RAIDERS QB JASON CAMPBELL
(on how he's getting settled in with the Raiders)
Yeah, I feel settled in. I feel settled in, I had opportunity to come in early, got here in April and that was the most important thing—to be able to go through a whole offseason, OTA's, mini-camp and training camp together. I think it gave me an opportunity to get used to the guys, get a feel for the guys around me and be able to move forward. In that aspect, I definitely feel good, and I'm just looking forward to it. It's a new thing, a new start and we're just trying to get off to a good start.
(on if he was looking for a new start)
You never know in the NFL what is going to happen year in and year out. You always have to be prepared for everything. I was in Washington at the time preparing to be the starter there for another year, and the new head coach, Coach Shanahan, and then the trade happened with (Donovan) McNabb. It was like your whole world just turned, and then the Raiders traded for me to come here. It was nice to get the opportunity because I had been through so much in Washington at the time, to come here and be able to start over again with a new regime and a new team and everything gives you a new energy coming into it based on everything that happened in Washington a year ago.
(on switching conferences and preparing for new teams in their division and conference)
Switching conferences is definitely different. Now you've got to learn the guys in this conference, learn the way guys play defense in this conference and the different schemes that people use. It's all new, when you're in the NFC you play some teams from the AFC, but now I'm in the AFC for good so there is going to be at least 10 games a year where you're playing an AFC team. You have to prepare yourself to be ready for the different schemes and different looks. When you're in the NFC, you're in the division for so long that you get a feel for how guys play and what guy's tendencies are, so when you switch over it's like relearning.
(on what he thinks the biggest differences will be now that he's in the AFC as opposed to the NFC)
So far I just know what I've seen with Tennessee, so that's all I know at this standpoint. Watching Tennessee they're definitely a defense that runs to the ball. That's the one thing that definitely stands out when I watch film, no matter where the ball is on the field, guys turn and run. They're a well coached football team, very disciplined and rightfully so. That's the main thing I notice about them.
(on the reaction of his new teammates to his arrival since he's been there)
It's been a great welcome. Guys welcomed me in with open arms and hands. The only thing they want me to do is go out there and play hard and lead them. Put the time and effort in after practice, and before practice and just to make sure I'm prepared for the game. I think the biggest thing is just leadership, that's the one thing they want. I just told them, I'm going to be who I am and come in and work extremely hard and prepare myself to do the best on Sundays. That's all they wanted, was someone who can lead and care.
(on how he feels about his talented but young wide receivers in Oakland)
Yeah, it's a young football team. We're definitely a young football team. We have a lot of talent, and the one thing about our young guys is they work extremely hard every day in practice and they want to do their best and they're willing to listen each and all the time. One thing we do is spend a lot of time studying plays together, spend a lot of time talking to each other and making sure we're on the same page. They have that want and will on the inside to want to be really good, so I'm definitely excited about the opportunity to grow with them and continue to build a relationship with them.
(on his two main running backs in Oakland, Michael Bush and Darren McFadden)
Our backs are young, but at the same time, they're both good running backs. McFadden, he's the high draft pick and the guy with a lot of speed. Bush is a guy that has a lot of shiftness to him, so both of them are good guys and good backs to have in the backfield because they also can catch the ball really well.
(on the Albert Haynesworth situation)
I guess you have no choice but to follow it. Every time I cut the TV on there is something going on about it. I am pretty sure he doesn't like having to see that every day and hear about it every day. That's a tough situation; it is something that I think has really been escalated to a whole other level now. You don't know which parts of it are really true, and which parts of it is really not, but I'm pretty sure it's tough on him having to look up every day and be judged by a whole country and see everything on TV.
(on the rumors that Haynesworth might be traded back to the Tennessee Titans)
Tell him to wait until after this week, then he can make his move. It wouldn't surprise me, there have been talks of that all offseason. I remember back in March and April they were talking about that, so I think it just came back around again. It circulates, I know he played in Tennessee a long time, he has a home there. I know he's comfortable there, but like I said you never know what's going to happen. I'm pretty sure his Washington teammates want him to stay there too though.
(on playing quarterback in an NFL market like Washington D.C.)
It had a lot of goods to it. I know we had to go through a lot there with a lot of changes and everything. Each and every year it seemed like there was a revolving door. I think that was the hardest part, not being able to find stability and not being able to grow with the guys and coaches and everything. It seemed like we were always in a movement of change, it's always tough. It's always tough on the quarterback, always tough on the surroundings, and it didn't help last year when we lost three of our starting offensive lineman in the first four weeks of the season. To go 16 games of the season without the same starting offensive group in there, it's tough when everything around you is always changing. But you live and learn from it, you learn about going through a lot of adversity and having to persevere through a lot of it. At the end of the day, you can use it as a teaching tool for yourself and you're happy to rejuvenate.
(on his relationship with Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Hue Jackson)
Me and Hue Jackson have a great relationship. One thing I'm excited about him being here is the energy that he brings, and the different things that he does offensively for us. Just his mindset and his attitude it's just totally different. With him being in Baltimore, with him being in Cincinnati with a lot of guys and everything—with him bringing all of that experience here to the Raiders, I think it's going to help us a lot.
