Put up columnist Steve Serby catches up with new Jets receiver, and former Packer, Randall Cobb for some coaching camp Q&A.
Q: What makes you and Aaron Rodgers click on?
A: I feel at the start on the sector, my quarterback background [in high school and college]. I feel I see the sport from the eyes of a quarterback. I see the security rotations, I see the blitzes, so it simply helps pace up my course of as a receiver. We’ve got numerous routes that convert versus completely different coverages and one-high versus two-high security seems to be, so simply my understanding of the sport by a quarterback perspective.
Q: How about off the sector?
A: After I got here into the league, I used to be 20, and I spent mainly a decade with him and studying from him, dinner with him, being uncovered to various things and alternative ways than what I grew up [with]. I feel I did the identical factor for him in giving him a special view or perspective on various things all through life.
Q: Do you suppose he can play till 45?
A: May he? Sure. Will he? That’s TBD.
Q: Why do you suppose he might?
A: Since you have a look at his psychological course of, and also you have a look at his capacity to throw the soccer, and also you combine these two issues collectively. … His expertise degree hasn’t slipped in any respect. He nonetheless has the flexibility to throw the ball down the sector with accuracy, in visitors with accuracy. … He nonetheless sees the sport the identical method he all the time noticed the sport. So I feel it turns into the bodily attribute and the choice for him to make.
Q: What would you say drives him?
A: He’s an final competitor. He doesn’t wish to lose, he doesn’t wish to make errors. I feel you may see that by his touchdown-interception ratio. He doesn’t like throwing interceptions, and he hates dropping. It doesn’t matter if we’re taking part in playing cards, it doesn’t matter if we’re throwing darts, taking part in cornhole, pool, no matter it’s. He will get mad when he loses.
Q: You may construct the proper quarterback: What traits would you’re taking from Aaron Rodgers?
A: I might say his accuracy, his psychological course of, his capacity to see the protection and get to the very best name. … I might say his drive.
Q: What’s he like within the huddle within the fourth quarter of a good sport?
A: He’s so calm. I feel he brings a way of calmness to all people within the huddle. These are hectic moments, and the strain rises, and all of us really feel like, “We gotta make a play, we gotta make a play.” However I feel his capacity to only refocus us and lead us again to the second, and never let the second be too large, however simply perceive the straightforward performs with nice execution and energy that makes the memorable performs.
Q: How do you clarify somebody taking a $35 million pay minimize?
A: He should have some huge cash (giggle)! I feel he understands what it’s gonna take to win, and he’s making a sacrifice for the betterment of the state of affairs that he stepped into.
Q: Do you suppose Rodgers, through the years, has been misunderstood?
A: I do. I do. I feel he has a sarcasm to him that doesn’t resonate with all people, and never all people understands it, so once you have a look at a transcript, it may be misinterpret.
Q: Give me adjectives to explain him off the sector.
A: Mysterious … (giggle) … by no means know the place he’s or what he’s doing. However he’s a reader. He’s very intuitive. He’s thought-provoking. He simply makes you suppose, makes you consider issues another way. To not say that it’s his reply, however he simply desires to open your thoughts to completely different views.
Q: Some adjectives to explain Randall Cobb off the sector.
A: I used to be questioning if this was gonna be about me.
Q: It’s about each of you.
A: I’m messing with you (giggle). I might say that I’m thought-provoking, deep thinker. I take pleasure in being with my household, and children, and watching them develop up and be taught and simply seeing life from their perspective.
Q: How would you describe fatherhood?
A: A take a look at, a day by day take a look at. Attempting to get little people [Caspian and Rumi] to see the world that’s greater than them but in addition give them the arrogance to be themselves.
Q: In the event you have been the producer of “Exhausting Knocks,” which personalities of your new teammates would you focus on?
A: Solly, Solomon Thomas … Mike Clemons … Mecole Hardman … clearly Aaron can be nice, too.
Q: Why Solomon Thomas?
A: I feel he’s only a very attention-grabbing particular person. He’s confronted numerous various things in life, and I feel he has an incredible story, and I simply have a lot respect for him and what he does along with his time.
Q: Micheal Clemons?
A: I simply wish to dive into his head. I wish to know what’s happening up there. I feel he’ll be an important episode or simply making an attempt to catch him with out him realizing that the digital camera’s on him and the way he acts.
Q: Mecole Hardman?
