Purple Insider - a Minnesota Vikings and NFL podcast - Bonus episode: Listen to Michael Pierce's entertaining and interesting press conference

Episode Date: April 14, 2021

Vikings defensive tackle Michael Pierce sat out last season. He joined the Twin Cities media for a long discussion on what he learned about himself over the last year, how he watched Vikings football, how he's going to fit in Mike Zimmer's defense and much more. Here's his entire chat from Wedneady morning... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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busy, and even mentioned his dog, Princeton. So it is a must-listen all the way through. He was very happy to be talking about football again after spending last year as an opt-out. So here's Michael Pierce's press conference. Awesome. All right, good morning, everybody. I just want to say I'm super super blessed to be here

it's been a great morning so far uh got to meet a lot of guys in the strength staff and got to go work out here but most importantly i want to thank you know the ownership of the vikings uh coach zimmer um coach dray obviously um mr spillman for believing in me and obviously waiting on me for a year. So it's super, super great to be in the building. It's super great to be in a football regiment again. So I'm blessed to be here. I'm super excited. And whatever answers you guys are searching for, I'm willing to answer. So we'll leave it up to you all.

Hey, Mike, thanks for doing this. I just wanted to ask you, what was it like being away from football for a year? Obviously, it's not something a lot of guys in the middle of their career have to do. What was it like for you? It was interesting. So I would relate it to, it was an early snapshot of retirement for me. Obviously, you have to do your job with your nutrition, with your working out, being diligent, those things. But as far as that, my schedule was wide open. First time I was technically unemployed. So for me, it was an early snapshot of retirement.

It gave me a lot of time to do some search searching. I found a lot of things I was interested in, like starting to do piano. More importantly, I got into some philanthropic things. So I'm starting a family foundation, doing some real estate stuff with my family to leave a legacy for my parents and those kind of things. So I'm starting a family foundation, doing some real estate stuff with my family to leave a legacy for my parents and those kind of things. So for me, it did me a lot of good. It gave me some direction post-football, but it also just gave me some time to, you know, see how much I love the game. And I felt that burning desire to be out with those guys, even when camp started. You know, most vets don't normally tell you. They don't look forward to camp. But I miss practice and just being around the guys and just having, like, camaraderie and friendship,

all those things you hear retired guys talking about. I felt that early. So, for me, it'll make this season and the coming seasons that much more special. Hey, Mike, how did you take care of your health, I guess, during the pandemic, which is obviously still going? But just wondering, like, you know, how many extra precautions you felt like you had to take? Have you been able to be vaccinated yet?

Yes, sir. So, first and foremost, yes, I did get vaccinated. I got my last shot about two weeks ago, Pfizer. So that was very important for me. But day to day from, you know, the months of, I guess, March until this past month, I just stayed in the house, really. Obviously, I had the gym, had a personal chef, so I didn't have to leave the house for that stuff. But just stayed to myself as much as I could.

I bought a dog just out of boredom. But I love him to death. And that was my companion. I saw my family a few times. They've been vaccinated as well. But as far as just like outings and restaurants and typical everyday things, I stayed out the way, stay sure I, you know, stay safe. I got tested two or three times just to make sure I was good. But outside of that, it's just, you know, being inside, being inside your home.

So, yeah, I found a lot of things to do, like I just mentioned. But it was rough, to be honest with you, but it was necessary. Yeah, Michael, there's kind of this big discussion going on around the league right now about players coming to the facility to work out this offseason and being part of OTAs. Obviously, you're in Minnesota. Now that you're back in it, do you plan to spend the offseason working out at the facility and taking part in all the offseason stuff? Well, this morning I made sure the guys got a look at me.

We haven't made that decision as a team. So I'm obviously a part of the team, and I'm going to do what the guys feel is best. But today I was going to make sure that these guys know I've been working, make sure I've been staying in shape. I'm going to look for some houses today. But I'm going to lead it up to our leadership. Like I said, I'm new here. I don't want to make any decisions for anybody.

But, you know, first and foremost, I'm going to play on this team. And we have great leadership. And I'm going to fall into whatever they decide to do. Oh, hey, Michael. Yeah, great to see you. Thanks for doing this. What was it like last year when you were kind of far away and you saw the Vikings' defense struggle and, you know,

you obviously couldn't help them? And then moving forward, how do you feel about how they've retooled the defense? Yeah, it was rough, like I said. So I said this in an earlier interview. It gave me like a perspective to be like just a fan of the game. Been playing this game since I was four, haven't took a year off until this year. So it was different. Obviously, you know, I pride myself on being one of the better defensive tackles in this league. I saw a lot of plays that I felt like I could have made and helped personally.

