Detroit Lions players meet with the media on July 24 | 2025 Training Camp Day 4

Detroit Lions players meet with the media on July 24 | 2025 Training Camp Day 4

on the first three days of practice here. Yeah, I think it’s been it’s been great. It’s been like any other training camp, just trying to get better, trying to learn. Um, a little different for us with a new coordinator, just trying to uh get everyone on the same page. It’s been fun though. It’s been a good challenge and uh Johnny’s doing a great job and guys are picking it up quickly. New coordinators, you got a new center operation going on, too. So, just how’s that been through the first week and what goes into getting the feel for that? Yeah, it’s been great. You know, Tate, I thought was doing a good job and and Graham was in there today and I’ve been comfortable with Graham for quite some time. So, uh, whoever that ends up being, I’ll be good with. With so much new on an offense, how much do you take upon yourself to shoulder to get everybody comfortable and be the glue? Yeah, I try to I try to, uh, you know, bridge that gap from things we did last year to things we want to do this year and, uh, make sure everyone’s on the same page and and making sure I’m doing a little extra, um, you know, in in my book, a little bit extra, making sure I’m I’m all over it and can help on the field and be kind of that extension of the coaching staff that you want to be. And certainly, like you said, when you have new offense, it’ll help. The biggest adjustment so far 4 days in to what? Just what what’s been the biggest adjustment? Having a new coordinator, having a new little bit different of an offense. Um, it just sounds different in my ear. I guess that’s probably it. Yeah. I mean, we’re running a lot of the same stuff. Some of the stuff’s different. Some of the stuff’s new, but I don’t think it’s any any bit, sorry, any bit abnormal from, you know, adding any every other team adding new stuff. That’s kind of what we’re doing. And, um, it’s been a good process. Talked about other players seeing it through your eyes. stuff. I mean, how is that manifested itself? Yeah, it’s great. I think I think anytime that you can get guys to see it that way. Um, it helps them understand what we’re trying to do and helps them play fast and and understand what I’m thinking when the ball’s snapped and um I think all of our guys right now, certainly with that first group are doing that and and feeling pretty good about it. Is it just I think just Yeah. No, no, seeing the coverage really seeing the coverage and knowing how it’s going to affect your route and how it’s going to affect how I’m going to read the play. Okay. Um, and when guys can understand that, it takes it to a whole another level. Those tight ends, lot of tight ends really good. Now, with the new system, how valuable is it to have tight end? Yeah, all those guys are are pretty veteran now. I mean, Shane, Sam, and uh Brock and that group uh with me. It’s been it’s been fun. Those guys are uh really good vets. They do a good job. They’re they’re being coached hard and um make it pretty easy on me. J out here. He said yall still working on some of the kinks a little bit. just talk about this early connection with y’all too. What’s some of the things y’all might be working through a little bit right now? Uh we’re just always working. I don’t know if there’s one thing or or another. I think he’s come so far in the last year or so. It’s been fun to see it and um I’m working on stuff with him just like I’m working on stuff with St. Brown and Leaporta. It’s all the same. And uh it’s fun to it’s fun to see him grow and and mature and and become this guy that you know we’re excited about what he’s going to do this year. We talked to Chef and he said the biggest gains he saw was in the secondary. just really excited about the linebacker just how deep they are. I’m curious just from your perspective that secondary get hands-on football looks like they’re going to be a free Yeah, they’re competitive, man. They really are. They’re competitive. TA and and DJ out there at corner and um obviously Branch and Kirby speak for themselves. I think those two guys, it’s I I tell people all the time, I get to practice against two of the best safeties in the league every day and it’s it’s good for me. I mean, they’re they’re so dang good and they make it hard on me and move around and pre- snap make it hard. It’s it’s a lot of fun and um again those corners are are are really good as well. So what you say when you saw one monster flying it looks great. I’m excited about it. What he’s going to do? We got to see you on the on the network show. What did you think of a chance to watch it? Yeah, I saw it. Yeah, I thought it was I thought it came out