Feb. 22, 2010
You just finished your rookie season with the Bengals and led the league in punt return yards, how do you feel looking back?
I think it was a great finish. I think it was a great first year overall considering the circumstances. We got to the playoffs, and I was able to make some plays at wide receiver. I think by the end of the year, they started trusting me, even as a rookie. I’ve talked to Carson (Palmer) and I think he really trusts me, so I think I have a good shot to make a run at that slot position next year.
What are you up to now that it’s the offseason?
I’ve been working out, and when I haven’t been doing that, I’ve been visiting a lot of schools and doing a lot of charity events. I’ve done a couple of schools in Austin, a lot around Waco and Mart, and a couple of events in Dallas. I also did one in Belton that covered kids from first grade into high school. It was more of a Christian one.
What are those events like for you?
Sometimes it’s just a regular trip to talk to classes or talk to a school. I did one today with a group called Mosaic, which is a group for autism and intellectual disabilities in Waco. I also did a charity event Saturday night that had a lot of ex-Dallas Cowboys that was for kids who deal with diseases and need foster homes. You just go and try to interact with people, which is what I love to do, and try to help.
What did you think of playing in Cincinnati and being able to give the city a trip to the playoffs?
The city really, really enjoyed the season. They backed us as well as any fans around the country. Like most major cities, it’s being hit hard by the economy, and for them to show up and really sell out all of our games, it shows how excited and passionate they were for the season. They love their football up there in Ohio.
How has life for you been in Cincinnati with your family?
It’s different being far away from the rest of our family, because you can’t just drive down the street and go visit, but it’s cool. I’m very fortunate to be in the situation I am. I’m not sure it’s possible for me to adjust to the cold, because that’s just not me, but it gives you some great in-house family time. You can go out and play a little bit or go to the zoo when a 40 or 50-degree heat wave comes around (laughing), but you can also have some nice movies or hide and go seek in the house, so it’s a win-win.
Now that you’ve been there a year is there a teammate or coach you’ve really connected with?
I think because of the year and what we went through, our team in general is pretty close. The receiving corps is especially close. If I had to name one, it would probably be Laveranues Coles. He’s a 10-year vet, but he really took me under his wing. We had dinners where we would just talk about the league and life. If I had to point someone out, it would be him, but we were all particularly close and had each other’s backs with all we had to deal with and endure.
What is your schedule for the next couple of months?
Really just working out, we don’t really kick back up until the end of March, but only being in this organization and offense for a year, I’m going to go back to Cincinnati and watch a lot of film. I’m going to watch other slot receivers in the league and see what they do to be successful and build that into my game. I just want to continue to learn the offense as if I were a quarterback and stay in shape both mentally and physically.
Have you been able to stay in touch with the receivers and other players here at Texas?
Yeah, especially (Jordan) Ship(ley), we talked all season long and afterwards, then Colt (McCoy), and a lot of texts with that whole senior class – Lamarr (Houston), Serg(io Kindle), (Roddrick) Muck(elroy). We played a lot of great games together and formed great friendships. That whole class that’s leaving now, I really stayed in touch with them. They went through a tough time at the end, but they had a great ride. In talking to them, they’re all excited about what’s coming next.
Have you helped those guys with the transition of coming to the league?
Yeah, I was just talking to Ship about that. He’s going to have some long days at the combine, not from a physical standpoint because he’s going to impress everyone with that, it’s more the medical part. He had a couple of tough injuries in college and even though he’s been healthy for a while, they examine you up and down. I just told him to be patient and smile all day, because at the end of it, it’s all an interview – how you handle the fun parts and how you handle the not so fun parts. I just got him ready for that and told him to go out there and show what he’s capable of.
You didn’t get to be there because of the playoffs, but there were almost 30 former players now in the NFL at the National Championship Game. What does that say about the UT family?
It means a lot. The family atmosphere they provide for us makes us successful in college, it helps us make each other better, and so much better that we get more and more guys in the NFL. There were 30 there, but I guarantee every one of us wanted to be there. It’s a testament to Coach Brown and the rest of the staff. We always, always enjoy coming back.
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