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00:00 >> How's it being back there again with the team?
00:03 >> I just said it's great, it's great to be back, man.
00:05 Back in football, I miss it.
00:06 >> Do you have the bad taste out of your mouth from the loss at the end of last year?
00:13 >> You usually don't get that taste out of your mouth until you win your next game.
00:16 So right now I focus on the Colts.
00:18 >> What was the message to start this new season, this new team?
00:25 >> Well, my biggest concern is our mindset.
00:28 I'm not worried about the Raiders, the Broncos, the Chiefs.
00:32 I'm concerned about the Chargers and the mindset and
00:34 our approach to practice every day.
00:36 And the effort to get better each and every day when we come into this building and
00:41 walk onto this field and just do it all over again.
00:44 What we did last year, we can't carry that over to this year.
00:47 This is a different football team and
00:49 I wanna make sure that everyone understands that.
00:51 And I believe we do.
00:52 We have a good character group, hardworking guys.
00:55 We kept our core together the best we could.
00:58 And so I expect these guys to show up and work hard and
01:04 help one another and continue to get better.
01:07 >> Is part of that mindset when major publications are saying,
01:10 the Chargers will go 12 and 4 and win a Super Bowl?
01:15 >> External expectations, that should not affect us at all.
01:19 Because there's no way those expectations can be higher than the expectations that we
01:23 have for ourselves.
01:24 And so, but you can listen to that too much.
01:27 And but I feel like I said, this is a good character group.
01:31 We got good leadership on this team.
01:33 I think we'll be okay in that respect.
01:35 >> What did you tell the team about Melvin Gordon's status and how to deal with him?
01:41 >> Melvin's not here.
01:43 We don't like to talk about players that are not here.
01:45 We understand his situation.
01:47 We love Melvin.
01:48 We're a good football team with Melvin.
01:50 But he's not here, Eric.
01:51 >> So you're just trying to make sure that's not a distraction that you guys are just-
01:55 >> Absolutely, and I don't think it will be a distraction.
01:58 >> Seeing Hunter Henry back on the field, how does he look?
02:04 >> He looks good.
02:05 He looked good in the off season.
02:06 He looked good last year.
02:07 We wouldn't have let him come back to that last game.
02:10 But it's good to see him back and having fun.
02:13 And I thought with his teammates.
02:14 >> Do you get the sense that he's almost like a lion being let out of his cage?
02:20 >> Well, Hunter's really cool.
02:22 Even when he's sweating, he never lets you know that he's sweating.
02:25 So I can tell, though, he's happy to be back.
02:28 He's working his tail off.
02:29 He looks good.
02:30 >> Can you talk about Thomas Davidson?
02:33 In addition to Thomas Davidson, what do you expect from him on your defense?
02:37 >> Thomas is a heck of a linebacker.
02:39 He's gonna bring leadership to the linebacker room, experience.
02:42 But first, he's gotta learn our system.
02:44 And he's working his tail off right now, every day, to learn our system.
02:48 But I love his energy.
02:49 But going through this camp, I'm gonna hold him out some.
02:52 I wanna make sure that he's fresh come week one.
02:55 Now he's 36 years old, but he runs around like a 13 year old.
02:59 He's just a heck of an athlete.
03:01 >> Are he and Toe?
03:01 >> How's Denzel Behrman looking?
03:03 >> What's that?
03:04 >> How's Denzel Behrman looking?
03:06 >> Denzel looks fine.
03:08 Yesterday we had a conditioning test.
03:10 He got a little tight in the conditioning test.
03:11 We're limiting his reps today and tomorrow, but he's gonna be fine.
03:14 Coming off the knee.
03:15 >> Russell came out on social media and talked about the situation.
03:21 How scary was that?
03:22 Or how is it that some players went for something that real?
03:25 >> Well, no, we have a good medical staff.
03:28 We've had the best people look at Russell.
03:30 So it wasn't that scary, but we wanted to take care of it right away.
03:34 He's being treated for his blood clots.
03:35 And we look forward to having him back one day.
03:38 But we have no idea when that's gonna be.
03:40 >> And how does he seem spirit wise?
03:44 Does he seem like his old self?
03:46 >> He's here every day.
03:47 He's in the meetings.
03:48 He's helping with the young guys.
03:50 Right now he's an assistant coach.
03:51 >> Coach, what was it like to go to Tanzania and be able to-
03:56 >> Man, we'd be here all day talking about Tanzania.
03:59 I mean, that experience was a game changer for me.
04:01 It was unbelievable.
04:03 I've never been around a group of people that's done more with less and
04:07 proud of it.
04:08 Just the attitude, appreciation, and to open a school with all those young kids.
04:13 And for them to have an opportunity to get an education with the grit that they
04:16 already have, I just think there's gonna be some impactful people come out of
04:21 that school.
04:21 >> You said more with less and a game changer for you.
04:25 Give us a little bit of your- >> It's just, over there is life or death.
04:30 Every day their back's against the wall.
04:32 And so I think sometimes we take a lot of things for granted.
04:34 I know I do.
04:36 And so I try not to do that as much anymore.
04:38 I was glad that my kids were there with me so they could experience some of that.
04:42 Just clean water, things like that.
04:46 It's a challenge for people over there.
04:48 And just going to school.
04:49 Hell, we had to start school at 10 o'clock.
04:51 I was dead against it.
04:53 I wanted the kids to get to school early.
04:54 I don't want them staying up late and getting up late.
04:56 I want them to get to school on time, but lines feed from 6 to 9.
05:01 So the kids gotta go to school at 10, 11.
05:03 Well, that's things that we don't have to deal with or talk about.
05:06 So it's just a different lifestyle over there.
05:09 But I believe it's made those people tougher.
05:11 I mean, they're very resilient.
05:14 And I really appreciate it, just being around them.
05:17 >> And then Dan Finney was playing some center.
05:21 >> Yeah. >> Is that just trying to increase
05:24 versatility for him?
05:25 >> No doubt.
05:26 When you play on the official line, you need some position flex.
05:29 And Dan Finney was gonna be our starting center before Mike Pouncey became available.
05:33 So it's not foreign to him.
05:34 He's done it before.
05:36 And I think he has an opportunity to, if something were to happen to Mike,
05:40 I think Dan can step in and do a decent job at center.
05:42 >> Do you think he's gonna be expected by Austin Hitler and
05:47 Jackson to get the post to the red?
05:49 >> No, they got another year under their belt.
05:52 I thought last year Austin, he took it to another level,
05:55 expect him to keep going in that direction.
05:57 I thought Jackson showed up last year when we needed him.
06:00 And he's had a heck of an off season as well.
06:02 So, D-Tress, he's done an outstanding job.
06:05 So I look forward to seeing all those guys get opportunities and
06:09 make the most out of it.
06:10 >> And what specifically do you like about Justin?
06:14 >> His instincts, his production.
06:16 When you study Justin, he's been productive his whole life.
06:19 He's never really had the height, weight, speed thing going for him.
06:22 But you look at his production, it's there.
06:24 High school, college, and I believe when his NFL career is over,
06:27 it'll be there as well.
06:28 >> And how much experimenting are you gonna be doing at left tackle
06:32 trying to replace Russell?
06:35 >> Well, it's not gonna be a lot of experimenting.
06:36 Sam Tavis is gonna be over there for now.
06:38 And Trish Scott can also play over there at left tackle.
06:41 Both did it last year, so we're gonna ask those two to do it again.
06:44 >> Anything new with Rivers, same old Rivers, any changes there?
06:51 >> Same young Rivers.
06:52 >> [LAUGH] >> I'll just say that.
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