Wide Receiver Malik Nabers
Q: You had some interesting 1-on-1s with (Cornerback) Tae (Deonte Banks), talk about that, can you the competition, trash talking, all that?
MALIK NABERS: It's just the mentality that we want to bring to practice. I want to go against him, he wants to go against me. So, we're just trying to make each other better, and by doing that it's going against each other every day.
Q: What do you see from the guys you're working with within your group, your receivers, if you put your scouting hat on and said, 'hey, we got this guy, this guy, and that guy'?
MALIK NABERS: We're building chemistry right now, trying to get everybody in groove. Seeing where we want to put everybody in the offense, but we're coming along, we're coming along. Which is fine.
Q: There was a play where you kind of dragged across the field earlier in practice. Give me your take on that and what you saw there.
MALIK NABERS: (Cornerback) Flott (Cor'Dale Flott) made a good play recovering. It's just what practice is for. Me and Flott, since LSU days, we're going to compete, so just got to hit those next time. I'm going to try my best to make those plays when I'm out there. Flott made a hell of a play on the ball.
Q: How about that long reception from D.J. (Daniel Jones), what was that feeling like? And over (Tae) Banks who kind of beat you in coverage earlier?
MALIK NABERS: It's a great feeling. Dabs (Head Coach Brian Daboll) asked me what play I wanted to call, and I said, well, let's throw a go ball. And Daniel came up to me, like, what do you want, you want to check out of the press? I said, nah. I said, off press, just throw it up. He was like I got you. The chemistry showed.
Q: How often in college did they ask you what play you wanted to call?
MALIK NABERS: It was a lot of times. Most of the times, it was just (Commanders Quarterback) Jayden (Daniels) getting what calls he wanted.
Q: How does that make you feel? Third training camp practice, and the head coach (Brian Daboll) is coming to you and asking you what play you want to call?
MALIK NABERS: It shows how much trust he has to give me the ball in open space or just let me run any route I want. So, to have that, as a head coach that's got trust in you when you come into the third day of training camp, they try to understand how good of a player I am. For him to just ask me what kind of play I want and for him to call it, it shows how much trust he has in me.
Q: I saw that yesterday also, it seemed like, in between series, he called you and Daniel (Jones) over then the next two plays went right to you. What do you make of that, like the fact that they want to get you the ball consistently, right, and that seems to be something that they're going to be scheming up plays for you throughout this year?
MALIK NABERS: Like I said, it shows how much trust they have in me, wanting to give me the ball in open space and let me be me. When we came over to the side, they just wanted to clarify how I was going to run this route just before the play, how Daniel can see it out of his eyes, so I don't do something that he's not used to me doing. So just staying on track.
Q: A lot of rookies come to camp and there's always a lingering question in the back of their mind, saying, can I make the next level, the next jump? Did you ever have that, or have you answered that already?
MALIK NABERS: Like you said, all rookies do that. I had my moment. I'm not sure if everybody does, but I had mine, just what I react to the league, these older guys and I'm a rookie. Coming in at a younger age, so just how I can adapt. I had the same thing going into college. I had the same thing going into high school. It's just something that you go through as you improve. But as I keep on every day at practice just gaining confidence going against those guys like (Deonte) D-Banks and Flott and going against the defense with (Outside Linebacker Brian) Burns and it just creates a confidence in me. So going out there, just being me.
Q: You said you had a moment, was there a specific moment or you just mean like the moment in general?
MALIK NABERS: No, it was just the moment in general. You're thinking training camp (is) coming, you've been hearing about training camp for a long time, since I've been in college. Training camp, you know, they show a lot of videos. So just having that thought of just how it is going to be different than college. How I can adapt as quick as possible. And that was just all trying to get my mind around just adapting as quickly as possible.
Q: How much have you seen of Hard Knocks?
MALIK NABERS: I haven't seen really any episodes. I don't like really waiting for episodes to come out, so I want to wait and just watch it all in a day where I can just sit down and chill.
Q: Have you seen the clips though? I mean, there's a bunch of clips of you and they're (Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll) talking a lot about you, saying we love the dog in him, that's what we like about him. What's your reaction when you do hear that?
MALIK NABERS: No, I've never seen any clips from Hard Knocks. I hear about it, they come up to me all the time, ask me about it. I've never seen anything. My friends always ask me about it too. I haven't seen any episodes about it though.
Q: Have you heard, you weren't in the room for this part, but when after your visit, you were in with (Cardinals Wide Receiver) Marvin (Harrison) and (Bears Wide Reciever) Rome (Odunze). (Wide Receivers Coach) Mike Groh goes into Joe's office and says, I would take Nabers over Marvin Harrison. Have you heard about that?
MALIK NABERS: No, I've never seen that.
Q: Okay, so what's your reaction to that? Has he told you that?
MALIK NABERS: I believe he was trying to tell me that yesterday, I was walking out to practice, and he was like, 'have you seen the episode?' I was like, 'no, I don't know what you're talking about.' He was like, 'you've got to watch it.' He tapped me on my shoulder and laughed.
Q: Now hearing about it, what do you think about that? Because a lot of people thought Marv was…
MALIK NABERS: Groh's my guy. I guess when he watched my film, he saw how much athleticism that I have, getting a ball in open space and I could be a great guy in this receiver room. So, to have that person in my receiver coach that trusts me before he even got me here, you know, sky's the limit for me.
Q: Spoiler alert. They do pick you. I know you haven't seen it yet, but at the end, I think they pick you.
MALIK NABERS: Yeah (Laughs).
Q: One of the things that they're saying is that you have that dog in you, you have that attitude, that intense competitiveness, but there's also a fine line and at times you have to corral that, right? And you have to use it and do it in a productive way. How much do you keep that in mind? Is it something that you're cognizant of or is it something that you're trying to be you and if it happens to come out?
MALIK NABERS: No, it's something that I have to pipe down a little bit. Sometimes I might talk to myself, and I might go talk to Jaylin (Hyatt) and they'd be like either don't show it or just 'next play.' Cause you know, half of the time, sometimes I might miss a ball. It might be overthrown. I didn't look at it right. And I'd be like, damn, I missed that. And they might just get over, get over, get over. But how I am, how my dog is like, I could have made that play. And sometimes I want to go back in time and try to see if I can catch that kind of ball, but it's the next play mentality. So, that's one of them. And just probably, I think you're talking about when I don't get the ball, I had to key that in college. That's just how it is. That's how receivers are.
Q: What are your next steps in these coming days in camp? What's your checklist? Like I want to get these specific things done.
MALIK NABERS: Probably say maintaining my health, maintaining my body. Being out here as healthy as possible. Being that guy that is enthusiastic to the team. Getting everybody ready, coming out here, being the person that I am. Get my receivers ready to come out and practice, leading by example. So, all of those things are on my list of just staying, every day I come out to camp and just keep that same mentality.
