LB B.J. Goodson
June 2, 2017
Q: What is different from last year?
A: Last year, I was taking things a day at a time, preparing like a starter. Day in and day out, trying to get better one percent at a time, a day at a time. Keeping my head down and staying grounded.
Q: When you were in college, you gradually worked in as a starter, How did that help you last year?
A: It definitely helped with being humble and being grateful for the opportunity. Just staying grounded, keeping my head down and working. Preparation meets opportunity.
Q: What new addition did you make to your training?
A: The training for the combine and actual football training is a little bit different. So it does make a difference, but at the end of the day, it's still football. It's something that we've been doing since we were all kids. At the end of the day it's just football.
Q: Did you add muscle in the offseason?
A: Nothing in particular. Nothing different, just wasn't the combine training.
Q: What about the mental aspect of the game as the middle linebacker? A lot film work?
A: Yes ma'am. The way that I carry myself, everything is 100 percent mental for me. I feel like the battle is always won in the mind before it's actually taken into action. So the mental preparation is very important to me.
Q: How comfortable are you calling the defense right now?
A: I've gotten very comfortable with calling the defense. My teammates do a great job of rallying around me and just getting everyone lined up, I'm kind of having fun taking charge of it.
Q: What’s the key to getting guys to listen to you?
A: Film study, mentally being prepared. Taking things from the film room on to the field.
Q: What’s the most important thing you took away from the veteran linebackers?
A: Those guys definitely teach you how to be a pro. You hear that a lot, but it's one thing actually seeing it first-hand. Just watching those guys, and watching how they moved, it was very important for me to see and to witness first-hand.
Q: What was your reaction to the Giants not adding a middle linebacker this offseason?
A: I still have to work. Nothing changed, I still have to work, still have to go get the job.
Q: You've been mostly with the first string during OTAs. Has that been the case for the most part?
A: Yes it has.
Q: Is it a challenge to step into the huddle and see some of the All-Pros?
A: No, it's not. A big help to that is actually getting to know those guys off of the field. It translated on to the field. Getting to know those guys and getting more comfortable around those guys.
Q: Did you get to talk to Antonio Pierce? What kind of advice did he give you?
A: He's always dropping advice and knowledge on me. He drops a lot of knowledge on me. So it isn’t one particular thing that I could tell you that he does, but he's always telling me whether it's formation recognition or any little thing. The details, he's always on me about the details, but he does a great job of helping me and really appreciate it.
Q: Did you talk to him the last few days?
A: I talked to him before.
Q: He played that linebacker position better than anyone has since, do you try to pick his brain?
A: I definitely try to pick his brain, and he's a big help.