pretty good. What’ you think? I thought it was great. Great. Yeah, thought it was good. No, I I I I think it’s hard to explain, but I’ll try to explain it in in a a quick way here. In every offense, there’s formation shifts, motions, routes, run plays, protections, uh you know, I could keep going, cadances, ways you get in and out of the huddle. A lot of the stuff we’re doing in those eight things I just named is the same and some of it’s different. So, it’s it’s it’s hard to answer that question when you know what’s different, what’s different, what’s different. Some of it’s the exact same and some of it is a little bit different. And I’m not going to go into the minutia of what is different, but um I think the transition from what we were doing last year to him is a lot lesser than it than you guys are making it seem with the questions. I believe like I get that question every day. a lot of it is the same and then there’s some stuff that we’re learning that is new and it’s not that big of a uh gap between those two I guess and I’m sorry if that didn’t answer what you asked but um it’s been it’s been a great transition it’s been a lot of fun it’s been a challenge but it’s been a fun challenge at the end talk about the connection how that’s you know and just the security you have yeah I threw a low ball there and he came back and came back to the ball and made a good catch for me and um you know I try to take care of those guys when I can and throw them good footballs and every every once in a while I’ll miss and they got to pick me up and he does that more often than not. So just letting him know uh you know he helped me out there and made a great play. Patrick is someone couple more guys before the season starts last year. You guys get that connection going kind of trial by fire. Timmy. Yeah. Yeah. It’s great. He looks great. He looks he looks fast. He looks like he he aged down a year like Benjamin Button. He looks great. Um, he’s it’s been fun working with him. We see some back and forth between you and Chef on the sidelines. Are you enjoying the or not enjoying the volume? Chef’s the best, man. Chef’s the best. Chef’s the best. And and we’ve kind of had that relationship since he’s been the linebacker coach and now he’s in charge. So, it’s a lot of fun to just cher back and forth with him. And, um, he’s creative, he’s witty, he’s quick, and and I try to keep up with him. It’s fun. What’s your impressive? He’s done great, man. He’s done great. he’s he’s stepping up and um just seeing his game continue to progress every year and get better and and he’s a great leader now and in in the middle of that defense and um doing a really good job communicating I can tell over there and getting people lined up and uh he’s a very smart player, very cerebral, understands what we’re trying to do on offense and um is is a problem for us on offense when we’re trying to get things done. How much is that tight battle between between where you guys are some of the kind of matching trying to figure each other out and kind of become more competitive I guess. Sure. Yeah. I think he he’s you’re right. Yeah. He’s starting to understand what our problems are on offense when they’re in a certain defense and then vice versa what their problems are on defense when we’re in a certain look and um it’s fun to have that chess match with him. I know you had the but your early impressions of of what Isaac Daw brings to the game. Yeah, he’s a big body. He can run. He’s catches the ball away from his body. I think that’s the number one thing that I love about him is that I can kind of he’s got a big wide radius and and he can he can make plays all over the field. Um still a rookie, still learning, still young, still getting better every day, but I’m excited about him, man. He’s he’s done a hell of a job and whether it’s running deep or across the middle, he’s he’s a big body who can move and um an asset for our offense. That’s all right. J ask you about being a new dad yet? Nope, not yet. That’s all right. What’s life like, man? It’s been great. It’s been great. Uh she’s doing well. She’s growing every day and it’s it’s all good. How much fear have you so far? Uh none. None. How’s the uh first few days of pro camp? It’s going well. Um getting better. The team’s getting better. It’s definitely an experience though. It’s it’s harder than college, so you know, just learning, being a young guy, learning. You saw you walking up the field with chef just a minute ago. What was he telling you after today’s practice? I was just asking him how he wants me to play certain blocks and cuz you know in college we played a different way, a different scheme. So just trying to pick his mind on how he wants me to play certain things. Is that the biggest thing? Is it