Q: Does that change your outlook to try and hurry back and play?
A: I truly believe in doing what’s best for the team and trying to do whatever to help the team, so if me trying to get back as soon as possible, which obviously is the important thing for me, I think that it doesn’t… because the trainers are going to do what’s the smartest thing for the player, which is myself and I want to do what’s the smartest thing for the team, so it’s kind of like do I come back and play through a little bit or do I just wait till I’m 100 percent and I just feel like I got to go out there and help those guys because I understand what it is to have those types of reps at defensive tackle, so I think all in all you’re just going to make the best decision and when I get out there, I’m going to go out there and fly around and play how I play.
Q: Is your mindset to play this week and you just don’t know what the trainers and doctors are going to say?
A: That’s exactly my thinking, my train of thought, and I feel good out there. It’s about to go in the training room and try my best to do everything I possibly can in my power to control what I can control and do what I can do to get back out there because I need to be out there playing. I need to be out there performing and showing the organization that I appreciate them picking me. For myself, the most important thing is going out there and being healthy and trying to go out there and help my brothers out.
Q: This could be the first game for you.
A: It could be, man. It’s big. Just trying to play smart ball. Just go out there, do my assignments, read my keys and let everything happen and the play may grant me…. It will come out. As long as I’m doing my job within the defense, within the scheme, I should be O.K.
Q: You don’t want to get too excited because you had a couple of bumps in the recovery process.
A: I just want to make sure that I understand and know what’s going to be best for the team and talk to my trainers. I’ve been with them every day forever. Even the days off, I’m in here. Just making sure that I relay how I feel to them as best as I can and they’re going to give me the best information because this is not the first time they dealt with what I’m dealing with, so I’ve just got to be smart because the worst thing I would want to do is hurt myself and be back to where I was last year. That would be the worst thing for me, so I’m just trying to be smart.