Michael Carter, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Paris Johnson Jr. Media Availability | Week 5 vs. TN Titans

Michael Carter, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Paris Johnson Jr. Media Availability | Week 5 vs. TN Titans

My guys, James and uh Trey, prayers, you know, they’ll they’ll be back soon. You know what I mean? Like in the grand scheme, it’s not too much time off. So, especially for Trey. Um for me, you know, I’m blessed to have the opportunity to uh just play ball again, you know what I mean? It’s I’m so blessed. I’m thankful. And I hate that I came this way, you know what I mean? But I am grateful that I do get the opportunity. You’ve talked at least before the regular season began about the chip you have on your shoulder just how everything has been to now at least for while the time trays out and while you’re on this active roster here. How can you maximize this and does that add a little bit extra, you know, juice knowing that you do have this spot on the on the active? Uh, I think I think the motivation is to be the best in general. You know what I mean? no matter what my playing situation is, I think I I I put my best forward every day. My chip on my shoulder is gigantic right now. And I think that um I don’t try to look too far ahead. Like today, I would just focus on today. And I know it’s cliche, but like it’s the best way for me to go about business because, you know, you worry about too far ahead and you miss out on the moment. And know if you get my old coach said he used to say if you uh if you your mind’s in the past you’re gonna get left in the past you know so trying to hang out there either try to stay in the moment. So with that being said, moment is one at a time. Is this a great moment? Like go ahead. Look at this moment. What comes to mind? Um just opportunity just, you know, you pray for a moment to uh showcase your talent and um here it is, right? So I think it’s as simple as that. With all that being said about the past, what’s we’re four weeks into the season. What’s the roller coaster been like for you so far? Yeah, it’s been it’s been a lot. I’m not going to lie because you know you go from Pat Tilman in one week to you know starting the next it’s a lot. Well that’s a lot. You know you can still act like it’s not but that’s kind of kind of a lot. So but you know I got a great great great great support system. Like unbelievable unbelievable. I got the best I feel like from my parents friends and family like everybody. How do you think you and Amari’s skill sets complement each other now? Yeah, I I think we’re both really good players. Also, Bam is too, you know, we don’t talk about him enough. He’s a good player, man. Like, from being at NC State to uh I know, right? To uh um when he was in New York with me, I was I played with B before, you know, and um he had a similar situation when he was in New York where I had got hurt and he had kind of like took over and he played good. I mean, he played really good football. So, um I mean, it’s it’s going to take all of us, you know. It’s not just as much as as much as it’s from the outside looking in, it looks like, you know, like a oneman band. Like, it’s going to take every one of us to win the football game, you know? So, I I just try to look at it like that. I’m going to do my part, though. You know what I’m saying? I’m going to do my part. Put my best foot forward. Um, opportunity of a lifetime, you know? It feels like um I love Arizona. Love my teammates. Since I got here, it’s been so much love. It’s it’s a different place from New York because it’s it almost feels like well not to be not try to put it like bluntly like the media makes it a little bit hard place to play. And so like now it’s kind of like this is just like you guys are so nice and um it’s just a place where it feels like family. It feels like a football like a real football um like a football heavy place you know uh to go from Pat Tman one week to starting the next. Do you see yourself as the starting running back right now? Um, I carry myself every day like that. You know what I mean? Like, and that’s not even me being cliche. Like, I train every day. I work up every day. I’m I’m one of the first people here every day. So, I think it’s less about the who rolls out there first versus like the week of preparation. Like, how do I prepare? Yes, I prepare to start no matter what. It doesn’t matter. Even if I’m, you know, sitting on the P squad, I’m going to get up and I’m I’m going prep just like I going to get 20 carries on Sunday. It doesn’t matter cuz when you really think about it like you could be on a on a practice squad till Friday and someone tweaked the ankle on fast Friday and you got to play Sunday. So if you wasn’t paying attention you cook, you know what I mean? Like so the the week of preparation means more than um more more than people think it does. So that’s not really up to me. I carry myself like that regardless. Anybody in your support system you want to give a shout out to? Everybody. All of them. All of them. All of them. All of them. Literally all of them. Like every everybody. Wow. Like they just my family and friends. Like she’s so uplifting. Like literally makes a difference. What? Like huge, man. Like I wouldn’t even be here without her. Like if a lot of people went through what I what I’ve gone through in the in the league, you know, a lot of people would have probably hung it up, you know? And I know that because I thought about it and And to be honest, like everybody be