COURTESY OF CLEVELAND BROWNS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
On being back in Northeast Ohio and his time with the Browns thus far:
“It is definitely a good feeling to be back up here in Northeast Ohio. It has been a while. Back to the cold weather but definitely a blessing to be back. I am loving it and everything is going well. Just taking it one day at a time and just trying to keep bettering myself and betting my game. Just trying to keep bettering myself to help this team win.”
On working with special teams coordinator Mike Priefer:
“Coach Prief, he schemes up a lot of returns well. Not only the returns, just the special teams unit as a whole, he is good at scheming things up. I think he has a good plan for me as far as getting loose and having me use my speed and my ability. Just trying to flip the field for the offense as best as I could and just show up in a return game as best as I could.”
On being one of the lightest players in the league and the biggest hit he has taken at any level of play:
“The biggest hit I probably took, honestly I can’t even remember the biggest hit I took. I try not to really go about my game thinking about taking a big hit, even though I am one of the smallest players. I just like to play fast and play heartless because if you go into a game thinking about getting hit hard and all of that it kind of just knocks you off your game. I just go into the game just trying to play fearless and heartless.”
On if his attitude is they can’t hit what they can’t catch:
“Exactly, you can’t hit what you can’t catch.”
On the source of his speed:
“I am from Florida. We produce a lot of speed down there in Florida. Growing up, I ran a lot of track. There are a lot of guys from Florida that are fast, as well. You have a lot of guys and you have fast on fast so you have no other choice but to better your speed or get your speed up. Growing up, training and doing a lot of speed training and things like that.”
On if he could potentially return kickoffs, in addition to punts:
“Yeah, I can definitely return kicks as well. Being versatile in the punt return and kick return game definitely helps my value.”
On spending time with P Jamie Gillan during the offseason:
“Me and Jamie, we figured he was punting and pretty much punting on air, just kicking the ball and not having a returner back there. I saw him on Instagram punting the ball, and I texted him and was like, ‘I should come up there and get some work with you.’ We kind of just made up a game plan, and he offered that I could stay at his house for a couple days. We just put the work in together. We got about three or four days in, and it was some good work, being that I did not have a punter to punt to me down in Florida. It definitely was some good work coming out here to Ohio to get some work with Jamie.”
On if he stayed with Gillan in Northeast Ohio:
“Correct.”
On when he stayed with Gillan:
“That was early July.”
On Gillan:
“Jamie is a beast. He definitely can punt that ball. He is not your average punter, I can tell you that. He is built stout and works out like he is a running back or a receiver. He was definitely pushing me, and it was definitely a good time getting some work in with him.”
On if he is surprised by his number of offensive reps:
“A bit surprised, but I just try and stay on top of my game and help the team in any way I could. If someone was to go down and coach calls my number, my job is to be ready and fill in as best as I could. I just look at it as coach giving me an opportunity to show what I can do as a receiver. I am just taking that one day at a time and learning from the guys in the room. That is one of my biggest things, learning from those guys, O (WR Odell Beckham Jr.) and Juice (WR Jarvis Landry) and just trying to pick their brains and watch their game.”
On how much he would welcome having a more regular role on offense:
“That would be love. That would be love if I could use some of my speed on offense.”
On working with Priefer to help him down the field:
“It is more or less just fine-tuning some of the ways I see things on the field, just fine-tuning little tweaks. Watching film with Coach Prief definitely helps me out giving me a better edge. I ask him what he sees with some things that I can work on. He definitely does a good job of motivating me to work on those things.”
On what type of WR he can be at the NFL level:
“With my speed, I feel like I can take the top off the defense. Like I said, I am just working day by day and just trying to get better every day. Hopefully, that opportunity presents itself, but until then, I am just studying my playbook and learning from the guys that are in front of me.”
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