(on his switch from linebacker to tight end at Oklahoma)
Yeah, definitely. So I grew up, my entire life I was an offensive player and just coming out I was recruited at the college level as more of a defensive style player and that's what I did my first three years. I kind of got to a position in my career, in my junior year of college, where I kind of realized that maybe defense wasn't for me. I basically approached Coach in the offseason and said, 'Hey, listen I got the offensive background. I'm kind of hitting a wall here in my career on defense and I really think I can offer more to this team if you let me try out offense.' I was really just trying to find a place where I can add value to the team and be a guy who can lead us toward success. They gave me the opportunity to switch over in the spring. They gave me a spring to try it out, and it ended up working out pretty well for me.
(on what parts of his defensive mentality he took with him when he switched to offense)
Yeah, I mean obviously playing linebacker you have a little more of an edge to you. There's a little more tenacity there. Obviously, you play the game in an aggressive style manner and that's something I like to do.
(on how playing quarterback in high school helped with his transition to tight end and how that past will benefit him in the NFL)
Like you said, playing quarterback, you have a very wholistic understanding of what goes on in an offense and offensive scheme and then having that defensive background as well and the system I was in with [Oklahoma] coach Brent Venables, it was a very wholistic system as well where you needed an understanding of everything that was going on around you to make everything work. Having that mindset and understanding of the whole concept of any given play is really going to help me moving forward and has really helped me.
(on the draft process and getting the call from the Titans)
Obviously just the draft process in the spring, the Pro Day, the Combine, all that stuff, I felt incredibly blessed to be in the position to go through that. Obviously getting to draft day, there's a lot of different emotions going through the day and getting here towards the later rounds, it's a crazy thing but I'm glad I ended up where I did and I'm happy to call myself a Titan.
(on what role he sees himself fitting in with the Titans)
I plan on walking in day one and making an immediate impact on special teams in particular. Just with my linebacker background and athletic ability and understanding of the game of football and being able to use my athletic abilities to my advantage. I'm looking to be a big contributor on special teams and then carving out a role for myself within offense and being a playmaker in that sense.
(on where he got his Titans hat and if he is looking forward to getting one with the new logo)
Is this the old logo? Oh it is, right. We did like a mass order on Amazon, so I need to get a new logo. So, I'm rocking the old one for now.
(on his mass order of hats)
Yes sir, this is the one that came with it.
(on what he remembers about his dad and representing him with his jersey number)
My dad passed away when I was younger, so I have very limited memories of him personally, but just growing up and hearing the way that my family and people around me talked about him and how he lived his life was just something that I wanted to model my life after. They have had nothing but good things to say about who he was as a man and how much he appreciated and enjoyed and made people around him better and I've just taken that and tried to lead my life through that same example.
