James Laurinaitis and Linebackers Meet the Media
8/7/2024 3:06:00 PM | Football
On Gabe Powers
“I think Gabe Powers has gotten a lot more confident. I'm always pushing Gabe when you are the Mike linebacker in any scheme, you have to make the calls. You have to be the general on the field. Then if someone is out of position, it is your job to make it right. You got to be the general, you got to fix everything as the Mike. And that's the job description. Gabe has done a nice job, he’s starting to get more comfortable in that role of speaking up, being loud, and demonstrative in those moments.”
On Sonny Styles
“I think the thing with Sonny is that he wants to be great. He wants to understand, he doesn't just ask the question, what am I supposed to do? He wants to understand, why are you asking me to do this?”
On the most complete linebacker in the room
“It's Cody [Simon]. Cody is a guy you can put at Mike [linebacker] aor Will [linebacker] at Sam [linebacker]. You can move him all around. He's the unquestioned leader of the group. He's the leader of the defense, gets everybody lined up, very technical has really clean footwork which allows him to change direction and get off blocks and tackle well. So I think Cody Simon, if you said who's the most overall linebacker, just because he can go anywhere and can do anything for us.”
On switching from safety to linebacker
“It's been great. I think my learning curve has been going pretty well, I’m learning at a high rate. Initially switching from safety to linebacker, the biggest thing was footwork. You can take a lot of different false steps before you even go anywhere, things like that, but linebacker, if you take a false step you might not make the play, that was the biggest adjustment.”
On his mentality towards a new position
“I definitely feel comfortable, I love the position for myself. I think playing linebacker is a mindset, every play you have got to come down and be the be the hammer not the nail. In terms of the fundamentals, footwork and hand placement is huge at linebacker. You have got to be able to have good feet, you have to be able to strike.”
What makes the Mike linebacker position the best fit for you
“At Mike I’m more free to run sideline to sideline and I like Mike a little bit more than edge, too.”
On what makes him an asset for the defense this year
“I’m a sideline to sideline type of linebacker. I’m fast and good with getting off of blocks.”
On growing to be a leader on the field
“That's something I actually struggled with in high school. I wasn't really talking, so that was one of my problems. Coming here, I was forced to talk. Coach will yell at you if you’re not making the right checks and getting people lined up.”
On how different of a player, he is current day
“Very different. The game is slowing down for me. From high school to college, it's fast, really fast. But once you understand the defense, it all slows down. So it's a huge difference.”
On understanding the defense and learning the game
“So early on it was trying to study in the book and just making mistakes, learning from those mistakes and now it is playing. Now it reps, I can draw up the Xs and Os of defense on a paper. But, until you are actually out there playing it, that's when you really learn it”
On his growth in the position
“I'm a lot better because not only, do I know what I'm doing but I know what everybody else is doing along with it during the play. So, linebackers is supposed to play off the defensive line. So if they're messing up, I know where I can make them right. I know where coverage is, I know who to cover and what happens on the coverage.”
On trying to improve himself and bring other up with him
“This year was really big for me in a leadership sense, and taking that next step because when you have guys who are big in your culture, who leave that, there's a void that needs to be filled and this whole off season has been been about leadership and, trying to lift yourself and the other leaders up as well as bringing the guys below so I think I've gotten a lot better at coaching and encouraging, being a better leader and it’s gotten me better as a player as well in that realm.”
On feeling like a complete linebacker
“The development of a linebacker can never be perfect. I really believe that we have so many good guys in our room that are super athletic, super smart, super talented. So, being nice there, I have a lot more I could be better at and you know, that's what camp is for every day trying to get better.”
