New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Marquez Callaway
Video Call with New Orleans Media
Monday, January 1, 2021
One more game left in the regular season, obviously, you've missed some games with injury, but how do you feel that you have come into your own role and continue to develop during your rookie season?
"Really I just try to do what's asked of me. I go out and try to get better and like you said, try and make a name for myself and that is doing whatever they ask me to do. So, if I need to block the whole game, that's what I'm doing, if I need to go out and make some catches, that's what I'm doing. So, just trying to stay in my lane, get better, learn, and hopefully improve, showing them that I can be what they want me to be."
How did you feel in that first game back to you last week?
"Oh, it felt great. I told the trainers I hate missing games, just being able to not be out there with the guys. They're out there, busting their butts, going through practice hard, playing through the games, and I'm in the training room trying to get better. So, I just felt like the trainer told me and the guys told me, no, just take your time, get healthy. Because in the playoffs, we're going to need everybody healthy. So, that's what I tried to focus on, trying to get back healthier, so I could be able to come out and play."
What's it been like getting coached by CJ (Curtis Johnson) and what has he really been, you know, harping on you?
"The details. CJ is a fun, hard coach. He's going to bring fun to the table, and he's going to make it enjoyable. But also, he also has that side that he, like, we're here to perform. We're here to win games. So, with him being on our butts, him and RC (Ronald Curry) and even the guys, everybody's here trying to improve each other, whether it's the older guys helping us and we're just taking nuggets from everybody."
What would you say is like the biggest lesson you've learned in your first year in the NFL?
"It's been so many, really from, from not playing to, you know, coming in and having to play, from dealing with injury and adversity to coming back. Being able to overcome that, from being down and having to come back from behind and being able to win games. It's just a lot of adversity on and off the field. And having the guys that've been here, the guys, the coaches and not even just in the receiver room, but from the offense as itself, even the defensive guys. You know, just having everybody here and on the same page."
How does it feel about in a couple of weeks you may be playing in your first NFL playoff game?
"It's overwhelming. We're really trying to take care of business first and hopefully everything works out, so we can become the number one seed. But, we are taking it day by day, we have got the next game coming up, we go to Carolina, obviously we're trying to take care of business there and then can focus and worry about the playoffs."
It's been a week now obviously since Alvin's (Kamara) six touchdown game, but he's called you a brother before and I assume you feel the same way. So, how was that like for you as a former college teammate of his just seeing him ball out like that?
"It's no surprise to me. I've probably said this before. I know I have said it before, but I'm not surprised with any record that Alvin (Kamara) breaks. Alvin's (Kamara) my brother. We went to school together. And so, I've seen him in college and when he went to the league and what he was doing his first couple years here. So, I'm not surprised about any record that he breaks. I love him. I'm happy for him. And I was just happy that I was there to witness it in person."
