"The first two days have gone well. Obviously, getting back into football, there is an adjustment. We have been really installing the last couple of days and getting back to the speed of the game. We are really excited about being back, being with the guys, establishing this foundation for what we have in our future, and for this season, and really looking forward to it."
How important is it to get success early on for this defense?
"It's great to start out, getting your hands on some balls, and really flying around and creating an identity on defense. I think, ultimately, this game we realize that it's a marathon and it's great to start out, but it's about sustaining through the course of the day, the game, the season, so once you can do that you can capitalize and never relax. I think that you can ultimately be successful."
If you are making plays on defense you are reacting instead of thinking, correct?
"Any time that you can react on defense without too much hesitation it just makes it that much faster. A lot of hesitation on defense causes a delay process and a slower product. That is one thing coach Rob Ryan is great at, he is great at giving us tools, putting tools in our tool box and allowing us to go out there and play. So, we are fortunate to have a coach that embodies that, that allows that, that aggression, that fun in playing football, not giving us too much, just allowing us to go out there and play football and really enjoy what we do."
Can you talk about how hesitation can be the difference in a play?
"A half a step, a half a second too late can be the outcome of a play and that play could be the outcome of the game, that game could be the outcome of the season. I was actually talking to one of my friends that does another professional job and that their season has 150 performances in a season and we only have 16, so every one counts so significantly that one play can really determine your season. I know a lot of people whose career has been derailed or (has been) demoted from one play. So anytime you can stop and isolate the indecision, anytime that you can promote fast decision, it goes better for yourself personally and yourself professionally and for your team."
