COURTESY OF CLEVELAND BROWNS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
On RB Nick Chubb returning to practice today and working with Chubb and RB Kareem Hunt:
“I won’t talk about them personally and all that, but with them back there, it is pretty cool because you make one block, it is one cut and they are gone. They are pretty special athletes. I have never played with players like them. It is going to be a heck of a time.”
On how rare it is to have a RB tandem like Chubb and Hunt:
“Extremely rare. It is not every day that you have a team with two Pro Bowl running backs and one that was 46 yards away from leading the NFL in rushing yards and the other one led the NFL [three] years ago.”
On the versatility of the FB in the Browns offensive system:
“You kind of have to be ready to do a little bit of everything. If we have a running back go down, I have to be ready to line up in the backfield as a running back. A tight end snap, if he is out, I have to be ready to put my hand in the dirt on the line. They kind of have me working a little bit of everything, just kind of that guy who is there if you need him. Hopefully, they don’t put me at kicker or quarterback, but if they asked me to, I would (laughter).”
On why he loves playing FB:
“Just really the physicality. It is just me versus you. I am going move you out of the hole, whether hell or high water. That is pretty much all it is. Just I am going to kick your butt every time I go against you.”
On if he agrees that the FB is the ‘eyes of the halfback’ as run game coordinator/running backs coach Stump Mitchell said last week:
“A little bit, yeah. I am looking at the same thing as they are. We kind of have to be one and the same. I am looking for what they do and then they just make the cut off me at the end of the day. You have to be just with them.”
On why FBs are being used less around the NFL:
“I do not know. Some people just do not like fullbacks, I guess. I do not know. I think they are pretty awesome, and everybody should have at least three of them or something like that (laughter). I honestly have no good answer for why they do not have fullbacks as much anymore.”
On how he will fit into gameplans:
“Hopefully, my role as a fullback, physical downhill running, getting on linebackers and maybe split me out a little bit. Probably with my speed and all that stuff ,I will just blow the roof off the top of the defense and score a lot of touchdowns that way (laughter). Just what I am good at. Running into the linebackers, and every now and again, catch a little route in the flat or something like that.”
On if he believes he will be on the field a significant amount, given the Browns’ other offensive weapons:
“I think so. You look at what the Vikings did last year with (Vikings FB) C.J. Ham, he was one snap away from I think having the most snaps at fullback in the NFL with 250 or something like that and he was out there like 30 percent of the time. I think that is what they will try to do.”
On if there is a period of acclimation for the FB with the RBs and offense, especially since the Browns didn’t have a FBs last season:
“I think that is just a feel thing. At the end of the day, they are not always following me. We are not married together, that is what they will say. You are not married to the fullback. If you see something else backside, they are going to take that hole. At the end of the day, I am not going to make every bone-crushing block and they are just going to run for 80. It gets dirty in there so they are going have to stick their foot in the ground and see what they can get.”
On the excitement seeing Chubb break a long run:
“It is awesome. I just run up the sideline like, ‘Alright, let’s go. Let’s go kick off.’”
On if it fires him up to hear Mitchell said he has the potential to be a Pro Bowl FB:
“Absolutely, I think it is awesome that he said that. That would be my goal at the end of the day. At the end of the day, too, I am just trying to go out here, win this spot and then I just want to win games. At the end of the day, I do not care that much if I am a Pro Bowler or not; I just want to be on a winning team again.”
On his relationship with FB Johnny Stanton:
“We played for a little bit at Nebraska – two years, I think. It was not like we were hanging out all the time, but he is a super nice guy. I really like him. I had no idea he converted to fullback with the Vikings, I was like, ‘You have to be kidding me.’ He is a huge dude. He is like 265 pounds. Like what? How were you ever even quarterback? You are huge. He is a super nice guy. Love him to death. He lays the wood. When you have somebody that big, the linebackers I am sure hate running into him. It is fun to watch him.”
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