Transcript: Wide Receiver Wan'Dale Robinson

Wide Receiver Wan'Dale Robinson

Q: How does it feel?

A: It feels really good, long eight and a half months, but I am just glad to be back out there with the guys.

Q. You said eight and a half months. I mean, it is a long eight and a half months for you, but for that injury, eight months is not long.

A: I mean, nah, but it felt like a long time. Just put in a lot of work and just making sure that I got back out there with the guys.

Q: How ready are you?

A: I mean, I'm ready. Right now, it's just going to be a little gradual build up, just kind of got back out there, get my feet back up under me today and just kind of go with the trainers and the coaching staff and just see where we are at from there.

Q: What is your ultimate goal? To be ready opening day?

A: At the end of the day, I just want to help this football team win, whether that's week one and I feel comfortable out there or week two or week three, whenever that may be. I'm hoping for week one, but (I) just want to help the team win.

Q: Was it important for you, mentally and physically, but just the idea that they didn't put you out for a month so at least the message is that they believe you'll be back before October, did that matter?

A: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I wanted to go out there and show it even whenever I was just doing my rehab process that I'd be ready within those first four games so that they wouldn't have to sit me within those and then obviously, I'd have to have a little ramp up period if I was on the PUP and then maybe not been able to play for five or six games. Just wanted to get back out there, just get that chemistry back with (quarterback) Daniel (Jones), and just see what we can do from there.

Q: Was there a secret to getting there? You kind of short circuited this rehab by a month or two, right?

A: I would say that's a big testament to this (athletic) training staff and all the help that they have had with me. A lot of BFR (blood flow restriction therapy), a lot of long nights, and just making sure that you got to do what you got to do and you got to sacrifice some things, so I knew I wanted to be ready for the start of the season and I knew that I would sacrifice some things to hopefully getting back a little earlier than expected.

Q: Sacrifice what things? Like a life?

A: Yeah, I'd say for the most part during this offseason I was up here for really just about the whole offseason just trying to rehab and do what I could to get better.

Q: This timeline, was that always the goal, is the first four weeks or did it become evident at some point in the process that this is moving along faster than I would've thought?

A: I mean, from the moment that I tore my ACL, that's what I was wondering, can I be back week one. Talked to Dr. (Neal) ElAttrache out in LA and he was like, it could be a shot you just have to put the work in, and I told him that was exactly what I was going to do. Luckily, about a month ago everything started looking really, really good and just was able to get back out there today.

Q: Was that kind of all you needed to hear at the start, was that it was possible?

A: Once they told me it was possible, I was just going to do whatever I could to get back out there.

Q: Last year, you had a little injury, the last game, I'm sure you don't want to think about the injury, but do you think you were just starting to show?

A: Oh yeah, definitely. Me and my receivers coach (Mike Groh) had a talk about it too. Just felt like I started to get a lot more confidence even whenever, coming back from my injury the first week and then I just felt really, really good especially going into that game. Luckily, I ended off on that note and I know exactly what I can do in this league, but obviously it's a new year and I've just got to get back to work.

Q: What you were able to do today, were you like running routes, full on during team period?

A: Running routes, just working with DJ (quarterback Daniel Jones) and just doing those kinds of things. Just really like I said getting my feet back under me. They weren't going to throw me out there in the fire too much, but just definitely getting my feet back under me.

Q: Even though you were still on PUP, were you able to throw with Daniel at all in the offseason?

A: Well so the rules, at least during camp where I wasn't allowed to participate in anything with the team, so the only time that I was able to do any kind of throwing was whenever we did our little Charlotte trip. Just kind of was spot catching at that point, I wasn't really running too many routes. Yeah, so today was kind of the first time we really got to hit it back off so yeah.

Q: How difficult was it to, so they added (wide receiver) Jalin (Hyatt), they added (wide receiver) Parris (Campbell), (tight end) Darren (Waller) is not a wide receiver, but he is kind of a wide receiver, to see guys coming in and knowing you can't even compete with them?

A: I mean, I knew everything was a plan, even when everybody is getting added in. Luckily, I was still able to talk to some of the guys, and I just knew, at the end of the day, I knew I had a role and just going to play my part and everybody I feel like is going to do what they have to do, and we just want to win.