Quarterback Russell Wilson

Q: How’s camp going for you so far? How would you summarize it?

WILSON: It’s going great. I think guys are working their butts off, man. We’re battling every day, going against a really good defense every day too, so it’s even better. You always want practice to be harder than the games, that mentality of that. It’s been fun man. I think we’re getting better every day.

Q: Being such a veteran, do you have more of a say in how you’re going to be deployed and used in these preseason games? What do you want to do?

WILSON: I always want to be out there with my teammates man. I’m excited to get going, if Coach (Brian Daboll) lets us play or whatever it is, I’m ready to go. I’m ready to play.

Q: (Wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) was talking about I believe yesterday about how much you’ve encourage him to be a little bit more of a voice in his second year. Can you talk a little bit about that, the motivation there and just how he’s generally looked as you’ve gotten to know him?

WILSON: I think Malik’s done a great job just his leadership, his voice in the film room too. He’s done a great job with that. I’ve been telling him that the more he communicates what he sees and feels, not just to us quarterbacks but really to the group as a receiver and we’re all want to be on the same page. I think he’s doing a great job of that. He’s really just stepped into that role, the leadership role. Obviously, he’s got guys like (wide receiver Darius Slayton) Slay to watch and listen to and to be in the room with, (wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson), all those guys are so tremendously smart and experienced in a lot of ways. I think he’s really done a great job of just his practice habits and when he is out there going as hard as he can every rep.

Q: How good is he now that you’ve had the opportunity to actually play with him?

WILSON: For sure. You see it on film. I mean that was first thing I told you guys when I watched him on film – watching all the cutups of him and all the cutups of the guys and all the plays, all the games. It was just his explosives and once he catches the football and there’s only so many people in the world that can do it like he can and I think that he’s one of the best in the world to do it. He’s going into a second year of it all and it’s all fresh and all new, but he’s definitely experienced in terms of how he sees the game, his mentality attacking the football in the air. You guys have seen all the explosive plays he’s made down the field, also even underneath and all the things he’s done too as well and it’s going to be a special thing. I’m excited to play with him, obviously.

Q: For somebody like you who has gotten very known for the moon ball and you like to go deep, how exciting is that to have him as one of those weapons?

WILSON: I think we got a multiplicity of guys that can do it. Obviously, Malik is world-class at what he can do. There’s nothing really he can’t do and I think he does a great job of that. I think it all starts with the offensive line. The line is giving me enough time to throw the ball down the field, make plays also too for guys. You try to spread the ball around as many guys as you can, try to take shots with certain guys and see what these guys are capable of and we’ve got a lot of guys that are really talented and capable of making plays all across the field.

Q: Daboll’s a coach known for taking a lot of input from players. Is that something you two are going back and forth on considering your experience?

WILSON: I think first of all, Daboll’s got a beautiful mind, how he sees the game, he’s coached tremendous football players, he’s won Super Bowls, he’s been around winning – national championships, all that stuff. He’s been in the game for such a period of time and I think the thing about Dabs is he sees it on the field so well. I think that’s the unique piece about what he sees and how he communicates to us quarterbacks. I think that the best part is in terms of the knowledge and what we get to share back and forth is pretty cool. Just over the years, all my experience, his experience, how we see the game the same way. When I came here I was able to spend a lot of time – he watched all my cutups, I got to watch a lot of things that we’ve done here in the past and also too just be able to share ideas and be able to share thoughts and as we’ve been going too. That’s been really fun. I think him and (assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka) Kaf and also (offensive passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach) Shea (Tierney) too. Shea, I’ve known since (I was) 18 years old, so a lot of that is a lot of familiarity, not just with each other but also too with ball and the game.

Q: What kind of mind does Mike Kafka have because he’s the guy that’ll be calling the plays? How much of a sync do you need to be in with him?

WILSON: I think both guys – obviously Kaf’s played the game, played the position, he sees it like the quarterback does and he’s got a great viewpoint of the game. We get to spend a lot of time together in the quarterback room as well and I think Kaf is a really brilliant mind too. I think the ability to share ideas, the collaboration is what’s really special here and I think that how they do it and how we do it together, it’s been a lot of fun. It’s been a lot of fun of being able to attack the defense, see things and share a lot of successful plays and a lot of successful ideas and I think that’s been a lot of fun too.

Q: What’s been your impression of (running back) Tyrone Tracy Jr.?

WILSON: I think Tracy has had a great training camp, OTAs, there’s nothing that he can’t do, catching the ball out of the backfield, his ability to run the ball. You all saw some of the big runs he had today. I think (running back Devin Singletary) Motor too as well – both of those running backs have been really spectacular for us and once again, it all starts with the offensive line and how they’ve been doing a great job of creating big run lanes for those guys when they can. We’re going against a really good defense, so when you get to go against those guys, it just makes us all better offensively and defensively. I think that level of competition daily, back and forth is making our football team better every day.

Q: What do you see from the tight end room?

WILSON: I think (tight end) Theo (Johnson) has been really showing up the past several days in particular. I think he’s done a tremendous job of his ability to get down the field vertically has been really good. I think he’s done that a few times. Obviously, you saw the big touchdown across where he ran today, just his speed down the field. He’s made some really big plays over the past four or five practices and being really intentional with him in particular has been cool to see over the past several days. I think also (tight end Danielle Bellinger) Belly’s done a great job. He’s so consistent. He’s like Mr. Consistent, he is what you wanted to tight end, you know where he’s going to be. He can make plays for you. I think (tight end Greg) Dulcich has made some big plays throughout the camp too, and then obviously (tight end) Chris Manhertz – big hand Manz – his ability to block, his ability to make plays and I’ve been around Chris for a while, man. He’s a pro in every way, how he goes about it, it’s fun to be around him. We got a really good tight room. I’m excited about (tight end Thomas) Fidone too. I think he’s a young, talented guy and I’m excited to see him ball out in the preseason and see what he can do.

