1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Zach. I know coming into this season, you quote unquote 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: transformed your body. How much did that help you? I 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: think it helped me a lot, you know, just being 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,319 Speaker 1: able to bulk up during this last offseason and kind 5 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:13,319 Speaker 1: of put on functional, functional weight that I knew I 6 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: was gonna be able to, you know use for my 7 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:18,119 Speaker 1: different role is more so blocking and um, I guess 8 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: being able to be a little harder to bring down 9 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: after I catch the ball. So I think it helped 10 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: me out a lot. And I kind of felt that. 11 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: I think when we talked this last summer, Um, I 12 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: knew that it was going to help me going forward 13 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: and be an advantage for me, and I think it was. 14 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: Was it easy to maintain throughout the season as well? Yeah, 15 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: it was surprisingly. I didn't think I was gonna be 16 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: able to maintain it. Um Uh. Coach Tomlin was just 17 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: talking to the other day. You know, now that I'm 18 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: twenty five years old, you know, it's a little easier 19 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: to hold the weight on. You know, you don't need 20 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: to go through all the different fluctuations of being a 21 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: younger guy. So now that kind of made me feel 22 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: old with that conversation. But it's it's it's easier to 23 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: hold onto you for sure. Now, Um, what do you 24 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: plan to do this offseason? And have you even thought about, 25 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: you know, looking back after talking to coaches and just 26 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: wrapping a bow for this season, what you were able 27 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: to accomplish? Well, my off season plan is to just 28 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: work on work on some things that I feel like 29 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: I need to work on. Flexibility, core, Um, you know, 30 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: just continue to stay conditioned. Um. I'll be back home 31 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: in Albuquerque with my parents for a little while and 32 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: I'll be back here, and you know, I never liked 33 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: it to get away from this building for too long, 34 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: so I'll be kind of back and forth. Um. You know, UM, 35 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: I was. I was happy with with some of the 36 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: things I was able to accomplish this season. I think, um, 37 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: coach Fredo and coach t or Um complimentary some of 38 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 1: those things. But we also, um, you know, like I said, 39 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: mentioned some things I need to work on. So I'm 40 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: excited to get after that. What was it like having 41 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: Pat friar Muth joined the team and it seems, you know, 42 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: you guys got along instantly and your room was I 43 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: would say, fun, Yeah, yeah, I had I had a 44 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: blast with the room this year. Um, we had some 45 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: great personalities, and yeah, the addition of Pat was is 46 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: huge for me. And he's like, you know, he's he's 47 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: obviously he's you know, one of my best friends and um, 48 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: a heck of a ball player. So it's a whole 49 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: lot of fun. You know. I think we kind of 50 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: compliment each other on and off the field, and I'm 51 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: just excited to continue need to work and play with him. 52 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: The physicality of the blocking, Um, how much do you 53 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: like that? And have you had to grow into liking that? 54 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: I do like it a lot, um, And you know, 55 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: it's something that I used to be real physical, like 56 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: when I was younger, I played a little defense, but 57 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: you know, that was something I got away from for 58 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 1: so long playing quarterback. And I think especially for the 59 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: last couple of years, I'm kind of finding myself really 60 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 1: enjoying that aspect of it again. And um, so yeah, 61 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: I'm having fun with it and I do enjoy it 62 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: and enjoy the position that I've been. Right now, speaking 63 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: of quarterbacks, Ben Roethlisberger's last throw in the NFL was 64 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: to you, did you think about it? Where's that ball? Um? 65 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: Do you have it? So? I should have? There was 66 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: eleven seconds on the clock or something like that. When 67 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: we snapped the ball and I was tackled on the field, 68 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:51,839 Speaker 1: and so I got up in a hurry. I wasn't 69 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: thinking about it immediately, so I threw the ball to 70 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 1: the reft to try to get lined up again. Um, 71 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: but yeah, I should have just held on tight to 72 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: the ball that the time is going to run out. Um, 73 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: I do remember I was There were three or four 74 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: Kansas City defenders but near the goal line, and for 75 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: for a fleeting second, I thought I should go airborne 76 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: and try to score for his last one. But I 77 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: made a business decision to stay down. And I told 78 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 1: him about that. He said it was fine. Um, what 79 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: is it going to be like not having Ben Roethlisberger 80 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: around the facility, around the team moving forward? Oh, it's 81 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: going to be an adjustment. Um. You know, I was 82 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: talking to some of the equipment guys the other day. 83 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: I said, it's gonna be weird not having seven around, 84 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: But it'll be even weirder for them, you know. They mean, 85 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: he's been around here for so long, and there's there's 86 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: so many people in this building that are used to 87 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: having him and seeing him every single day for the 88 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: last eighteen years and I've been fortunate enough to be 89 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: around for three years, so it'll be bizarre for me, 90 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: But um, I can't imagine how weird it's going to 91 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: be for everybody involved. It's been here as long as 92 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: he has What is it going to be like? You probably, 93 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: you know, would have to think about this a little bit. 94 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: But knowing that there's going to be a quarterback competition, 95 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: no matter if it's guys that are here, guys they 96 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: bring in draft free agency, what does that do to 97 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: a team and maybe even if it's the off season 98 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: O T A s for instance, Well, we'll see. You know, 99 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: you have to build a rapport with whoever these guys 100 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: are going to be. You know, we have Mason and 101 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: Duyne here right now, and um so we know that 102 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: they're going to be here, and so obviously guys are 103 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,119 Speaker 1: gonna be trying to work with them, and they're gonna 104 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: be working hard this offseason. But it'll be interesting to 105 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: see what, you know, what shakes out. Um. I know 106 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: that our organization is going to make the best decision 107 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: going forward, and so whoever we have back there, I 108 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: know it's going to be a capable and um talented quarterback. 109 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: Are you an option at quarterback? I'd like to think 110 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: I am. I'll have to put my name in the 111 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: hat for that. UM. I throw in pretium warm ups 112 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: a little bit, so I'll have to keep my arm loose.