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DB Lamarcus Joyner – Conference Call – May 9, 2014
(On how it feels to be coming to St. Louis)
“It feels great. It’s a blessing. I want to start off by saying thanks to (Head) Coach (Jeff) Fisher, (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Gregg) Williams and Owner (Stan) Kroenke for giving me this opportunity. For standing their end, seeing the talent that I had and the help I can come add to the organization. It’s a dream come true and it’s a blessing.”
(On how his Top 30 visit went in St. Louis)
“I got a great vibe from all the coaches and meeting everybody. It felt like a great atmosphere when I met everyone. Everyone seemed happy, it seemed like a good group of people. It seemed like I can come in and help out with the defensive scheme that Coach Williams has planned and I just felt like I was their type of player.”
(On what the Rams have told him about where he will fit in this defense)
“All I know right now is I’m a second round draft pick for the St. Louis Rams and whatever Coach wants me to do, I’m going to do it. If I have to pack on 100 pounds and move to offensive guard, I’m going to do it. I’m going to do whatever I need to do to help the organization.”
(On how he would feel if Coach Fisher told him he would be the long snapper)
“I feel great. I’m coming in to help. I’m coming to do whatever I can do. If you want to be the greatest, you have to become the least. So whatever Coach wants me to do, I’m doing it.”
(On if nickel back or free safety would be an ideal role to him)
“Yes sir.”
(On if he has a preference of position in the secondary)
“No, when I came on my visit up there with the Top 30, Coach asked me that same question and I told him, ‘Coach, I’m a defensive back. I don’t like to limit myself.’ I play corner, I play nickel, I play safety. Wherever we are weak in the secondary, I’m going to make the team better, because I’m going to give my all and make that position better. I’m a team person, so I’m going to do whatever Coach wants me to do in the secondary.”
(On which Coach asked him about his preference)
“Coach Williams.”
(On if he has heard from Greg Reid and his feelings on reuniting with him)
“Oh man, that’s going to be great. It’s so special that, you know, to watch a guy like Greg Reid get recruited before me, coming out of high school and then to play at Florida State with him before he went through his devastating moment. Now to see him at the next level and I’m coming right behind him again, it’s like nothing changed but the weather. It’s like déjà vu and it’s great. I love Greg Reid. He’s a great person and he’s a great player.”
(On if he met GM Les Snead during his Top 30 visit)
“Yes, sir.”
(On if he knew that Snead went to Auburn)
“No, he told me. I didn’t know until I got there. He told me and gave me a little hard time, but it was all fun, all laughs. My reply was like, ‘Wow, it’s all love.’ It’s all love, I have no problem with you unless it’s 60 minutes on the scoreboard and it’s time to play football. Other than that I respect where you come from, just respect where I come from.”
(On if he had a feeling that the Rams were going to take him)
“I felt a very, very great vibe when I went on the visit. I didn’t see it coming. I hoped for it, but I didn’t see it coming. I knew they said they were very interested in me. They had a couple of picks in the first round and people didn’t expect me to go that high, so I was hoping to go in the second round with these guys if they were willing to give me a chance. They went with their hearts and they went with what they told me, and I’m a Ram now.”
(On if he expected to be drafted in the first round and if not going is a motivation to him)
“It didn’t matter where I went. To me, I just wanted to play football. I just needed the opportunity. A lot of people were asking me, ‘How do you feel about your size? Why do you feel you’re not rated as a high first round guy?’ That stuff doesn’t get to me. I tell people all the time, ‘If I go first round, if I go seventh round, all I need is the opportunity.’ I know what I’m made from, so all that stuff really doesn’t matter.”
(On how he feels knowing that the Rams traded up to the 41st pick to get him)
“That was so special. To hear that they traded up for me, I just felt special. I was like, ‘Wow, all these great guys on the board, there’s so much talent that these guys could have picked from and they traded up to make a sacrifice for me.’ And now I feel like I owe them for that. I’m going to give them my heart. I’m going to give them my everything because they sacrificed for me, so I have to sacrifice for that organization.”
