 0:08:15.360 --> 0:08:18.440 family and what was going through your mom before you got. 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:19.920 The call from the commanders during all that time. 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:22.920 So it was a lot man, Like I said, it 0:08:23.000 --> 0:08:26.280 was at an Airbnb, so we had my mom wanted 0:08:26.280 --> 0:08:28.160 to do a lot of like setting up, putting. 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:30.480 Up it looked nice, it making it look nice. 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:33.800 So you know, we got the shirts made and all 0:08:33.840 --> 0:08:37.120 that stuff. So I mean that whole day was like, Oh, 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:40.200 I was kind of like pretty calm really, So I 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:42.640 was like, you know, if it's meant to happen, it's 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:46.320 gonna happen, and whether it's tonight, the next day, or 0:08:46.520 --> 0:08:49.000 you know, whether there's a phone call later, so just 0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:52.520 you know, being in that position, it was like just 0:08:52.559 --> 0:08:55.880 like living in that moment for me. So man, I 0:08:55.960 --> 0:08:58.280 just sat there, we waited, We watched the guys names 0:08:58.320 --> 0:09:01.559 you call, we watched the picks go by, and then 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:05.440 my phone rang. Yeah, like before, like my phone rangs, 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:09.079 like everybody's talking, everybody's loud, So the phone rang. So 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:11.760 I'm kind of trying to get everybody to quiet down 0:09:11.800 --> 0:09:14.080 a little bit because it's a party party right now, 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:16.760 So I'm trying to get everybody to quiet down a 0:09:16.760 --> 0:09:19.240 little bit, and man, I just pick up the call 0:09:20.120 --> 0:09:22.640 and uh man, it was like a dream come true, 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:25.800 like a relief. Yeah. So it was awesome. 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:26.000 Man. 0:09:26.200 --> 0:09:29.000 Did you have any expectation or like thought that the 0:09:29.040 --> 0:09:31.440 commanders would be picking you and calling you around that time? 0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:33.880 Oh? Yeah, they were definitely like one of the teams. 0:09:33.920 --> 0:09:37.560 So I'm like Okay, it's around that time, like, you know, 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:40.400 just get ready for a call. So I mean, like 0:09:40.440 --> 0:09:43.199 I said before, like I took a visit here and uh, 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:45.440 you know we talked, talked to the coaching stuff. You know, 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:49.040 I enjoyed it. I felt like they enjoyed having me here. Yeah, 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:51.960 like I said, like there was one of the teams 0:09:51.960 --> 0:09:53.760 where it was like okay, like I could possibly go there. 0:09:53.800 --> 0:09:56.319 So I mean I was I was on high alert. Yeah, 0:09:56.480 --> 0:09:58.360 when the pick came around. 0:09:58.600 --> 0:10:00.800 You have this moment, like you said, you felt a relief, 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:03.520 but you know, the camera cuts off after you get 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:05.000 off the phone to make your phone call. Because I'm 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:07.480 not sure you had moments with your family. Who was 0:10:07.520 --> 0:10:11.480 that first person in that airbnb that you embraced after 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:12.120 that phone call. 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:15.840 It's probably both my parents. I think I have a 0:10:15.840 --> 0:10:18.040 picture of me hugging them at the same time, and 0:10:18.080 --> 0:10:19.719 one was on the left, one was on the right. Man, 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:22.120 it was just like I just stood up and just 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:24.400 just hug both of them at the same time. It 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:25.000 was awesome. 0:10:25.640 --> 0:10:28.880 And knowing those kind of moments, it's almost like like 0:10:28.920 --> 0:10:31.040 you just blackout sometimes in those kind of moments, you 0:10:31.080 --> 0:10:33.600 don't really understand what's going on at the time. Do 0:10:33.640 --> 0:10:36.080 you remember what your parents said to you in that 0:10:36.120 --> 0:10:37.760 moment when they're embracing you, when they hugging, Do you 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:38.680 remember what they said you? 0:10:38.760 --> 0:10:44.440 No, I don't ever remember. Man. I just knew my 0:10:44.559 --> 0:10:46.360 dad he was all he could do is scream and 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:49.600 yell man out of excitement. So, I mean that was 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:53.440 just awesome. Really, that's all everybody did, man, just scream, yell. 0:10:53.520 --> 0:10:56.040 It was excited for me. And uh just had that 0:10:56.120 --> 0:10:59.760 support man, that that family and just just to be 0:10:59.800 --> 0:11:02.120 able to feel that and just feel the support around 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:02.800 me in that moment. 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:04.319 Yeah, And a lot of times in those moments you said, 0:11:04.320 --> 0:11:06.440 there's noise going on, there's all these people around, and 0:11:06.480 --> 0:11:08.800 you were man. So you know, you can't always necessarily 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:10.680 show all the emotion and feeling you want to feel. 