for display only
Big Blue Interactive The Corner Forum  
Back to the Corner

Archived Thread

Tuesday Media Transcript: S Landon Collins

Eric from BBI : Admin : 8/1/2017 5:14 pm
S Landon Collins

August 1, 2017

Q: You’re so happy to have the pads on today, you still have them on?

A: Yeah. It was kind of hot, but other than that, with the pads on, it’s good. It’s fantastic to get the pads on and tackle a few people. I mean, not tackle, but wrap and release as we call it, but it felt fantastic. Now, we get into the nitty-gritty.

Q: Do the pads ramp up the whole process and get you guys going?

A: I wouldn’t say keep going because there are a lot of guys, you have to get used to them first, but I would say, after today, I think it’s going to be different. It’s going to be ramped up, and we’ll see a different practice tomorrow.

Q: How tough are the first couple days a defensive player when you can’t do anything?

A: It’s tough, but at that time, you want to work your feet. You want to work your technique, technique beats talent any day, so you do that, and you’ll be on top.

Q: Were you telling receivers like, ‘that might’ve been different if (pads were on)’?

A: I tell them that all the time. Especially our receivers, you can’t tackle them, you can’t touch them. You try to keep them up, you try to keep them safe, each and every player. At that time, when they run crossing routes or any type of things and I’m coming downhill on them… I tell whatever quarterback that’s throwing the ball to them, “he put you in a bad situation right there.”

Q: Is there a special message when it’s WR Odell Beckham Jr. or is it just understood?

A: It’s understood. Odell just looks at me, gives me a head nod, and I give him a head nod back.

Q: Has it sunk in that you became a First-Team All-Pro in your second season? Is it something you think about daily during practice?

A: It sunk in, definitely, but no. Do I think about it during practice? No, I think about getting better and competing, and working on myself and my teammates, just getting better each and every day as a leader and as a competitor.

Q: In year three, do you have any different goals?

A: I just have to work on stuff each and every day, have to go each and every day, build myself as a character, as a leader, working on my technique, working on my reading skills and getting into great pedal just to stop those long balls and try to make more plays. Each and every day, I have a different goal.

Q: It seemed like CB Eli Apple broke that Odell rule today. He was physical with one pass on the sideline.

A: Yeah, you have to give Odell a little competition. He’s one of the best in the league, so each and every down, each and every cornerback is going to give him competition because we want him to be the best player he can be each and every down. Because he’s going to be against the number one corner each team we play against, so we’re going to put our number one corner, he’s going to get our three number one corners. We’re going to put each one against him so he’s going to have to be great each down every time.

Q: Have you seen a jump from Eli Apple?

A: Tremendously. Just the way he brings his knowledge to the game now that he understands and he sees it faster. He’s two steps before the play goes and he’s understanding. He’s not having his hands up, and that’s the best part. He’s looking in and he’s contributing.

Q: How does going up against Odell and WR Brandon Marshall help Eli Apple develop as a young player?

A: Because one is physical and one is agile. He has to play against both, and in this league, you never know what kind of receiver you’re going to get and each and every play is different. With Brandon, he gets a little physical – Brandon’s a little swift at the same time. With Odell, he gets physical, but at the same time, he’s more agile than anything.

Q: Is this or could it the best defense in the league?

A: Could it be? Yes. It’s not the best yet. Definitely could be, but we have to work to get better each and every day. We have a good offense we are working against, so each and every day, we’re trying to get better.

Q: With S Darian Thompson being back, does it feel the same as last year at this time?

A: This time last year, it was different, but now it feels much better because he already knows the defense so it’s basically just stepping in and getting his feet wet. It’s getting there.

Q: Are you faster this year?

A: Faster? I don’t know. I have to check the GPS. I’ve been fast. Check my records back in the day, I’ve been blazing. I’ll just say I’ve been fast.

Q: Is there a certain area that you’re trying to improve? How do you go about getting better?

A: I go back at the film and I look at key times I messed up or if I could’ve been better or a step faster. Just like yesterday, I broke up a route on Odell. That same concept is in the NFL that we have on teams going against us. And that step faster could be an interception. Things like that, I want to be able to recognize my route concepts. That’s the biggest thing I’m working on.

Q: Do you think teams are going to start to game plan more on you?

A: I don’t know what they’re going to do. You have JPP (Jason Pierre-Paul), OV (Olivier Vernon), me, DRC (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie), Eli Apple , “Jackrabbit” (Janoris Jenkins), you have a couple guys you have to game plan against. We’ll see who they pick on.

Q: Do you think it will be different now that you’re not coming off the radar?

A: If they see me in the box, they are going to do more checks, and that’s where the game plan is going to be at from that point on. But other than that, if I play in the back, they have to play their offense. They can’t really just count on me if I’m coming down and stuff like that.

Q: How do you and Darian Thompson complement each other?

A: We don’t make any mistakes. That’s the biggest thing; we complement each other in that area. If I’m calling something wrong, he corrects it. Everybody looks at me like I’m that guy, but he’s my right-hand man. If I mess up, he got me. If he messes up, I got him. The only time we mess up is if we both mess up, if we make the wrong call. At the same time, we’re always on the same page. When we’re in the film room, we’re sitting right next to each other. If I have a question, he has an answer for me. If he has a question for me, and we have a different reason about how we should go about things, we’re always on the same page. It’s big, that bond right there.

Q: How surprised were you that they (the coaching staff) threw him right in there?

A: I wasn’t surprised at all. I expected it. I expected him to be thrown right in like that, because that was his rightful place when he started, when we started the first game. It was his rightful place to be thrown in there because he had to get the experience and have to be with the first team because he’s expected to play, so that’s big.

Q: How do you view his skill set?

A: He’s smart, very quick, and he’s instinctive.
Do you think about  
Keith : 8/1/2017 5:17 pm : link
being an all pro during practice? Solid question right there.
I like to hear  
JFIB : 8/2/2017 9:34 am : link
That he has so much faith in Thompson. If we get solid play from the FS position this defense is going to better than last year.
Back to the Corner