WEBVTT - Matt Forté Conference Call (3.14.2016)

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, Ma, what was appealing to you about the Jet situation? Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I had a few interests from other teams,

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<v Speaker 1>with the Jets for the strongest interest, and uh throughout

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<v Speaker 1>the whole process. And also, um, you know, just didn't

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<v Speaker 1>be able to be comfortable on a new team in

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<v Speaker 1>the new locker room and having some forma teammates stand

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<v Speaker 1>that I know and Southern Davis and Brandon Marshall, and

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<v Speaker 1>also just the dynamic of the team, you know, I

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<v Speaker 1>know last year they had a really good defense and

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<v Speaker 1>uh with a consistent offense and I know if it's

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<v Speaker 1>a patcheck will be a big part of that too,

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<v Speaker 1>and getting him back with the chemistry him, Brandon and

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<v Speaker 1>the receivers had together, and also the running game was

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<v Speaker 1>to be part of that too. So um, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>just need I envisaged myself in this offense with this

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<v Speaker 1>team and having you know, great defense, they're running the

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<v Speaker 1>ball and being able to you know, throw the balls

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<v Speaker 1>to the big receivers outside. I felt like it would

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<v Speaker 1>be a good ship for me. Matt, How do you

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<v Speaker 1>how do you feel physically and how many years do

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<v Speaker 1>you think you have left in your basting? How you feeling?

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<v Speaker 1>I don't normally, you know, I think about how many

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<v Speaker 1>years left. I just keep playing, you know, year the year.

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<v Speaker 1>But physically I feel really good. You know. Last year

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<v Speaker 1>was the leaf of minor carries I had in the season. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I had an injury where I missed three games,

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<v Speaker 1>But I had that same injury four years by and

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<v Speaker 1>missed four games. So you know, being four years older

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<v Speaker 1>and missing one less game kind of just to my

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<v Speaker 1>rehab and and my dedication and you know, being healthy

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<v Speaker 1>and trying to stay on the field. So um, I

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<v Speaker 1>was able to do that. And uh, like I said,

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't have a whole ton of carries this year,

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<v Speaker 1>um to where when I came back off my injury,

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<v Speaker 1>I was kind of splitting time and so um, you

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<v Speaker 1>know I was a Beard decision, that's what they wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to do. So I feel really healthy. You know. Actually

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<v Speaker 1>after the season, I took off um you know probably

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<v Speaker 1>you know, three weeks, and I was feeling really good

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<v Speaker 1>after those two weeks, and you as, it kind of

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<v Speaker 1>takes almost you know, almost two months to really feel

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<v Speaker 1>good after the season. So feeling healthier earlier after the

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<v Speaker 1>season this year, So I'm excited about coming out to

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<v Speaker 1>the Jets and the new team and getting ready to

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<v Speaker 1>go to work. Were you blindsided by by the Bear's

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<v Speaker 1>decision at all that? Um? Not really blindsided, but you know,

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<v Speaker 1>surprised that I didn't receive an offer at least, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>from them. I figured it would at least offer me, um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, some mid to low range of the free

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<v Speaker 1>agent market and Uh, but for them to tell me that,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, they don't want you back, it's always kind

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<v Speaker 1>of a hard field to swallow because you think that's

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<v Speaker 1>where you've been the whole time and that's where I

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<v Speaker 1>was drafted there. So but you know, yeah, you roll

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<v Speaker 1>with the punches that said decision, and you know, you

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<v Speaker 1>move on. Mat Did Brandon uh get involved in any recruiting.

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<v Speaker 1>Did he'd tried to looby you to come to the Jets? Uh?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean some somewhat, not like heavily like uh you

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<v Speaker 1>would think, but actually a couple of weeks ago we

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<v Speaker 1>were in the same place and then were at a

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<v Speaker 1>conference for pro athletes UM Outreach, and we were at

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<v Speaker 1>the Shame conference, and you know, he was kind of

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<v Speaker 1>asking me who was talking to me and stuff like that,

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<v Speaker 1>or who you think I thought was gonna be talking

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<v Speaker 1>to me, and so you know, he gave me the

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<v Speaker 1>whole rundown of the team and you know why I

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<v Speaker 1>would be a good fit and all that stuff, and um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, at that time, I really didn't think that

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<v Speaker 1>the Jets actually would be the front runner. But you know,

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<v Speaker 1>as it got closer and closer, Um, I started thinking

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<v Speaker 1>about how it would actually be a good fit and

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<v Speaker 1>uh and how you know they were you know, talking

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<v Speaker 1>to my agent went free, agencies came, and uh, it

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<v Speaker 1>was just it ends up being, you know, the perfect

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<v Speaker 1>ship for me. Not last summer you seem to kind

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<v Speaker 1>of take a little bit of offense just Brandon. It's

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<v Speaker 1>just mother bears and Jay. You had mentioned, you know

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<v Speaker 1>that Brandon didn't necessarily do a great job of holding

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<v Speaker 1>himself accountable. What is their tension there between you guys?

