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Transcript: DT Dalvin Tomlinson

Eric from BBI : Admin : 5/12/2017 3:11 pm
DT Dalvin Tomlinson

May 12, 2017

Q: What do you think so far?

A: I'm enjoying it so far. Trying to learn the new plays and everything, just trying to take it all in.

Q: Do you think there are any skills from you playing soccer and wrestling that will help in playing defensive tackle?

A: Yes, I think wrestling has the biggest impact on my football ability because as a defensive lineman, it helped me learn leverage. I know how to play blocks a little bit easier because of wrestling. Also the mental toughness it takes to play the sport.

Q: You're expected to come in and start. What is it like to know that is the expectation?

A: I just come in and try to get better each and every day. There are some great veterans that I can learn from and they're going to teach me a lot of things. The coaching staff and I are learning, hopefully I learn the defense quick enough and everything like that. I just will come in and work every day like I want to and we'll see what happens.

Q: Have you heard from any of the defensive line yet?

A: Yes. I got to talk to a few of them every now and again. Lately, we've been so busy with the rookie minicamp and things like that.

Q: You hooked up with Snacks [Damon Harrison]?

A: Yes. Snacks was the first person I talked to.

Q: What was that conversation like?

A: It was just a normal conversation for the most part. He told me he was excited to get me here and to work with me and teach me some things.

Q: Have you watched Snacks as a player? What’s your opinion of him?

A: Snacks is a great defensive lineman. He's just so aggressive out in the front. I just want to be able to play like him.

Q: Your background included having wrestling championships, does that include soccer?

A: Yes, in high school I played soccer.

Q: How does wrestling and soccer help in football?

A: I feel like wrestling had the biggest impact because of the leverage you learn in wrestling and the mental toughness it takes to be a wrestler, because wrestling is probably one of the most mentally draining sports. Just the toughness it takes to do that sport day in and day out is just one of the hardest things to do. In soccer, I think the endurance side of just running up and down the field all day everyday will get you shape.

Q: How big were when you were playing soccer?

A: I was probably around 270 lbs., playing striker.

Q: Do you miss wrestling?

A: Yes, I miss wrestling. It was fun. I won three state titles in Georgia. It's just a fun sport, to go out there with your teammates, go out there and enjoy the win.

Q: Were you recruited for wrestling?

A: I got a few offers from schools like Indiana, dual, for wrestling and football. But, I wanted to play football. I could have done wrestling at the next level but I wanted to do football. Football was my first love.

Q: Why was football your first love?

A: Just growing up watching my older brother and my older cousin play all the time. Watching Lawrence Taylor and Ray Lewis. Watching film of them always playing hard day in and day out, made me want to go out there and do what they did.

Q: If you did pursue wrestling, do you think you would be a NCAA contender?

A: I would like to think so. I probably could have been a contender for the NCAA championship.

Q: Do you feel more comfortable as a nose, a three-technique, or someplace else?

A: Just playing for Coach Saban, I'm versatile at any position. So I'm comfortable wherever they want to play me.

Q: What do think is the biggest adjustment for you playing with this veteran defense?

A: I think the biggest adjustment would be a different playbook. At Alabama, we had pretty big playbook, and I'm just learning a whole new defense and things like that and just getting used to the terminology.

Q: Do you think the physical nature will be different or do you think you can handle that?

A: I'm pretty sure it's going to be different, but I think I can handle it pretty well.

Q: What are the differences and similarities between you and Snacks' game?

A: I feel like we are both aggressive, but I'm pretty sure he's more aggressive than me, because he's used to it. I probably have a little bit more nerves right now. Just the way he comes off, we'll complement each other well on the defense line.

Q: What did Landon Collins tell you to expect?

A: Landon told me to come in and make sure I work like I always did at Alabama and things will be great. I'm pretty excited to play with Landon again.

Q: Have you kept in touch with Landon since he left Alabama?

A: Yes, for the most part. At Alabama, we would play a lot of video games together and stuff like that because we came in together. So, I'm pretty close to Landon. I've just kept in touch with him.

Q: You came in together?

A: We both came into Alabama together in 2012.

Q: Did you always beat him the video games?

A: It depends. They went back and forth.

Q: What's it like to come up here with Wayne Gallman, considering you both played in the last two college National Championship games?

A: We we're just talking about that yesterday, as a matter of fact. It's pretty crazy, simply because of our run defense, and their offense, and things like that. We were talking about things that we both could've done differently both of those years.

Q: Did you have an encounter on the field prior to this week? Did you tackle him at all?

A: Yes, I tackled him a couple of times.

Q: Around the draft, the Harvard thing came up. How serious was it? Did you apply and get in?

A: With Harvard, I was actually a big academic person coming out of high school and I still am. Harvard was just one of those schools that you dream of going to if you're big on academics. They offered me a scholarship in high school; it was academic-athletic scholarship, mostly academic as you can say. I really thought about it coming out of high school.

Q: Were you accepted in?

A: Yes. I just decided not to go.

Q: Did you get to visit?

A: I didn't get the chance.

Q: What did you end up studying in college?

A: My first degree was in finance and my second was in financial planning.
ok, we really like this guy  
gtt350 : 5/12/2017 3:46 pm : link
.
I liked this guy for us as soon as I heard about him... a Giant type  
regulator : 5/12/2017 4:06 pm : link
intelligent, high-character guy with the athletic goods to be an impact player for us. Like Tuck in that respect.

I also appreciate the fact that he correctly characterized a nuance of Ivy League recruiting, since pure athletic scholarships are not permitted. It's fair to say he made the right choice for his football career, though...
A 270 pounder striker?  
Still a Sam Huff fan : 5/12/2017 4:18 pm : link
Wow
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