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:13.160 Or sometimes when you're alone, you have those moments where 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:15.680 you're like, dang, this really just happened. When did it 0:11:15.800 --> 0:11:18.840 hit you that you were going to be an NFL player? 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:21.520 Like was it immediately in that phone call or did it. 0:11:21.440 --> 0:11:23.240 Take a minute? You have to sit down and be like, dang, 0:11:23.559 --> 0:11:24.079 I did it? 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.800 Yeah, I would say like in that phone call, it 0:11:27.840 --> 0:11:29.640 was like Okay, like, you know, this is real, like 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:33.520 it's happening. But I would say that like that next day, man, 0:11:33.600 --> 0:11:35.560 you know when I woke up and everything was kind 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:39.319 of not overwhet, but it has set already, Like it 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:41.960 settled down a little bit so man, Like I could 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:45.800 just see like all the people on Instagram like tagging me, 0:11:45.960 --> 0:11:47.840 you know, all the people reaching out, So I'm like, man, 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:50.800 this is real. So it was just a great feeling. 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:51.520 Yeah, man. 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:53.520 And then you make it here, right, you make it, 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:56.199 You start training camp, you go through your first preseason. 0:11:56.840 --> 0:12:00.480 What surprised you about that entire process of being rookie, 0:12:00.480 --> 0:12:02.840 coming into a new place, moving to Virginia. 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:05.199 Did anything surprise you in any of those moments? 0:12:08.080 --> 0:12:10.760 Not a whole lot, man. Honestly, I would say, like, 0:12:11.240 --> 0:12:13.560 you know, me moving from Florida to Illinois, like being 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:17.120 on my own, it was like, okay, like this is life, 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:19.520 Like this is what I signed up for. Like, so 0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:26.679 it wasn't like a whole big surprise. Yeah, honestly, I 0:12:26.679 --> 0:12:28.040 don't feel like I had any surprise. 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:28.600 Really. 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:31.200 Did it help having another because you know, Emanuel Forbes 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:33.079 got drafted, You guys are drafted right next to each other. 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:36.400 Both young defensive backs. Did it help having other young. 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:38.000 Defensive backs with you kind of going through the same 0:12:38.000 --> 0:12:38.800 things you were going through? 0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:39.520 Yeah for sure. 0:12:39.600 --> 0:12:39.760 Man. 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:44.200 Like we both got drafted pretty high, so you know, 0:12:44.320 --> 0:12:46.360 it was a big expectation for the both of us. 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:48.440 So you know, we kind of sat down and talked 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:51.679 about that, had conversations about, like, you know, just us 0:12:51.679 --> 0:12:53.640 getting an opportunity and you know what that could be 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:55.160 like for the both of us coming in at the 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:57.960 same time. So just being able to you know, have 0:12:58.080 --> 0:13:00.320 somebody to talk to going through the same thing going 0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:02.800 through was just able to relate to each other. 0:13:03.000 --> 0:13:05.040 Yeah, And it's not just a young room. 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:08.080 You also have a couple of vets, somebody like Kendall Fuller, 0:13:08.360 --> 0:13:10.560 who you know has earned his stripes in the NFL. 0:13:10.880 --> 0:13:12.480 What is it like playing with a guy like that. 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:13.840 And learning from a guy like that and have you 0:13:13.880 --> 0:13:16.120 been able to ask him questions and pick his brain? 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:18.200 Yeah? Man, it's great man, just to have you know, 0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:20.720 a vet guy in the room. Like you said, he 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:22.800 earned his stripes in the NFL, So just to be 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:26.000 just to be able to play alongside him, man, it's awesome. 0:13:26.080 --> 0:13:29.200 You know, savvy guy. You know, he knows what to expect, 0:13:29.240 --> 0:13:31.520 so just kind of giving me a little pointers and 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:33.080 things to add to my game. 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:36.719 Yeah, and then clearly whatever forness he's been giving you, 0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:39.920 he's been working, man. Because you got your first NFL 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:44.200 regular season interception, man, last Sunday, big big moment. 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:46.760 Take us to that moment, Man, Take. 0:13:46.640 --> 0:13:48.720 Us through what happened on that play, and then also 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:50.960 how you felt being able to make a play like that. 