 How tough was it being out for four weeks there and watching your team go out and fight? Of course it was tough, but they held their own. Running backs, we got in that room and they take a good pride in when they opportunity to come in. They showed those four weeks, they did what they're supposed to do. Do you feel at this point like you could play someday? Are you there already or? Honestly, I'm just taking a day at a time, just trying to get back healthy. Being out there today was a plus, moving in the right direction, no setbacks. So we'll see you on Sunday, come see how I feel. You were running and posting video of it, which Arthur has talked about. Right, I mean, was that you just kind of trying to show people away? Or was that you kind of saying, look, I'm ready to go one? I just try to get the fans what they want to see, man. I was missing for a couple of weeks. I know the fans missed me on Twitter and stuff. So I just had to post a video and show what I was up to. When you were out there today, how close did you feel to where true yourself was like that? I'd say about 90%. I mean, at this point in time, nobody's 100%. We're at week nine, I mean, nobody's going to feel 100%. So I feel like that 90% right now feel pretty good. Why didn't Caleb and Tyler take over back there? And even a little bit from Avery, how did the committee do in your absence? Like I said, the next man up, that's what it is. And they did a heck of a job, and this week if I can't go, they still going to keep doing what they're supposed to do. And so I'm back, and when I'm back, they're going to shine. I'm not coming to step on nobody's toes. This is our team, and the team comes first. So whenever coach needs me out there, I'll be ready. Stapley, for you as competitive as you are, what were these last few weeks like coming to sit there and watch on the sidelines? Have you been more motivated now and going back? Oh, it was tough, but I'm a team player first. I love to have fun, just being out there on the field. But some things is out of my control, and I just got to control what I can control. And like I say, T.A., Avery and Caleb, they did a heck of a job. I couldn't be more proud of those guys, just showing the world what they can do. From your perspective on the sideline on Sunday, what were the emotions like for you? Man, I hadn't been there before. I played in New England. We played Miami in Miami, and they beat us on the last second play. But like I said, I didn't see a lot of stuff in this league, and nothing don't surprise me anymore. And you just got to keep famous cross and just keep praying, and whatever happens, it happens. Typically, for you at this point in the season, like you said, 90%, where are you typically in comparison to maybe now? Honestly, man, I feel good. Like I said, I'll just take it a day at a time, and when Sunday comes, we'll see. I'm not in a rush to get back out there. I know a lot of fans here that see me out there playing, but just focus on me, man, my conditioning. If I do play, how well conditioned I am and all that stuff. So it's going to be a lot to factor, so we'll see. What exactly happened with him? Just got a little banged up, man, and just had to get some work done. That was it. You've been outspoken in your support of Calvin throughout his process. What was yesterday like for you? Was that tough or were you happy to see him get a nut-fresh start? Man, see, I wore a shirt and told him free him, then. We traded him, so that's probably what's on me. I shouldn't have wore that shirt. But it is what it is, man. Any of my teammates, ex-teammates, no matter. I'm going to support no matter what. That's just kind of guy. I'm going to show my support, want him here. And I know every guy that I'm going to reach out to, I know they can help us win. So it's not no shade to any of my teammates and anything like that. I just want to win, and I just support all the guys I play with and former teammates or whatever. Did you talk to him? No, I didn't text him. I did. Did he seem sort of happy to have a fresh start? I didn't talk to him, so I really don't know. Did you talk to him before the trade, when you wore the shirt? I talked to him before that, but I haven't talked to him yet. I know it's my own blowing up and stuff, so I just, my stuff like to have me got to get guys, you know, the time to settle down, because some of the people reaching out, each and every way, so, you know, I just got to wait a couple of days and then reach out to him. What was his reaction to you wearing that? Because that was probably among the more vocal pieces of support that he's had in the last year. I mean, he, I mean, we'd be talking on social media. He knows my support for him. You know how much I feel about him, you know, and all my teammates, you know. I'm always a push, no matter what. Like I said, ex-teammates, no former teammates, whatever. I'm gonna go out there, I'm gonna go for bat for you. Big game for Tennessee here on Saturday, obviously. What are you thinking about your balls? Who