Offensive Tackle Evan Neal
Q: What it's like to get back out there after recovering from your concussion?
A: It feels good to be back out there, get my feet back up under me. Thankfully, I was only out for about a week and a half or so, so it wasn't that much time, but it was just good to be back out there with the guys.
Q: What was your takeaway from Friday night's game?
A: It was a solid showing, for sure. Just good reps for our offense and for our team in general. Still have a lot of work to do, still have a long way to go but it was a solid showing.
Q. How far advanced do you feel you are from a year ago at this time and maybe even a year ago at the end of the season?
A: I feel like I have gotten better, but like I said I still have a lot more work to go, it's still preseason. We are just going to see as the year goes on. I'm going to continue to work on my craft, continue to get better every day and see how good I get.
Q: What do you think you are specifically better at?
A: I feel like I got overall better at balance. I've worked on a few technique things. I've leaned out, got in better shape, better condition for sure.
Q: (Tackle) Andrew (Thomas) took such a big leap from year one to year two, have you talked to him about the things he did to progress so much?
A: I'm in Andrew's ear all the time, just talking ball, just chopping it up. He's a great resource to have in the room for sure. I am thankful for him. I feel like all the guys in the room are thankful for having AT.
Q. Anything in particular that he kind of advised you on?
A: Nothing specific. Our conversations are our conversations, but he is definitely in my ear, and I am in his ear. We definitely have a lot of dialogue for sure and I appreciate all the tips he may give me for sure.
Q: How important was it to you to get out of your stance quicker?
A: That's the nature of the game at offensive tackle. Your get off, getting to your spot. I feel like I did a pretty good job of that. I feel like it's been back to me finding a comfortable stance that I can get into and get out of. Friday night I did that well but that's a preseason game, so I am not really going to harp on that as much, I have a lot more work to do. I have to continue to get out my stance for the duration of the season, so I am going to focus on that.
Q: Do you feel good with the stance or are you still tweaking it as you go along?
A: I look good in it (laughs).
Q. What was (offensive line coach) Bobby's (Johnson) message to you guys after today's practice?
A: Just to come out and train harder. It was a pretty humid day, guys can get a little fatigued, especially after a day off. Basically, just telling us to keep chopping, keep grinding when it gets hard, when it gets tough.
Q: You had a second level block on (running back) Eric's (Gray) touchdown, is that something that you feel like you have gotten better at and had to get better at?
A: Sure, it was a good block. I got to the second level, squared him up and I drove him to the end zone. Thankfully, we scored, for sure. But everybody on the play did their job that's why it was successful. So yeah, it was a good play.
Q: How much fun is it to be in the film room and look at it, a play like that in particular, it just seemed like everybody was on their man.
A: Yeah, it's extremely fun to watch, definitely, but you don't want to harp on the good things too much. You know, you want to focus on the corrections, the things that you can get better at. But it's always good to see when all 11 guys on the field do their job and good results come out of that, for sure.
Q. Did you ask to be out there that long Friday night, or did they say you've missed time we want you out there a little longer?
A: It wasn't really a conversation. I went out there and they told me, 'Evan, you are playing the first half,' and I said, 'Okay.'
Q: You talk to quarterbacks, and they say short-term memory, does that apply to an offensive lineman?
A: I feel like that applies to everybody on the football field. Sometimes you are going to have bad plays, I mean everybody out there gets paid, everybody is elite. Sometimes you are going to give up a bad play. You've just got to turn the next page. You can't harp on the past because if you harp on the past that will affect your play in the future so just turn the next page and keep it pushing.
Q: Is it weird right now with this guard rotation to not know from play to play who is going to be standing next to you?
A: Not really, because I am comfortable playing alongside both of those cats. That's really the coach's call and the coach's decision. They coach us up well and both of those guys fit great within our scheme and our system and what we are trying to do so I am comfortable playing with both of them.
Q. Do you sometimes though not know, like look over and say, 'Oh, he's in there.'
A: Sometimes I wouldn't notice; both those guys are so good at what they do. I mean, it really doesn't affect me whatsoever, I mean, doesn't matter.
Q. Do you ever look at (offensive line coach) Bobby (Johnson) and say, 'Take off the sweatshirt.'
A: No (laughs). They made me take mine off today – pretty humid out there, it was.
Q. Have you tried to play with a sweatshirt?
A: Yeah, I was out there with a sweatshirt on. Trainers made me take it off, though.
