Speaker 1: Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. Things
Speaker 1: have been super quiet around the practice facility here in
Speaker 1: Ashburn as the players are all gone, the coaches are
Speaker 1: all gone, but they'll be back before we know when
Speaker 1: OTAs pick up again. Now until them, well, we have
Speaker 1: memories of the season that was to keep us company. Now.
Speaker 1: One of those memories came in the first game of
Speaker 1: the season when Washington played its first regular season game
Speaker 1: as the Commanders. It was a close matchup with the
Speaker 1: Jacks won. The Commanders won twenty eight to twenty two,
Speaker 1: and six of those points came via a touchdown reception
Speaker 1: from Curtis Samuel. Pretty cool moment to be a part
Speaker 1: of and something Curtis discussed when he joined London Fletcher
Speaker 1: and Santana Moss and the Players Club after locker clean
Speaker 1: out here it is thanks for joining us again, man,
Speaker 1: before you wait out to do I know everybody go,
Speaker 1: you know, to get to the postseason and get to
Speaker 1: the big dance. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance that
Speaker 1: How you feel as a seva, how you feel that
Speaker 1: you guys in your room responding this year with all
Speaker 1: the different musical chairs, with the quarterbacks, and everything like that. Um,
Speaker 1: I feel like we did a great job. We didn't
Speaker 1: really one thing. I like that. We didn't really do
Speaker 1: it Like we didn't really focus on pay attention too
Speaker 1: much of Oh who was at quarterback? You know what
Speaker 1: I'm saying. Focus on our job as a receiver, just
Speaker 1: to get open, No, no matter who's out there. We
Speaker 1: got to make the job easier on the quarterbacks. You know,
Speaker 1: try to win, try to win out one on one
Speaker 1: matchups and give our quarterback the best chance I possible
Speaker 1: to complete the ball for you. M sixty four receps
Speaker 1: and second on the team in receptions. Was that? Uh? No?
Speaker 1: After last year and you know, not being healthy, you
Speaker 1: go through the season, play the full season. How did
Speaker 1: it feel to be able to show show DC and
Speaker 1: show this area what you were what you were capable
Speaker 1: of doing. Oh, that was very important for me. I
Speaker 1: feel like that was one of the things last year.
Speaker 1: I want to play so bad. It's just one of
Speaker 1: those things like they brought me here to you know,
Speaker 1: play and to be out there and you know, make plays.
Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. I come to be out there.
Speaker 1: So that was kind of frustrating. So they you know,
Speaker 1: I take the all season hard. I pushed myself to
Speaker 1: limits that I ain't even know I could do certain things. Honestly,
Speaker 1: like I'm like, I can't. I don't want no surprises
Speaker 1: during the season. I want to know that I can cut,
Speaker 1: I can plan, I can stop on a dime after
Speaker 1: running full speed and be able to do it the
Speaker 1: next day. So, you know, being out there, being being
Speaker 1: able to be out there this year and make an impact,
Speaker 1: you know, that's exciting for me. Speaking of how you
Speaker 1: attack the off season last year, Um, what are your
Speaker 1: off season plans do you? Are you one of the
Speaker 1: guys that take a little time, get a little you know,
Speaker 1: get away from the game a little bit, or are
Speaker 1: you one of those guys say, hey, man, you know
Speaker 1: at the week or so, I got to get back
Speaker 1: out there in the gym. Oh No, I definitely take
Speaker 1: some time. I know me more importantly, I know, as
Speaker 1: I say this all the time, as long as I'm available,
Speaker 1: I know them and make something happen. You know. My
Speaker 1: main goal each and every all seasons is to be healthy,
Speaker 1: get my body that time to rest and and then
Speaker 1: start training. You mentioned that on the first time you
Speaker 1: came on Players Club in college, you and Terry went
Speaker 1: fishing this uh this salt season. Any any players to
Speaker 1: go fishing? We're not We're not listen here here here
Speaker 1: be out. The reason I asked that is because I've
Speaker 1: only been fishing like once or twice. We call one fish.
Speaker 1: We're gonna bring the players club ta and I be
Speaker 1: you a tear. We're gonna go fishing. I ain't getting
Speaker 1: I ain't get on the boat. I ain't getting on
Speaker 1: the fishing. I don't like we can do that. Let me,
Speaker 1: let me be on the dock. Just give me the wan.
