Under the Sun Ep. 1 – Behind the Scenes of Miami Dolphins Training Camp, Preseason & Team Activities

Under the Sun Ep. 1 – Behind the Scenes of Miami Dolphins Training Camp, Preseason & Team Activities

[Music] We’re getting ready to go to work. It is work. But is it? It’s not work if you love it. I would say I’m I’m pretty excited about the challenges that we’re we’re going to see and I want to see how through adversity how our team responds this year. It definitely feels as if it’s a it’s more of a player team. I think that the the leaders this year are are more engaged in what’s best for the team this year. How we can communicate with certain individuals. The dynamic with everything is it it doesn’t feel like it’s it’s one-sided. So the offense is, you know, helping holding the defense accountable and vice versa with the defense holding the offense accountable. And I think that’s a little unique to years past. I’ll leave between 5:45 and 6:15 in between that window. Head up to the facility and then our first meeting would be a team meeting. As you’re going through the schedule, you got lift, you got practice, you got film. There you go. After you got all of that, you probably got more film. After that, you got your recovery. You got coat tub, sauna, hot tub. Probably by the time we leave, it’s probably like around 6 6:30. I think it all varies depending on the position and depending on, you know, the the work that each individual needs. All of that is is so unique to what our job asks of us and all the asks for our job because if you’re also looking to build team chemistry, like you got to you got to be able to spend that time with your teammates as well. People might get confused as to why we hang out all together on our off days. It’s because when we’re in the building, it’s it’s football. Yeah, sure. You you do talk about your family and all of this, but you don’t really get to get to spend time and in really knowing knowing um you know who that individual is next to you. Ready for another day. [Music] The mentality of the team is to first establish what the standard is. So obviously everybody’s goal is to win a Super Bowl. Everything is built here OTAAS and training camp. And so right now it’s just building that foundation that we got to carry through the season. And we always got to have something that we fall back on as a group. And I think that’s what we’re building right now. [Music] We know like this is the beginning the process of where we’re trying to get to. We’re trying to get to that big stage. As soon as we get back together, that’s the first day of the process. literally being present every day, making sure we on track to get where we trying to go and making sure everybody is on the same track, whether it’s new guys coming in, two, three, four year vets. Trying to make sure everybody on the same track and not taking no day for granted. Be that dog today. Do something different today, dog. Put some different on tape today. All right. OTA was kind of just dipping the foot in, getting around the guys again, feeling that that team, that camaraderie. Um, but now training camp is going, the seasons, you see it on the horizon. It’s just about taking each and every day, you doing it together. And that’s what I missed about it. That’s what it’s all about. There’s excitement in the building, man. Like I I know, you know, we’re we’re disciplined and talking about all this motivation stuff, but the excitement of football being back. It’s like the first day of school. It’s like seeing all your best friends after, you know, summer break. So, I I think there is a lot of joy and excitement to be around each other. And I think that’s what’s most important, what I’m looking forward to is is kind of sharing that uh those experiences with these guys and write some history this year. [Music] It’s been really good to get back into it with the boys and it just feels good to be back on the field again. There’s nothing like, you know, this football environment when it comes to camaraderie. Um being in a locker room, being here for 12 hours a day with the guys, uh like it’s just really kind of an invaluable experience. The Dolphins added players through every avenue of free agency, the draft, and trading for an immediate impact player in safety Minka Fitzpatrick, who returns to the team that drafted him back in 2018. They poured a lot of resources in the trenches and down the middle of his football team. They are fast and what they do is they make you play a sideline to sideline game. They still can attack. This team could respond better than many people envision, but if they can play together as a team, they have plenty of success. We got to practice like champions. And right now, I feel like we practicing like champions. [Music] Real football all starts with intent and a focus that you have to give for yourself, your teammates. This is some real we’re building, but we have to relentlessly attack it. I’m seeing a lot of guys, man, who can make a bunch of plays. We all know, man, training camp is hard and it’s important, you know what I’m saying, for us to be able to lean on each other, especially, uh, me being an older guy, I know how I know how important it is to motivate these young guys and make sure that they are rolling at the very end of practice. This practice, bro, you know what I’m saying? We all lose, we all win, man. It’s all about, you know what I’m saying? You trusting yourself in your instinct. Keep doing your thing, boy. Because essentially that’s the fourth quarter, you know what I’m saying? And we we need every guy playing hard, you know what I’m saying? Playing with technique fundamentally in the fourth quarter. Like even when you tired when you out here in Miami, this heat is it’s a different beast. It’s been hot. That’s that’s definitely the what it’s been like. It’s been challenging, but in a in a great way. This is when you really have to be a pro. Like you really have to take care of your body. You have to be real proactive and make sure