But, you know, it's a long season. I would say my feelings started to, you know, get better as the season went on. Thanksgiving was rough, if I'm not mistaken, the Saints game. But outside of that, man, I think it gave a lot of those guys a lot of, you know, there's growing pains for sure. But, you know, reps in this league are invaluable. And, you know, as younger players, even when I was in my second year in the league, those reps are invaluable. And it made a difference my third year, my fourth year and, you know, as younger players, even when I was in my second year in the league, those reps are invaluable, and it made a difference my third year, my fourth year, and, you know, going on forward. So it builds confidence just being on the field for those young guys.

But as far as me and the free agency moves we've made, it's been amazing. So we'll get a lot of guys back healthy this year, obviously with Daniil and Anthony Barr and all those guys. So Davin Thompson will be next to me. That's a big, big, big-time get for me and for our defensive front. So I'm super excited. We'll have Steven Weatherly back. I've known him for a while as well.

Great pass rusher. So I'm super excited. Like I said, I've never been without football this long, so I cannot wait, if you can't tell by my face, to get on the field. So, yeah. Courtney C the field. So, yeah. Courtney Cronin. Hi, Michael. When they made the move in free agency to bring in Dalvin Tomlinson,

who was primarily a nose tackle in New York, were you like, oh, my God, they just got my replacement? Like, were you, like, pressed about it at all? Did you get that communicated to you? I know you say he's going to be next to you. And, you know, we haven't really had a chance to, to like talk to coaches about where they see him playing but it makes sense at three technique did you get that confirmed to you like I am the nose tackle he is a three technique well so one thing about coach Dre and coach Amarjay Alberry they've done a great job with

like communicating with me throughout the season so even coming up to free agency I knew what they were thinking I knew who they had on their board. Obviously that one was a top priority for us. So, um, no, I knew what was going on the whole time, but like I said, I'm an undrafted person. So, um, competition has never been a thing for me, but like I said, um, I played next to Brandon Williams, another nose guard. So, um, as far as that goes, I think it'll be great. We have one of the top run defenses in Baltimore.

And like I said, I've always kind of known what we had going on, what we were looking forward to doing in free agency. And yeah, they've done a great job of just keeping me apart of the loop. But no, it'll be a great, great time to compete against him and actually learn from him. So like I said, until you're done and retired, I don't think you can quit learning. And he's done a great, great time to compete against him and actually learn from him. So like I said, until you're done and retired, I don't think you can quit learning. And he's done a great job being a nose guard and getting sacks, something I haven't been the best at. So I'm going to learn from him just like he, and I'm sure he can take some things from me. So it'll be a beneficial

relationship for both, both of us. Hi, Michael. I'm curious what you see when you look at Mike Zimmer's scheme and maybe how that might be different from what you've done before. So the way I look at it, and I've studied Limbaugh over the past few years, even before I got any interest in the Vikings. So they kind of play the nose the same way. They also do allow them to do more things in the pass rush game than, you know, we would say in Baltimore. But, you know, that depends on, you know, scheme and all that kind of stuff

without getting too technical. We've had, like, especially the Ravens, like Terrell Suggs and Elvis Zumerville and those guys. Those guys drive that defense. But, obviously, they've had Griff here. They've had, you know, we still have Daniil. But, no, they depend on their nose tackles to do stuff in the pass game as well as the run game.

And that's kind of why I came here. Obviously, Coach Dre is an amazing, does an amazing job with defensive linemen and specifically with Linval. So that's kind of what I want to mold myself after. Also being, you know, being a dominant nose guard in the run game but also getting to the passer and, you know, rounding my game out. Michael, you had to make your decision not to play pretty early on when people really didn't know what was going on. It was kind of a bold and brave sometimes decision.