like, “Well, you stupid as hell, bro. Shut up.” You know? So, it’s one of them things where it’s like, you got to keep going. The only way, you know, past the adversity is, you know, you got to go through it. You can’t run from it cuz it’s going to come in another shape or form. So, you might as well go through it and do what you want to do cuz I love football. I’m not I’m not really built for like a desk job, you know? So, do you look back and kind of laugh at those times when you start to think back to like maybe I should hang it up? No, I don’t think about it anymore. But there was a time where I kind of was like, I don’t know, bro. Like, maybe I don’t got it. But that’s that’s more like a mental barrier. I got it, you know? So, I it’s just a just a blessing to even be here, you know what I mean? Like, when was that when was that time that you thought about hanging around? Uh, I think it’s just quick moment. It was like a quick moment like it was like sometime middle of the year last year. Like, and it has it’s no to anybody like but I just sometimes I just be like, man, I feel like I can really play, man. there’s not this many running backs better than you know those types of conversations like but we’re here now you know how much more validating is it to know that you went through that moment and now you’ve got an opportunity like you do now I think it’s cool cuz I think uh I think it’s cool for me because one thing I kind of pride myself on is like my faith you know and God bless me man he just keeps doing it I don’t know how I don’t know why I don’t deserve it sometimes I I sin you know I do all the and stuff like but I do work hard and I think that’s why he hasn’t given up on me you know and so uh it’s just cool that I’m even here you know the old me would I used to feel entitled to certain stuff like you go you know whatever but let’s just hoop let’s play ball like do you feel like you have a different you said you used to feel entitled Do you feel like you have you came into the league with you know fourth round pick right yeah yeah big role in in New York do you feel like you have a different mindset or approach to things now having gone through the past five years that you’ve gone through. Yeah, definitely. Like I was I was a rookie literally like when I started playing and starting I was starting my third game maybe and I started all the way till like pretty much I got here and I think as my time evolved and just being around like guys who’ve done it like Kevin Coleman, Devin Cook, James, you know what I mean? Like Ty Johnson, guys who kind of had like their own process and you know kind of helped me help Bree when he got to the league, you know, like I had to learn quick because I started quick. So, just that process as I’ve gotten older, it’s it’s tweaked and I’ve gotten better from it and I’ve gotten better because of the guys that I’ve been around um at other positions too. You know, CJ Mosley, George Fan, like those guys really helped me a lot like and they don’t I mean I told them I tried to you know Morgan Moses too. I just try to tell them thank you guys for helping me all the time like everything you guys have done. Um, but now it’s like that there I took this from this guy, this from that guy, this from that guy, and I kind of turn it in to what I do best for myself. So, it’s been cool. Celebrate, kind of take it take a moment. What that mean to you that one in? Yeah, it was good to see one go through the hoop, I should say. um just got to make a big play in the game and obviously want to keep momentum for the team and stay in the game in that moment. You think you’ve ever faced that much adversity in in a game in a single game where you kind of had to bounce back like you did? Uh nah. No, I would say that’s probably the first time. Can you take us through the emotions that game? What were the thoughts first half and how much did it change? First half obviously couldn’t go worse and then come back got the second half and um obviously get a good comeback. Uh hope I wanted to get to overtime. I feel like we got to overtime make a chance to really win that game. I think the offense is clicking. We had a lot of momentum going but just didn’t get the ball back there. Can you take us through those two plays in the first half the route the interception and where the ball just kind of Yeah. Uh Claudia is scrambling on one of them. He’s about to make my you know cut back up on scramble drill kind of play. Other one just got to catch the ball. when you’re on your defensing God. Really? That’s probably biggest thing. I mean, I always thank him, but that one meant a little bit more to me. Was that second half the best you felt this season or even since you’ve been here? No. No. No. This team has offensively struggled with explosive plays. Yeah. What has to happen in those situations to get those plus 20 yard? I feel like I tell you guys all the time, it just comes down to the execution, man, from all 11 guys. Um, you know, no one person can generate 20 yards by themselves. It takes the whole O line. Uh, pass protection or even run the O line, the receivers’s got to block in the run game to bring the big runs. Uh, pass protection, you got obviously complete and catch the ball um in the pass game, but it really just takes execution from all 11. I know Kyler was just talking about everybody’s been through has everybody’s made a bad play in the game before. Your your teammates, your coaches, they want to say something nice to you to like keep your chin up. Kyler said that