Q: Throughout camp or really since you’ve been here, a lot of your teammates have been really complimentary about your approach and the atmosphere this year at camp. When you hear all of that, what does that make you feel and what does it feel like to be in an atmosphere like this?

WILSON: I think it’s the best honor in the world to be able to lead a group of men like this. Young, driven, smart, tough, talented guys, man, it doesn’t get any better than that. That’s the greatest gift in the world to be able to lead an organization like this and to be a part of that. I just want to be able to bring that championship mentality every day, a championship approach, the competitive edge every day, how we want to go about practice, how we want to push each other, how we want to challenge it. I think ultimately, to be able to have a tough mentality, I think that it’s never easy. It is one of those things that for where we want to go and what we want accomplish, we got to be able to stay in the moments and stay looking forward to the next play. I think we do a really good job of that right now. We’re battling every day and it’s just been cool. I love this locker room, the guys, just the fellowship that we have together all the way from the lunch room to the film room after practice. We go watch film every day together and spend a lot of time just as players and that’s fun, to be able to spend that quality time to be able to go through the film, run the film and just talk about what guys see, what I see and share that and share that knowledge. It’s been great man. I am truly grateful to be a New York Giant.

Q: Do you have a first ever preseason game memory or recollection or something? Obviously, for a lot of these guys it’s going to be their first time ever. What about your first time ever?

WILSON: I remember my rookie year, we played the Tennessee Titans in Seattle and I just remember checking into the game in the second half or whatever it was and man, I just remember myself telling myself – and I still do the same thing to this day – telling myself, ‘Man, it’s just a hundred yards, just a hundred yards, 53 and a third.’ And just telling myself that over and over again. I think that positive self-talk, the ability to visualize success. I remember I hit (former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver) Braylon Edwards on a go ball down the left sideline, which was a sick go ball. He caught it. It was my first go ball in an NFL game, obviously the moon ball for a touchdown. The game was on the line, we’re supposed to run 18 force and I looked at my – he’s actually now my president, his name’s (former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver) Charlie Martin and he was the X receiver, he was trying to make the team and everything. Remember, I’m third string quarterback trying to make it here and it’s four-minute drill and the game’s late and it’s close game. I remember telling, we had this play called 18 force running to the right and he’s supposed to go, it’s called cut walls, ‘Let’s go get the safety’, right from the left side as the X. I look at him and I break the huddle, I say, ‘Hey, block your guy. Block the corner. Just go straight.’ He goes, ‘What?’ (I said,) ‘Block your guy,’ and I ended up faking it and pulling it because the defense end just kept coming down and I ended up running for like a 49-yard touchdown, dove in the end zone. He pancaked his guy. I remember those memories, man. I remember those memories, and you get that same thrill every time you step on the white lines. I still do. The love of the game, the passion for it, your teammates, and it’s the best game in the world and we get to do it and I’m grateful for it every day. And those memories never leave you.

Q: How important are preseason games to you now? Obviously, you’re new to this team at the same time, you’re a proven player. How important are they to you in order to get ready for the season? Do you view that as it’s mandatory?

WILSON: I think preseason is great and it’s a great opportunity to prepare. Everything is about preparation, right? Everything’s about mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, how you get ready, what do you eat before the game? All the way to what you’re listening to, to putting your cleats on for the first time again and the fans being there and putting your shoulder pads on – that part of it, the joy of that. You never lose that joy and I think that that’s the part that you embrace. I think also the comradery of being in the huddle, it’s third-and-seven, ‘We got to get this one.’ It’s that experience, that feeling being on the road and going to Buffalo, we’re going to a great environment. I played there a couple of years ago, great environment. I played on Monday Night Football. I mean, just doesn’t get any better playing in Buffalo in a crazy noisy, loud place. I just remember just those things you embrace, and I think that as a veteran going my 14th year, for me, it’s about me being prepared, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, but also too making sure what can I do to help somebody else? How can I serve and how can I make sure that our teammates are ready to go in the best way possible? Part of that is really speaking life in the guys, making sure they’re not too nervous, reminding them what they’ve already done, reminding what the preparation has already prepared them for and just being in the moment, just being right where your feet are.

Q: You’ve been around long enough to see the evolution of the preseason from four preseason games to now, these joint practices take on a lot of weight and you get a lot of work out of them. What do you like about the joint practices and what are you looking to get out of it next week?

WILSON: Yeah, I think the joint practices are great just because you get to go against another team, get to see, match up and just play football. Once again, everything’s about preparation, getting ready for the season, so I think obviously our opportunity to go against the Bills and this game coming up here is going to be a great one. Obviously. I think the next week, it’s the Jets and those practices are really great. They’ve got great talented players on that side and we get to play some football and strap up the pads and the reality is you get 17 regular-season games and hopefully three to four more, so every opportunity you get is a great one.

Q: You’re better half watches a lot of practices. I’m just curious, does she let you have it at nighttime? If you throw a pick at practice?

WILSON: No, I think that (she’s) always supportive. I think (Ciara Princess Wilson) C is always great. My kids being out here is fun too. I think Future, he loves coming to practice. He’s really good at football too. He can play. It’s cool throwing with them, seeing Win and Sienna and Amora and C. We have a great culture here and a great organization and that family aspect of it makes it really special, so I’m super grateful.

Q: Is she enjoying her time here?

WILSON: Yeah, she loves it. We all love it and we can’t wait to play.