Did you, as the season went on, regret? And that communication with Dre must have helped. What were your feelings when you had to make that and then going through it, was there any self-doubt that you made the right choice? Yeah, so I'll be completely honest with you. There for sure were many times where I was like, dang, I could have been out there. So, you know, when we made the decision, there wasn't a ton of science behind everything. The mortality rate was climbing every day. I like to stay up on current news. So I talked to my childhood doctor, talked to my primary care doctor in

Alabama. They weren't super confident because of my upper respiratory situation that I battled with throughout my life. So I kind of had to lean on those guys and they kind of wanted me to err on the side of caution, but for sure. So, you know, I stayed up to date with what was going on with our team. And, you know, at that time, I think Mr. Sugarman had just caught COVID. So it was a mess, to be honest with you. I felt rushed, but, you know, it's a business and things have to go on. So I made the best decision for me. And I'm super thankful that nobody, you know, we didn't have any deaths in the NFL or anything with extended you know uh stays in the hospital those kind of things

but you know for me at that time in early I guess it's August yeah or July whenever I made the decision um it was just so much uncertainty that you know I had to lean on you know the people who know me and who've you know watched me grow as an adult. So, yeah, no, 110% I felt like, especially as the weeks went on and the NFL got more adept with dealing with the COVID situation, I for sure regretted it to an extent. Hey, Mike, I got two questions for you. First of all, what is the best song you learned how to play on piano while you were away from football? And also, how did you keep your mind and your body in football shape? Because you take some time off, but you still have to be ready to hit the ground running with a new team and a new situation now in 2021. All right, this is slightly embarrassing. So

I started off with Mary Had a Little Lamb, and I never really progressed from there. I put that down and tried something else. So I got to start all the way over, to be completely honest with you. But I think I can still play Mary Had a Little Lamb, but that's the very first song I learned. I mastered it, and then when I tried another song, I can't remember the name of it at this moment, but it didn't go too high. So I tried to learn all this stuff via Zoom, though. So having a piano teacher there to teach me and, you know, master your foot on the keys and, you know, learning all the keys, it's kind of hard via Zoom for somebody who's picking it up fresh. But also, I do hear Steven Wesley is a musician,

and he plays like six or seven instruments. So hopefully I can get a keyboard, and if he's adept at playing piano, we can work that out. Football-wise, so I told the strength staff this morning, I just started doing some different stuff. So squat-tober, I have a powerlifting background, weightlifting background. I got to try that for the first time. That was super, super fun for me. Not great on your knees and on your back, but like I said, I had time to recover, so that was good. Just like 25 days of squat and deadlift. If you're not crazy about weightlifting, I would not suggest it, but I actually got into CrossFit from January to

February, and that's when I cut it off and started getting back into full-time football stuff, but all those things, I learned a lot of different stuff. CrossFit took a lot of, you know, bad weight off of me. And I feel like I'm in great shape. I think the strength staff would agree with that today. And I've been ready to roll, man. And honed in on my nutrition, got to know my body from an extended amount of time and trying some different things on my diet. And holistically, I think I became a better player and a person.

Obviously, we'll see what the results on the field. things on my diet and holistically I think I became a better player and a person obviously we'll see what the results on the field but as far as my body and my mind and everything else I've grown did you watch games um did you have like a setup what were Sundays like for you because it's probably got to be pretty hard if you're you know regret regretting your decision at certain points to be like you know can you put it away or do you try to be like all in on that? Sorry, my email is going off. It's annoying. No worries.

How did you handle that on Sundays? Yeah, so if you check my Twitter, like I watched every game. I live tweeted just like a fan. And like I said, it gave me a different perspective. So, like I said, I haven't really met any of these guys in person. I sat in on all the meetings in the spring, obviously. I've met Shamar Stevens. I've known Steven Weatherly. Outside of that, and Coach Amarjay, personally. But outside of that,

I didn't know anyone. So I got to know these guys through a TV screen, just like fans would. And I watched every single game. I had two TV setups in my house and a computer. So NFL game day was a big thing for me on my computer. Watched the Vikings and whatever team, like, my friends were playing, like, the good matchups around the league. I watched them. Like I said, it was hard, but, like, you know, it's a super long season. So I think after week eight I was, like, mentally okay.

But, like I said, for me, I started, like, working out on Sunday mornings just to get, like, some anxiousness out. But it turned into a routine. So, yeah, I got on my Peloton. I hopped in the sauna. Went to church. By that time, it was 12 o'clock. Had me a good, nice meal.

