Charlie Jones on Bengals Training Camp, Learning From Veteran Receivers & MORE
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00:00 Charlie, you're three days into camp with all the veterans.
00:04 How's it feel?
00:05 How do you feel?
00:06 Feels good, man, to get out here with these guys
00:09 and just go out and compete.
00:11 You know, just put all thinking aside
00:13 and just go out and have fun.
00:15 You had a touchdown in the red zone drills against,
00:17 I think it was against Alan George.
00:19 Do you remember that?
00:20 Could you break that play down for me?
00:22 Yeah, I just remember, you know,
00:25 goal line, a little short out route,
00:28 lower ball, just had to go down and get it.
00:31 One of our base spread zone plays.
00:33 But it was good to get a touchdown in that period.
00:36 Yeah, even in practice, it's got to feel good to score, right?
00:38 Oh, yeah, it always feels good to score,
00:40 no matter if it's a game or practice or whatever.
00:43 Something that stood out to me during the offseason program,
00:46 you staying after practice, showing up before practice.
00:48 I talked to some coaches.
00:49 They said you kind of lived here.
00:52 Why did you go about it that way?
00:55 I think that's just something that I've always done.
00:58 I think that's what gives me confidence
01:01 to go out on the field when, you know, I put time in
01:04 and I do the work.
01:06 That's just kind of the way I operate.
01:09 I got a lot of things that I want to get done,
01:12 a lot of new things that I need to learn.
01:14 So you got to put the time in if you want to get
01:17 those things on the field.
01:20 What are you doing right there?
01:21 I'm talking.
01:23 OK.
01:24 What's been the biggest adjustment
01:27 to life in the NFL so far?
01:30 I think just learning a whole new system
01:35 and kind of just adapting to, you know, everything is new.
01:40 So you got a lot to learn, a lot to adjust to.
01:44 I think that's definitely the biggest difference,
01:47 the biggest adjustment.
01:48 But if you put the time in, you work on it,
01:50 it's something that becomes second nature.
01:53 Physically, is it you need to get stronger, gain weight?
01:56 Was that part of it?
01:57 I just know physical--
01:59 for rookies, the physical aspect is a part of it, too.
02:02 Yeah, definitely.
02:02 I mean, I think that's always something
02:04 you're working on, you know, doing, getting an edge,
02:08 if you can be bigger, stronger, faster.
02:10 So for me, that was a mindset that I
02:12 had going into this little break that we just had
02:15 and coming out here and maintaining that.
02:18 Was there-- because I've talked to rookies before,
02:21 training for the combine and training to do the 40
02:23 and everything like that.
02:25 And then you have to get back into football shape.
02:27 Was that a process?
02:29 A little bit.
02:30 I mean, it's so different than normal training
02:33 that we're training a lot of different muscles that
02:37 aren't things that you train for a football season.
02:40 So going right from that to coming out here for OTAs
02:43 and then finally getting a chance over this past break
02:46 to really work out the way you need to work out
02:49 to have a healthy body the whole season.
02:52 So it was a little bit of a transition,
02:54 but it was good to have that little break.
02:56 How much have you learned from the veterans on this team
02:58 so far in your room?
02:59 Yeah, so much.
03:00 I mean, my room especially.
03:03 You know, we got the best at what they do.
03:07 And to be able to sit in there and watch their--
03:10 every rep is something to learn from.
03:13 Even if I'm not up, I'm watching them
03:16 because I want to see exactly how they run it,
03:19 what leverage they use, what techniques they use,
03:23 and take everything I can and add it to my toolbox
03:27 and try to do it my own way.
03:31 As far as you being drafted, part of the reason
03:33 they took you is because of your part return ability.
03:36 Has that-- have you had to develop that at all?
03:38 Has that changed with Darren Simmons's guidance at all?
03:41 Yeah, definitely.
03:41 I'm sure.
03:42 There's always something to learn, to change.
03:47 There's always something you can get better at.
03:50 And so being with--
03:52 in that room, learning from guys like Trent Taylor
03:58 and everyone else that's in that room, still more to learn.
04:02 And I'm just coming out there trying to--
04:06 you got a lot of things that you do naturally,
04:07 but there's a lot of things that, oh, I
04:09 can get better at this.
04:10 So I'm trying to take one thing out to practice every day
04:13 and get better on it.
04:14 Charlie, I appreciate the time.