Russell Wilson on Being a Leader | New York Giants

Russell Wilson on Being a Leader | New York Giants

Russ, let’s start at the end of practice. The fights, you’ve been around a long time. Those are usually training. What fight? What are you talking about? Those aren’t usually those are training camp, not OTAAS. What do you think of that? Yeah, I think it’s uh competitive part of practice. I think we’re all trying to, you know, compete and get be the best version of us and and everything else. A lot of times, uh, you know, you have a long practice like the way we did and the way we’re working, things happen, you know. Um, you every great team I’ve been on, there’s been a couple of those. So, um, but you know, our guys are all so connected, you know, that’s that sometimes happens, but, um, nothing to worry about. We haven’t spoken to you since the draft, have we? Yeah. Uh, yeah, I think so. I think since the draft. Yeah. So, what was your reaction to them trading up and and getting Jackson and just Yeah, Jackson’s been great, man. He’s he’s a great worker. Um, great teammate. We’re having fun. All of us. We have a really good quarterback room. guys are so focused and um you know working diligently every day. Um you know he’s going to be extremely extremely good talent you know and everything else you know throughout his career. Does it change anything for you you know having a first round pick in the room with you? No it doesn’t change anything at all. I think the biggest thing is for me is just being my best every day leading you know just I always think about um you know just leading everybody you know just leading every room every moment every time I get step on some white lines and the opportunity of that. We had a great dinner the other night. All the guys, you know, brought all the O linemen and quarterbacks and running backs together. We just had a good time. Just tons of laughs and and good time together. So, just um I I think the the the fellowship of it all is the best part right now. You know, obviously our work ethic and what we’re doing on the field, but when it comes to just, you know, the the tight-knit culture that we’re continuing to build and continue to grow and we want to have a championship football team and um in terms of our mentality and our approach and how we go about it. And it’s not just the games, but it’s everything that leads up to that. And uh that’s the that’s the fun part about the game of football. You guys view it differently, Rob. A lot of you guys view it differently, whether you know say, okay, you know, part of my role now is to be a mentor or hey, I just go back and do my business and it happens naturally. How do you sort of view that? I’ve always viewed it as, you know, you’re always trying to be the best version of you and then then you’re always giving back to everybody else. I think that, you know, it’s not just about one teammate, it’s about all the teammates. It’s about everybody in the building. It’s about, you know, from all the way to to to the quarterback room to the receivers to the running backs to the tight ends, the O line and the relationship there all the way to the defensive line to the to the corners and to the all the way to the training room, you know, just my relationship with with Bobby, my relationship with uh with Tim, you know, running the equipment all the way to, you know, the staff and and everybody who’s helping us and making food, all that part is is everybody. And I think those are the relationships to obviously coach Wellman and what he’s doing and coach Wilson too and how they’re leading us in the weight room. So it’s like to me it’s it’s it’s all all inclusive, you know, and and that’s always the approach. Can you give us a little insight into how the quarterback room works as far as you know who’s taking charge? Is it a a group collaboration? How does it work? Yeah, we always we always communicate. I think that the best quarterback rooms I’ve ever been in and we’re always super interactive. Our meetings are interactive. Coach Daves does a great job, you know, with interaction. And I think Cath does a great job interaction. Coach Shay, all of our coaches do a tremendous job of communicating. Um and and so I think that we have, you know, really really good teachers of the game. That’s been the really fun part. I’ve had a lot of fun, you know, coming in here and just being a part of that and and uh you know, and then leading in every way. You know, my my my role and my responsibility obviously to help our football team win, but also to to lead in every way and been fortunate to be able to see a lot of football and communicate all that and understand it all. And so we’re always constantly growing, always constantly sharing and collaborating and thinking and processing. You mentioned that you you’re always learning. What have you learned being, you know, you would think you’ve seen it all, done it all now, but what have you learned so far? Yeah, there’s a lot of things I still want to accomplish, you know, and uh so every day I I I’m just constantly focused on that part of it. Um you know what, you know, I think that for me, every time I step into the white lines, I want to be my best every day and