1
00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,880
Speaker 1: T J. First of all, congratulations. How do you go

2
00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:06,400
Speaker 1: about telling your family members, your fiance, just the people

3
00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:11,000
Speaker 1: you love when something this huge happens. It's it's fun

4
00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:13,440
Speaker 1: because I know a little bit before everybody else, obviously,

5
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,560
Speaker 1: So I called my fiance and told her, and um

6
00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,480
Speaker 1: just had a nice special moment with her, obviously, and

7
00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,640
Speaker 1: with everybody else. I texted my parents and then uh,

8
00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,000
Speaker 1: text your parents. I texted my parents, and I gave

9
00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,800
Speaker 1: him a call when it was like officially official. And

10
00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:30,360
Speaker 1: then with my brothers and my friends in my group chat,

11
00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,880
Speaker 1: I sent them just like gifts and like coming soon,

12
00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:35,919
Speaker 1: you know, and then just to kind of like throw

13
00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,320
Speaker 1: a teaser at him and then wait, made them wait

14
00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,920
Speaker 1: for the news to break. So I had a little

15
00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,920
Speaker 1: bit of fun with it. What's the best reaction, whether

16
00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:45,839
Speaker 1: it was in your group chat or just from a

17
00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,640
Speaker 1: teammate to the news that it's finally done and like

18
00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:50,839
Speaker 1: you said, you can focus on football. That's been the

19
00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,400
Speaker 1: overwhelming thing to me is how many people are just

20
00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,600
Speaker 1: so genuinely happy for me, And like I said in

21
00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,080
Speaker 1: the press conference, it's it's really made me take a

22
00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,760
Speaker 1: step back and appreciate everybody in this building and everybody

23
00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,640
Speaker 1: in my life who has cared about me this whole way,

24
00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:09,720
Speaker 1: and not just me the football player, but me as

25
00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,800
Speaker 1: a person, and um, everybody knows. It hasn't been the

26
00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,560
Speaker 1: easiest last month and a half for me. And I

27
00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:17,720
Speaker 1: don't want to get on a soapbox after signing a

28
00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:19,800
Speaker 1: deal like this. I understand it's a it's a good

29
00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,800
Speaker 1: problem to have, um, but it's tough when I watched

30
00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,560
Speaker 1: my teammates go through practice and I'm not out there

31
00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,959
Speaker 1: with them. So I just have to say thank you

32
00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,039
Speaker 1: to those guys so much and all the coaches and

33
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,399
Speaker 1: everybody who has supported me throughout this process. And now

34
00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,400
Speaker 1: the greatest thing I can do is go out there

35
00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,040
Speaker 1: and this season and play my absolute heart out for them.

36
00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:40,440
Speaker 1: Did you know that Ben and Cam were going to

37
00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,080
Speaker 1: publicly probably tell you what you knew behind closed doors.

38
00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,840
Speaker 1: I had no idea, and that that really came as

39
00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,560
Speaker 1: a shot to me. And that's a big step, in

40
00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,320
Speaker 1: a big move by those guys to make and I

41
00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:54,640
Speaker 1: did not expect that, and it's not like I went

42
00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:55,960
Speaker 1: up to them and told him to do that. That's

43
00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,760
Speaker 1: why I was so special and UM, just so thankful

44
00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,680
Speaker 1: for those guys to voice their opinions on a public

45
00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,320
Speaker 1: stage like that meant a lot to me. You were

46
00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,560
Speaker 1: posting some things on Instagram. Where those clues were you

47
00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:09,880
Speaker 1: having fun with the fans and media or what was

48
00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:12,360
Speaker 1: especially that lie in one? I was having fun. I

49
00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,440
Speaker 1: was just having fun. And Um, like I said, I had,

50
00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:17,120
Speaker 1: I didn't have a lot of film to watch, so

51
00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,400
Speaker 1: I was kind of twiddling my films while I was

52
00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:21,440
Speaker 1: at home. I watched a lot of Buffalo tape obviously,

53
00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:22,919
Speaker 1: but I didn't have a lot of practice from the

54
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,400
Speaker 1: watch myself. So every now and then I get on

55
00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:27,840
Speaker 1: social media and see how how I can rowl everybody.

56
00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:34,680
Speaker 1: It worked. Um. In terms of being a Steeler, you know,

57
00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:37,520
Speaker 1: you talked about in your press conference being drafted, having

58
00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,520
Speaker 1: people believe in you, and then obviously the contract making

59
00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,639
Speaker 1: you the highest paid defensive player. What does that mean

60
00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,760
Speaker 1: and what's the pressure that comes with it. Yeah, this

61
00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:49,720
Speaker 1: amount of money is not going to get lost on me.

62
00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,160
Speaker 1: And this honor of being able to continue my career

63
00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,359
Speaker 1: here in Pittsburgh and play for the Pittsburgh Steelers in

64
00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,440
Speaker 1: such a historic franchise, like I said, is not lost

65
00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,120
Speaker 1: on me. I'm very grateful. I love this game. Of football,

66
00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,160
Speaker 1: and I love playing for a football city like Pittsburgh

67
00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,720
Speaker 1: and the Rooney family. And uh, it's my job to

68
00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,840
Speaker 1: prove everybody here, right, everybody in the fan base that

69
00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,720
Speaker 1: that has been cheering for me wearing my jersey through everything,

70
00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,160
Speaker 1: and UM, I really have so much more to prove

71
00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,799
Speaker 1: and so much more to do here. And that's why

72
00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:23,560
Speaker 1: I'm excited to be here that much longer, because we

73
00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:30,160
Speaker 1: can accomplish our goals. Watch behind them the balls on

74
00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:35,680
Speaker 1: the ground, pits up the Steers Hilson tackle by Taylor

75
00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,120
Speaker 1: at the three, and what hits that ball right there?

