![]() ![]() I think that really started to generate, you know, the obsessiveness that I had with it, probably when I became sober. I was curious when and why that started to become important to you and is there any kind of message you impart on the team to start a season?) – "Yeah, hmm opportunity cost. (The term "opportunity cost" has been one of the most common ones you've used around us in these press conferences. It's a heck of a responsibility that I take super serious and you gain belief in each other when you see what it looks like when everything's not going your way." So my favorite part, really, of last year was going through that with them because there's a lot of scars that people have from their past. You have to go through things to have the type of bond that is necessary to do great things in the National Football League with the parity and just with all the pressure on everyone. I think this year's team, the players that were a part of that, I think we're closer because of it. You find out that although losing five games in a row is pretty miserable, there's nowhere to hide in that process. I kind of got empowered to some things, I think, that I thought before, which is really, players respond to genuine, consistent, authentic intent and that was a really cool part of last year. I think I learned in real time how important that is simply by the rollercoaster of the NFL season and how you can't deviate that. In year two – I think one thing that just going into last year, I would have told you that my core principles and just my foundation of what I believe in, you could never get me to waver. (What's one thing you think you're better at in year two?) – "Smiling. ![]() But it's exciting that you guys have me back. It is cool knowing what to expect, but the energy and the focus, I wouldn't say I'm more comfortable. I think it's so important for me to never get comfortable or complacent because the second I do that, how am I not going to expect everybody else, player, coach alike, to do the same. But the level of – it's not anything like oh, yeah, I got anything ever. That's a lot easier when you know exactly what you're getting better at. So for this year, I think that each and every year of my career that I can remember, my sole focus has always been to be better than the previous year. That being said, you don't know what the feelings that are going to be produced when you're doing it. As I've talked about before, I did not take this job lightly and my work up until coming here, I tried to do my best to know what the job was. (How much more comfortable are you here because it's year two, you've established your culture, your coaching style, as you head into day one of camp?) – "Comfortable? I think there's some confidence that comes with knowing exactly what to expect. (General Manager) Chris Grier is the bad guy. Too often business can affect relationships. But the biggest thing to me is that you have to have a relationship with each and every one of your players because the business is real. So these are things that come up, will continue to come up as long as people keep paying tickets to watch football players, and it's something that we work through. I feel very good about us working through that, really pumped to have him, think that he can put together a good year for himself, and I know he's pumped to be back. The whole time, I have lost zero relationship with him really at all. So, the biggest thing for me and Connor is being able to communicate the "why's". So, whatever a player is going through and however they conduct themselves, I try to first see their issues and their plight. (The OL Connor Williams situation, how nice is it that he's here to start training camp and in your conversation with him, what kind of feel did you get from where he's at right now?) – "As a head coach, I think one of the things that I try to value the most to do my job up to my own expectation is being connected and having empathy for every player we have. ![]()
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