understanding that you’re just constantly growing. You know, there’s constantly things to learn and everything else. So, I think um you the cool part here is just the fellowship with the guys, you know, just, you know, knowing knowing what JMS is like, you know, knowing uh knowing what runs is like, knowing um Theo and and Well, knowing what Nabes is like, you know, and just being next to him in the locker room and just different guys, you know, I think all that is important. I think Jaylen Hyatt, you know, he’s he’s a guy that’s, you know, who I really believe in, you know, and so there’s a lot of guys I believe in. All these guys have been working their tails off. We spent a lot of time, you know, me and Belly and I’ve been with Dolch before and knowing him, but now his life’s grown and everything else. And so I think all those relationships um are significant and I think that’s the part I’m constantly learning too as well. When it comes to Jackson, is is are you taking the the approach with him where you’re explaining why you’re doing what you’re doing and all that stuff or do you wait for him to ask the questions and then you’ll answer? Oh, yeah. I always share. I always think about communicate. I’m I’m a big believer in communicating out loud. Just, you know, here’s what I’m thinking. Here’s what I’m saying. you know, you don’t hold any information. I think that for us, it’s always about us being the best that we can all be. And uh, you know, and I think for me, when you have tremendous confidence in yourself, you you have no problem sharing with others. You know, I think that’s just how I’ve always believed. So, speaking of that mentorship role, um, you were a mentor obviously back in Pittsburgh for uh, Fields and now you’re going to be a mentor for Jackson Dart. So, how just that transition and in the quarterback room, how how has that been? Yeah, I think that, you know, it’s not just the guys in your quarterback room. It’s I hopefully it’s across the league, different guys you’ve been able to communicate with, but especially the guys in your room. You know, I think, you know, uh, you know, Fields is a guy that I have a great relationship with, a guy that I believe in in every way. We spent a lot of time together last year and and then we’ve talked a lot in the past. Jackson and I are obviously getting to know each other and Jamus I’ve known for forever. Tommy, I’m getting I have a lot of respect for Tommy and how hard he’s worked every day, you know. um you know that that doesn’t go unseen, you know, and so it’s just all of us, man. It’s not just one guy or one player or just me or anything else. It’s it’s all of us together. What are your earlier impressions of coach CFKA? Yeah, Coach Cafka is super sharp, man. He’s a guy who’s played in the league. That’s that’s that’s the first thing. You know, it’s anytime you get a a quarterback that’s played in the National Football League, that’s that’s significant. You know, it’s the amount of information, you know, quarterbacks learn and understand uh how they see the game. um you know, you’re really talking to a guy that’s been on the football field and played um been in different organizations, won before and um you know, and everything else. And so that’s been a lot of fun, you know, just talking to him, how he sees the game, how we see the game together, me and him. Um and Dave’s too as well. So that’s been really cool. You played against this defense last year. You’re playing against kind of a re regrouped, re repersonel group on defense this year. Do you see a big difference between Yeah, I I thought that first of all, I think last year that defense was flying around, you know, up front was obviously having big big sexy Dexi up there rushing the passers is he’s a monster, man. Um, you know, I think obviously Brian Burns is my opinion one of the top defensive ends in the game. His ability to get to the quarterback, his ability to cause havoc, you know, it’s anytime you you’re game planning against a team and, you know, it’s like you have these game altering players, you know, and he’s one of them for sure. and Dex as well. And and Tibs, I think he’s had had an unbelievable uh camp so far, just how he’s gone about his approach. He’s here early, he’s here late, his thought process. Um and he’s he’s just a tremendous football talent as well. And then the addition obviously Abdul rushing the passer too. Um you know, he gets to learn from um you know, guys like Burns and guys like Tib and all those guys as well about their process and he’s already got a great one already. I think from a secondary standpoint, you know, just the additions of Debo and then also to Holland and all that. Those guys um their their freaking nature’s back there, man. Just how they make plays. Um you know, I I think is one of the best out there on the outside. His his ability to make plays. Um been able to watch him from a distance, too. Had a lot of respect for him. He’s very patient and calm out there. That’s always a thing that you want at quarterback. His ability to to see things and process. Um, you know, and so, you know, I think with our linebackers, too, obviously Big Bobby O, he’s, uh, he’s one of the best in the game, how he flies around. And