76
00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:43,120
Speaker 1: You can see just wrap the arm? What a monster play?

77
00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,400
Speaker 1: Does it? Every week? We can we come. I know

78
00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:48,920
Speaker 1: you hate to talk about individual things, but when you

79
00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:51,760
Speaker 1: did not get Defensive Player of the Year, James Connor

80
00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,040
Speaker 1: tweeted that he saw you write the letters for that

81
00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:57,920
Speaker 1: on your notebook and meetings every day. Uh, what are

82
00:03:57,920 --> 00:03:59,880
Speaker 1: the goals for you now moving forward, now that the

83
00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,200
Speaker 1: contracts out of the way. Yeah, I never divote individual goals,

84
00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:05,640
Speaker 1: and you guys knew that. I guess I didn't call

85
00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,920
Speaker 1: James and tell him I don't do that. Yeah, that

86
00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,680
Speaker 1: one got out, But I mean it's I have lofty goals.

87
00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,760
Speaker 1: Like I've told you guys from the beginning, I have

88
00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,280
Speaker 1: huge goals for myself, but I do think that they

89
00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,200
Speaker 1: are attainable. And with this contract, like I said, some

90
00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,159
Speaker 1: might think it's pressure, but at the end of the day,

91
00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:24,599
Speaker 1: if the work is put in, the pressure goes away.

92
00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:26,880
Speaker 1: So I'm just going to continue to put in as

93
00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,839
Speaker 1: much work as I possibly can. And I'm more motivated

94
00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:31,719
Speaker 1: than ever with a deal like this to know people

95
00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,120
Speaker 1: have my back and I want to see me succeed

96
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:35,960
Speaker 1: and believe in me. That's all that I need. And

97
00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,400
Speaker 1: I'm just getting started. Okay, I have a stat for

98
00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,600
Speaker 1: you that's not individual. Okay, I see if this one

99
00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,839
Speaker 1: um the wat brothers, you and j J enter this

100
00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,640
Speaker 1: season with a hundred and fifty and a half combined sex.

101
00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,840
Speaker 1: You guys need four more. Right now, you are the

102
00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,479
Speaker 1: third most in terms of brothers or father son duo

103
00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,600
Speaker 1: since nineteen two. Does that mean anything? That you can

104
00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:03,040
Speaker 1: climb this list and really get to the first It's incredible,

105
00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,719
Speaker 1: and it's like I said, it's it always comes back

106
00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:07,719
Speaker 1: to the hard work. And I know it's cliche, and

107
00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:09,520
Speaker 1: more than anything, I just want to get through the

108
00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,679
Speaker 1: season healthy and him too and Derek, and that's always

109
00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:14,440
Speaker 1: the number one thing going into the season. I know

110
00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:18,680
Speaker 1: my mom is somewhere thinking the exact same thing. But um,

111
00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,480
Speaker 1: we put in so much work and uh, this whole

112
00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:23,840
Speaker 1: off season, JD, Derek and I worked out together and

113
00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,880
Speaker 1: pushed each other and we gained perspective on where a

114
00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:30,120
Speaker 1: certain guy is. I know JJ is thirty two, thirty three,

115
00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,240
Speaker 1: whatever the heck, how oldever he is right now, but

116
00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,320
Speaker 1: he's still got it and he's pushed me and I'm

117
00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:38,080
Speaker 1: sure I pushed him and same with Derek as well. So, Um,

118
00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:39,800
Speaker 1: the work is put in the off season. Now it's

119
00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,800
Speaker 1: time to go out there and increased those number with

120
00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,919
Speaker 1: a big contract. Does Uncle t J do anything special

121
00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:48,840
Speaker 1: for the nephews. I'm gonna wait until they get a

122
00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,120
Speaker 1: little older and they can understand everything. But I'm definitely

123
00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:57,320
Speaker 1: going to continue to fund Uncle Vibe for sure. Um, Buffalo,

124
00:05:57,600 --> 00:05:59,599
Speaker 1: let's talk to some football. As you said, you know

125
00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:01,479
Speaker 1: you had a chance to watch a lot of their film.

126
00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,280
Speaker 1: What are you seeing from them? We know where they

127
00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:06,719
Speaker 1: were able to you know, advanced to last year and

128
00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:08,880
Speaker 1: just with Josh Allen who also signed and make a

129
00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,360
Speaker 1: deal Yeah, it's it's a heck of a challenge right

130
00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:13,080
Speaker 1: out of the gates. And you talk about a team

131
00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:16,240
Speaker 1: who is very complete on offense and defense and special teams,

132
00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:18,960
Speaker 1: and um, they have a quarterback who can throw the

133
00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,320
Speaker 1: ball stagnant in the pocket or you can get out

134
00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,200
Speaker 1: of the pocket and run and throw the ball in

135
00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,560
Speaker 1: the run too. So it's gonna be a big time

136
00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,480
Speaker 1: challenge for us. But I like the game plan that

137
00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:29,080
Speaker 1: we have in place, and like I said, I'm just

138
00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,160
Speaker 1: excited to get back out on the field. Also, just

139
00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,240
Speaker 1: be in front of fans like a hostile environment, Yes exactly.

140
00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:36,279
Speaker 1: That's why. Even though we love playing in front of

141
00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,240
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Steeler Nation here on Hines Field, it will just

142
00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:41,200
Speaker 1: be fun to be kind of hearing the booze and

143
00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:43,000
Speaker 1: everything up there in Buffalo. I'm looking forward to it,

144
00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,200
Speaker 1: all right. Thanks t J. Congrats again. Thank you,