Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard spoke after clearing the concussion protocol regarding his return, how close he is to feeling like "The Maniac" again, and more. (video via Jake Arthur)
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00:00 >> How you feeling man, this is good news today.
00:03 >> I'm blessed, blessed and all in favor, take the flag.
00:06 >> When you see a crowd like this, you realize it's based on all the things you've
00:08 done and the things you can do.
00:10 How excited are you to take that step and get back to what people know you for?
00:14 >> Very excited, I'm just looking forward to the opportunity to just get back out
00:16 there on the field and compete with my guys and just go back out there and have some fun.
00:20 >> When you try to come back from something, there's the physical part,
00:22 there's also the mental part, trusting yourself.
00:24 Where are you at that point?
00:26 >> I think I'm where I need to be, just trusting and
00:31 just reacting and just playing ball and trying to advance much.
00:34 >> Nobody knows.
00:36 >> How hard is it?
00:36 >> It's been hard, but you take it day by day and
00:42 just realize how blessed you truly are.
00:47 And when you get an opportunity, just go out there and
00:49 continue to just put your best foot forward and get what you got for this team.
00:53 >> Shaq, nobody knows you better than you, all you've been through.
00:56 How close are you, do you think, to being you?
01:00 >> I'm close, I'm close.
01:02 Just gotta continue to come out here, get better, continue to go out there and
01:06 work and just try to put myself in a position to make plays.
01:09 >> You anticipate a pitch cap?
01:11 >> That's not my job to decide that.
01:13 My job is to go out there and play as many plays as I possibly can.
01:17 And if the coach says a pitch cap, then that is what it is, but I have no idea.
01:21 >> Shaq, a second straight year of starting off against the division.
01:25 When you have an opportunity to host a team like Jacksonville,
01:28 knowing last year that popping out of a deficit to start the season,
01:31 how much do you have to take advantage of being at home to open up the season?
01:36 >> It's big.
01:36 I think it's probably my second time opening up at home.
01:40 And starting out with a division apart, we wanna start the season out pretty strong.
01:44 And what better way to start with Jacksonville week one,
01:48 come out here with the home crowd.
01:50 So definitely looking forward to it, so it's definitely a big opportunity.
01:52 >> When everything has to stay kind of close to the vest,
01:55 pretty vanilla during the preseason, you don't wanna show too much.
01:59 What are you most excited for, for this defense to kind of take the reins off?
02:02 >> I'm just the one, I'm ready to see the D line play.
02:05 I think the D line has been doing a great job this camp.
02:09 So definitely looking forward to them and looking at our corners.
02:12 I just wanna see them grow.
02:13 So definitely wanna just see how guys play together and the effort and
02:18 see how we can turn over the ball.
02:19 >> So we've talked about throughout this process,
02:21 like what you've lost the time and things like that.
02:23 What have you gained just learning about yourself mentally, physically?
02:26 >> I'm just gaining more heart.
02:29 Just knowing that so many people are counting me out and
02:33 just having the will to keep going.
02:36 How many times I've been knocked down, just continue to get up and
02:39 put my best foot forward.
02:40 And when I'm down, it's not just I'm studying the game.
02:44 Just studying to see exactly how can I put myself in better situations.
02:48 So I just think my heart is bigger and just my drive is even bigger.
02:54 >> Back in camp, you said you wanted to watch film and
02:57 I get a look at exactly how you watch film with you in camp.
03:01 How do you look to yourself?
03:04 >> It's better.
03:06 I feel like it's getting closer and closer to the guy back in 19.
03:13 So I'm happy with where I'm at.
03:14 I just gotta continue to just get better from there.
03:16 >> Did you get first tackle?
03:17 >> Of course, of course.
03:19 >> Checking it even remotely concerned about it.
03:22 >> No, that's great.
03:24 That's great.
03:24 Yeah, I knew it.
03:25 I seen it.
03:26 Yeah, good try.
03:27 >> Jack, you had a chip on your shoulder from day one, which really fueled you.
03:30 People have doubted you from day one, but
03:32 you've already gone out there and proved them wrong.
03:33 How does that fuel you now knowing that, hey, I've been here before.
03:36 I know what I'm doing.
03:37 >> It's just never been satisfying.
03:40 And just understanding that there's so many people that are rooting for me to fail.
03:44 And my job is to come out here, prove them guys wrong.
03:47 And my teammates, they're just being alongside me and just pushing me to be
03:52 better and I'm pushing them to be better and just going out there and
03:54 just focusing on that.
03:55 >> Since Randy voted captain, I know it's something you never take for granted.
03:58 How special is it to know that your teammates elected you yet
04:01 again among those seven to represent this team?
04:03 >> It's very special just being named captain because that's not a popularity
04:08 award, that's about how your peers are looking at you.
04:11 And that's something that I really don't take for
04:14 granted cuz where I come to work, I'm trying to make sure that I can be the best
04:18 version of myself and be the best leader that I possibly can and
04:21 show the guys the way and that's my job.
04:23 How can I help the next person and for me to be voted captain once again,
04:27 definitely means a lot, especially coming from off of last year and
04:31 then injuries throughout the camp and they still see me as that.
04:34 Definitely means a lot.
04:35 >> It's been noted that this is one of the youngest rosters in the NFL, but
04:39 when you look at the defense, a lot of experienced veteran presence,
04:44 especially among the four defensive captains that you have.
04:46 What tone will this defense set for the team, especially early on?
04:50 >> For one, you wanna go out there and set the tone, set the tempo.
04:53 For one, knock out the run, get out to the quarterback and
04:56 see how many takeaways you can get in the game.
04:58 We always talk about 40 plus and
05:00 we've had them building guys on the defense side of the ball.
05:03 That goal isn't too far.
05:05 I feel like we got an opportunity to go out there and get that.
05:07 And like Coach Mike Mitchell told us today,
05:09 that last year we had, I think it was 24 miss offs.
05:12 And if we take away those miss offs, we was 42 and
05:16 take away would be number one.
05:17 So we gotta make sure we take full advantage of all our missed opportunities.
05:20 >> What's the balance- >> You're a big personal goal guy.
05:22 You got personal goals for this season?
05:24 >> Just be the best version of myself.
05:27 Just make sure I can come out and
05:29 just be the best leader that I possibly can for this team.
05:31 >> What's the balance between hearing the noise and then blocking it out,
05:34 especially when your answer is you're playing and you can't play during
05:38 the preseason, you can't play during training camp and really play the game?
05:41 >> I think you, it probably does, well, I say 64.
05:47 64, you listen to it, cuz we get that drive and that fire to go keep fighting and
05:51 make sure people, when people talk trash and say things,
05:56 some people can go the other way with it and truly go downhill.
05:59 But I feel like for me, I try to use that as fuel to kind of make my game just go up
06:05 and make people just shut up, and that's the goal each and every week.
06:09 >> You have a file on your desk.
06:10 Do you have a file on your computer?
06:13 >> I have a lot of screenshots.
06:15 >> Okay. >> I have a lot of screenshots.
06:17 >> [LAUGH] >> Yes, sir.
06:19 >> I'm not in there.
06:20 >> Come on now.
06:21 >> [LAUGH] >> Thanks guys.