The First Wave
My first memory that sticks out about football was third grade, flag football, I had an interception for a touchdown and my best friend Mike was running next to me. He was just screaming at me, "Run! Run! Run!" He and I still talk about that because it was that funny. I don't know if it's my first memory but it's the earliest that I can recall. I can vividly remember my friend's face and his eyes staring at me and screaming at me. Fond memory."
I've been playing football since I was nine or 10. Maybe before that – third grade – however old you are then. My dad played in college. My brother played. Big football family. It was just like hey go out and you can try this sport. I tried baseball, hated baseball. I tried soccer, hated soccer. Football was always fun. Always had a great time.
Planting the Flag
There are a lot of great team sports but I think football is the greatest team sport. I think it's, from some positions, the most difficult when it comes to the physicality of it. It's cool you can get a 350-pound guy and a 160-pound receiver and they're still both considered football players. It's pretty rare in a sport – such different body types on the same team. It's just a fun sport and it brings a lot of people together. My favorite thing about football is that I've met people and have had friends that I would have never had if I didn't play. It's made me a more well-rounded person.
Everybody has to prove themselves every day. When something isn't looked at as a positive, like being a walk on really isn't a positive, but if you have something that isn't positive in your life and you make it into a positive and feed off that, I think that's a good skill and that's something I try to do.
Flying High
Competition at this level is better. Everyone is humble. Everyone works hard. That's what I've learned. The number one thing about NFL players is that they're way more humble than the media gives them credit for. When I got drafted and went to the Combine, I was so surprised that all these top picks were so down to earth and humble people. You can't be pretentious to get to this level. You have to be humble and work hard.
I love playing in Tampa. This is my favorite team that I've ever been a part of. I don't usually get along with coaches but these coaches I respect and admire, and love coming to work and hanging out with them. It's been great.
