Outside Linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux
Q: How much more today did you do than you did last week with the team?
A: What did I do last week? I got some reps. I did less amount of reps. I got really involved today, so I really was able to open it up and do some things.
Q: You said last you wanted to be able to not even be thinking about it, be full go, play your game. Today, were you able to do that and think that way?
A: I don't really know if it worked like that, how I thought it did. But today (I) had a lot of progress. Was able to open it up and do a lot of things. So yeah, today I'm definitely confident.
Q: You were optimistic about Week 2 last week. Do you feel optimistic this week about Dallas?
A: Hey, one plus one is two. So, we're building right now. We're building on Week 2. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but we're taking the right steps.
Q: Do you want to get the brace off before you start playing? Would you rather play without that?
A: Yeah. I feel like anybody doesn't want to play with a brace.
Q: But you would if you had to?
A: Yeah.
Q: Is a part of this right now being safe and sure about it and making sure that for the long term you're healthy? Like you can play, but you don't want to rush?
A: I feel like we all know the answers to everything you ask me. Yeah. Just you want to be smart and be healthy. Like a 17-game season.
Q: Is it more important to you feel in your head (that) 'I am 100 percent' or that they feel you're 100 percent?
A: Let's just take a time out. Let's decompress. Let's restart the camera; roll them back. Only ask questions that we don't know the answer to. Okay, if we don't know the answer, let's ask them. But if we know the answer, I'm the only one that can go out there and play. So, I'm the only one that can say if I'm able to play.
Q: What do you think of (Cowboys linebacker) Micah Parsons?
A: Great player. I mean, he's a guy. He's what – 17 sacks? 15 sacks? Not too many people have done that. So, I think he's the first one to do that in that many games. So, it's greatness as of now. He's on a roll.
Q: How have you been approaching taking mental reps while you've been on the sideline? Everybody takes them differently. How has your approach been?
A: Just making sure I'm mentally focused. Taking mental reps, you got to really got to lock in, pay attention and hone in on those details.
Q: Let's get back to Micah for a second. Do you feel an added incentive maybe to get on the field against him? You guys are going to be in the division for a long time.
A: I play defense. He plays defense. I don't really think there's like a – like I'm not trying to beat him. I'm just trying to play to the best of my ability knowing that it's going to be a great game, and there's going to be a lot of eyes on us. So, really trying to perform under lights.
Q: But you're going to be measured against him for a couple of years then here to come.
A: Who's going to be doing the measuring?
Q: Do you kind of like lick your chops a little bit knowing you're going up against a rebuilt offensive line, that it's still early in the season and they haven't really gelled to the point of mid-season or so?
A: When we go against any O-line – whether they're vets, whether they're rookies, whether they've been together or not – I think you always try to find tendencies in different players that you can try to take advantage of or different situations that you can try to be your best. So, for me, I wouldn't say I lick my chops. But I would say any team we play against; I try to find their weaknesses and figure out how I can use them to my advantage.
Q: How do you kind of keep yourself from going 100 miles an hour after so many weeks off, kind of pacing yourself? Or do you pace yourself if you're cleared to play?
A: When you say pace yourself, as far as?
Q: As far as some guys are so hyped up that they just go 100 miles an hour coming off of an injury. Or do you not think of that?
A: I mean, the thing I think that people don't realize is that whether you're injured or not injured, once you decide to step on the field between the whistles, it doesn't really matter. So, just making sure that I can go. Today was a day, like you say, to open up and really try to go that 100 (miles per hour) to see what it would feel like. So, being able to do that was a good thing from today.
Q: What do you feel like you have to prove to yourself to be out there?
A: That I can go. I can be healthy, and I can perform the different moves and tasks that I need to do my job at a high level.
Q: Growing up, were you a guy that watched Monday night football sometimes, all the time, never?
A: I would say I probably didn't watch football until I got older because the games are kind of late, and then it was slow. So, for me, I was a cartoon guy. I didn't really start watching Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football until I started getting recruited and really started paying attention to the big leagues.
Q: Do you watch it more recently? You watch the games?
A: More recently, yeah. I didn't watch it as a kid.
Q: Do you think it's a big deal?
A: I would say it's a big deal as far as a player individually. I feel like the way games go in the NFL or like those bigger games, (if) you make plays in the Super Bowl, you're probably going to be looked at as a better player than you are because it's the Super Bowl, because it's the height of the game. So, big games like this – whether it's a National Championship, Super Bowl, Monday Night Football, not saying it compares to the Super Bowl – in a sense where everybody is watching, I wouldn't say it adds pressure to me, but in a sense where if you do better, it will amplify. We're in New York.