we play? Georgia. Come on now. Nah, man, it's gonna be a good game, man. I'm excited. I wish I could be there, but, you know, I got a game instead of focusing on myself. I wasn't in focus. I was, I was worried about the charges. I wasn't worried about what Tennessee was playing, so. You mean none of the Bulldogs have talked trash to you yet? I know they have. They know what's up, and they, they've been not starting to know anything. I ain't saying that, talking to the game. Are overall bets already in place? No, no, no. I don't make bets. Are overall friendly wagers in place? I don't make any bets. I'm not a big guy. I would never do that. Would you miss most just in this time, not being able to play? Would you miss about being out here with your teammates? Just being in this locker room. Just, just, everybody, man, just, just to see these guys, man, sometimes I get sick of seeing them each and every day. That's why I like to get away, but it was hard being away so long, and I'm just, I'm glad to be back, you know, see all these smiling faces in here, and everybody working, man. Just feel like nobody missed the beat since I left, and everybody just hungry, just ready to get it. When you kind of thought like a coaching, I don't know, role in helping those guys, do you think you caught a bug, maybe like later on in life, you'd want to be a coach? I would never be a coach this week. I'm gonna say that. I wasn't coached past high school, but only just for my kids. Anything else, I would never coach. It's too much. People don't see the hours and everything those coaches do, and just everybody in this whole organization to the staff, and the training staff, the people in the, people who feed us, and just everything, man. Just too many people. They work too hard, too many hours. They'd be here before us and leave after us, so I would never want to do what they do. When you go out to the locker room and you hear the outpouring of support from your teammates, obviously they were all cheering and stuff. What does that like for you? They're just joking. I rent some knuckleheads in that locker room now. Don't get it twisted, but like I said, I miss those guys. I'm glad to be back, and hopefully I'll feel 100% when come Sunday, and I can get off, get off, and just get going. What made you feel 100%? What do you think this offense changed you? It won't change, nothing. I mean, the guys did what I was doing, running the ball, and like I say, Katelyn had a career day last week. He had 91 rushing yards, and that's just something to see with those guys, man. And I've seen Tyler score a receiving touchdown, his slow sales, so. But those guys, man, they just hungry, man. They focus, and they're just going in the right direction. I couldn't ask for nothing more for those guys. What made you feel 100%? Like what do you think it's going to, what do you need to see from yourself to make you feel your back? Well, see Saturday, right before the game. See how I feel, and hopefully I'll be ready. But like I said, I'm going in the right direction right now, you know, and no setbacks as far, so. Does the fact that there's a short week after this, going into Carolina, sometimes for planners, that ends up being part of the conversation with when you come back, does that weigh you anyway at all? It don't, man. Like I say, I'm excited to be out there, but you know, health comes first, you know. A lot of fans have been hitting me up on Twitter and Instagram and talking about football, but you know, it's all about my health first, man. You know, no fans never hit you up, see how you're doing. They just won't hurt by their fantasy, so I appreciate, I appreciate they hit me up as I'm doing, but they don't. They just run by their fantasy points and stuff. But like I said, health comes first, man, at the end of the day. As long as I'm healthy, I'll be out there on the field. Hey, while you were out also, Demir Byrd's been able to catch some deep balls. What does that say, what does that component, that dimension add to the offensive attack? I know Byrd, he's happy, man. That's what they brought him in for. You know, he's been doing his whole career, and you know, just happy for that guy. You know, he just, he can just take the top off at any defense, and you know, it's just gonna open up some short things for a lot of guys. You know, OZ, you know, Cal, just everybody, man, everybody's hungry, everybody's excited. You know, and a lot of people already doubted us, and I say, we only gonna win two wins this year, so we got four, so we got a lot of football left. Just to be clear with the free Calvin Ridley shirt, this was not the outcome that you had wanted. And what? Him being traded versus. Who, Calvin? Yeah. Oh, of course you're not. Just wanted to be clear, just to make it your own. I mean, he's one of the best in the league, if not the best. You know, that's just my opinion, you know, we all have our own opinion to speak freely, and I just feel like he's one of the best, you know, and what he brings to offense, you