personally he actually thinks that makes it worse because it just frustrates them. How are you when people try and like give you like, hey, hang in there kind of? That’s a great question. Um, I definitely see both sides of it. You don’t really want nobody feeling sorry for you that you know they keep coming up to you kind of thing but sometimes it is nice to know you’re supported by your teammates. So I would say there’s definitely positives and the pros and cons to it. What’s it like to have support from your teammates? Definitely felt a lot. I mean they see the work that I put in. They see me throughout the week all the practices and I think they know what I’m capable of. So uh you know just means a lot to have their support and knowing that they trusted me to make a play. You’ve kind of evaluated yourself over these past few weeks. anything you think you could do better or just ways to to help with making more plays? The obvious things really. Um it’s it’s it’s a weird game because you look back the past four weeks like I could probably count on how many plays if I could change the outcome of on you know one hand I’ll probably have a totally different season. I think that’s just football at the end of the day. So I just keep getting better each and every single day. How tough is it to know what to do when Kyler starts to scramble? I noticed it happened twice to you where you start to block and he without looking for to throw it like what’s that process like? Like how do you know when to get over judgment? He has kind of judgment. Um obviously I know he can make plays with legs anytime I can get a block down the field and kind of spring a little bit more. That definitely helps but obviously some stay in route too and he’s looking to throw. So um you just judge him think. Is there a rule like in the pocket don’t move or is there like a teachers? No rules. Let’s play football. After the San Francisco game, you seemed pretty dejected there. Is it easier to go through a week mentally when you’re coming off the high note of the plays that you made in the second half? No. No. I don’t really think about good plays throughout the week ever really. I just look to make those plays. So, I wouldn’t say, you know, coming off of any game, you feel good about plays you did make when there’s plays you could have made. It is that the same on the flip side or or do you just always put Sunday behind you as soon as Wednesday practice starts? Always put Sunday behind you. I mean, you can’t dwell on any game in this league. You got to let it move on and get ready for the next opponent. Obviously, you haven’t been through the first half that at halftime. What are you leaning on to kind of give yourself sort of an experience to build? You just got to go out there and play. Um, you can’t overthink it. It’s the same game you’ve been doing for all your life. Uh, trust the reps you put in throughout the offseason and go out there and just execute the best you can. Did anybody reach out to you locker room, mentor, friend? Yeah, I mean a lot of Yeah, a lot of people. I don’t I don’t name any names, but I would say a lot of people for sure. Do you appreciate that? Yeah, definitely. Definitely. It’s been nice to see, you know, people who supported you. Obviously, when you’re doing good, it’s easy to support people then, but then know when things aren’t really going away, see who’s still really there for you. So, I say I appreciate that. Do you spend much time talking to your dad about just the NFL, the ups and downs of that stuff? Uh, here and there, you know, whatever we decide to talk about. I think you have more of a father relationship now than kind of maybe player coach, uh, so to say, but, uh, yeah, here and there. Does this team is it good to have a couple days to kind of reset you think after those two tough losses? Yeah, I think it can be beneficial. Yeah. How do you guys I’m sorry I’m looking at you. Yeah. Has that a relation with your dad changed since you got in the league? More Yeah, more father side for sure. More father pick up with Trey Ben. How you guys pick up the slack left by Trey Benson. Unfortunately, I’m going. Yeah, running back room has just been taking a hit, man. And that’s very unfortunate. Obviously, running the ball is a big part of our game for sure. So, um know I trust the guys to go go step in there with Bam and Mike and Amari out there and make some plays for us. Uh but obviously definitely takes a hit for the team. The one miscommunication obviously you guys were in tempo. Did you just kind of read the quarterback coming down and decide to break? Yeah, those are always tricky ones when you got conversions is what we kind of call them. Um it’s is off the press. So when you know you go tempo and defense isn’t really set and you know kind of miss one thing I kind of feel one other thing being right there. So those are always the tricky ones to kind of judge. I think that’s just what happened there. What have you seen out of the Titans this week coming into? They’re a good team and I feel like a lot of you see the record. The record is what it is. But obviously every team in the NFL is really good. They got talented players. Um especially for you know for me they got some good secondary. It be tough to go against. Drew Petting said he’s not concerned with the miscommunications between you and K. I know that player is unique because of the tempo. Are you concerned with those miscommunications? No. No. I mean I No. No. what’s happening offensively. Yeah, I just think we need to get things