New Orleans Saints Running Back Alvin Kamara
Conference Call with New Orleans Media
Thursday, October 22, 2020

I feel like maybe everybody has like a thing that they remember Teddy (Bridgewater) for. Is there anything that just kind of stands out in your mind when you think back on your two years with him as a teammate?
"Teddy, that's my dog. He just had a calmness about him (that) I think made him likable. He was a locker room guy. He was just calm. Always calm, cool Teddy."

With the bye week falling just a little earlier than normal this year, how do you feel coming out of that?
"We feel like we just had a bye week. And we're back playing."

I didn't know if there is a difference between having it week six versus week 10 or 12, or whatever.
"You said it just a little bit earlier, but it doesn't change what we've got to do."

I know you try to approach every game the same way, but obviously with the Panthers rushing defense 31st in the league, are you licking your fingers a little bit more this week?
"Yeah, every week we go in, that's my message in the running back room to try to kind of make the game go through us. This week, obviously, with where they're ranked at, we know we've got an opportunity, we still got to take advantage of that opportunity, we've still got to make the right reads. Sean (Payton) knows he's got to call the right plays at the right time. It's a team effort. So hopefully we do what we've got to do, we're having good practices. So that's our plan on Sunday."

Teddy Bridgewater was saying the other day that like, he kind of like rediscovered fun here after that injury. You brought up that he's like this calm kind of cool guy. But was he also just kind of like clowning around in the locker room, all that sort of stuff. How would you kind of describe him there?
"Yeah, for sure. He definitely has a certain energy about him. Like, when I say calm and cool, just like, I think the way he approaches like the job, it's never like, the moment is never too big for him. Now having fun, he always had fun, like, it was never a moment where he was down in the dumps about something or like, let the game get to him. If it was a mistake, I mean, he's going to keep moving, he stays calm. He definitely has fun with everything he does."

I know you guys are typically just like happy whenever guys get rewarded and teammates get rewarded with big contracts and stuff. But especially for somebody like Teddy who had that big injury and people had to kind of take a chance on him after that. How rewarding was it to see him get that?
"Man, I loved it. He got everything he deserved. It was all meant for him. Teddy is the type of dude that stays true to himself and he believed and he knew that as long as he controlled what he could control, it will come to him. That's what he got and I'm definitely proud of him. Just being a past teammate, definitely proud of him."

You mentioned having some good practices, I was wondering, what's an example or, what kind of makes a practice good for you guys?
"Just executing the small details that we installed throughout the week. The periods going how they should, no repeats, no mental errors, no mistakes, just things flowing smoothly and we feel good. It's like one of those feelings you get like you know it was a good period or good (series) of plays and overall good practice, a good day practice. We've been having good practices."

When you've get a guy like Mike (Thomas), like, he's going to get back into this offense, and he's gonna be a big part of it, but after going through a couple weeks without him, how do you just kind of drop a guy in who's going to be such a huge part of the offense when he hasn't really played much in it this year?
"Are you saying how you fill that spot?"

No, I'm just saying like, Mike is obviously going to get his targets and everything like that, but you guys have been have had to kind of adjust to life without him. Maybe it's this week, maybe it's next week, but eventually he's going to be back in it, and he's going to end up being a big part of it. So how do you adjust to having that back in the mix?
"Oh, I mean, we just get back to regular schedule. I mean, he's been a big part of this offense for the past four years. So, I mean, obviously dealing with what he's dealing with right now, dealing with the ankle and whatever, once he gets back and he's healthy, I think he'll be back to doing the same thing we've been doing and I think he'll be back to be pivotal part of our offense. Like you said, we've been playing without him. That is what comes with this league. Guys go down, guys got to step up and fill in. But when he gets back, and he gets back in the swing of things, it'll be back to regular."

You mentioned the feel and everybody keeps talking about the offense needing to be better, but you guys are averaging 30 points per game. Is it basically just like a feel thing in a game does this 30 points feel harder than 30 points other years because that feeling and that tempo and that isn't there? Is that kind of what you guys are looking to find?
"I wouldn't say it's harder. I think some games, we've got to start faster. I don't think that it's hard to come by 30 points. I mean, I don't know. I don't think it's hard."

Everybody talks about how it needs to be better. Is it just really like the tempo stuff and stuff like that? Are you guys looking to just get more flow going?
"Yeah, I think so."