Transcript: DT Damon “Snacks” Harrison

DT Damon “Snacks” Harrison

May 25, 2017

Q: How you doing

A: I’m fine.

Q: What’s the vibe like out here so far?

A: Sorry?

Q: What does it feel like to be back and everything?

A: Oh on the field? It feels good man. See everybody running around again. A lot of familiar faces which you don’t get a lot in this league so it’s a sense of… what’s the word I’m looking for?

Q: Continuity?

A: No not that word. No, it’s cool we got JPP [Jason Pierre-Paul] back out there. Good to see Brandon [Marshall] running around. I told him he looks faster than last year. That’s cool.

Q: You got most of your guys back. How important is that continuity as well as having continuity in the coaching staff for the defense?

A: Was that your word? That was your word. No, it’s cool man because again you don’t get that a lot in this league, you go in the room and its lot of new faces. For the most part in our room you get to see the same guys you know. We lost [Johnathan] Hankins, we don’t have [Kelvin Sheppard] Shep back but for the most part we have the entire defense intact with a couple new faces. So that’s huge.

Q: Did your teammates ask you at all about Brandon as a teammate? What he is like?

A: Of course man they ask me all things NY Jets man.

Q: So what do you have to say?

A: He’s a good guy, great competitor, and at the end of the day the guy can help us win a super bowl and that’s our ultimate goal.

Q: Were you surprised by the comments Sheldon [Richardson] made then?

A: Never heard Sheldon’s comments.

Q: You didn’t? He said there were 15 reasons the locker room over there was better this year than it was last year.

A: 15 reasons? Did he name them?

Q: I think he was referring to the jersey number.

A: Brandon’s Jersey number? Pretty clever Sheldon.

Q: He said some other things too

A: Oh wow y’all got to keep the mic away from Sheldon man. Sheldon, get away from the microphone.

Q: But all kidding aside you never felt that Brandon was a negative influence while you guys were together on the Jets right?

A: I was on the defensive side of the ball man. The only time that we spent together was in the cafeteria where you are best friends with everybody, the training room, and on the practice field but other than that I pretty much had only the group of guys that were in my area and I didn’t stray away from that.

Q: Snacks, as a team leader would you rather see guys like Odell [Beckham Jr.] and Oliver [Vernon] here I know its voluntary but most of the team is here. Is it important that team leaders be here?

A: Well one I am not a team leader man. I’m not. We got a lot of other guys here but it’s voluntary. I’m more than sure OV and OBJ are somewhere working out just as hard or maybe even harder than we are. So I’m confident that they’ll come in and will be ready.

Q: You don’t think working out with your teammates maybe is more important as far as kind of the culture you guys create here or want to create?

A: Not necessarily. You know they have some valid reasons why they are not here I’m sure. They are not here because they just didn’t feel like coming. If I didn’t live in New Jersey full time I probably wouldn’t be here right now. I mean OV is from Miami have you seen the weather here lately? I’d run from it to. I’m sure they have some good reasons why.

Q: Is there anything specific that they miss by not being here or as far as working on the field?

A: They miss seeing me man. You get to come to work every day and see me. Wouldn’t you be excited?

Q: That should be a reason for them to be here then?

A: No man I’m cursing people out, I’m yelling, and I’m screaming, and I’m always tired. I mean they get a chance to or they miss the opportunity to get out here around the rookies. You know what I mean. OV to get the feel out Dalvin [Tomlinson] right now and that’s something they are going to have to work out during training camp and going forward but they aren’t missing much.

Q: Janoris [Jenkins] was saying he has a bigger chip on his shoulder this year than last year is that a common thing for this team?

A: Oh yeah I told you all that last year they did a great job if bringing in guys who have the mindset of a Jack Rabbit you know a DRC [Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie], guys that are never satisfied. It’s amazing to see Jack Rabbit work, y’all get out here and y’all see him he works like he is trying to make the team and that rubs off on everybody.

Q: Snacks you mentioned feel out the rookies and the new guys what has been your impression working alongside these new guys you got [Jay] Bromley next to you now, you know Avery [Moss]…

A: Rob Thomas

Q: Yea Rob Thomas, what has been your impression on these guys?

A: Well Avery, there’s a lot of coaches that came up to me and told me you know he is going to be a player in this league so I have just been watching him. Dalvin is super athletic. You know they say he is a nose tackle, he is a bit like a nose tackle but the guy has quick feet. He is picking up on things pretty fast and as well as the undrafted guy. They did a good job of bringing these undrafted guys in. There are some pretty good players. It’s going to be tough competition.

Q: You reached out to Dalvin I think he said…

A: He told y’all that man?

Q: Yeah he did he ratted you out.

A: We have to teach the rookies man. He don’t be telling the media nothing man.

Q: What did you take away from that conversation because you know first impressions you know what they say about that?

A: He is ready to work. He was coached by a guy who taught me just about everything that I know Carl Dunbar. So I know he is not far off from what do you guys say the rookies go through, a learning curve?

Q: Growing pains?

A: A learning curve, growing pains. He is not too far off from knowing everything that I know and the rest of the guys so it’s a big plus that he was coached by my former coach.

Q: Do the undrafted guys kind of gravitate towards you? You know you’re kind of a big undrafted guy in the league.

A: Yea man everybody wants to know how I did it.

Q: What do you tell them?

A: I can’t tell them it’s a secret. I’m going to write a book and y’all will have to buy it man. But no I just tell them the same thing you tell the first pick or second round pick. You have to put your head down and you have to work. You have to outwork everybody you see on the field and you can’t afford to walk around. You know I’m the old fat guy I can walk around but you can’t afford to walk around everybody is watching you. They are watching you in the stretch lines, they are watching you in the cafeteria, you are always under a microscope so just always be working.

Q: Is that why you watch your defense even in what coach McAdoo likes calling it “running around in your underwear.” You guys clearly don’t want them to complete any play, is that what’s going on there? How would you describe your whole defense?

A: Yeah I mean you got guys like Jack Rabbit, DRC, Eli Apple, JC [Jonathan Casillas], JT Thomas [III], Keenan Robinson, JPP. Nobody wants to give up anything because we have to go sit in the meeting room and we have to watch it and nobody wants to be put on the spot in the meeting room. So yeah we don’t want to give them anything.

Q: So even if it’s just running around in your shorts?

A: They not getting a thing they have to earn it.

Q: So who did you buy a house for in the offseason this year?

A: Oh man. Nobody.

Q: That was it? You got your mom one and that was it?

A: Yea that’s it man I’m trying to find me a forever home now and that’s hard.

Q: Are you going to make New Jersey your forever home?

A: New Jersey? No mam I’m going where it’s sunny all the time.