going faster. You know what? I mean, we need things going faster. You know, I know we’re starting to show those flashes of that fast offense in the end. I think we need to start that way. That’s the way we’ve been that’s why we’ve been talking about doing things. That’s the way you going to start to rep it in practice, you know, cuz once you start and you have those those drives that start off with those huge explosive plays, I know we’re able to maintain to push down the field and keep that momentum going. Yeah. I mean, you’re losing two guys that are huge in our offense that that that you know, they’re huge parts of the run game for us. Obviously, they’re running the ball obviously, but it’s like losing someone on the offensive line, you know, because you know how they run, you know, they push it. you guys have that connection of how, you know, they’re going to play off a certain like assignments, you know, in in um as far as our blocks go. But I know that we’ll have the right guys around here to keep it going. I have so much faith in all the backs that we have in the locker room that I think guys are able to look around and be like, we’ve seen these guys show up and make plays and we know that, you know, we’re not going to sit here and just think that the run game is gone. We got two more guys that are going to be killers for us up front. I’m excited for the world to see them do their thing. So that can change the thinking for you in your blocking based on who’s running the ball. I mean the assignments are going to be the assignments based on how coach wants them to look. Um but you know the tendencies of certain backs to take it certain ways to press it certain ways. So you can assume um how that like I feel like the first 80% of the run is on the O line. It’s that last 20% which is that extra push from the back to make that thing really pop, you know? So we said last 20% that’s going to be the flavor is going to be different from back to back. You know up front for for you five. Does anything feel different in the run game compared to last year? Is it guys just not quite winning to the same level they were last year? You not in the same positions? Like what’s going on with those five with all five of you guys kind of together in the run game? Yeah. I mean again I feel like um even if four of us get the assignment right in the run game if the if the fifth guy’s not getting it done um whole play is not going to work and it’s a failure on all five you know unlike all positions all five have to make it work. So again um if one or two we’re not on the same page then everybody’s losing. So um again we have to win with all five has to be a clean 100%. um you know for those plays to work and you know going to put that on myself to make sure that we’re communicating that I’m doing my communicating that I’m letting people know what I’m seeing and I’m going to open up my ears more so I can hear other people you know what I mean that way we’re all on the same page so we just have to take ownership as long because we all play a part in that you know miscues have been more physical or mental so far this year some of both yeah I mean I don’t think I mean it’s kind of hard because I feel like again in the moment it’s It’s different when I watch film. It’s different when I watch film. But I feel like in the moment I don’t feel like it’s and I can only speak for me and Evan. I don’t feel like it’s physical or mental. There’s not a lot of confusion going on. But at least for me and Evan, um Evan’s a he’s a he’s a vet obviously. You know, I’ll say something he’ll say something else and I’ll be like, “All right, Evan probably right.” So, and then we just rock, you know. So, that’s kind of how we keep it simple. But um again, like I said, all five have to be on one accord, whether that’s IDs, whether that’s um taking it off a certain foot, but again, it’s the the it’s it’s the the backend 20 of the block that’s going to make that thing look successful. You know, Coach Ganon mentioned Monday that not everybody was getting the signals at the line of scrimmage from Kyler. Like there was some confusion about guys hearing what Kyler’s calling is. Do you sense that happening? Well, yeah. I’m not getting any of the signals because, you know, I’m looking I’m looking looking forward. So, I’m not really seeing the signal he’s doing to the receiver. So, I mean, I can’t really speak on the signals um going, but I mean, I feel like um you know, I’ve been able to hear his his adjustments. Um but again, usually I’m in a two-point stance and um and if I can’t hear something, I’ll stand up and turn around. So, I make sure I put myself in position always here. So, um I can’t personally comment on that. But again, all those things um again, if there’s if if if there’s if there’s a person that that can’t hear it, then um chain’s not going to be able to leave the station, you know. So, we got to get all 11 guys on the same page. So, that’s repeating calls. I’m hearing something. I need to repeat something. Um I need I need to let the tight end know something so that tight end let the receiver know something. That’s just it’s going to take all 11 guys, you know? We can’t have just one guy that’s just not on the same page. Paris, what’s this offensive line award you’re you’re giving out now? start. Yeah. So, um so right now we we have a list of guys in Ohio and we’re watching ball of all the best the best linemen and um and the great state of Ohio um to we want to watch these guys um week week by week and we want to um