Running Back Tyrone Tracy

Q: How’s it been in pads so far?

TRACY: Electric, man. It’s been good. Good energy out there. I mean, you all have been out there, so, we are really out here, really trying to take a step towards our goal. So, I think we did that each and every day, every time we step on the field.

Q: Is there extra motivation just because of either it’s a new season or is it more, ‘Hey, we know how last year ended, we’ve got more work to do here?’

TRACY: Last year was last year, to be honest. We just focus on us, each and every day, every time we step on the field. We aren’t really worried about what happened last year. It’s a new team, new energy, new locker room. Everything’s new, it’s a new season, so why are we worried about the past? You know what I’m saying? So, we are just going to continue to take a step forward each and every day.

Q: Tyrone, you’ve talked a lot about, you and your potential at running back. The idea of you’re now officially a running back and your mindset and the way you’ve played with the year under your belt. I’m just curious, do you think about or set goals as how good can you be as a running back? Where is your ceiling after last year?

TRACY: I mean, it really isn’t a ceiling, to be honest with you. I don’t think of it as a ceiling. It’s really, I’m going to do the best that I can do each and every game. Every time I step on the field, lace my cleats up, I’m going to do the best I can do. And like you said, is there a ceiling? No. I don’t think there’s a ceiling. It’s more so, you know, how good do I want to be. I think I can be as good as the best player that y’all can ever think of. That’s how good I think I can be. But, again, it’s not about what I say. It’s about what I do and how I go about it. I have to be a professional. I have to take care of my body, how I sleep, how I eat, everything. So, it’s not really just about what you do on the field. It’s about what you do off the field. When you talk about professionals, that’s what you’re talking about. You’re talking about how they carry themselves each and every day.

Q: Have you got that sense from your new quarterback, Russell Wilson, that he seems to embody that? You know what I mean? Every day, every minute.

TRACY: I think he is, when you talk about professional and people who go about their business the right way, that’s what Russ is. Obviously, I’ve only been around him for a short amount of time. But he does everything like a professional. I know it seems cliché, but it’s the truth. You know, like I said, I’ve only been around him for a short period of time. But every time I’m around him, he’s in here doing something. He’s never just sitting around. Either he’s getting treatment or, talking about plays, or he’s talking to defenders about what they saw and how he can get better or whatever. Everything about him is really just being a true professional.

Q: By the end of last year, you were, you know, three down running back. With (running back) Cam (Skattebo) here, that could change. Is there a mindset change at all with that?

TRACY: No. And to your point, Cam here is nothing but adding to what we got. I think that it’s a great addition to the room. If you look around our room, there’s really nothing anyone can’t do. We didn’t add Cam, just to do one thing. We added him because he’s a good running back. You know what I’m saying? They didn’t bring me here just to do one thing. They added me because I’m a good running back.

So, at the end of the day, whoever’s in there on third down, second down, first down, it doesn’t matter what it is. You’re going to produce, and that’s the standard that we have in a running back room. When we go on the field and we get them opportunities, whether it’s pass or run or even pass protection, man, make the play. There is no third down back. There is no, you’re passing down back, whatever. There’s not that in our room. It’s more so can you play, and then when you do get the opportunities, take care of it. You know what I’m saying? And make the most of it.

Q: Do you think your skill sets complement each other well?

TRACY: Yeah, yeah. I mean, shoot, look at him. You know what I’m saying? The man’s strong and powerful. I’m more slippery and elusive, you know. But at the same time, we both can catch out the backfield, we both can pass protect. So, it’s not like when Cam comes in, ‘Oh we’re running the ball downhill.’ No, he can do really anything, just like I can do really anything. So, it’s a really good addition to our running back room because when you add a player like that, that can give that power element, not necessarily saying we didn’t have it last year, but when you watch his film, you can obviously see it on film what he’s bringing to the table. So, when you add that, it definitely puts emphasis on it in our room.

Q: What kind of power element could Evan Neal give at guard?

TRACY: I mean, E-Neal, he’s moving stuff. I was about to say the wrong word, but he’s moving stuff back there, man. When I say he’s actively trying to get better. Obviously, he had injuries and stuff that came up, but obviously he’s doing everything he can to get back into it. But E-Neal is doing the best he can, with the opportunities he’s given.

TRACY: Yeah, yeah, he’s moving stuff.

Q: That’s a good sight for you, isn’t it?

TRACY: Yeah, it is a great sight for me as a running back. You know, our o-line, we only had pads on for two days. So, I mean, these first few days, man, they were doing an amazing job of just resetting the line of scrimmage, allowing running lanes for running backs. It’s really given us our vision, allowing it to make it easy on us. So, my job is to make them look good. I want the O-line to look amazing, like the best O-line in America. So, I’m doing the things that I can to make sure they look good, but then they’re really doing all the hard work for me, though.

Q: Is it a little different seeing a guard that tall?

TRACY: I mean not really to be honest, just because I want tall everything. O-line, I want everybody to be 6’7″, just because, obviously the bigger, the stronger you are, the better it is for me. But it’s not really a big difference, though.

Q: What’s it like lining up right behind 94 (defensive lineman Elijah Chatman)?

TRACY: Lovely, lovely. You ever seen him in a squat room? Yeah, see him under a squat rack. Yeah, that’s lovely. Just let me tell you that, yeah.

Q: Your draft class was a bright spot last year. You’re only in year two, but do you think that group almost already emerged as leaders this year?

TRACY: Yeah, yeah. I mean, you can see it. Obviously, (wide receiver) Leek (Malik Nabers), he’s being more vocal. I’m being more vocal in my room. (Safety) T-Nub (Tyler Nubin), he’s one of the leaders on the defense, making sure he’s speaking up. Obviously, he’s safety, so he has to communicate. Like, (cornerback) Dru (Phillips), you got (inside linebacker) Darius (Muasau), (defensive lineman) Chat (Elijah Chatman), we’re all really trying to take a step forward this year. Just make sure that we’re being a key point, key focal point, you know, often defensively and special teams.

Q: Is that something you guys have discussed? Like, do we all need to take a leap? Eventually, it’s going to be a big part of this team’s future.

TRACY: I mean, we didn’t really talk about it, but it’s more so a known fact. Obviously, we already had a big role last year, so we’re really trying to take that and then just continue it into this year.

Q: You talked about your goals in the league, you told the NFL Network, you said, like, 1,600 or 1,700 yards. Is that a reasonable goal for you to want to shoot for?

TRACY: Yeah. Yeah. I wouldn’t put nothing out there that isn’t reasonable for me to shoot for. If I say it, that means I’m trying to go for it. But, yeah, that’s definitely reasonable for me. Like I said, if you look at it from the points of last year, a healthy O-line, I didn’t play until game five. I had, like, 500 yards, you know, by week nine, something like that, or our bye week. Obviously, everybody started getting hurt, so we playing a mixed match with the O-line, so it makes it a little harder. But at the same time, I do believe in my skill set, I believe that in our O-line, I believe in our coaching staff, that we can get the job done. And then if I go out there and just do what I do, you know, God willing, all my goals will be checked off. But I think the first thing we need to do is win. I think winning will bring everything else. It’s cool to sit up here and talk about all your personal accolades and all your personal goals and all this and that. But at the end of the day, like, you got to win. You know what I’m saying? If you don’t win, none of that stuff really matters. I could have 2,000 yards, but you’re losing. If you look at some of the best running backs, they’re on winning teams. You know what I’m saying? So, if you just have a good team, period, point blank, your personal stats will come along.