you stay on top of everything. Your availability is the best accountability. If we use it the right way, it’s always going to be to our advantage. To practice in the heat with having that extra challenge other than going against another great player is that you got to go against the heat at the same time. Maneuvering through that and also just trying to get better. I think it’s been great for us as a unit. [Music] It’s been intense. We are really like competing with each other on both sides of the ball. Like all three phases, we all are pushing each other. It’s intense and it’s a sense of urgency. You have a choice. Greatness, winning, all that is a choice and it’s found in the trenches of cake. I kind of did like a a little offseason study just on all great teams that’s won in the past, not just in football, but all sports. And I found a common denominator and that and that’s just being team chemistry, the bond in which those teams had that togetherness which I feel like helped them win. Offseason OTAAS, that was the perfect time to build that and I think we’ve done that and we’re continuing to do that. the guys this year like we’re really trying to just become closer. You know, the dog we had our up and downs throughout the season and it always comes to like them late moments of the team just being locked in on the the little parts of the game like 2 minutes. You know, we just trying to get to the point of where no matter what the circumstances is in the game, we all focus. We together and know that we can count on each other and get the job done. [Music] [Music] My honey number Having [Applause] the fans out here today, how a little bit different, more energized than the last few practices? Yeah, definitely. You know, um I think we went four or five days in a row, so having the fans brought a little energy going. It’s always fun. [Applause] [Music] First time I’ve had fans out here and it was awesome to see people come out and have energy. You inspire all of us every single day. Coming back to this moment. Each day we’ll be selecting one deserving fan as our orange jersey fan of the day. Oh, I’ll take the hug. I’ll take the hug. See you up, buddy. Congratulations. You got the jersey, huh? Let’s go. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. [Music] your elephant. Oh yeah. Well, this is his first picture with the contract, huh? Get one like that. That is spectacular, man. That That is just That is just Oh my god. He’s an actor. That’s right. Look at him. Oh, man. Get this thing. Killing it. coming to the league seventh round getting cut. You don’t feel like you belong. No matter how much you’re going to tell yourself that, or at least for me, I told myself that. I feel like I had to prove myself every day. And that’s how I got here. And that’s how I’m going to keep doing it every single day. I want to have a story that can just motivate anybody. Um, and I’m not done. And I think there’s a lot left to accomplish for myself um in this league and with the Miami Dolphins. Um and I hope that I can be approachable and that I know that anyone in the team, my room or any other room can talk to me and ask me anything they need with football on or off the field in life. So yeah. Yeah. Zach, I believe the back-to-back 10 sack seasons coincide with the birth of your son. How how has fatherhood kind of helped you as a professional? I didn’t know what tired was until I was a dad. And uh I think that there’s an aspect of that where like you could feel bad, you could have a bad day, whatever, but to go home and to see him running around smiling and laughing, it just takes all that away. And it just it helps you refocus on your on what really matters in life. And it’s like, okay, was just it was a bad day. I can move on. And like and you want to have him see that. And that’s how I want him to grow up, learning and seeing that. And that’s how I was taught and raised growing up. So, it it opened my eyes to that aspect of just like, okay, this is it. Move on. And we’ve all heard a coach say, hey, next play mentality. Um, and that’s how that’s just, I guess, subconsciously has happened. And, uh, I just allows you to be a play it freely and play with confidence every single snap. [Music] [Music] having a day at work knowing, hey, I’m going to go out there and bust my butt at practice. And after that, I can see my son kind of running up to me and be able to be with him. It just goes back to that. Just, hey, take those few seconds. Football’s everything to me, but at the same point, it’s like there’s more to that. It’s your family, your kids, [Music] to have those moments that the Dolphins give us, to have them come in and do the few minutes after practice or the family nights. It’s just so awesome to have an organization that cares so much about their staff and employees and players and coaches [Music] be able to give us those opportunities and make those memories. [Music] [Music] What do you hope to get out of upcoming joint practices? joint practices um are are a challenge. Um but it’ll be good for our football team to, you know, strain between the whistle and get back to the huddle and do it again. You get to take all the tools that you’ve been refining. It’s the best opportunity to give guys a chance to make a team. It’s invaluable. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] One, two. [Music] Oh yeah. Think of that, AB. Imagine at that time he was driving that. Three, two, one. Oh, stop playing. I knew mine was going to lose that I’m going to show you where other [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Wilson is able to find Dick West and DA. It’s a 36 yd connection. Huer’s tipped and then in the end zone loose junior. Touchdown Dolphins. This trip has been long. We get to go home. We’ll look back on this trip as to why. How different is our team? And that’s because of all of you guys buying the on three. 