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:55.959 Man, it was great, you know, coach, obviously we got 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:58.480 to get the call from the solid first for sure, 0:13:58.840 --> 0:14:00.719 just being able to get lied up, man just kind 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:02.600 of read the offense and you know, kind of just 0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:05.840 understand where like they were trying to attack us at 0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:09.199 and in that time and that that that two minute 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:11.400 situation ship. You know, at first it was kind of 0:14:11.440 --> 0:14:13.920 hinted on the sideline sideline trying to get out of bounce, 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:16.200 but uh, you know, after a while, they just started 0:14:16.240 --> 0:14:19.000 hitting the ball like right up the middle. I'm like, okay, 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:20.720 I'm gonna slow down a little bit, slow down to 0:14:20.720 --> 0:14:22.640 my pedal and just be able to like trigger and 0:14:22.680 --> 0:14:26.040 react and man, kenill fully just had great coverage on 0:14:26.080 --> 0:14:28.560 the play, just force a tough catch and you know, 0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:32.120 I've always been the guy who always runs to the ball, man, 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:35.680 Like you never know what could happen, So just running 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:38.160 to the ball, just breaking on the ball and just 0:14:38.320 --> 0:14:40.800 not knowing what the outcome would be, but just knowing that, 0:14:40.840 --> 0:14:42.680 you know, I was, I was hustling to get that. Yeah. 0:14:43.120 --> 0:14:46.600 Seeing the ball pop up, man, I did everything I 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:49.000 could to catch it. I knew that was a moment 0:14:49.040 --> 0:14:50.720 that would, you know, steal the game for us. 0:14:50.800 --> 0:14:51.479 Yeah. 0:14:51.600 --> 0:14:53.520 Man, I feel like it really just hit me when 0:14:53.560 --> 0:14:55.560 I all the guys just kind of like grabbed me 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:58.040 up off the off the turf, and I was like, man, 0:14:58.080 --> 0:14:58.720 I got the ball. 0:14:59.440 --> 0:15:00.000 So cool. 0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:03.640 Yeah, you talk about your confidence and like clearly very 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:06.880 very confident man. But you know we're halfway through the season. 0:15:06.920 --> 0:15:09.880 That was your first interceptions. Their sign of relief there 0:15:09.880 --> 0:15:11.840 when you get that first one where you're just like 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:14.960 I'm here, I'm established, or it's just business as usual. 0:15:15.040 --> 0:15:19.480 Man, it's definitely business man. You know, just wait for 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:21.920 that next one. Just keep it rolling, man. You know, 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:24.600 it only takes one to get the thing started. So 0:15:25.440 --> 0:15:28.120 just being in the right position, hustling to the ball 0:15:28.200 --> 0:15:30.960 and things like that definitely helped. 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:32.800 Yeah, and you mentioned slowing down. 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:35.480 Everybody talks about the transition from the NFL to college 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:37.160 is how much faster it is. 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:39.200 Did you notice how much faster it is? 0:15:39.200 --> 0:15:40.840 And now that you're halfway through the season, have you 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:43.280 felt like you've kind of caught up to that pace. 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:46.080 Yeah, I mean it's definitely a faster pace, man, And 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.920 I kind of learned that in preseason. Just going through 0:15:49.960 --> 0:15:51.880 the preseason I feel like helped me a whole lot. Man. 0:15:51.960 --> 0:15:54.880 But you know, as I've been working then these past 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:57.960 couple of weeks, and the defense is like, okay, Like 0:15:58.040 --> 0:16:01.280 I'm able to see different things weekend and week out, 0:16:01.840 --> 0:16:05.360 and you know, just being able to digest offenses, man, 0:16:05.400 --> 0:16:07.320 and just knowing how they're trying to attack us in 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:08.320 certain situations. 0:16:08.960 --> 0:16:11.680 What has been the hardest thing about justin to being 0:16:11.720 --> 0:16:14.200 an NFL player? Like that adjustment you've made to be 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:15.960 an NFL player has been the most difficult thing. 0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:20.120 I got a lot of bills, man. 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:23.320 The more money that comes in the morning come out. 0:16:23.240 --> 0:16:28.920 Right, yeah, man, But nah, I'm just messing up. Man. 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:32.000 I feel like the attention of detail, man, everybody in 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:34.680 this league is great. You know, everybody's here for a reason, 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:37.240 and uh, you know, that's why everybody get paid, man. 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:39.760 So just being able to pay attention to the small 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:43.200 details and just pick up on the things that you know, 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:47.920