the physical or the mental hurdle early on as a as a rookie? Which is which is major? Uh for me it probably be physical. You know, I’m coming, you know, off of injury. So, you know, being smart with it and just the mental is there always because, you know, it’s NFL, it’s longer, you know, better competition, but overall, if you got good people around you, you’ll be fine. Kelly, how do you feel yourself adjusting to the pace of play out here and picking up the tempo of what is in the NFL offense and defense? I feel like I’m doing good. Like I said, I got a good support team around me. Um, they’re, you know, bringing me along, you know, let me get better. Let me, of course, I’m going to have mistakes. That’s, you know, normal. But, you know, they’re just helping me, you know, get back to where I am. Physically, how do you feel? I know you’re a little bit limited coming out of the spring, but you back to Yeah, I’m 100%. I’m full go. I’m perfectly fine. There’s some injuries around the Dline group. Just talk about the sense of competition for you guys to kind of earn those spots when maybe there’s a few less guys. Uh, yeah, there’s definitely competition. Everybody want to put on their best show, you know, you know, make the team and all that, but we’re one team, you know. We’re not, you know, oh, I got to beat this guy, I got to beat this guy. We’re just working together to get better uh every day. With Levi out for the year and out for at least half the year, it sounds like even Josh back at some point in September, do you feel a a sense of expectation on on your shoulders coming in as a rookie to make an impact on this team right away? I mean, of course, I got to I got to step up, you know, I got drafted, you know, where I got drafted for a reason. They obviously think I can play and help this team and I just got to step up to the plate and do that. So, I’m ready for it though. How does your role in that regard change versus maybe what you thought it would be when you were drafted? You know, some of those guys out there talked about that way back. Is there anything that you think your role would be different? Uh, I mean, if they were here, I think I would just still be getting the same amount of reps and all that. Just I would have more, you know, older guys to teach me. But, like I said, I got Reader, I got other guys in their hutch who help me along the way. So, I think I’ll be fine. And as far as what you’re asked to do though, you don’t think that’s No, I was going to be asked to do the same thing. You know, get to the quarterback, stop the run, you know, normal things for D line. How much of a help has uh DJ been for you? That’s I look at him big bro. That’s why I call him big bro. Uh sitting next to him in meetings, you know, he’s helping me whenever he can. And having a guy like that who’s been in the league like nine, 10 years, it’s amazing. He’s just seen it all. And uh you know, he can help me. I’m a rookie. You know, it’s my third day here or so. It’s great to have him by my side for sure. any other veterans stepping up and helping you out too? I say the whole D line, uh, Hutch, Dav, you know, all those guys, you know, pitching in when they can, just giving me, uh, you know, tips to, you know, go out there and succeed. Like I said, they’ve been doing it for a long time. So, practice there at the beginning at least. What’s the, uh, how do you guys tow that line of like maintaining the physicality without I’ll just say it did get a little hot today, so emotions are running. So, but people just being competitive. Uh, I think you want that in a team. you’d rather them go too hard than be too soft. So, I think guys just compete. Like I said, they’re trying to make a team and that’s going to happen. Emotions are high. Hey, Dave said he’s going to be calling you little M little I wonder what that what means to you and is that a guy that you watch as an autoologist you can pick up from perspective? Yeah, a great player. Like I said, he’s been here for a long time. He got paid that big contract for a reason. Uh I mean, the comparisons, I love him. Like I said, I’d want to be him one day. you know, being that guy they look up to and uh, you know, want to go out there and make plays. I definitely want to fill that role for sure. What’s it been like working with Keith Cooper since Keith? Uh, that’s my dog, bro. It’s kind of my best friend for real. Like on the uh D line right now. We hang out all the time. You know, like I said, we’re right now we’re like a one-two punch. You know, we’re working with together. He going for pass rush. I stand for run. I go for pass rush. He stay for run. It’s kind of just working together to get better. Like I said, he’s a great dude, great player. Uh he’s going to make a lot of plays