Chidobe Awuzie on Health, Bengals Secondary and MORE
Chidobe Awuzie on Health, Bengals Secondary and MORE
Transcript
00:00 First of all, it's great to see your smiling face.
00:02 You looked excellent out there in practice.
00:04 How did it feel getting back out there today?
00:06 - More than anything, you know,
00:08 it was just good to be around the guys.
00:10 Like the drill stuff, the stuff we're doing on the side,
00:12 the stuff I've been doing, I feel real comfortable with.
00:14 So I'm just happy to see everybody else, you know,
00:17 we've all been away for some time,
00:19 got some time to recharge and, you know,
00:21 but this is what it's about,
00:22 is building the chemistry and the camaraderie.
00:24 So I'm just really excited for that.
00:26 - How long does it take to build that chemistry
00:28 and camaraderie?
00:29 You were, I mean, you're obviously the veteran leader
00:31 of this group.
00:32 You had Von Bell with you.
00:34 Jesse Bates is also not here.
00:36 What is it like?
00:37 You're kind of taking on the biggest leadership role possible
00:40 with this young secondary.
00:41 - I mean, it takes time.
00:42 I mean, you know, we have great leaders still in Mike
00:44 and Mike Thomas as well.
00:46 So it's just great to be around those guys
00:49 and try to, you know, form a culture
00:51 that's already been here.
00:52 So we're just really, you know,
00:54 excited that the young guys that we got aren't bad kids.
00:57 They're all like, you know, excited to play.
00:59 They're all are asking questions
01:00 about techniques and stuff.
01:01 So when you're with a group like that,
01:04 things become easy.
01:05 It becomes really easy just to, you know,
01:06 find that chemistry and that foundation to build,
01:09 you know, great relationships.
01:10 So I'm excited to work with those guys.
01:13 - And I know you had to wait for doctors to clear you,
01:15 but when did you know that you were ready
01:18 and healthy to get back out there?
01:19 - I mean, I've probably been good for some time,
01:22 but you know, PUP is, you know,
01:25 it's one of the interesting things where like,
01:27 you know, you could be good, but you know,
01:29 they probably want you to just work more with the trainers.
01:31 Me, I'm at the level to where, you know,
01:32 I still want to be involved in the walkthroughs and,
01:35 you know, the individual drills.
01:36 And if I was on PUP, I couldn't do that.
01:37 So yeah, being cleared,
01:40 I mean, I kind of feel good for a minute.
01:41 Like I'm not gonna lie, I feel good for a minute,
01:43 but it's still good to now get that clearance to now
01:45 I can be with my teammates and do the walkthroughs,
01:47 do the individual drills.
01:48 If I do, when I do feel good enough
01:50 to be on seven on seven team reps, then do that too.
01:52 So yeah, it's exciting.
01:54 - And last question,
01:55 'cause I know everyone's waiting for you.
01:57 When you were out there today,
01:58 you said that it was one of the hardest practices.
02:01 Hottest.
02:02 Okay.
02:03 How much weight did you lose during practice today?
02:05 - I lost about like four or five pounds.
02:07 Yeah, I think that's, yeah, that's natural though.
02:09 Yeah, we're athletes, we run a lot, it's hot.
02:11 So yeah, it wasn't that bad, but it was definitely hot.