How we doing guys uh very excited to be here obviously um you know great opportunity great organization um just ready to get to work man talking to talking to Kevin um and and Josh maau um just being able to meet with those guys and um you know I’m very excited about this opportunity
Obviously we got great players like and Jones right here um and obviously our defense is going to be ready to go as well so very excited about this opportunity um I’d like to say I’m very excited about this opportunity uh as well uh I’d like to thank KO and uh qu
Quy uh this for believing in me taking a chance on me and giving me an opportunity um I also like to thank the Green Bay Packers uh for drafting me seven years ago and uh giving me an opportunity to establish myself in the NFL and uh build myself off the field as well
Uh it’s not strange at all you know it’s it’s football uh I’ve played for many different teams growing up uh middle school high school you know you change teams uh you change teammates and uh that’s part of the game and uh I’m like I said I’m blessed to be here I’m
Excited uh for what’s to come and to get to work with these guys Sam are you to not only lead the offense but you have Justin Jefferson and and the talents that he brings uh to this team yeah um like I said you know we got playmakers all all over the place
Um obviously JJ being one of them um and uh yeah and this offense as well just watching it from afar um and you know I got to mention too uh the fan base um very excited to be able to come in here with that fan base and um being on the
Ners last year coming in here uh Monday Night Football just seeing how that uh how electric that stadium was um was pretty exciting and um you know that’s just another reason why I’m um you know very pumped to be here Sam Uh Kevin mentioned he’s known you since high
School what’s the back story there and then also how are you viewing this you’re coming here on a one-year deal yeah um yeah I’ve known uh I’ve known Kevin since high school uh he at the Elite 11 um little high school Camp um that was a part of the opening over
There at the Nike campus um he was actually one of the coaches for one of the seven on seven teams so um got to know him a little bit wasn’t on his team or anything so didn’t know him too well but um introduced myself that was about
The extent of that relationship at that at that point but uh yeah you know um coming coming here on a one-year deal um like I said I’m just excited to be able to compete um and uh you know just just coming here with with an open mind um
And learn as much football as I can and and um you know put the team first put this team in a great position to be able to go out there and win games I know uh you said it’s football and kind of part of the game but what
Were your emotions like on Tuesday it’s pretty it’s a pretty abrupt kind of change where you think you might be headed back one way and then get with the rival team um I mean it it’s a part of the business you know what you sign
Up for um you know my agent had called me before all of that happened um telling me it was a possib AB ility so you know my mom was already prepared and I just wanted to go where I where I felt wanted so that’s here and I’m like like
I said I’m excited to be here ER were you disappointed or or surprised by you know what they’ve done uh I’m never surprised by what goes on in the league uh the longer you stay the more crazier stuff you’ll see or um things you think shouldn’t have happened happen or
Whatever it may be so um nothing really catches me by surprise anymore in this league is it motivation you know being that age that everyone talks about the running back and the Packers going younger at the position what does that do to your and not I’m sure you always
Motivated but what does that do for your mentality um I mean I think you guys seen how I finished the season last year um so just because they didn’t resign me it’s not F to the fire um my fire has already been lit it’s going to stay lit
Uh I’m on a mission to be the best running back in the NFL and I’m glad I get to prove that here in Minnesota with a great organization uh they’ve opened up the their doors to to us um loving kind and we had a great time here so far
So I’m I’m ready to enjoy it so what’s your relationship like with Josh maau what kind of an influence was he on you in your early years yeah um I should say too that I forgot my shades today um I got you here you go yeah no I’m jok not with those um
But uh so yeah AJ’s got me beat on the swag today so um but yeah Josh man Josh is amazing um I’ve known him since 2018 coming in my rookie year with the Jets um and yeah it’s going to be fun to be able to work with him and and kind of
Talk about you know um even today just talking about you know what we want to do fundamentally um in this offense and kind of build off of what I’ve been doing you know the last couple years with my feet um and just continue to work work all the things that um make me
