Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson
September 8, 2021
Q: How’s your ankle feeling?
A: Doing good. I’m trying to get better one day at a time. I wake up every day, so I can’t complain.
Q: It’s a start, right?
A: Yeah, for sure.
Q: Do you think you are going to play Sunday?
A: I’m taking it one day at a time. I’m just getting my prep in like I am, but it’s ultimately up to the coaches and what they decide.
Q: How much did you do out there today? Did you do pretty much do everything today?
A: I was getting a lot of mental reps. I'm just taking it one day at a time. Whatever they have me do, I'm willing to do it.
Q: So, no team stuff yet?
A: No, sir.
Q: You're a veteran, obviously, so do you feel like you're the type of guy who can maybe not do as much Wednesday, Thursday in practice and then still be able to go out there and play pretty well?
A: For me, it's just taking the mental reps in. Ultimately, it's about what you do in the game, but at the same time, you’re taking the mental reps. Doctor Lani (Director of Wellness and Clinical Services, Player Engagement Lani Lawrence), we talk about visualizing and the mental reps. So, for me, visualizing what you want to do and the things that you may see and then getting those mental reps out there. I take all of it in consideration. Even if you are practicing, you’ve still got to get those mental reps and visualize if that was you in the situation, what would happen.
Q: The Broncos have a pretty deep receiving corps. How difficult will it be if you’re not ready?
A: Yeah, that receiving corps is pretty good. Actually, I played against (Broncos Wide Receiver Tim) Patrick at Utah. I played against (Broncos Wide Receiver Courtland) Sutton before when he was there. I never played against (Broncos Wide Receiver Jerry) Jeudy, but they’re a great, talented receiving corps. They cause a lot of problems, so you just got to be out there mentally prepared and just do your job. At the end of the day, that's what it comes down to – doing your job, trusting your tech (technique), doing everything that you prepared for this offseason that's coming up this week.
Q: Do you know what you need to do in the next two days to show the coaching staff that you are ready for Sunday? You can’t do mental reps tomorrow and Friday and be out there I assume on Sunday?
A: Just show up to work and do everything they ask and whatever they see, if that’s what they like. That’s all I can do. Whatever they ask for me to do, and if it's to their liking, it's going to go their way. But other than that, that's all I can do, whatever they ask me to do.
Q: Do you find yourself lobbying to do more? Or do you just have to trust what they’re –
A: I’ve just got to trust. Being an athlete and knowing what you want to do as a competitor, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to trust the ones that’s around you. They know best and know what you need and what's going to help you and progress you and not try to hinder you.
Q: How important is the ‘star’ position, the slot, in this defense from what you've seen to this point?
A: I feel like every position is vital and important, but at the same time, it’s all about communication. I feel like that's the key part. Either the star, the safety, the corner, just communicating with each other. Because it might be sometimes, I don't know what's going on and I get help or vice versa. Somebody doesn’t know something and everybody’s communicating and relaying it down throughout the line. So, I think the key on the defense, like with the position, is communication. That's the biggest key out of everything.
Q: For you personally, I'm sure someone asked you, how are you feeling first of all?
A: I'm doing good. I told them, I wake up in the morning, so I'm good, man. I can’t complain.
Q: I know last year, kind of being put in there, rushing back might have derailed your season a little bit, right? Talking injury-wise. How do you balance that now with wanting to get back, but also thinking, ‘Hey, I don't kind of want that same thing to happen again this year?’
A: Like I was saying, it’s just pretty much just trusting the coaches and the trainers. That’s it, man. It's all about trust. Understanding that whatever they ask you to do, just do it. Sometimes you may want to do more, sometimes you may want to do less, but they know what's best for the body, seeing these injuries and different things. I'm just working with them and understanding that, like I said, they’ve got my best interest at the end of the day.
Q: For a guy who relies on his speed and his quickness, when you have an ankle injury, is it just about playing through it and playing your same game? Or do you have to adjust maybe the way you play a little bit?
A: I think everything is about not thinking, no matter what. As a kid, my Pops used to tell me, you go out there playing timid or doing something, that's when bad things happen to you. So, I’m just going out there and playing fast, being you and being normal because at the end of the day, they don't care. If you're out there, you’re out there. Like either your team or the other team, nobody cares. So, you’ve just got to go out there and perform.
Q: Where do you think this defense is in its progression?
A: I think we're just taking it day by day. At the end of the day, we’re trying to get better from the last day. We’re always preaching to get one percent better, and I feel like that's what we try to do out there going against the different receivers, the different matchups, the different looks. We’re just trying to get better every day, understanding that we're not going to know how far along we are until Sunday hits and we go out there and put it on the line. But at the end of the day, we preach about September football is all about fundamentals. I'm just doing the fundamentals and understanding that, and just doing your job.
Q: Your (Head) Coach (Joe Judge) said that the Broncos have one of the best receiving corps in the league. Guys like Jeudy, (Broncos Wide Receiver KJ) Hamler, what do they specifically do that is difficult to defend?
A: I’ll say knowing them from college and seeing them being elite in the slot, on the outside, being able to affect the game – short pass, middle, or deep, I feel like they can do it all. I feel like that's how they play the game and then you can't forget about the two big guys they have, Patrick and Sutton. They can do the same thing. It's all about just trusting your tech and just doing your job. But at the end of the day, like Coach said, they are an elite wide receiver group.
