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Wednesday Media Transcript: WR TJ Jones

Eric from BBI : Admin : 8/14/2019 4:29 pm
WR TJ Jones -- August 14, 2019

Q: When you come here for a tryout and guys get banged up in training camp, there are two I guess lines of thinking. One being, camp body or the other is you’re coming here with a resume and you’re saying you know what I can kind of make hay here. Did you come with that mentality?
A: I think that the opportunity, when its presented you make it what you want it to. If you come in leaving here, just a camp body then that’s what you put out on film. You won’t believe you have a shot so you won’t put your best foot forward, but if you come in with the mindset that I’m here to earn a spot, to earn a job whether it’s here to put out good film or if I were let go for someone else to see good film. That’s on you, so I came to make the best of the opportunity and to definitely not let the timing of it, kind of affect the way I approached it.

Q: After the game you really hadn’t digested what happened in the whole first game. Now that you have, like how do you look back at your first performance in the first ball game?
A: It was fun to get back out there, you know definitely fun to kind of play in a new uniform, play under the plays that we have been studying, get real game action against people who we aren’t seeing every day at meetings and practice. I definitely have things to clean up, little things and the more I learn the playbook, the more I learn the details. You know it’s not just about, what do you have? It’s what do you have? How do you do it? What may change the way that you run this route or attack this defender? So now it’s just getting into the depths of the playbook.

Q: But you played well, I’m saying when you look back at your performance, do you feel good? Do you feel like that’s you?
A: I feel like it’s an opportunity to kind of use as a stepping stone. Like you know you can say yes I made my catches, had some blocks, made some good plays here and there. But it means nothing to go in the second, third and fourth game to go in there and kind of blow it. It’s definitely a good first step for me coming in late and kind of forcing myself to get acclimated in a shorter than ideal time period but definitely a stepping stone leading into this week and these next couple of games.

Q: Was it good for you to work with Daniel (Jones) a lot?
A: I think it’s good to get work with all the QB’s, because at any point I could be with any of them so whether its Eli, Daniel, Tanney, Kyle I value each rep because at any point, especially in the preseason. You don’t know when they’re going to be taken out or when I’m going to be put in so the timing really matters with all of them.

Q: With this suspension do you sit in there and go wow this is going to be even better for me?
A: No, I’m not looking at it that way because I’m not the decision maker. I’m keeping my head down and focusing on what I can control and making sure that I do everything right and then when the time comes the coaches and front office will make their moves or whatever adjustments they need to make.

Q: When you came in how important did you think the return game was going to be? Because last week you did a lot of returning and it looks like that could be an extra feather in your cap.
A: I was always told that the more you can do the better. So whether its returning, blocking on special teams, running down on kickoff – I’ve played on every special team before not just as a returner but as a blocker also. So I came in with an open mind ready to accept any role that they wanted me to try or put me out there as returner or anything else on the special teams.

Q: You probably know Golden (Tate III) better than anybody in this pack here, we’ve talked to him two or three times. You guys were teammates with the Lions and probably looked up to him when you were at Notre Dame when he was probably the older guy coming back to campus. Did this surprise you at all? You know him. Who is he?
A: He’s a great dude, who took me under his wing. You know from Day 1 in Detroit, we knew each other cordially but because we were passing he left early, I enrolled early. We knew each other enough to say hello but I wouldn’t say we were friends. I’ve been to his house, I’ve hung out with his family, vice versa and having him here to kind of help my transition definitely helped me, eased me into the process which if you would have lost sight of what the bigger goal was. You could’ve got lost in the “ I’m here I need to catch up, camps coming, oh I’m behind” so great dude, great dude I have nothing but good things to say about him, nothing but love for him and his family and you know I feel for him.

Q: When (Sterling Shepard) Shep first came here, we kind of resented the fact we all thought he was a slot receiver, he said “I can do it all” do you pigeon hole yourself in anyone’s spot or do you say I can do it all?
A: No, I try to do it all. The more you can do. If you only play slot, then that means you can only go in when a slot receiver is needed but if you can do it all. Outside, inside, different personal groups, put you in different spots so being able to be as versatile as possible is important.

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