Keith Kirkwood talks about his growth and outlook for the Saints and what he's focusing on this year.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:04 >> How would you say this camp's going so far for you?
00:06 >> This camp's been great.
00:08 It's been great to be back here in New Orleans.
00:10 I feel like I've been putting in a lot of work tremendously in the sense of getting
00:14 my body healthy.
00:15 Because over the years I've had a lot of injuries.
00:17 I think each year I've been there I've had an injury.
00:20 But I'm super fortunate and blessed to be back here year six.
00:22 I think I've had a great camp so far.
00:24 I'm excited to do it two more.
00:27 >> You've spoken about kind of assuming a little bit of a leadership role for
00:30 some of the younger guys.
00:31 How's that process been for you so far?
00:33 >> It's been amazing.
00:34 I'd say from being here in 2018 as a freshman to now being kind of a leader in
00:38 the room, one of the most guys in the room, especially the receiver room and
00:41 on the team.
00:42 It's just a great feeling.
00:44 And I think guys kind of follow around me,
00:47 me being one of the guys who's first in the building and last to leave.
00:50 Just seeing my kind of development over the years and
00:52 how it's been carrying over to some of these young guys and
00:55 following me as a leader.
00:56 So it's been great, man.
00:58 I'm super excited to see what happens this year.
00:59 >> What have you taken from one of the young guys,
01:01 Shaq Davis, that you've seen so far?
01:02 >> I think he has a lot of great tendencies.
01:05 He has a big body, he has radius, kind of similar to Marcus Colston.
01:09 Very intelligent guy.
01:11 I think he has tremendous strides to go.
01:13 He has a lot of things that he needs to work on.
01:15 But I definitely can see him as somebody that can contribute to the team.
01:19 >> Keith, how do you feel you fit here in this training camp?
01:21 There's always competition, obviously.
01:23 >> Yeah. >> How do you feel you fit and
01:24 where you've stacked up?
01:25 >> I feel pretty confident.
01:27 I'm just, wherever my role is to be on this team,
01:29 I'm gonna do it to the best of my ability to help this team win.
01:32 I'm not too sure where that is right now.
01:34 But I think I'm pretty confident knowing the system over the years and
01:38 having a step ahead, a better edge than most of the guys here.
01:42 But at the same time, being somebody that they can use as a sponge to be able to
01:44 absorb as much information, not only to help myself, but to help the guys around.
01:48 So I think, especially within the system, I think I have an advantage, but
01:52 also a way to help guys get better on this offense.
01:55 >> Keith, with all the quarterbacks that have thrown you passes,
01:58 how would you compare where Derrick Carr's at, like their Drew Brees?
02:03 >> Yeah. >> A lot of experience, but
02:04 just talk about that.
02:05 >> I've been around a lot of quarterbacks, and
02:07 one thing I love about Derrick is kinda similar to Drew, his attention to detail.
02:12 Me and him have been working since OTAs.
02:14 We would come here at 6.30 in the morning.
02:16 Before we would start our lifts, me and him would kind of talk through the offense
02:19 and what to look forward to this season.
02:21 Not knowing if I was gonna be a starter, if I was gonna be coming off the bench,
02:24 whatever my role was.
02:25 But to be able to have that kind of leadership and
02:27 attention to detail from a quarterback like Derrick, I only see tremendous drives
02:30 from him, and also just to be able to take us to where we need to go this year.
02:34 So I'm excited to play for him and what he has to offer to his team.
02:38 >> Give me your early impressions about Jake Haney.
02:41 >> Jake, man, Jake is unbelievable.
02:44 He's a short quarterback, but I tell you, he can throw that ball.
02:47 He's, again, just like Derrick, being able to follow a guy like Derrick,
02:50 his attention to detail is unbelievable.
02:52 And having James Winston there in the room as well.
02:55 He's been phenomenal in this camp, and
02:57 I'm super excited to see what he does in this preseason.
03:00 >> What about the wide receiver room?
03:02 Is it maybe a little deeper than the last time you were here?
03:05 >> Yeah, I think every year, to be honest,
03:08 that every receiver room in the league has depth.
03:11 I mean, we're here in the National Football League, so
03:13 you can definitely say that there's talent everywhere.
03:15 But here with the New Orleans Saints, I think we have a great group.
03:18 I think any guy in this room can play for us and help us contribute to win.
03:23 So I think our group is a phenomenal group, it's very competitive, and
03:26 I'm super excited to see who's gonna be standing last.
03:29 But no matter what, each and every guy on this team has a contribution to help us
03:33 win. >> What do you like about being here?
03:35 I mean, from going and coming back, what is special for
03:38 you about this place or this organization or whatever?
03:42 >> I think the camaraderie, the culture that's here.
03:44 I think from leaving and going to Carolina and
03:46 seeing a different kind of chemistry and team camaraderie there is completely
03:52 different than here, it feels like family.
03:54 I feel like I'm back in college, going to locker room and
03:56 guys are excited, excited to come to work.
03:58 Instead of guys being in our own little groups and
04:00 staying away from the team here, it feels like a family.
04:03 And that's what's so special about New Orleans Saints.
04:05 And it carries over to the fans as well.
04:07 You can see how much the fans care about this team, and so
04:09 does the players care about winning, trying to make the fans as happy as possible.
04:12 So what I love about being here is just the camaraderie and
04:15 family-ness that I'm always feeling when I come here.
04:18 >> Do you think that's unique to you or do you think other guys feel like that?
04:21 >> I think every single guy in this room feels it, or this team does.
04:25 You can see how much fun we have when we win.
04:27 It's not just the win and then we go home to our families, guys celebrate,
04:29 they stick together.
04:31 It's a brotherhood and I think we all play off each other.
04:34 We go to battle every single day and it's not just for us to go out there and
04:37 because we have a job.
04:38 100% we have to get our job done, but we play together as a family.
04:42 And that's what I love here.
04:44 >> I think oftentimes we think about growth and development for
04:47 a second year guy.
04:48 So where do you feel like maybe you've taken steps coming into this office?
04:52 >> I'd say each and every day that I come into this job, I look to get better.
04:57 Whatever it is, if I watch film and maybe my first step is off,
05:02 I get off on a route, I'm trying to get better at that.
05:04 So I think every single day I find something to get better at and
05:07 I'm never gonna stop chasing that because no one's perfect.
05:10 So each and every day I attack this job or whatever is in life,
05:13 I'm gonna try to get 1% better at that.
05:15 So I think I've definitely made tremendous strides over the year and
05:18 I think I'm gonna do whatever I can this year to help the team win.
05:20 >> Is it the same kind of approach, the advice maybe you give to some of the other
05:23 guys that don't focus too much on trying to make a leap in one place,
05:27 focus on where you can do it each day?
05:28 >> Yeah, I was kind of talking with Shaq about that the other day.
05:30 And sometimes you can get clustered, your head can get so
05:33 mind boggled with all of the information that's thrown at you.
05:36 But if you take it one day at a time and take a deep breath,
05:39 that you step into that huddle, everything else will take care of itself.
05:42 So it's about staying calm and at the end of the day,
05:44 focusing on something to get better at each and every day.
05:47 >> Yes, sir.
05:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]