Got me a glass of wine and, you know, watched Vikings football just like everybody else. So it was fun. Obviously, I would love to be playing a lot, lot more. But, no, I made the most of it Mike I'm just wondering like pre-covid how asthma sort of has affected your career and like how you've managed that and then also real quick what's your dog's name all right first of all my son's name is Princeton standard poodle he is six months uh that became my best friend because we were in the house together each and every day so um nah love my dog but um back to your question uh wait what was the

question please repeat that i'm sorry yeah how like how you've managed your asthma in your career right so um i've always carried an inhaler. Obviously, in colder weather, I have an butyrol and a nebulizer. So each and every private sand starting in late September, October, we start that rolling and take an inhaler every day. So we try to manage it that way. I've had trips to the hospital when I was younger until I started to know how to manage it. And I say my worst experience, I caught pneumonia 2017 after a game in Green Bay, where it was like zero degrees. And it took me like three weeks to recover from that, like fluid on my lungs. I think I lost like 16 pounds in like three or four days. It was a mess. So I failed a lot of breathing tests, all that kind of stuff. So, um, when COVID happened, you know, although that was like three years at that time, I still

remember how my body did not recover like the doctors thought it would. So prednisone, all that stuff didn't really help as quick as they hoped. Obviously we were in the middle of the season. So that was a mess, but, um, no, I just knew that obviously, you know, I was in good shape and, you know, they say, if you're in better shape or, you know, your body fat is this high, all that kind of stuff, you were less likely to end up in the hospital. But knowing that I had a rough battle and a rough go with pneumonia, um, and that was, you know, at the time I felt like that was far less deadly than COVID. Um, I knew that if I caught it, I would struggle probably mightily, more so than most people.

So that's kind of what, you know, pushed me over the edge to, you know, sit out. But, no, it's something that I have to deal with each and every winter and, you know, sometimes in the summer. So it's just a thing I got to deal with, and I've been really diligent in managing it, and will continue to do that. And, like I said, I've been really diligent in managing it, and we'll continue to do that. And like I said, I've been vaccinated, been blessed to never test positive.

So just keep staying safe and doing what I can. Welcome to Minnesota. I just want to ask you about the communication, the outreach that Coach Dre and Coach Albury did while you were away, and then also how much pride you took in getting that workout in today to show folks that you did handle your business while you were gone and you're going to be ready to roll. Yeah. So I would think Coach Albright would tell you I called him after every game

just to talk through stuff. So, no, while he was watching film, I kept my iPad. And like I said, I watched every game live. So I stayed up to date as much as I could. And, no, it built like a different level of trust that these people, you know, obviously I chose to sit out, but they still value me as a person, as a player to check on me and talk me through what was going on each and every day.

So that only made me, you know, work harder and stay diligent throughout this offseason even more so than I guess I normally would. every day. So that only made me, you know, work harder and stay diligent throughout this off season, even more so than I guess I normally would. But either way it goes, that's a special bond and respect that I have for Coach Dre and Coach Alberry. And I'm super grateful that they did that. And the second part of your question was what? I'm sorry. Just how good it was to show what you can do to to your new coach oh yeah yeah no that like I said that was a part of me just you know being a guy who didn't get drafted who you know had to fight

for everything he had and to have the Vikings invest in me was that was monumental man literally brought tears to my eyes so um no today was a big day for me I wanted to make sure my weight was good I moved as well as I possibly could. And when we got in the weight room, I showed them who I was, who I've always been. So I think everybody would tell you I passed it with flying colors. And like I said, I'm looking forward to more so getting on the field. But today was a great start. And they know I'm in shape and they know I've been diligent in doing what I'm supposed to do.

And, you know, ultimately that all leads up to making a difference on Sunday. So step one is down, but we've got a lot more days of hard work and diligence to go. But I think today went really well, and we'll just keep building from there. Oh, hey, Michael. I know you've touched a lot in this interview just about the kind of shape you're in, your nutrition. What are you weighing now and just how have you been able to change how you go about controlling your weight after you know a couple years ago you had some issues yeah so um if you're familiar with coach Dre's interview when I asked him last uh what was his

advice to me about uh just going through this season um of not playing was to hire nutritionists and have a really good trainer. So I've always had a good trainer. I've never been as diligent as I have been with my nutrition. So that's been going super, super great. I've learned about so much different stuff and how you can mix and match different principles from keto and all this different stuff into a diet for football players and something that my body would respond to. So this year has been great as far as that. I am 341 today.