Q: How are you avoiding being frustrated by the fact that you're not on the field yet?
A: That doesn't really frustrate (me). You have to have an understanding of where you want to get to. If I tried to focus too much on the now, of course you'd be down. But (I'm) just trying to focus on the future of what we have in store and what I have in store for myself.
Q: Is it taking longer than you thought when you first did it?
A: I'm not the bone doctor. So, I couldn't really tell you how long it was going to take or what it was going to feel like. But, as far as my mental and my body, it's been a good process having to come back.
Q: (Outside linebackers coach) Drew (Wilkins) said last week that he told you and (outside linebacker) Azeez (Ojulari) after Week 1 that you guys could make pretty good assistant outside linebackers coaches. I'm assuming that is not a job you want anytime soon.
A: I didn't get that question.
Q: You were relegated to that role to being on the sidelines to support your teammates, and you weren't out on the field where you belong.
A: Nobody wants to be on the sideline, but I think that's the part of team sport where you really got to be humble. And the fact that I can't win a game; I can't lose a game. All I can do is contribute to the outcome. So, for me, even when I'm not on the field, just trying to figure out how I can contribute to the guys I'm playing with.
Ugh
There really hasn't been. It's amazing how little these writers do with the opportunity they have.
The Beats need to get your average fan to buy their content, so they make it topical (Drama sells, for example), and they keep it simple, so you don't need to know the ins and outs of the sport to understand it. It's rare to see in depth analysis from your local paper (the NY Times used to do that back in the day). Most of that is behind paywalls now.
I did interviewing for a bit (lower level, Arena Football website), and I always found the coaches and front office staff easier and more informative to interview.
The Beats need to get your average fan to buy their content, so they make it topical (Drama sells, for example), and they keep it simple, so you don't need to know the ins and outs of the sport to understand it. It's rare to see in depth analysis from your local paper (the NY Times used to do that back in the day). Most of that is behind paywalls now.
I did interviewing for a bit (lower level, Arena Football website), and I always found the coaches and front office staff easier and more informative to interview.
David Oliver was a master of building relationships with players. It's why so many of them sought him out and hugged him when the team won the 2000 NFC Championship Game.
Hi Eric! Wow, a name from the past! Yes, for all the people who were on BBI back in the day, David was special.
Quote:
David Oliver was a master of building relationships with players. It's why so many of them sought him out and hugged him when the team won the 2000 NFC Championship Game.
Hi Eric! Wow, a name from the past! Yes, for all the people who were on BBI back in the day, David was special.
David had three "secrets": (1) he genuinely cared about the players, (2) he would talk to them about non football stuff, and (3) he tended to seek out the non stars.
I don't think most of the players felt he was a "reporter."
I mean, c'mon!
They already know the story they're going to write. They keep going back to prompts that they hope will give them to quote they need to logically fit in that story.
The sooner they're replaced by AI the better for everyone involved.
Have they? Anyone know?
Quote:
In comment 15826851 Eric from BBI said:
Quote:
David Oliver was a master of building relationships with players. It's why so many of them sought him out and hugged him when the team won the 2000 NFC Championship Game.
Hi Eric! Wow, a name from the past! Yes, for all the people who were on BBI back in the day, David was special.
David had three "secrets": (1) he genuinely cared about the players, (2) he would talk to them about non football stuff, and (3) he tended to seek out the non stars.
I don't think most of the players felt he was a "reporter."
nfl or not.
not to pile on but i completely agree our beats mostly suck. stapleton is the only one who seems to try to not be an uber prick all the time.
it's a weird world where the good fan-reporters like falato/talkin giants seem like they now do a better job across the board than the paid pros from traditional outlets. they even seem to outscoop them on news and one thing probably has very much to do with the other.
duggan is the most thorough and to his credit this past offseason he did break a few news items but he does the same receptive question routine. i think daboll preemptively answered an injury question for him this week before they even opened it up to questions. to the point of someone above if you get 10 questions a week why waste any of them on something the team already publishes updates on after every practice and the coach has already said he's not going in detail?
Our beat writers ain’t Woodward and Bernstein that’s for certain!
Schwartz isn't really a shit stirrer himself, but when the others stir up shit, he'll chime in, and report on it. He'll occasionally fish, but in general, he seems more content to ask "football questions" rather than "drama questions."
Serby, Meyers, Leonard, are pure trash, and Raaaaannaaaaannnnnn slums with them more than half the time.
"Do you prefer not to have to wear a knee brace?"
Really?
REALLY?
That kind of response is what generates clicks, sadly
I mean, c'mon!
Except Leonard. He's a rat, should have pulled his credential. Total trash.