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Tuesday Media Transcript: DL Dexter Lawrence

Eric from BBI : Admin : 7/30/2019 2:51 pm
DL Dexter Lawrence II -- July 30, 2019

Q: How are things going so far?
A: I’ve been enjoying myself. I tell myself every day that I would hate it if I wasn’t doing it, so I’m just happy to be out here helping the team get better each and every day.

Q: How big a job is it?
A: My thing is—I say this kind of every day—everybody on defense, do your one eleven. Everybody do their job, and it’ll all come together at the end in making a great play.

Q: How is playing on the end in a 3-4 different from (inaudible)? What do you like about it?
A: Just a little bit more space you can work with out there. At Clemson, I was stuck inside a little bit, and now I get to play on the edge. I’m enjoying it a lot, all the different opportunities at the position.

Q: What’s it been like going against (Kevin) Zeitler, (Will) Hernandez with pads on, both of you guys can use your full strength and mass against each other?
A: It’s been good. It’s just kind of what you expect. Every day you come in, you’re in the elite level now. Everybody is big, and strong, and smart, so it’s kind of what my mindset has been. Just to use my strength to help them get better, and then you help me get better, so it’s kind of like a collective effort.

Q: Anything you started to figure out, going against these guys every day?
A: Yes, they switch up their pass protections, so they just help me learn how to defeat different ones.

Q: What is your expectation in terms of how you will be used? Do you think you’ll be used on all three downs?
A: Yes, that’s kind of what my expectation is. They’re working me in in some base, and some dime and nickel, so that’s where I expect to be used in all three downs.

Q: Is that different from your role at Clemson? Were you a three-down player?
A: No, I was pretty much a three-down player there, too. It’s nothing new, just a new scheme that I have to learn. It’s just all about regrouping, and just try and see where you can learn the defense a lot better to see where you can just play with the offensive line a little bit more.

Q: You hear about a lot of front seven players talking about stopping the run on the way to the quarterback. Is there anything similar maybe you’ve adopted in your career, or how much do you think you can give a pass rush (inaudible)?
A: Yes, at Clemson it was kind of like doing a lot of read stuff, and now it’s like vertical steps every time. So, my first thought is getting vertical, and then react to the offensive line.

Q: Is it a whole new learning situation when you’re on the outside--you have more space, your arms are out more?
A: I can’t say—I don’t feel the difference. Like you said, just more space. It’s kind of just a comfortability. I feel comfortable all through the line, I feel natural at every position.

Q: Dex, are you rooming with Daniel (Jones)?
A: Yeah, that’s my guy.

Q: So what’s that like, because you’re not comparing notes on what you’re supposed to be doing with him, are you?
A: No, we’re not doing that. I just ask him how his day went, what things he feels like—just normal roommate stuff, like how he did, what he could have done better. We kind of just talk about that, not about what’s the script the next day.

Q: How’s he like?
A: Probably how he is with you all, a little quiet, but I got him to open up more. He’s accepting that I’m his roommate, and I talk a little trash. I asked him, “Do you see us in your face all the time?” He said, “No, because you all can’t touch me,” or something like that. Just a little trash talk.

Q: Does he talk trash back yet?
A: On the field?

Q: Anywhere.
A: In the house he does.

Q: Seems out of character for him.
A: No, I’m getting him to open up a little more.

Q: I think Dave Gettleman said, “You’re entering a violent world.” Is that a world that you’re welcoming?
A: I mean, yes, that’s my position. It’s been like that in college as well. I can’t say that—the difference is that everybody is just smarter. I feel like I can hang with anybody in physicality, that’s not really a downfall in my game, it’s more just these guys here are a little veteran, a little smarter, so I’m just taking practice reps against some of those vets and just talking to them, listening to them, seeing the different things they do to defeat blocks and stuff.

Q: One thing this team lacked big time last year was pressure on the quarterback. Can you guys generate that with a pretty new group?
A: Yes, that’s the emphasis for the whole D-line. We’re pushing each other every day in drill works, in individuals, to get up field, create pressure. When we go good on good--team reps--get in the backfield, create pressure, because if we’re flushing them out, the ends got them. If the ends are flushing them in, we got them. So, it’s just us working together.

Q: Dexter, traditionally in this league, men your size though don’t have great success rushing the passer, they’re much more of run-stoppers. What makes you think that you can have success rushing the passer at this level?
A: I’m not everybody else in the league, I’m Dexter Lawrence II. I’m different, I bring a different attitude to the game. That’s kind of what this summer, well, this spring—that’s what they called it, a summer event for me--just working on my pass rush, trying to be a three-down guy for the team, just to help win games.

Q: Is there a guy in the league you look at and say, “That’s who I want to be.”
A: I used to, not anymore. Now I’m just picking up little things from my teammates because they’ve been playing for some years, some of the edge guys, the interior guys, just seeing what helped make them successful.

Q: Who was the guy you wanted to be?
A: I don’t know.

Q: Do you like how much pressure and high expectations (James) Bettcher and the Giants are putting on not just you, but a lot of young players to make this great?
A: Yes, I kind of got it a lot when I was in college, and I like the pressure simply because I feel like everything starts up front on the D-line. That’s the attitude that we all bring into practice every day. It starts with us, we have to bring the energy and the back seven is going to bring their energy. So, we’re just putting the pressure on ourselves before anyone else puts it on us.
I think  
Chris in San Diego : 7/30/2019 3:05 pm : link
We are going to like this guy!
RE: I think  
Big Blue '56 : 7/30/2019 3:07 pm : link
In comment 14513042 Chris in San Diego said:
Quote:
We are going to like this guy!


I’m really looking forward to seeing how Q. Williams and DL compare year-one-wise in terms of production for their respective teams
Top 10 player in the 2019 class  
Sy'56 : 7/30/2019 7:29 pm : link
Near-no doubt
I have a feeling that Eli's comment as a rookie he was trying to fit  
Blue21 : 7/30/2019 8:37 pm : link
in and earn respect doesn't apply to him. LOL. I like that in a trench guy.
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