Um a better quarterback um and just really get after it and work that way hey Sam how much in your mind did you progress last year you obviously didn’t start but getting the chance to be in Kyle’s offense and be around a team as good as San Francisco yeah it was uh it
Was amazing um to be able to be a part of that organization um and and be a part of that quarterback room um you know obviously you got Kyle um the entire coaching staff and then you know Brian grei the kubc um Brock pie Brian Allen um Brandon Allen um just being
Able to um learn from those guys day in and day out um you know that system is is pretty similar to this one um so it’s going to be fun to be able to kind of you know just continue to talk ball you know with all the coaches and and
Continue to build on what I what I was building on last year like I said with my fundamentals and and uh with where I’m at mentally with football how far have you come too I mean it was obviously a rough start with the Jets right Carolina not the two most
Successful franchises how much more prepared do you feel if you do get the the opportunity to start here at this point in your life than you possibly were back then um yeah I feel like like I said man this is like this is a great opportunity right um a lot of weapons
Great coaching staff really good defense um but I think you know there’s there’s a lot of work that needs to be put in um you know uh before um you know we say anything about you know um winning a lot of games or making it you know to the
Playoffs and winning a championship you know there’s a lot of work that needs to be put in before that um in OTAs um and obviously in training camp and and even you know the start of the Season you know there’s there’s a lot of
Work so um you know I know that and and I’m very willing to to be able to put that work in and then know you know just hearing um everyone talk around the this building everyone is is bought in and and willing to work that hard for it
You’ watched Justin Jon from the other side what do you think about that guy your feeling about I think he’s one of the best receivers in the game I’m super excited to play with him uh I know he might get different coverages thrown at him or double teams and uh so I feel
Like I can help kind of take some of that off of him or uh just just come in to help you know um and uh but I’m I’m definitely excited to play with him uh playing against him for a while seeing him dominate uh definitely glad to be on
The other side of that Aon since you have been in the division for a long time like have you like built any uh relationships with guys who are in the Vikings or just kind of what have been your thoughts from the outside of the culture and the team um you see the
Culture is everything here um I mean just look on on Sundays game days how the the fans are Echo echoing the the culture here and um sorry what was the rest of your questions sorry no I kind of asked the two-parter I guess um if you have any relationships with guys in
The locker room just having played against this team for so long um you know I I played against some of these guys have a lot of respect for him but I wouldn’t say necessarily relationship but like when we see each other it’s mutual it’s all love um because football
Is like a fraternity so we all been through the same thing we all put in that work so when you see somebody who’s been there do the same thing that you do it’s mutual so it’s mutual love so I I always talked to them uh like uh after
The game last year uh week 17 I talked to Ivan Pace Jr uh Harrison Smith some of those guys uh and uh I have a lot of respect for them on defense they they didn’t give us anything we had to earn everything that we had gotten then and
Um they given us trouble for years so I’m glad to not be getting trouble from them anymore what do you think about Harrison coming back for season 13 I’m excited to uh to play with him you know uh I I had to block him my rookie year I
Remember him putting me on the turf on the backside and I’m like hey coach can we change the protection um so but I’m I’m happy to be here with him learn from him um pick his brain see how he’s been able to play for so long and stay
Healthy and uh just see how he leads I know he’s a a good leader so um pick just pick up things from him as well along the wayam this team obviously is is potentially going to draft a quarterback in the next month first round or wherever I’m curious how you’ve
Thought about that if at all um did you talk to them about that is that part of your decision making process that possibility I think no matter no matter what happens um I’m going to compete um and and like I said just uh you know um excited for the opportunity um you know
Like I said uh great people um around this organization you know players coaching staff um front office um so just excited for the opportunity to be able to compete and um every single day Sam what’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself through the highs
And lows of your career so far um yeah I think the biggest thing is um just being consistent no matter what happens um you know not to get not to get too high um when things are going good and then when things are going bad not to get too low
