New Orleans Saints TE Jeremy Shockey
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Q: Do you like training camp fracases like what happened out there today?
A: That makes practice a lot quicker, anytime there's both sides of the ball competing as this side does, those will break out. This is day two, so I probably expect a lot more confrontations like today and the next couple days.
Q: Have you seen it happen this quickly in a camp?
A: Anytime both sides are really excited to give each other a good look, a push turns into a shove and then they gang up on each other.
Q: Do you come into this camp with a different mindset after struggling with injuries last season?
A: I don't even think about last year to be honest with you. I know what it takes to be prepared. I'm excited to be healthy and to be able to show my skills. So far so good, it's a long camp and even a longer season.
Q: How excited are you to be healthy?
A: It's something that a player can't control and you just have to embrace it and take it as you can and run with it. The toughest part of this game is staying healthy and probably at the position than anything else, I play a pretty hard position, a rough position with a lot of contact. It's good to be healthy and to be able to help this team. I don't want to harp on last year. This is this year. I'm just excited to be here and to give the defense a good look and they do the same in the drills.
Q: What does Drew Brees mean to you as opposed to other quarterbacks you played with?
A: He's got all the physical tools. You can tell he's grateful for what he has. He's in a linebacker's body and he has a linebacker's mentality in how he plays the game. It's great having him. I'd always heard a lot about him and how he prepared. It's amazing. When he's around it just makes you prepare more and play at a higher level.
Q: Can you talk about playing against a Gregg Williams defense?
A: Gregg is one of the coordinators I played against in the NFC East, so I'm used to it. It's exciting. I know the defensive guys are excited. I know if I played defense, I'd want to play for him.
Q: What led you to want to spend more time with Drew Brees and do you see progress in the chemistry between the two of you?
A: Yes, it's good to obviously compete and start chemistry early. It does nothing but help the relationship between us and the whole offense. Getting started here and being in the offseason program definitely helped. You have to be prepared because he'll tell you straight to your face if you're not and your wasting people's time. You don't want to get called out by Drew. He's definitely a guy that will say something.
Q: Do you see a lot of precision in this offense?
A: I see that everybody that's got two hands, Drew's going to find them. He's a good quarterback. I don't think it's around one person. I think it's collective. I think it's the receivers, the backs and anyone really going out in a pattern. Its fun and you saw last year how he throws the ball around. I don't think he keys on one person, tight end, receiver or running back. It's not just one position.
Q: Do you see less and less negative feedback from Drew?
A: Don't take too much on that one. He makes you work a whole lot harder than other people I've been around. He puts a lot on himself and the people around him. He expects a high level. I think a lot of people can build off that.
Q: Do you think teams might underestimate you because of the injuries?
A: I don't think about it like that. I want to help this team out. I could care less about the accolades I get. I want to have a chance to be healthy and help this team. Last year's last year. The year before that is the year before that. I'm just trying to forget about the past and prove to myself and everybody else I can play at a high level. Being injured is the hardest thing mentally. The game is hard enough healthy. Being healthy is an upside for me.
Q: Are you limited at all?
A: I'm not limited at all. It's preseason right now.
Q: Whenever you were at your healthiest last year, what percentage would you put it at?
A: It's hard to put. It's really hard to gauge. Even if you're just 85 percent, it's hard enough a game as it is. Not being healthy is not impossible, but it hurts a lot. I'm blessed being healthy.