1 2 3. That’s a good tackle that there. Appreciate you, my boy. I saw that on film last night. I ain’t say nothing to you. That’s a good t one more time. One more time. Watch the feet. Watch the feet. Yeah. Once you get in space, you got to look at you looking athletic, boy. Got to have my feet down. Where was I? How did I not see that? I did see that tack. I never been on the field with with KJ, you know, in the game, you know, where we played on the same side, but yesterday was it it summed up the the the friendship, you know, all all at one time, you know. It was like we was having fun more than anything, communicate, joking, laughing still. Yep. Yep. Get ready to grab everything. No excuses. hands ready to fall back. Don’t get sucked in. Tempo, tempo, tempo, tempo, tempo all day. Tempo, tempo. It’s hard enough like as is like all the stresses, all the stuff that you know, make the game so hard. But like when you got somebody that you could just play with, be yourself with, it takes a load off of you. Like I said, like me and Willie have been knowing each other so long. I mean, you’re like a a brother on the field that you that you always wanted to have. Yeah. Yeah. We know each other for 10 years. But me, but one thing about like Willie, me and Willie, like we both country. So like Yeah. One thing about country people like you can relate. So like me and Willie, we always had the same type of relationship. Like even when we was at the opening, cuz that’s this the last last time me and Willie played together was 2016 at the at the Nike opening in Oregon and we were team mates. Same type of same. It was same type of relationship. We out there joking, laughing around, and I remember that was like one of one of the most funnest time of my life. And you got MVP, too. Yeah. Got lineback MVP, you know, for for my for my defense. That was fun, you know. So, like I said, it’s always good, you know. You got to have Batman. Got to have Robin, you know. I’m Batman. Y’all can’t see it, but me and Willie talking right now without even looking without even looking at each other. Two Gap, Willie. Yep. Two gap. man, you you’ll be in sync like a mug just because know you got that relationship with a person. You know what I’m saying? Like I know, okay, I know how KJ going to play this or he okay, I know Willie going to be fast on this, so let me play play behind. Let me play slow. You don’t see it as, oh, it’s work, you know, you see it as, man, we get the chance to go out here and, you know, compete together. The team is real close. Yeah, it’s real close. I I can honestly say that. Um, like everybody’s just uh easy to get along with, you know, and that that that makes it so much easier to be on a team with guys like that. Makes it fun. It takes the oh, I’m at work part out of it, you know. Sometimes you just forget you even at work, you having fun, man. It’s it’s football, you know. And once you just start, like I said, having fun, doing your job, all everything else going to take care of itself. I promise you. You know, you always know that it takes everybody to win a football game. Because it’s a long season. You don’t know. You don’t know who who who you might need, who who you going to have to count on. So, you got to be I mean, you got to be vested. And then the games, they going to come. They going to come. You can’t help it. You can’t help but want to be great. Yeah. Can’t help it. Surrounded by a lot of people that want to be. So, how it is. [Music] We got one for each other, dog. And I love going to [Music] dog. That’s going to be great, baby. I’m with y’all. I know y’all talk about right now. Maximize the opportunities. Very slim in this. Let’s go. F3. 1 2 3. competition there. And there’s Chop Robinson. And they bring some pressure. And Bradley Chop’s got him. Welcome back, Chop. Aloa gets rid of it. He’s got Washington at 20. Malik Washington. Nice move to the 10. The B is in. Touchdown Dolphins. [Music] You guys should be proud of what you put on tape. I was very proud of just generally ouring camp, okay? 4 months. We’ve been at work uh since April 21st. You can tell we didn’t take a day off. We’re on something um greater than ourselves. We have a long journey ahead of us. Dolphins on three. Dolphins on me. 1 2 3. [Music] It’s been really cool. Um, you know, getting to know guys, getting to know their stories, guys being vulnerable with each other. And I think that’s so unique to an NFL locker room. [Music] The season is something that, you know, you’re always going to remember. You put your work in a training camp. That’s where you could. So, so you can show what you do on Sunday. When you start winning games, a lot of memories to be made. You know what? I got two young dudes to the left of me and I got some older vets to the right. Getting out there and seeing how we work together. I say that’s probably the biggest thing I’m looking forward to this coming up season. I’m so close to the guys this year because everyone’s so bought in. That culture we’re trying to build, that brotherhood we’re trying to build, and taking the extra steps to really get to know each other. My expectations are for us to give our all every single game. Looking forward to playing with these dudes just because I feel that the bond that we’ve been building, I think it’s been real because it’s been intentional. I’m excited to go get to compete with this group, this 2025 group this year and see what we can do. [Music]

In the first episode of Under the Sun with the Miami Dolphins, we ride along with Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to training camp practice, take an inside look at team bonding activities, watch film with Willie Gay Jr. and K.J. Britt, see behind the scenes of the Zach Sieler contract extension, and more!

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0:00 Tua Tagovailoa Ride to Practice
3:28 Training Camp Practice
9:40 Fans at Training Camp
11:15 Zach Sieler Contract Extension & Family
14:38 Preseason Trip and Joint Practices
17:32 Willie Gay Jr. and K.J. Britt Bond and Film Review
20:54 Preseason Week 3 vs JAX
22:24 Outro

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