Communication isn't just directing a guy on what to do: it's passing the information along to the guy that's next to you, and that's where we make the calls come to life.
When you are hoping for a call or want something different, I think you lose your edge.
Number one, from a tackling standpoint, we teach strike zone hits, and we want to hit absolutely as hard as we can in that strike zone, and that's absolutely what we call a batter in the batters box from the chest all the way down to the knees.
You love for a quarterback to sometimes make the decision as the rush is coming and make the decision as the play, as opposed to where that computer is hitting it fast and he's knowing where to go with the ball at the right time.
Tackling still comes down to leverage and owning that leverage and making your hits.
Oftentimes, you have to be able to throw it in order to run it.
In our league, it comes right down to the end.
Part of what we talk about is, toughness is a talent.
Our central theme is, How good you can get? How hard can I go to see how good you can get?
Each game we play, every game is a championship-game mindset.
Every game, we're going to go for it, so when we get into playoff time, it's not like, 'You've really got to ratchet it up. You've really got to do something different.' Then what have I been doing the whole time?
I think you have to go deep into the bag of tricks, so to speak, to try and slow down the quarterback.
It's that preparation that goes into each week. We have a term: 'Trust your training, trust your teammate, and trust yourself.'
Personally, it was a big honor for me meeting so many families of the fallen soldiers and hearing their stories.
I would never recommend losing on a bye, so that one definitely stays with you.
Sometimes there are some matchups and man-to-mans that you like to match up on.
The third-down sacks are critical ones, 'cause that's getting off the field.
I think some people have a rare ability to focus. As a player, Earl Thomas has it. When he was at practice or in a game, he was always on; he was right there.
One of my strengths is connecting with the players.
For me, trying to connect our team together is so important. I know we'll play really well when our team gets really tight. So I want to make sure I connect with the players so that I can help them be at their best.