I played around 350 in Baltimore, but I've gotten as low as like 335. But as far as like me playing wise, I like to keep it around there. And, you know, you'll drop a few pounds in camp and that kind of stuff. But as far as the offseason goes, this is probably the lightest i've been since my rookie year and uh like i said i've been running a lot a lot better than i have in the past so um as far as a holistic standpoint i'm in great shape uh my body fat is lower at at 341 than it has ever been so that's a that's obviously a positive and um like i said man i think I'm just ready to roll. They don't really want, you know, figurines or, you know,

action figures or bodybuilders that knows going. You got to be a little bit heavy to deal with those double teams. So I think I'm right where I need to be. If I shave a few pounds off before the season and end up like 335, that'll be perfect. But 335 to 340 is my range that i would like to stay at so i'm right in range man and it's pretty early for that so it's been going well michael you said you regretted your decision you kind of struggled with it during the season if you could

describe uh reactions from teammates that you didn't know and also the reactions that you got entering any interactions with uh with mike Mike Zimmer and how he handled your decision? Well, yeah, because Zimmer was super supportive from day one. And, you know, the NFL, they do a great job of before they even sign, they go through your medical files and with a fine tooth comb before they invest in you. So my upper respiratory issues were never a surprise to them. So I think they were more okay with my decision because of that. And like I said, Kozima's been great. Got to hug him and thank him for bringing me in yesterday.

So I was happy about that. But no, man, it was tough. Like I said, the players have been super supportive. I still talk to a lot of guys on IG. Nobody's, you know, in the building right now. But the few people I've met that's in the building, that's been great. But, no, man, everybody was super supportive. And, you know, obviously from a personal standpoint,

I do feel responsible about some of the stuff that happened last year. And, no, man, it's just a tough situation. Like I said, injuries, you know, everybody understands that. But the opt-out thing is just something new to football in general. So, no, everybody was supportive. You know, we had a rough year last year, but everybody seems upbeat and happy for me to be here. And that's amazing for me.

And, no, man, I'm ready to roll. I know earlier you had mentioned just with the moves that they made in free agency and seeing how dominant this team could potentially be against the run. One thing that the coaches and Rick Spielman talked about is just the need to improve the pass rush. How do you feel your skills are as a pass rusher? I mean, we haven't had a chance to see you in action here, but where are your strengths with that area and what areas as a pass rusher um as a nose tackle do you want to improve on right so uh because of what i came from in baltimore uh brandon williams and myself were primarily run stoppers um we had a lot of different

packages so they had like bigger tackles so i don't know if you're familiar for like lawrence guy who plays in um played in new england as a free agent i don't know where he signed but we had a lot of Guy, who plays in – played in New England. He's a free agent. I don't know where he signed. But we had a lot of different guys that we missed in the match, and we did a lot of good different personnel stuff in the passing game. But like I said, before I even signed here, Coach told me how he, you know, progressed and involved. And, you know, he's been a great run stopper, but he also got to the passer.

And, you know, we got Jared Goff in this division. We got Aaron Rodgers in this division. It's imperative that you get to the passer. And, you know, we got Jared Goff in this division. We got Aaron Rodgers in this division. It's imperative that you get to the passer. So bringing Dalvin in, he's done a great job as a nose guard at getting to the passer. That's something that I always desperately wanted to improve. So I think my power is great, and I have quickness and all that stuff, but for me it's putting those pieces together

and progressing my game forward. And that's where you get those pro bowls and all pros and all that stuff. So, like I said, I performed at a high level in the run game always, but that's something that my game where I feel like I have the tools. I just haven't been, you know, always put in the best position, but me personally, I have to know exactly what to do when they put me in those positions to execute, to get to the quarterback.

So I think that's definitely a work in progress to some, I've always been honest about. And like I said, I think I'm in a great place with Coach Dre and you know, the system that Coach Zimmer allows those guards to do a lot of different things in the past game, which will also help my game. And for me, it's just stepping up to that plate and making it happen. A little bit of a broad question for you, Michael, you've always played on very good defenses.

You're coming to a defense that struggled last year. Just what do you think it takes to turn around a defense and just be a good defense in 2021 in the NFL? Right. So I would say, like I said, you know, last year was outlier for, you know, this team. I saw them in 2017, they're number one in the league. And, you know, like I said, like you said, I've always played on top defenses. But, you know, injuries have happened to this team last year. Anthony Barr is a Pro Bowl caliber guy. Daniil Hunter, all Pro caliber guy. So when you miss those two guys, let alone a run stopper

and all these other things, you know, some things are going to happen that aren't characteristic of what you're, you know, accustomed to seeing from a Vikings defense. So, you know, we things are going to happen that aren't characteristic of what you're, you know, accustomed to seeing from a Vikings defense. So, you know, we had young corners. Cam and Jeff got, you know, invaluable reps that they might not have gotten if they had, like, the older guys in front of them. So I would say, you know, Armand Watts played a lot. And, like, those reps are, like, as a player, you understand, like, those reps are invaluable.