for sure. In the offseason seemed like a lot of mental reps for yourself. Has anything surprised you now that you’re getting your first true action with everybody on the field? Uh I’ll say the game speed is a little faster than I thought it was going to be. But like I said, I’m picking up well. I got good guys around me who can help me with that. Think when you got drafted, you told us that maybe at Ohio State was frustrating wasn’t really the defense wasn’t really immediate to that. You kind of showed off. Do you think those are skills you have to develop or do you think you already have them and you’re putting them on this playground? Uh, I’m definitely asking be do different things, but I think I have it all in my bag already. Of course, you want to build on those things and get better at them. Like I said, I have guys around me that can help me with that and good coaches, but like I said, I’m ready. I’m I’m going to get better throughout this camp. I’m going to have all those things on display. How much are you looking forward to putting the pads on? I’m ready. It’s tomorrow, so it’s it’ll be a good day for sure. Do you feel like you can truly show your game whenever things kick up a notch? Yeah, definitely. I like I said, I got drafted where I’m got drafted for a reason. I got to go up and show up. Appreciate in just know you played guard today, but just what has the been the biggest adjustment to? Um, I think just the speed of everything happening. You at guard, you got a little bit of delay being off the ball and then of course you get up here and you’re going against quicker guys than you see I’ve seen before. So, I think that was the biggest adjustment, just how fast everything happens. Frank’s retirement that to take on the role that you’re taking on here just a few days into camp. How much of a whirlwind has this been for you? Um, you know, I’ve tried to keep it small. I’ve been getting in my playbook, studying that and then coming out here and competing to the best of my ability. So, that’s that’s I’m trying to control what I can control with that. Are you doing a good job of it that I know of? How do you um like I said, I’ve came out here and competed. I’ve I think I’ve done a pretty good job for where I’ve been at in the past. Um, but like I said, it’s about coming here and trying to better myself every day. Is this the physical aspect or the mental aspect? I said that maybe the biggest adjustment. Um, definitely mental. Um, to me, offensive line play off is offensive line play. I mean, it’s of course, like I said, it’s quicker. Everything happens quicker, but yeah, the mental side of it is definitely the hardest part. The protection guy. Yeah. Getting everybody on the same page. First train that came in the same day happened a couple times. You’ve been so physical. Had it been surprising at all? Just No, it’s a throwback to Georgia. That was every day. Coach Moore having to wind us down. We got after it. So, I love seeing that. It’s It’s like It’s like what I’m used to. Did your summer break change at all just with the you know the center on the plate? Did you approach things differently in any way? Um I mean this was really my first offseason technically as a NFL player I guess so. But it was a lot of diving in the playbook. Um trying to get that down pat so when we got in here I could transition pretty easily, start making points, getting everybody on the right page. practice. Can you just tell us about your history? Um, yeah. Uh, my center background goes back to last fall camp. Um, I didn’t take a guard snap all last fall camp and then pregame I’d get some snaps, but other than that it was that’s pretty much it. Um, explain their thinking. We uh Georgia. Yeah. Um, we had some injuries during fall camp and they knew if something happened to one of our centers, I was going to be our center. So, trying to get me used to that. when they dropped you down. They had a sense that you might slip away. [Music] Oh, yeah. I knew it was a possibility. Um, but in my mindset is whatever they need me to do, I’m going to go do. If they need me kick out tackle, I’m going to go out there and try to play tackle the best of my ability. But, um, like I said, yeah, I knew it was a possibility. Nice conversations with Frank at all. What about Gran, a guy who’s done a long time go and guard? How ambitious has it been to have a guy like that? Graham’s been a tremendous help. Whether that be in the meeting room, on the field, I know he’s one of those guys I can come up and ask anything and he’ll probably have an answer for me. Um, he’s been he’s been great helping me with um certain looks, certain techniques. So, it’s been great having him to lean on. [Music] Um, a lot better than I was in the spring. It’s all becoming more