(On how he describes his style of play)
“I’d say aggressive. I play football. I’m physical. I feel like nobody wants to be physical for 60 minutes. It’s like fighting someone in the boxing ring. You punch that guy with all you have and he looks at you in the eye and says, ‘That’s all you have?’ That takes the spirit out of someone. So I play physical football because I know no man is going to want to play 60 minutes like I am. My whole mentality is I’m going to make the guy across the line from me quit before I do.”
(On being a small guy but a tough guy)
“It’s all in the heart. Life is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. Whatever I believe in my heart when I’m on the field, I’m the best and I’m the biggest.”
(On if he’s heard that he’s being compared to Cardinals S Tyrann Matheiu)
“Yes, I’ve heard it. I respect Tyrann Matheiu and everything he did. He was a great football player and he’s going to be a great football player in the NFL, but I want to be compared to no one. I’m Lamarcus Joyner. He’s Tyrann Matheiu. He’s a great player and I’m on my way to being a great player. I respect him but I just want everybody to know I’m just Lamarcus Joyner.”
(On if being a natural leader is just a part of his personality)
“I think that’s just part of my personality, and Coach (Jimbo) Fisher, my old FSU coach, who is a great coach – and thank God I get to go be coached by another Coach (Jeff) Fisher – it seems great, but he always taught me a hero is someone who tries not to be a hero. A hero never knows that he’s being a hero. I tell guys all the time I don’t feel like I’m a leader but what I do, I go to work every day and I’m consistent. It’s hard to be a human and be consistent in whatever you do to go to work every day, and I think that’s where I think I get my respect from a lot. People call me a leader because I do my job and I do it consistently.”
(On if the Rams coaches have talked to him about returning kicks)
“On the visit they talked to me about special teams and everything, but like I said earlier, I’m willing to do whatever.”
(On if there is something they don’t know about him)
“You already know everything about me because every time I speak, I speak from the heart and I reveal myself. There isn’t too much that you all probably don’t know about me.”
(On where he is right now)
“I’m in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with my family just enjoying being accepted into the Rams organization.”
(On what he knows about the Rams defense)
“I went over it with Coach (Gregg) Williams. I know younger guys like (LB Alec) Ogletree and I know (CB) Greg Reid and the guy from North Carolina, the D-end (Robert Quinn) is a great football player. I watched him come out of college and all I know is they’re on their way. They’ve got Coach Williams and by drafting me, they’re definitely going to have some help on their defense. I love the scheme. It’s not too different from the college scheme that I was running with Florida State, so it’s going to be a great defense.”
(On if he is bringing some Seminole swagger up to the Midwest)
“Yes sir. I’m looking forward to it.”
(On what he thought when he heard his name called as the 41st pick of the draft)
“I almost cried. When I heard my name, I’ve never felt a moment like this in my life. This is a moment that I expected since the age of five years old, and to hear my name called on TV, something that you grew up watching all your life, I’ve never had a feeling like that in my life. I can’t even explain the feeling.”
(On how it feels to be coming to St. Louis)
“It feels great. It’s a blessing. I want to start off by saying thanks to (Head) Coach (Jeff) Fisher, (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Gregg) Williams and Owner (Stan) Kroenke for giving me this opportunity. For standing their end, seeing the talent that I had and the help I can come add to the organization. It’s a dream come true and it’s a blessing.”
(On how his Top 30 visit went in St. Louis)
“I got a great vibe from all the coaches and meeting everybody. It felt like a great atmosphere when I met everyone. Everyone seemed happy, it seemed like a good group of people. It seemed like I can come in and help out with the defensive scheme that Coach Williams has planned and I just felt like I was their type of player.”
(On what the Rams have told him about where he will fit in this defense)
“All I know right now is I’m a second round draft pick for the St. Louis Rams and whatever Coach wants me to do, I’m going to do it. If I have to pack on 100 pounds and move to offensive guard, I’m going to do it. I’m going to do whatever I need to do to help the organization.”
