CB Eli Apple
December 28, 2016
Q: Do the big games you played in college somewhat prepare you for the NFL playoffs?
A: Oh, for sure. My college career, we have played a lot of big games, especially towards the end of my career. The championship games, the games against Alabama, those games are NFL like games and crazy atmospheres, so once you get out here and you are playing an NFL system and games, it kind of makes it easier a little bit because you have been there before, so you aren’t going to freak out as much.
Q: You are surrounded at corner by real veterans in this league. How have they helped you?
A: They have helped out tremendously. Just with the mental side of it, technique wise and they are always critiquing me about little things and just staying on me and making sure that I am always right on stuff.
Q: Then there is Landon Collins, who had a rough rookie season. The two of you age-wise are pretty close. Can you take things from Landon’s experience last year and learn from it?
A: Yeah, we definitely connect a lot. He is somebody that I look up to a little bit. Just with what you said, his rookie season and how he has transitioned from his rookie year to his second year and really made that big leap and that is something that I would like to do. I am still in my rookie year, of course, so you still want to make that improvement, but it is just kind of warming to see that he was able to do something like that and really pick up his game and he has just been telling me to try and get better every week, take care of your body – he is really on top of that. That is one thing that he prides himself on, more than anybody, is taking care of his body. He has been helping me out with that.
Q: Do you look at him as the leader back there?
A: Yeah, he is the safety, the general, so he kind of runs things a little bit being back there, so yeah, I would say that he is one of the leaders.