Speaker 1: Want to go on the boat at all? Not at all.
Speaker 1: Not I I said the same thing, like you could swim,
Speaker 1: but can't you like that's different. I don't even I
Speaker 1: don't even like the beach. Yeah, I'll be honest, I
Speaker 1: don't like the beach. You like the pool? Yeah, I'm
Speaker 1: pool guy. You ain't wrong. You know I lived on
Speaker 1: the water at one time and I used to go
Speaker 1: out there with my jet skis, and I should be like, bro,
Speaker 1: you know what, it's just all just for the looks,
Speaker 1: because it ain't. I don't like this open seat listen
Speaker 1: stuff down there. I don't want to see so come on,
Speaker 1: I ain't at when you think about this season, the
Speaker 1: abbs and flow of it. This last question for me,
Speaker 1: what are you going to remember most about this year?
Speaker 1: That's tough, h Honestly, first game of the season, I
Speaker 1: feel like that was just one of those statement games
Speaker 1: for me, um mentally, you know, for me and for
Speaker 1: other people. You know, I was able to go out there,
Speaker 1: you know, score the first touchdown Commander's history, after dealing
Speaker 1: what I dealt dealt with last year. Um able to
Speaker 1: catch the ball in space, made guys miss show the crowd,
Speaker 1: get them hyped. I remember how crazy the crowd was
Speaker 1: going when I was out there doing all those moves,
Speaker 1: and I just felt the energy and the excitement, you
Speaker 1: know that that the fans had for that first game
Speaker 1: of the season, and I really felt like I was back.
Speaker 1: So that's a moment that I would never forget. And
Speaker 1: speaking of that moment, and you know, like I said, Wenna,
Speaker 1: let you get up out of here, that's something that
Speaker 1: we want to see more of. I mean, I understand
Speaker 1: that this group, the receiver corps, had a productive season,
Speaker 1: but when the talent like you guys have, you know,
Speaker 1: even though you had sixty four catches. That's cool, but
Speaker 1: I see I feel like we left a lot out
Speaker 1: there with you about talking about everybody in general, with you,
Speaker 1: it was more than what we can I'm okay with
Speaker 1: that gadget stuff. I'm cool with that. No, you can
Speaker 1: do it because you played the back position. But I
Speaker 1: think as a receiver, you a mismatched waiting to happen,
Speaker 1: and I feel like it's a lot more we haven't
Speaker 1: stored you. So I'm just saying this on your way out,
Speaker 1: and I'm hoping and I'm looking forward to us expanding
Speaker 1: your role. I'm seeing you with more yards and more
Speaker 1: touchdowns and more touches because I feel like we left
Speaker 1: a lot out there, and you know, um, we can
Speaker 1: be that much more potent as a receiver, corp and
Speaker 1: as an offense if we really allow you guys to flourish. Absolutely. Um,
Speaker 1: I definitely agree with you on that one. Um how
Speaker 1: I how I UM attack that Mentally, it's just saying
Speaker 1: I gotta attack the season hard. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1: I gotta I gotta be in the best shape. I
Speaker 1: gotta become the best receiver I could possibly be. Because
Speaker 1: once as soon as OTA's hit and I got out
Speaker 1: and showed them and do those things consistently. You know,
Speaker 1: I'm not saying I haven't, but just keep on doing
Speaker 1: it over and over again. We'll build the trust within
Speaker 1: the coaches. And you know it's to say, hey, let's
Speaker 1: get this guy the ball. So that's how on my part,
Speaker 1: that's how I affect that. You know, I can't control um,
Speaker 1: the play calling, whoever get the ball, you know, but
Speaker 1: all I can do is just, um, go out there,
Speaker 1: you know, keep improving and show the coaches that I'm
Speaker 1: that I'm here and that I want the ball and
Speaker 1: um that I'm make something happen when I touched the ball.
Speaker 1: Appreciate thank you for all your news and analysis. For
Speaker 1: sure to tune into Command Center weeknights at five and
Speaker 1: ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. You can also stream
Speaker 1: on YouTube and commanders dot com.