Um because you know kind of like Aaron said in the beginning um this business gets pretty crazy and hectic fast and if you’re not consistent with your attitude day in and day out um you can get chewed up and spit out quick and uh so that’s the biggest thing that I’ve learned is
Just to stay consistent every single day and um that’s really all I’m looking to bring here I think earlier you talking about your development you mentioned feet Kevin earlier mentioned like time feet to eyes there’s something specific there that like stands out recently that you kind of been working
On yeah I think I mean it’s just kind of the West Coast system right so I was you know my last year in Carolina I was with madoo um who had some West Coast stuff and was able to kind of tie um my feet to my eyes and the progressions and all that
And I feel like that really um kind of you know allowed me to kind of see okay like whether I think he’s going to get open or not it’s not open in timing of the play so I’m just going to move on um and sometimes that’s the best play and
So I think just continuing to learn in that system for the last um two years um obviously last year was San Francisco um and then just continue to develop that um this next year in Minnesota I think is going to be really really great and you carry your your
Father with you I believe it’s in in your your necklace um schools would say and what’s the greatest lesson he gave you and what would he say today um the greatest lesson that he gave me would be probably um that at a young age me and
My brother um I have a twin brother we had just kind of god-given ability and my dad could see that but he told us at some point um that Talent Gap is going to close and you’re going to start seeing kids who can do the same things
As you who are just as fast as you if not faster um but the thing that’s going to separate you is the work that you put in and I think that’s that’s stay true as you get to high school you start seeing more athletes who can do the same
Things as you as you get to College everybody can do the same thing as you or if not better they’re faster um so it’s the work that you put in when that Gap like when that Gap closes and that’s all it’s ever been about is the work
That you put in um and not just when people are looking but when nobody sees as well I guess sticking with the Family theme I think it was on Instagram you had a video of your son kind of doing the travels with you just what does this
Mean to your family and and how fun is it to have your son with you for kind of a new adventure uh it mean it means everything to have my family uh with me they’re everywhere I go uh they’re my backbone they’re my rock um so you’ll
Probably see a lot of them uh and it is is special you know uh to have my son be here see it be a part of it I hope one day that he’s playing on this level if it’s not football basketball or soccer or whatever it may be but he’s playing
At a high level and he’s gotten to to witness it and experience it and um like I said it’s just a a blessing to be here and this chapter one’s over this is the start of chapter 2 and chapter 2 is going to be beautiful Aaron I know it’s
A little ways away but when you make that first trip back to Green Bay what do you think it would be like being on the opposing sideline uh it’s going to be fun it’s going to be a lot of fun um I’m just ball you know
What it is I mean I played in hostile situations hostile areas whatever um but to me at the end of the day it’s just going to be ball I’m going back to where I used to play at at the end of the day but it’s it’s ball and just go out there
And make a statement you guys were in the playoffs both of Super Bowl that type of stuff so you got all this energy and boom now you’re in a new situation how how do you approach that uh energy is contagious I carry energy so I can give energy as
Well so energy is contagious uh I still got that same energy that I had then uh nothing changes I’m here to give these guys the energy and they’re going to give me the energy back and like I said energy is contagious we’re going to love on each other we’re going to work hard
Together and we’re going to come together as a team and ultimately try to bring a championship back here is what we’re what we’re working towards eron how would you say uh you know you guys got a way ways to go to solidify the rosters and everything but right now competitively speaking where
Are the Vikings compared to the Packers do you say uh honestly I don’t even know who’s on their roster after I got released I turned straight to the to the Vikings um and this is my focus I’m not worried about the Packers um I’m a Minnesota Viking and I feel like we have
A really good roster we have the pieces that we need here and it’s about coming together um and and you know finding that Unity as a team because when things get hard or you find a rough patches that’s what you’re going to fall back on
Is that Unity that you guys have is as a in a Brotherhood thanks guys go
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