So even if you do take a lesser role, you feel more comfortable in, you know, I know what I can do in this league. I know where I can go to my go-to moves and all those things. So, you know, we brought in Pat Peterson. That's going to help our young corners grow exponentially. The reps that he has, the knowledge that he has, you know, I'm going to bring some knowledge to the nose guard room. Dalvin's, you know, great in his own right.

So he's going to bring knowledge and we're all going to work together. And then, you know, EK's an all pro. Harrison Smith. I can go on and on. But like I said, the additions and the health that we're going to bring to the field this season is going to be, I think, a lot more reminiscent of what you guys are used to. And, you know, that's why I signed here, to play on another great defense. And with everybody healthy and the additions we made and bringing Stephen Weatherly back

and all those kind of things and Xavier Woods coming in on the back end as well. I think we're going to be really good, man. You know, the work has to get put in. The chemistry has to come in. And, you know, everybody has to gel. But as far as pieces on paper which accounts nothing obviously but on paper everything looks good it's just about how we jail how we go through the off season camp all that good stuff and once week one hits we'll see what the product is but

as far as right now i think we're looking you know like more like what you guys are accustomed to seeing okay hey welcome to the vikings would you mind talk about talking about i mean being a viking now and being in the middle of this uh i mean the derrick chauvin trial and the murder of dante right and what an impact it's had uh first of all on the community and and the reaction uh that the athletes have to deal with that play here. Yeah. So, you know, obviously I'm super new to Minnesota, so I haven't been able to get into the community.

But just from a holistic respect aspect, they've done a great job in the community. I'm speaking on the Vikings' behalf. So the Wilts have donated over $5 million. They started our social justice committee in 2017. And I was, you know, obviously, before I decided to opt out, I was actually on the social justice committee. So Coach Dre heads that and like having leaders like E.K. and Amir Abdullah and Stephen Weatherly back now. They're so community driven and oriented that, you know, even though I am community oriented driven, like I'm going to follow those guys' leadership and do, and, you know,

learn from them about the community and try to help and heal those wounds as they, you know, as they presently are. But as far as, you know, the murder and all that stuff, for me, I look at it from like a holistic respect until we all can, you know, come together like a Dr. King would say, you know, because we are here and, you know, because we have these events happen here that, you know, I and, you know, a lot of the other guys who, you know, who dedicated their lives and dedicated their present time to this stuff, that we can help heal those wounds in their community and get with these

people and, you know, educate, educate, educate, educate. And, you know, tragedy prevention is almost impossible to, you know, eradicate, but education and, you know, for me, it's just about loving each other as humans and seeing each other, regardless of skin color and, you know, working together. You know, like I said, the police are necessary. Disbandment is never a thing that I don thing that I think would be great for a community. You know, they keep us safe and all those things. But, you know, there's no room for these tragedies, obviously.

So, like I said, it's come from a love perspective for me and, you know, respect from both parties. And, you know, just got to work together. So it's super hard. It's super, you know, uncomfortable for a lot of people to talk about. And, you know, we got to keep having those conversations, keep educating both sides and, you know, just loving each other, really. So that's kind of where I am with that. Mike, just kind of general question. I know you said, like, we all know nobody's there right now. Was this did the Vikings just bring you in because they wanted to, like,

see where you were at physically? Like, why are you in Minnesota right now? Yeah, so, obviously, they wanted to show me the love that they showed everybody else that they brought in the free agency, even though I signed last year. So that was something Coach Drake thought of, and I'm super, super appreciative of that. So I met, I literally walked the whole campus got to see the museum everything um got to meet each and every person

down to miss Mary the front office lady super sweet lady by the way um so no I had I just got the full free agent experience so that was awesome um warmed my heart obviously and then today I kind of pushed for you know the d-line stuff, no, they definitely want to evaluate and see where I am. You know, after a year off, you never want anybody to walk in on the first day of OTAs or whatever time we decide to report. And you just don't have an idea. Anxiety and all that kind of stuff will kick in, I'm sure, from up top. So, no, like I said, today was great.

Like I said, I've been working out diligently, and I was proud to show where I am. And like I said, I want these guys and Coach Stray to mold me, and I show them what I can do with the strength staff and all that stuff to have the film, to be able to evaluate and everything, and just coach me, you know, until we can get back to it here and everybody under one roof. So, no, I enjoyed it.

And like I said, for me, it was about, you know, proving that, you know, I'm going to be like I said, it, for me, it was about, you know, proving that, you know, I'm going to be the player and the person they expect me to be. So I'm grateful that they brought me up here. And like I said, let's keep working from there. Thanks so much, Michael. I appreciate everybody's time today.