Denver Broncos Quotes (4/19/17)

DENVER BRONCOS QUOTES (4/19/17)

SAFETY T.J. WARD

On how he is feeling “Pretty good. Happy to get a little break. Ready to get to work—been working—ready to play, really. I’m getting back to it.”

On his impressions of Head Coach Vance Joseph “He’s calm. He expects what should be expected from certain players. He’ll tell you that and he tells you that he expects more from other players that maybe don’t expect that much from themselves. He’s a calm dude. It’s really hard right now to get that feel for a coach because it really is early, it’s just OTAs. He hasn’t even been around us that much. He came to the weight room today and watched for a little bit. But really we’ve only had two team meetings and everything else has been if you go upstairs and meet with him or just passing by. I like to really get a feel for a coach when we get into the preseason or a game because as a player you like to see their mannerisms under fire and game time situations. Then you can really get a grasp on how a coach is. I’ve had coaches that I thought would be great in the preseason. You got into a game and they are the sideline losing their mind and just not being great game managers. I’m excited to see him in a coaching atmosphere.”

On his comfort with Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods “I don’t know exactly what I’m getting with him at d-coordinator, but we have a good idea. We’re going to be that same style of defense. Since [Rams Defensive Coordinator] Wade [Phillips] and Joe came here, it was heart. We were going to be physical, we were going to determine how we play defense and make offenses play based on how we feel like we should play. That hasn’t changed with Joe. It may even have gotten turned up a little more because I know Joe is real fiery. That is why he gets so many emotions out of—last year and the year’s he’s been here—out of the secondary, but even then, [former Head] Coach [Gary Kubiak] would have him talk to the whole team because he brings that type of emotion. He’s a very smart man. You’re going to see that type of intensity and maybe even more this year because I know guys are hungry.”

On how this offseason compares to last year “It’s the exact opposite. In the dungeon, grinding. As soon as the Super Bowl was over, I started working out and trying to make this season a lot better than last year because not going to the playoffs, it hurt after going winning the Super Bowl. I know everybody on this team came back ready for that not to happen again. I can just see it guys’ demeanor, the way they are working and their attitudes. It kind of reminds me of those Super Bowl season.”

On hearing the news that CB Aqib Talib was not going to be suspended by the NFL “You know what, I wasn’t really even hip to the whole situation. When he told me he wasn’t suspended, I was like, Oh, I didn’t even know you might be suspended. That is always a relief having your guy out there and knowing that he is not going to miss any games.”

On the secondary taking on more of a leadership role “I feel like I’ve been a leader of the defense every year I have been here. That is just a mentality that I have. You can ask players or whatever. Their opinion is their opinion. I think most people will say that I will be a leader on this defense. Not the leader, but a leader. That is going to continue. Us being together for so long, that’s great. Playing with three other guys and now [CB Bradley] Roby. He’s going into his fourth year, so he’s like a vet. He’s not little Roby anymore. He’s like ‘Roby.’ He’s been here and he’s done that, so let’s go. It’s like having three starters. This is just so exciting just coming into this atmosphere and this situation with the whole ‘No Fly [Zone]’ coming back. We still have our DB coach as our D-coordinator now and [Defensive Backs] Coach Marc-Rob [Marcus Robinson], he’s doing a great job with us in the room and in meetings and coming along with the defense.”

On 2017 being the last year of his contract “I’m aware of it. I’m definitely aware of it. You know what, if I do the things that I have to do and do them the right way, everything will handle itself. I try to stay away from all those type of thoughts and engagements. I let my agent handle it. But, if I put my A+ effort in, then everything will happen the right way.”

On seeing the Patriots at the White House today “I would definitely prefer to be at the White House, but you know, when you don’t go to the White House, you have to go to the dungeon (laughing) Until we’re back at the White House, I’ll be in the dungeon.”

On his offseason training “I was in Atlanta for a few weeks watching my brother play in the playoffs and Super Bowl. Then I went to the Super Bowl and mostly worked out. Then I took a trip to Hawaii with my family and then I was in the Bay Area mostly.”

On his family’s emotions after the Super Bowl “It was pretty amazing. Even after the NFC Championship game and just realizing that he (Falcons RB Terrell Ward) was going to the Super Bowl a year after me and the whole family will be going to a Super Bowl two years in a row after never being to one at all. It was pretty amazing. I wish he would have been active because it would have been good to see him get suited up and go out there. But, unfortunately, they took an ‘L’ and they have to work on another one just like everybody else this year.”

On the starting secondary returning for the third consecutive year “I think you said it. We’ve been together three years. We’ve worked together three years, and we just know the ins and outs of each other. We know how each other like to play. We know what guys don’t like to do at certain situations. Having the defense and knowing the small intricate as four veterans, you can’t get that. You don’t have to have a guy out there telling this guy what to do or this guy what to do on this play or that play. Everybody is locked in. They know what they do. As long as you communicate, even if you get a late communication, guys know that I’m not at this position that I’m usually at, but I know what this guy does, and I can feel it. That’s what we have.”

On whether he wants to be named a captain in 2017 “If my peers and my teammates feel that I’m honorable, then absolutely. I would love to be a captain. But I have to do the things that start with me first and help everybody that’s around me.”

On what’s next for the secondary after leading the league for the past few years “Leading it again and winning another Super Bowl.”

On what leading the league and winning Super Bowl would do “I don’t know. You guys tell us. You handle all that. We just make the actions. You guys are the reactions, so, I hope it’s big.”

©2017 Denver Broncos Football Club. All rights reserved. The individual quotes cited in this document may be used for the purpose of news reporting and other fair uses as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. Duplication or posting of this quote sheet, in its entirety, or any other use of this material which is not a fair use as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of the Denver Broncos Football Club. On the Oakland Raiders moving to Las Vegas “I don’t like the Raiders. I kind of celebrated a little bit, laughed at their fans (laughing). After what happened last year, they were killing my Twitter, killing my IG, so after they moved, I had to poke a little fun. It’s kind of a sad time for the Bay Area. There’s a lot going on. The city is changing a lot between San Francisco and Oakland. The Warriors are moving to San Francisco. Oakland [Raiders] are moving out, so Oakland is going to be pretty dry. It is what it is. I’m from San Francisco, so I’m happy (laughing).”