A: He’s a really attention-grabbing dude. He’s enjoyable, he’s humorous, he brings an vitality on a regular basis. And he loves to speak to you, you by no means know what you’re gonna hear from him.
Q: How about Randall Cobb?
A: I most likely can be slightly boring, ’trigger you’re gonna see me going by my routine, and also you’re gonna see me with my household and children.
Q: No matter involves thoughts: Garrett Wilson?
A: Scary good. I’m excited to look at him proceed to develop on this league for a very long time.
Q: What makes him scary good?
A: His pure capacity for me, and this dude loves ball, like he loves ball. I don’t care the place he’s at, what he’s doing, he desires to toss ball, he’s fascinated about ball, he’s fascinated about it. He watches movie like loopy and picks up various things from completely different guys. He’s watched all form of highlights. He sees it, he sees the sport in sure methods, and as he continues to develop on this league and he continues to refine himself, he’s gonna be an important expertise for a very long time.
Q: Do you see the Davante Adams similarities?
A: I can see why individuals would say that. It’s only a completely different profession path. I used to be capable of see every part with Davante from when he stepped into the league to what he’s change into now. I obtained to look at it up shut and private, and watch him develop and change into who he’s. Garrett, he popped off his first 12 months, and I feel that his capacity is so nice, I’m simply excited to see the way it all comes collectively for him.
Q: Sauce Gardner?
A: I feel he’s a generational expertise. However once more, once you discuss rookies like him and Garrett that do it for one 12 months, that’s nice. … It’s exhausting to do it for one 12 months, nevertheless it’s even tougher to persistently try this, and I simply love watching the best way that he practices. I really like watching his consideration to element and simply the best way he goes about issues, whether or not it’s a walkthrough away from observe, the best way he’s dialed in. … He’s looking out to be one of the best, he’s seeking to be one of the best.
Q: What did you consider Sean Payton’s criticism of Nathaniel Hackett?
A: I ain’t obtained nothing else to say about that. He’s who he’s. I feel there’s numerous criticism that may be thrown his method, however I’m not gonna be the one to do this … gonna be the larger man and simply let him go about his enterprise.
Q: What drives you?
A: What drives me is simply expectation. I’ve all the time felt that the individuals’s expectation of me isn’t very excessive, so I feel most likely proving individuals unsuitable. And I feel proving myself proper and exceeding my very own expectation of what I feel I can do.
Q: Describe your on-field mentality.
A: I’ve by no means been the largest, strongest and quickest. In the event you return to my highschool and ask anyone in my hometown [Alcoa, Tenn.], my sophomore 12 months we had 12 Division I prospects. I most likely can be the underside half of men that they thought would have a profession that I’ve had. You go to varsity [at Kentucky] and also you ask … I used to be a reasonably good participant, however once more, I wasn’t the strongest, quickest however you couldn’t measure my coronary heart. I’ve confirmed my coronary heart on the sector. I feel there’s lots of people that suppose that I must be on this league, however when you have a look at the numbers given how a lot I play now, it’s not like I’m taking part in one hundred pc of the snaps. I’m taking part in about 30-40 p.c of the snaps, and I really feel very environment friendly with my capacity. So I feel it’s simply realizing what I’m good at and taking part in to my strengths.
Q: What sort of an influence are you able to make this season?
A: I hope they exceed individuals’s expectations. I feel that I’ve quite a bit to show in that regard. Ask me that once more in February.
Q: What’s the greatest adversity or impediment you needed to overcome?
A: I dislocated an enormous toe. Have you ever ever heard of somebody doing that? I had groin surgical procedure I needed to come again from. I had this bone spur I’ve been coping with the previous two years I’ve been taking part in by and eventually obtained surgical procedure on.
Q: Your first Lambeau Leap?
A: The primary sport [Sept. 8, 2011 vs. the Saints], I used to be fortunate sufficient to have two of ’em. The primary one was on a route that I ran the unsuitable route. I didn’t have an offseason like these rookies do now, I got here within the lockout 12 months, so got here proper into coaching camp and I used to be slightly behind at realizing what I wanted to know. However Aaron hit me and I scored a landing and in addition had a kickoff return for a landing that sport.
Q: Describe the fourth-and-8, 48-yard TD catch towards the Bears to win the division in 2013.
A: That’s the play that’s gonna be eternally etched in my thoughts, I nonetheless obtained the helmet with the grass in it. I nonetheless obtained the jersey with the orange Bears emblem on my shoulder pad.