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<v Speaker 1>Could you kind of flush out just that? And I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know how big of a deal that wasn't. Me

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<v Speaker 1>and Brandon, we we uh, we hold each other accountable

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<v Speaker 1>and you know he even uh when we're not on

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<v Speaker 1>the same team, we do the same thing because we're

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<v Speaker 1>friends off the field and not just in a locker room.

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<v Speaker 1>So um, you know, it may sound harsh when you

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<v Speaker 1>were talking to each other over the knee and things

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<v Speaker 1>may get twisted. But we spoke to each other on

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<v Speaker 1>the phone, you know after that and hashed everything I

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<v Speaker 1>was just saying to each other. You know, when Brandon

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<v Speaker 1>was with us at the Bears, you know, there was

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<v Speaker 1>some things that were going on. I think Brandon was

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<v Speaker 1>obviously he said it too on the media that he

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<v Speaker 1>was a little bitter that you know, he got treated

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<v Speaker 1>from Chicago. He wanted to stay there, and you know

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<v Speaker 1>we talked about it and uh, you know, it results everything,

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<v Speaker 1>but there was no really lingering issues or anything that.

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<v Speaker 1>You know. We always like that. You know, if I'm

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<v Speaker 1>at practice and he sees me do something, He's gonna

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<v Speaker 1>hold me accountable, and the same thing with me, you know, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>not only at practice, but in everyday life. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna hold him accountable and he's gonna hold me accountable.

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<v Speaker 1>So we we, uh, you know, try to do that

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<v Speaker 1>for each other, not only as as players, but um

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<v Speaker 1>as friends. And that's the best kind of friendship you

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<v Speaker 1>can have, is to be transparent with each other and

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<v Speaker 1>and be honest so that everything's out on the table. Matt,

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<v Speaker 1>he said, you are a little supplied. The Jets where

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<v Speaker 1>the front runner, um one other which other teams were

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<v Speaker 1>interested in? You a lot of teams, um, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>Tempball Bay was, um, the Cowboys were and then they

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<v Speaker 1>fell off a little bit. But um, uh the pictures,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, minor interests in Green Bay. Minor interests, Matt,

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<v Speaker 1>if you've been given an indication from the coaches what

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<v Speaker 1>your role. I d with blah and and Carrie now

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<v Speaker 1>in the backfield together, Uh not as of yet. I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't really talk to him besides, um, you know originally

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<v Speaker 1>when we you know, they see me as in every

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<v Speaker 1>down back. So that's what we talked about, and I

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<v Speaker 1>left it at that. I didn't really you know, speaking

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<v Speaker 1>pushing to him like, hey, what am I gonna be doing?

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<v Speaker 1>And you know in this part, in this part of

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<v Speaker 1>the offense, so um, that will be more doing O

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<v Speaker 1>T A S and stuff where and I'll get a

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<v Speaker 1>feel for the role. M man. Who are you hoping

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<v Speaker 1>will be the Jets quarterback this year? Well, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>based off for lascious production. And you know Brandon has

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<v Speaker 1>talked about the chemistry that he's built with Line, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>so I would expect and you know, I hope it

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<v Speaker 1>would be him just you know, to build off of

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<v Speaker 1>what they built they had last year. Is there any

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<v Speaker 1>appreciation about signing with the team when you when they're

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<v Speaker 1>starting quarterback is like in free agent limbo right now? Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>there is, you know. Um, but you know, I also

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<v Speaker 1>thought that much about the organization and the team dynamic

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<v Speaker 1>right now that you know, with the defense, um that

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<v Speaker 1>we have and um, how they ran the ball last year,

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<v Speaker 1>that I felt like, um, it would be with me

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<v Speaker 1>signing and and everybody else being in place, that would

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<v Speaker 1>be really enticing for him to come back as well

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<v Speaker 1>and continue to build on what what he built last year. So, um,

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<v Speaker 1>it is. It is a major decision, but um, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought about that and I took that