COURTESY OF JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS MEDIA RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
(On if he's talked with teammates about taking further action in regards to protesting social injustice) "Oh most definitely. We always talk about it, even to this day. We know how important that it is and the platform that certain players like my caliber and other guys have. We're just trying to do as much as we can with the little schedule we have. We still talk over the Zoom meetings. If Chris [Conley] wants to talk about a situation that popped up and asks us our whereabouts and how we feel about it, we discuss it as a whole team – coaches and the players. We're still moving forward and we're finding bits to make a change and to be whole."
(On his mindset coming into this season) "I mean just do what I did last year. I don't think I had a bad season last year – 1,700 total yards, whatever I had – and like I said, everything is going to take care of itself. Despite everything that happened and what's going on, at the end of the day my job is to play football."
(On why is it so important to see other running backs be successful) "I think with certain teams, certain running backs hold certain value to teams, like you see what [Christian] McCaffrey got, Derrick [Henry] what he did with the Titans, Zeke [Ezekiel Elliott], I could go on and on. Like I said, these teams that have these running backs, they should pay them because without those guys, a lot of looks they get, schemes, wouldn't be successful without them starting in the backfield."
(On what he did this offseason) "I was kind of on a world tour. Wherever the corona was at, I ran away from it. I was in Atlanta at first, it got there. I went back to Baton Rouge, then it came to Baton Rouge. Then I went to Dallas and then after that I just stayed my ass home because it kept following me everywhere I went."
(On what did he focus his workouts on this offseason) "Speed, everything I always do, speed, my weight, strength, eating right, the same."
(On how he plans to find the scoring efficiency he had during his first two seasons) "Hopefully just run into the end zone more. There's nothing you can describe about that as long as the offensive line and the running backs are both on the same page, coaches too, I think everything should get back to normal."
(On if he's seen any changes in Gardner Minshew II over the offseason) "His hair got long. He's got a little more toned, most definitely he kind of defined his body out over the workouts he did in the summer so like I said we'll see how everything comes together once the season comes."
(On if Gardner Minshew II appears in more command now that he's the guy) "I hope so. He's the quarterback."
(On what he's seen early on with new Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden) "Not just me, I think he's going to let every athlete on the offensive side who has the talent and the ability to make plays - I think he's going to do a great job of kind of passing that ball around and showing guy's talent. He has a great personality and I love him as a coach right now. He's outgoing and he's uplifting guys. He's positive in everything he does. There's not a day you go around where you see him looking sad. He's smiling, he's joking 24/7."
(On if he's had to face Joe Schobert yet) "Yeah, I killed him in practice. (laughter) I killed him on the wheel route. Ask him what happened on that wheel route. I ran past him and he said 'ohh.' What I like about him though is he's quiet, you have different leaders who show actions. He's quiet, he plays his role, he's very athletic. He's a sideline to sideline guy. He's very smart, too. He's definitely a guy I'm going to look out for this upcoming season."
(On if this offseason has been more challenging mentally) "No. I don't put too much stress over it. Me and Demetrius, we always talk and I talk to him while playing Call of Duty and just talking to him outside of football, we don't really know you guys, we don't know your household, your families, your kids, none of that. When all that was going around, I kind of took a step back from football and I had to realize it's bigger than that, it's a lot bigger than that. I talked to Gardner [Minshew] during the whole thing that they made it a big deal when I asked for Cam [Newton] and he understood where I was coming from. At the end of the day, I want to win. Who doesn't want to win? I came from a 2017 season with a team who was 10-6, we had talent level and then the next couple of years went down the drain. So I just want to address a lot of things, too, especially since the media came out and said I was an angry guy. Number one, would you be angry if you're losing week in and week out? That is one of my biggest problems, I do get upset when we lose and it takes me awhile to get over it. I expect, just like anybody else, if you put the work in, you want the W, but a lot of times last year it didn't go like that. I guess they kind of misinterpreted that, and don't get me wrong, I was upset from the losing, but that's just the winner in me. That's any guy who plays this professional level of sports."
(On if he thinks he's been painted in a bad light) "Yeah, I think so. [Teammate] Chris Thompson, he said, 'You ain't nothing like people say you are.'"
(On what Chris Thompson said people say about him) "Like I was always upset about things. Most of you guys know I'm always joking and playing, that's just me. I think it kind of got out of hand so I just wanted to get that out there. I'm not a jerk but when it comes to football and winning, I'm all in for that."
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