Q: How was your day yesterday?
A: I started off starting on special teams. I know I had a full load and I just wanted to go out there and make plays on special teams and the way things turned out, I ended up playing more offensive snaps than I did on special teams.
Q: Do you think you earned yourself some playing time going forward with the way you played yesterday?
A: I don't know. Depending on how Ahmad comes out and I will hope so, but everybody has their role and I'm just going to continue to play my role in special teams or if they need me in there to run the ball, I'm going to be able to do it. Hopefully I did show that, but it's a long season and we'll just let it play out.
Q: Do you feel like you've shown people that you do belong in this league?
A: Yes. I felt like that even when I was going around the league. I just needed a shot and took advantage of my shot yesterday and I don't think it's closure, though. I think it's a beginning. I played in a NFL game and I really contributed to the win that we had yesterday. I just think that it's just the beginning and I'm going to continue to work hard and continue to go out here and do whatever coach wants me to do and be ready whenever my number is called.
Q: Why do you think you were so effective yesterday?
A: Just being patient. The holes were just open. The Bucs defense really… They slant and they were really a schemed team for where they were heading in one direction, which would make it liable for a cutback. All I just had to was just sit there and be patient and then some of the things just opened up and I just hit the hole.
Q: Are you a patient person in general?
A: Yea. I've been waiting for a couple of years now. Yea, patience is key. You just let things play out and when your opportunity comes, you just have to take advantage of it, so for the most part, I would say yea. I'm a patient person.
Q: How much was that tested over the last couple of years?
A: Being injured my rookie year and then coming back from that injury where everybody was like, 'We haven't seen too many people come back from an Achilles injury.' Then to come out there and bounce around the league and being cut and waived and practice squad and just being in one spot where I know everybody, it ended up being fortunate for me. Praise be to God and I just remain humbled and just having it fall into my lap.
Q: What do you expect when you get into the victory formation?
A: Victory, I think it's going to be a regular knee. Everybody takes a knee, but they kind of pushed off and didn't expect that, but my job is to protect the quarterback but they shot so low. It was underneath everybody like underneath Baas' knees and Snee's knees and Boothe's knees and it was just… It was just a crazy situation, but my job is to just fill that A gap and didn't, but they had so much push at the bottom of the pile that you just kicked back.
Q: Did any of the Tampa players say anything to you? It sounded like the Tampa Bay players said that the coaches made them do it.
A: Yea. That's what everybody was saying. Coach made us do it. You can't go wrong following your coach, so if that's what they told them to do, that's what he told them to do.
Q: Did it sound like it's something that they'd prefer not to do?
A: I don't know. They just said it. With everything – pushing and everything that was going on, I was just trying to make sure everybody was alright and then realize how big those guys are. I was like alright, let's put this thing … the game's over.
Q: Is it something that's ever practiced?
A: The victory formation is always practiced at the end of our Saturday practice. That's what we want to be in, but for the defense, I don't know if they practice victory… I mean how would you practice a victory formation on defense?
Q: What would it mean for you to be the starting running back considering it's going to be played in your home state?
A: It would mean a lot. I have a lot of family coming, but we'll find out Thursday, so I have no idea. I'm just going to go in there get ready for special teams and just remain humble and whatever happens happens.
Q: Is there something you saw in the Tampa run defense that you tried to exploit?
A: Yea. It was basically with them slanting and doing all that stuff that I know if we just… draws were hitting and a couple of zone plays were hitting. If you just keep it on the front side, if they slant to the left and the play is going to the right or if they're slanting right, I can break it back. It was a couple of opportunities out there where I saw the hole and I was like, 'Oh. I guess nobody is there, so I should hit it.'
Q: What's it like being in there and seeing what Eli did yesterday?
A: It's remarkable. Other than me playing and making sure I'm picking up the blitzes and everything that they're throwing at me, I'm just making sure I have my guy and making sure Eli has enough time, so he's making plays. Hakeem played well. Victor played well. Martellus played well. He had a career day and it was just awesome to go out there and just be a part of it instead of standing and cheering them on.
Q: What's he like in the huddle? Is he the same when the team is up or down?
A: Yea. He's just the same face. Just cool, calm and collected. He's just, ' Alright. Here we go. We've got to take a shot. 'Dre, make sure you pick up your blitz.' And I'm like alright, cool.
Q: Is your performance from yesterday still sinking in a little bit?
A: It hasn't, to be honest with you. It's just I know how it is. It's like, you're only as good as your last game, but we've got a game Thursday, so I'm just trying to remain consistent and humbled. I'm pretty sure I just hope that there's more to come. It's just the beginning, but it hasn't sunk in yet. Me on the phone with you guys, it's still like, 'wow.' I'm still taken back by all of it.
Q: With everything that you've been through, have you kept confidence that you can do this?
A: Yea. You have to. Being injured, being bounced around… I'm not going to lie to you. It's been times when I was like, 'Dang, is this for me? How is this going to play out?' I just remained faithful and kept my confidence up and people telling me that I can do this and my family being a big crutch for me just saying, 'You were meant to do this.' So you just go out there and continue working hard and your hard work will pay off. I'm going to continue to work hard and continue to go out here and just keep shocking the world.
Q: How did you feel today waking up?
A: I'm still sore. I came up here early this morning. I sat in the cold tub. That's the most I played in a long time. I'm pretty sore, but I'm feeling better now.
Q: Did you do anything to celebrate?
A: No. I just went home and just chilled. Got on the phone with my family and just relaxed, took it in. Got to take your body, so nothing crazy.
Q: Who did you call when you went home?
A: My mom. That's it.
Q: What did you say to her?
A: I said, 'Hey' and she was like, 'Oh my God, baby!' She was very happy. My cousin Wesley, he's my biggest fan. He's always told me that I could do this. He was training me since I was eight to do this, so was Wes… He was crying, so it's just awesome to see the reactions out of my family when they see me doing something good and I stuck with it. It was just an awesome feeling.
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