know, and Jacksonville, they, like it happened. For the record, how many girls do you have? Zero. Doing after the crazy win, and getting that W to move forward here. I mean, it's good, you know, we gotta go one another week, but I mean, it's always good to come back in the locker month for a win, especially when it's a hard-fought game like that. So, you know, morale is up, and we're just ready to be around for this next one. What would be some of the key points for the, for the whole defense? You know, I know Perfect likes to throw. Y'all probably want to get after them a little bit. Yeah, I mean, this team, you know, they passed the ball a ton, so they're going to try to spread us out. And we're anticipating that, we're anticipating the same team, kind of what Cincinnati did to us. So, just, you know, we got to be physical, we're trying to be physical, we're trying to make an in-the-box game, but when they start spreading us out, you know, we got to just make sure that we stay at our physicality. Okay, and Kenan's been out, but he came back for the last game. How's he's the older guy, but still it's like Mike Williams are pretty prominent. Yeah, I mean, he's an elite receiver. So, anytime you got an elite receiver, obviously we got some things that we're going to do, you know, try to contain him and stuff like that, but we know what kind of game this is going to be, so we're going to try to make it our game. We're going to try to make it physical, but if they try to spread us out, we got to adapt. Michael, we've talked all season long about how a lot of people count out the offense and underestimate you guys. When you're leading the division, how do you make sure that doesn't really be the focus I mean, we're just trying to go on there every week. I mean, just like they had to win two games or whatever. At the end of the day, they still got to beat us. We got to beat them. So we don't really take too much into that. We just want to win and try to make playoffs. What is it about this team that you think maybe will underestimate so much? Honestly, I have no idea. I mean, I'm not, it could go into contracts or whatever. I don't get it and all that. I just play, I see these guys, we got a lot of talent in this locker room. I don't know what the analysis think. I just know we become every player hard. We never give up. Have you seen your group, the linebackers really evolve throughout the season so far? Yeah, I mean, we're still learning. You know, we still make some mistakes out there, leaving some plays we can make out there, but at the end of the day, every week we're getting better. So we just got to stay the course and keep going. I know you guys have talked about Carolina at this point, but the emotions of that game, how do you just get rid of that and really not focus on it anymore? I know it took a lot out of everybody. Yeah, I mean, like I said, they just got to go winning now. I mean, right now we're in first place. So our message is the coach's been saying, we don't look back. So stay in first place and keep winning. Hey, it looks like the locker room got a little lift today with the return of 84. Were y'all pretty excited to see him back out there? Yeah, I mean, you know, that's our guy. So anytime you get a guy who comes back, we're all excited for him. We know what kind of run offense he's been taking off. So I mean, when you add that piece to it, I think he's going to make a good situation for us. With the trade, I forget me if you've already been asked, with the trade of Calvin, I know he hadn't been around for a while, but is that significant to y'all just because it's the end of that chapter? Yeah, I mean, the guys who've been here, Red, I mean, I think that was a player of the late receiver show. Obviously the guys who've been here, we have to actually see him play. We know it's going to be a little blow to us, but like I said, we got to just keep going. I mean, we got something good going in here, so just keep going. I'm good, thanks. How you guys doing? Good. Nah, not really. Just the Evan Florida game, you know, we had plans of getting them in there and doing some stuff with them. So we got them in a few snaps, but the Evan Florida game, you know, didn't call for it, you know, it'll be that way kind of going forward. You know, when we have a plan for him, and you know, if the game situation calls for it, he'll go out there. What's the theme in those situations where he doesn't have to think as much and can just run? Yeah, well, yeah, that's why we brought him in because he is a big guy that can run. And we do try to find situations to get him out there and kind of free him up, let him run around, go make plays and whatnot. But, you know, he's got to know the bulk of the defense. So, you know, we're not concerned about those things that he knows or not. It's just that we have two guys out in front of him that are doing a good job. So when the opportunities come, you know, he gets out there and he's been doing a good job for us. How is his most of what you would