Running Back Devontae Booker
Q: (Head Coach) Joe Judge talked today about rookie players and young players in the league making sure they can get their bodies right for a long season, not really experiencing that before. You being a veteran, how did you deal with that in the first couple years of your career and how have you adjusted to that as your career has gone on?
A: I just learned that it was important to get all the body work and use our training facility, our trainers and everything like that and get my body done, whether that was through massages or hot tubs and stuff like that. That's really been a key part in me staying healthy and going in week by week throughout the long season.
Q: With regard to your coach, Joe Judge, there has been a lot of heat as this season has gone on and you guys have endured some losses. How do you feel like he's handled things? How have you guys responded to him during the most difficult of the times?
A: Really with us we just keep working. That's the only way that we can do it and control what we can control at this point. Everything hasn't gone our way this year, but the only way to keep trying to get better is going in and working hard each week, and just staying the course.
Q: What are some of the things that you feel like Joe has done that you guys have responded to or just to keep you guys working that hard?
A: He's been doing a good job with just keeping us motivated to go out there and play these games. It can get very discouraging with losing games, being on a losing streak. For him to keep us motivated to go out there and continue to go and play hard week after week is all we can ask for.
Q: I wonder what goes through your mind when you're looking out there at practice this week and the wide receiver position out there – there's no Shep (Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard), (Wide Receiver Kadarius) Toney hasn't been practicing. From the starters, it's really (Wide Receiver) Kenny (Golladay) and a whole bunch of practice squad guys. What was that like this week to look out there and see that at the wide receiver position?
A: It's kind of really been no different. This whole year we've been dealing with injuries all over the offense. Just seeing those guys like Shep and KT not out there this week and everything, it's really hasn't been different because those guys have been out there practicing and playing for us almost all year really. We wish that those other guys were healthy to play, but in this game, no one is ever healthy.
Q: Can you put your finger on anything of why that's been that way? In the locker room, how do you guys look at it? Do you just look at it as bad luck or is there something else to it you think?
A: Not even. It's the game of football. We're all out there each week putting our bodies on the line and I wouldn't say it's any bad luck or anything like that. You can't pinpoint why guys get injured.
Q: What do you make of your numbers this year – coming up on some career-highs – and if it means anything to you that you could wind up leading the team in rushing yards this year?
A: Honestly, I'm just working my butt off each day, just playing ball and having fun out there. I don't really look at the stats or anything too much like that. I don't even know my rushing numbers or stats like that, period. I just go out and do what the team needs me to do, and just run hard and just play hard every week. That's the only thing I can do.