so, um, you know, I think we gota have a really, really talented defense and hopefully they can get us the ball, give us a short field, make a lot of score a lot of points hopefully. But I think the best thing that they do is obviously cause havoc. What’s your process for establishing chemistry with receivers you haven’t worked with before? Yeah, I think, you know, anytime that I always say that like, you know, playing quarterback is throwing the ball so they can catch it. You know, it’s like, you know, it’s like uh when you think about it, I I’ve always thought about this even when I was young and went to the combine, for example. It’s guys can get in their head about, you know, not throwing to certain guys or whatever it may be because I haven’t thrown to this guy before, whatever. And I just be like, that’s our job. You know, throw it to them so they can catch it, you know. So, to me, it’s always like I think our the work ethic of our guys is what sets the tone. I think coach Gro does a great job in that room, but just the work ethic of our receivers, how their diligence, the time we spent in the offseason has paid off, the time that they they’ve worked in their walkthroughs all the way to how they’ve approached that to obviously our approach in practice and the speed that they play with. You saw Sllayton catch that bomb today. I threw it to him and just his his ability to make plays down the field. Jaylen, I’m really excited about him and what he’s done so far. Obviously, Juan Dell was is his ability. Neighbors is, you know, obviously the one of the best in the game, if not the best in the game of what he does. Um, and so just we got a lot of guys, you know, and so I think I I’ve also been really impressed with our backs, you know. I think that we have some really, really talented, you know, backs that can really catch the ball, but also obviously run it, but their ability to make plays in the passing game is is significant as well. So, you’re a veteran in this league, right? You know, kind of how the business works. You were once a a draft pick, right? You came in, you won the job, you earn your job. How much pressure does do you view it as putting on you to have success here early knowing that they drafted a first round quarterback? I just think about having success today, you know, that’s always been my approach every day is like I’m trying to be the best in the world. You know, I just, you know, you know, I think that for me me mentally, you have confidence in yourself. You have confidence in what you do, your process. Uh, you know, I I constantly stay the course and understand that, you know, if I’m the best me, you know, I I know how great that is. And and so for me, I always just stay within you. I don’t really think about outside. And I know you guys have a a great day job to do and everything else, but you know, um but for me, it’s like you that would be a fine in the team reading room. I’m just kidding. Um but no, I just for me it’s I just stay focused on on on the process of it all. when when you talk the process, I mean, you talk to guys in this league from when they’re rookies to when they’re, you know, in your stage of the game, guys have their different mentalities of how, you know, okay, now’s when the pedal goes down to the ground and we got to push and there are some guys who want to take it day by day. Has that process changed for you at all in terms of getting ready for the season and it’s only June. I mean, there are some guys who say, you know, wake me up in August, that kind of thing. But from you, why is it important? I think it’s important. I think you know your question in terms of you know if I’m understanding your question right you know the process of right now the OTAAS and the I’ve always believed in that because of the chemistry and the the the belief and the love of the game. You know to me if you love the game you’re always about it. It doesn’t matter you know we we all know that you know every day you step in between the white lines it’s it’s a gift. You know I believe that God’s given us an amazing blessing to play this game. And so I’ve always taken the approach of, you know, never missing practice, always being, you know, there. I don’t I think I’ve only missed one practice before in my life and that’s because of a funeral. You know, I think it’s just because I think at the end of the day for me, it’s about the approach to it. Um, and so, you know, I think the big part of it is is just the dedication to your teammates, you know, and what you want to do. And it’s all about us doing it together. That’s the fun part about it. I think to be able to play with the guys that we have and the belief that we have to create now and the belief that we have to do but it’s not just you know hoping and wishing it’s actually doing and I think that’s the part that we have to work on daily and so that’s the part of being a champion and wanting to win and wanting to win at all cost and knowing that it’s about us and it’s not about just one person.

Quarterback Russell Wilson Speaks to the Media on Thursday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Presented by Bob’s Discount Furniture.

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