to be able to evaluate their game, how they’re finishing plays in the run game in the past game, but also we’re evaluating how they are in the community. you know, them giving back in the community. Um, you know, making sure they’re a guy around school that, you know, the people like not like it’s popularity contest, but like, you know, are they making a good impact on the other people that aren’t on the football team in the classroom? How their teachers speak highly of them in the classroom? How like how are their grades and stuff like that. So, I feel like all that stuff, um, it’s about on and off the field because again, you want to have that blend. I think that that’s what makes a complete offensive lineman. you know, the best guys, you know, you know, they’re not bad guys and they’re usually smart guys and on the field they play with an edge. So, those are all the things that we’re looking at when we’re evaluating the guys on the watch list. Is it special to give out an award you being an O lineman to a fellow lineman kind of your name? Yeah, for sure. You know, the game’s all about at least, you know, from the people that have been able to pour in my life. I feel like they’ve passed along the game to me and they’ve been able to shout me out along the way as I’m able to climb through the ranks. So, I feel like I want to be able to pass the game along myself and I want to be able to shout out the kids that are balling right now and and then um you know the list will continue to get smaller and smaller until we pick the one. But again, all those kids have done something special to even be seen all night and I’m excited to you know to get to know them to watch them from afar and then um you know start voting. Do you feel like there’s a reason this offense hasn’t been able to generate enough explosives or as many explosives as you guys maybe need to? Um, I can’t necessarily put something on a reason. Um, you know, um, I feel like in the moment I’m getting the play call like everybody else, getting in my stance and I’m about to run that thing as hard as I can and I’m seeing if that thing pops the same time everybody else sees that thing pop. You know what I mean? Then getting back to the huddle and I’m taking that approach. So, I mean, I think we get back again. The things I’m looking for when I’m watching tape, I’m looking at communication. I’m looking at how are we how are like what’s the physicality or come off the ball and all that stuff, but I don’t know how I don’t know how I guess receivers might play into the run game or something like that or how carrying out fakes may play into the run game. I can only speak on the O line. So, the play doesn’t work and the O line’s doing their thing. I’m not looking to anybody else. know, maybe we just got to be that much better. You know, we got to be that and and we have we have no excuse for that. You know, we’re going to take that to the chin and, you know, we’re excited, you know, this this game we have um to be able to run off the ball, to put that on tape, put that fight on tape and that finish and a strain on tape because now we we we have no option, you know what I mean? We lost our two main backs. We have no option. So, we have to get that thing going in a run game, you know, and then give and then give the quarterback all the time he needs so he can be back there and make all the fun plays, you know. We’ll see on Instagram here soon, you know. So, you know, that’s what we want, you know, some Instagram worthy plays. Is it nice now having a couple extra days after what you just went through, what you guys have just gone through with those games back to back? Yeah, I mean I think anytime that you have time like that to take time to take a step back to evaluate and I feel like um we’re able to take these days to not think about just the Titans but think about ourselves which I think is awesome. You know we’re Titans they’re a good team. I know they’re 0 and four but they’re a couple they’re a couple plays away from being 4 and0. You know we really start to watch the tape. So I mean they’re a great team. Um, however, I feel like you’re taking these days to to um to look at ourselves. How am I contributing to the team? How can I be better? How can I make these runs pop? How can I make this protection last longer? How could I be even further away? How can I take my man even further out the picture? You know, um, how can I, you know what I mean? Because that’s all I can really control. And then, um, from there being able just to to lift up other guys in the room, you know what I mean? I feel like that’s fact that’s what this is about. Not just being like, “Oh, well, you know, I did my job.” But like see somebody else, they do their job. You you start to to to cheer for them that way. We’re raising the standard because ultimately this team is only going to be as complete as this offensive line is. So making sure we spend this time to honestly be kind of selfish as a unit, not individually, but selfish as a unit of the guy, the five, the six, seven that are active. That way the rest of the offense can make those plays. You know what I mean? So that that was a focus thinking about how can we be better only focus on this room cuz this room’s going to drive the ship, you know.

Michael Carter, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Paris Johnson Jr. address the media in the locker room following practice.

0:00 Michael Carter
8:26 Marvin Harrison Jr.
15:19 Paris Johnson Jr.

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