natural to me, the playbook, getting used to it. So, it’s definitely a lot easier now than it was in the in the spring. [Music] I I don’t know. I’m just out here to compete wherever they tell me to go compete. Take a lot of time. So the center is the second set of eyes for a quarterback. So how do you go about building chemistry with a brand new QB who’s played a lot of a lot of time um talking to him after plays trying to see what he sees. He sees what I see. So um and he’s done a great job helping me too. Jerry’s done a tremendous job helping me. Um if anything I have a question about a certain look, a certain play, I can go to him and he’ll have an answer for me. So it’s been he’s also been a great help to me. you didn’t lack basically talent on the defensive side at Georgia in practice or in the SEC. But DJ Reer, what kind of challenge has he been in terms of just helping you, you know, acclimate to this level? Um, yeah. I mean, he’s there’s a few reps he’s got me on. Um, and I’ll go up and ask him what he saw, what I’m doing to make that easier, like where my hands need to be, stuff like that. And he’s done a great job helping me with that as well. I know I can go up to him after a rep and he he’ll try to coach me best he can. How valuable is it to to have a veteran defender that’s willing to to give you that knowledge? I mean, it’s huge, especially for just now coming in trying to pick everybody’s brain, get as much knowledge as I can. It’s been huge. Seems like you and Ty have both pretty big game. What about him stood out to you? He’s powerful. Um, he’s strong, he’s got a good bull rush, and he’s also quick. So, it’s it’s kind of a guessing game with him which one he’s going to give you. Can you speak to your confidence as well? A lot of rookies might be intimidated. You look at the O line has been one of the strong points of this team. Obviously, a team is trying to compete for a Super Bowl. speak to your confidence in stepping right into this position and I contributed right away. I mean, I think confidence is key when it comes to football. If I was to come out here and didn’t think I didn’t believe in myself, probably wouldn’t have very good days. So, in my eyes, I feel like I have to come out here and believe in myself or I’m not going to have great days. Question more and more picks. I want a fully guaranteed contract. Do you think all second round picks should deserve guarantee contracts? I don’t know. I don’t really get into that. I leave that up to my agent. But, I mean, good for the guys that did. I mean I mean it’s awesome. Nothing in this game’s guaranteed. So I’ve been in positions where my season’s ended in one snap. So I mean yeah it’s great to get guaranteed money but that’s really my find on that. Can you tell me about that? Uh I mean my whole childhood is watching John Wayne with my dad. I mean in the morning he still watches westerns but it’s kind of just he’s I’ve always watched John Wayne and different in different movies. So when’d you get it? Uh I got it this off seasonason. I can’t remember what day it was, but just the center, how hard is it to go from basically having, you know, two arms available in the block initially to, you know, just having that one and get, you know, trying to get out your hands on. It’s different. Um, especially with these guys that know how to keep that snap hand down when you’re trying to get that snap hand back up, they know how to keep it down. So, it’s definitely been a big learning curve not having both hands, but um, like I said, it comes with reps, adjustment with reps. You made it very clear. You made it very clear you’re going to play wherever they want you to and that’s that’s the type of guy you are just out there. Do do you enjoy center? I mean do you do you like the the position? I enjoy football. I mean like like it doesn’t matter where I am on the field. I love football. So um yeah I do enjoy center. I also enjoy guard but like I said it’s football. I love being out here. Are we keeping the season? I think so. speak to you in any way. I mean, I can’t really say what I want to say just this language, but he’s a bad man. But that’s pretty much it. You tell a story about shark. Um, we were just shark fishing. Had a guy fly drone out up from the beach. Ended up hooking up on one. Took us about 25 minutes to get in. So, it was pretty cool experience. All right. Thanks, guys. They don’t

Hear from Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, defensive lineman Tyleik Williams and offensive lineman Tate Ratledge. As they speak to the media on July 24, 2025 at Detroit Lions Training Camp presented by Rocket.

0:00 – 7:22 – Jared Goff
7:23- 12:30 – Tyleik Williams
12:31 – 19:16 – Tate Ratledge

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