Q: Did you worry a few years in the past that your profession may very well be over?
A: After I was at Houston, yeah (giggle). That was not a spot that many individuals needed to be. And that’s why lots of people that have been there after I was there, they’re not there anymore. Do I feel that I might have gone and performed elsewhere? Yeah. Do I feel that I might have had alternatives? Yeah. However once more, I’m a father first, and relying on what the state of affairs was, I wasn’t gonna transfer my youngsters to sure locations, so this occurred to be considered one of them that I used to be down for ’trigger my spouse is from this space.
Q: Is appearing one thing that might enchantment to you at some point?
A: I really thought of that at one level. However now I’ve come into a brand new life, with youngsters. However perhaps broadcasting, we’ll see.
Q: Have you ever tailored to New York as seamlessly as Aaron has?
A: One factor about being knowledgeable and taking part in on this league for a very long time, you understand what you want to do, you know the way you want to put together your self, and also you create boundaries for your self. We’re in the course of the coaching camp proper now, it’s not like we’re going into town after observe on daily basis and doing issues. We’re centered on our job at the start, however after we get off days, be capable to take pleasure in ourself slightly bit.
Q: How a lot do you miss taking part in quarterback?
A: Day by day (giggle).
Q: What was your quarterback type?
A: I used to be the old-school twin risk, ran and handed the ball. My numbers aren’t too nice in highschool as a result of we went 55-5 and 4 state championships, so I actually solely performed a half of the sport all 4 years. Every time we have been actually good my freshman and sophomore 12 months, I performed the second half. Once we have been actually good my junior and senior 12 months, I might solely play the primary half. We beat a workforce 91-7 my sophomore 12 months.
Q: And also you have been taking part in receiver and returning kicks and punts and all that stuff too, proper?
A: Properly, that really didn’t come till school. I performed quarterback and security in highschool, after which after I obtained to varsity after my freshman 12 months — I performed quarterback and was freshman All-SEC — after which the subsequent 12 months we had two four-star quarterbacks coming in and we didn’t have a lot expertise at receiver, so that they moved me to receiver after which I nonetheless did a few of the wildcat stuff.
Q: Boyhood idols?
A: Michael Jordan, Deion Sanders, Uncle Phil from “Recent Prince” (giggle).
Q: Three dinner company?
A: My spouse [Aiyda], Frederick Douglass, Oprah [Winfrey].
Q: Favourite film?
A: “Bear in mind the Titans.”
Q: Favourite actor?
A: Denzel Washington.
Q: Favourite actress?
A: Zoe Saldana.
Q: Favourite singer/rapper/entertainer?
A: Jay-Z.
Q: Favourite meal?
A: Surf and turf.
Q: Do you’ve any favourite motivational or inspirational sayings?
A: I’ve all the time been one which I felt that I’m the person with the pen and I get to jot down the story, I get to inform it. I get to be that particular person. I’m mainly the person within the area. It’s not about what everybody else has to say, it’s about me with the ability to write that story.
Q: How neat is it for you realizing how a lot Aaron respects you a lot that he needed you to hitch him on this journey?
A: I imply, once you obtained a generational expertise, a quarterback that’s gonna be a first-ballot Corridor of Famer, that he sees the sport a sure method, and he has sufficient respect for me to need me to be right here to assist him … I feel that carries sufficient weight. And I feel that’s all that I have to remind me of who I’m and what I’ve to supply.
Q: What would profitable a Tremendous Bowl ring imply to you?
A: I feel it could cap off a profession that I didn’t suppose would I make it this far. The typical profession is 3-4 years. My purpose in my thoughts was 10, and I’m happening 13, so I’ve exceeded what I assumed I might do each time so got here into the league. A Tremendous Bowl would simply cap that off and provides me that final piece.
Q: Are you hungrier on your first, or is Aaron Rodgers hungrier for his second?
A: I feel it could most likely be an in depth tie on that one. I would like that basically unhealthy, and I do know he desires it actually unhealthy. I feel it is a state of affairs that he’s yearned for. He has all of the issues that he’s ever needed, and I feel he’s excited concerning the alternative.
Q: Jets followers are Rodgers as a savior. Ought to they?
A: If we are able to deliver a kind of trophies again right here, I feel that that might solidify it. However I feel greater than something is that they wish to see some enjoyable soccer you watch they usually wish to win. And like I informed you, he’s a winner and he hates to lose, so hopefully it matches up.