expect it to be a third of the way through this year? I think it's incredible. The guys are really, really sharp football player. You know, the thing he needs is just time on task. He needs reps. He needs reps, reps, reps. And he's getting those reps, you know, through practice and, you know, sometimes in the game. But he understands, he gets a grasp of it. Now it's just that he's got to go physically do it. What's been the key to his development of quick, fast development in his play? Sharp kid, he gets what we're saying. He understands it. He's played a lot of different positions. So he has a natural feel for football and all the things that go along with it. Now it's just about, you know, having his quote unquote feeding the technique and getting reps, you know, on the practice in the game and gaining confidence. Yeah. You know, they just keep, you know, kind of telling the kid that, you know, your time will come. You know, just when they call you, just make sure you're ready to go. They talk about different situations in games and how to handle, you know, certain guys, certain schemes and whatnot. They kind of bring them along that way. And, you know, they can see the progress at practice and they see some of the flashes in game. So we got a good group. We got a good energy in that room right now. So they take care of each other. Does Rashaan's relative experience in this scheme allow y'all to get Troy more practice in apps than you would otherwise? Well, you know, that's not really, you know, Rashaan, you know, just like all players, they all need reps, you know, of course. But because he has been around, we are able to kind of move Michael around and add Troy to the mix. And, you know, kind of get a three-man rotation and every once in a while a four with Nick out there. And so, you know, Rashaan's experience allows us to do some things to kind of get other guys ready. And, you know, conversely, it helps Troy a little bit as well. He's done a great job. Every time I see him, he scores a touchdown. But no, no, you know, we knew when Lorenzo came in that he was, you know, kind of a talented young football player that, you know, spent his time at the Giants and he was still developing it. You know, I think what we see now is a kid that's developing confidence. You know, he goes out, he makes plays, he's confident. He's a great teammate. Probably one of the better people you want to meet. And he's, you know, all those things are starting to, you know, come to fruition and he's doing a good job for us. Aside from obviously the touchdowns that you mentioned at the beginning, what's the biggest standout thing when it comes to the backwater system on the field? He's just a big tall guy with long arms that he eats up a lot of space and takes up a lot of room and he makes plays. So, you know, I'm glad we have him. Coach, eventually like Rashawn, what has he brought to the unit through Rashawn? You know, first things first, you know, Rashawn's kind of an aggressive, kind of gritty guy. So, he's brought that to the room. He's kind of a throwback linebacker in the sense of, you know, his first option is to hit and then his second option is to hit and maybe the third one as well. But he's brought that grittiness and I think we needed it, you know, you know, with Michael kind of moving from one position to the next position and adding all the rookies in the room, you know, you kind of need the veteran guy that still kind of has some throwback mentality that wants to go bang around and then that's what linebackers do. And, you know, he kind of embraces that role. He likes doing it and the other guys see it and they try to, you know, emulate that. Coming along. Nate's doing a great job. You know, obviously he kind of a wild card. He made the team. He made the team because he worked at it. You know, he earned his stripes and did the things he was supposed to do to earn his way on the football team. And he dressed and played for some earlier because, you know, quite frankly, the kid's very instinctive. He knows where he is in space is what I like to say. So he keeps himself out of harm's way. And he, you know, he's always clean with his assignments and he makes a player too when he's out there. So we like him. We like him a lot. You know, we think the whole group is doing a good job and, you know, progressing well. And you just got Edward's back, you know. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so. You say about the tackage last season. Yeah, so we brought Dorian back. You know, obviously, you know, he got nicked up right at the end of the preseason. He was trending the right way. And, you know, we were hoping to get him back and nobody else was signing. We got him back. And now we just got to get him back in the fold, back into doing the things he was doing it. And he was, you know, getting better every day. So, you know, hopefully he can keep trending and do that. And we have a young linebacker group that, you know, that we can kind of throw in and do some different things with.