(On how he would feel if Coach Fisher told him he would be the long snapper)
“I feel great. I’m coming in to help. I’m coming to do whatever I can do. If you want to be the greatest, you have to become the least. So whatever Coach wants me to do, I’m doing it.”
(On if nickel back or free safety would be an ideal role to him)
“Yes sir.”
(On if he has a preference of position in the secondary)
“No, when I came on my visit up there with the Top 30, Coach asked me that same question and I told him, ‘Coach, I’m a defensive back. I don’t like to limit myself.’ I play corner, I play nickel, I play safety. Wherever we are weak in the secondary, I’m going to make the team better, because I’m going to give my all and make that position better. I’m a team person, so I’m going to do whatever Coach wants me to do in the secondary.”
(On which Coach asked him about his preference)
“Coach Williams.”
(On if he has heard from Greg Reid and his feelings on reuniting with him)
“Oh man, that’s going to be great. It’s so special that, you know, to watch a guy like Greg Reid get recruited before me, coming out of high school and then to play at Florida State with him before he went through his devastating moment. Now to see him at the next level and I’m coming right behind him again, it’s like nothing changed but the weather. It’s like déjà vu and it’s great. I love Greg Reid. He’s a great person and he’s a great player.”
(On if he met GM Les Snead during his Top 30 visit)
“Yes, sir.”
(On if he knew that Snead went to Auburn)
“No, he told me. I didn’t know until I got there. He told me and gave me a little hard time, but it was all fun, all laughs. My reply was like, ‘Wow, it’s all love.’ It’s all love, I have no problem with you unless it’s 60 minutes on the scoreboard and it’s time to play football. Other than that I respect where you come from, just respect where I come from.”
(On if he had a feeling that the Rams were going to take him)
“I felt a very, very great vibe when I went on the visit. I didn’t see it coming. I hoped for it, but I didn’t see it coming. I knew they said they were very interested in me. They had a couple of picks in the first round and people didn’t expect me to go that high, so I was hoping to go in the second round with these guys if they were willing to give me a chance. They went with their hearts and they went with what they told me, and I’m a Ram now.”
(On if he expected to be drafted in the first round and if not going is a motivation to him)
“It didn’t matter where I went. To me, I just wanted to play football. I just needed the opportunity. A lot of people were asking me, ‘How do you feel about your size? Why do you feel you’re not rated as a high first round guy?’ That stuff doesn’t get to me. I tell people all the time, ‘If I go first round, if I go seventh round, all I need is the opportunity.’ I know what I’m made from, so all that stuff really doesn’t matter.”
(On how he feels knowing that the Rams traded up to the 41st pick to get him)
“That was so special. To hear that they traded up for me, I just felt special. I was like, ‘Wow, all these great guys on the board, there’s so much talent that these guys could have picked from and they traded up to make a sacrifice for me.’ And now I feel like I owe them for that. I’m going to give them my heart. I’m going to give them my everything because they sacrificed for me, so I have to sacrifice for that organization.”
(On how he describes his style of play)
“I’d say aggressive. I play football. I’m physical. I feel like nobody wants to be physical for 60 minutes. It’s like fighting someone in the boxing ring. You punch that guy with all you have and he looks at you in the eye and says, ‘That’s all you have?’ That takes the spirit out of someone. So I play physical football because I know no man is going to want to play 60 minutes like I am. My whole mentality is I’m going to make the guy across the line from me quit before I do.”
(On being a small guy but a tough guy)
“It’s all in the heart. Life is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. Whatever I believe in my heart when I’m on the field, I’m the best and I’m the biggest.”
(On if he’s heard that he’s being compared to Cardinals S Tyrann Matheiu)
“Yes, I’ve heard it. I respect Tyrann Matheiu and everything he did. He was a great football player and he’s going to be a great football player in the NFL, but I want to be compared to no one. I’m Lamarcus Joyner. He’s Tyrann Matheiu. He’s a great player and I’m on my way to being a great player. I respect him but I just want everybody to know I’m just Lamarcus Joyner.”
(On if being a natural leader is just a part of his personality)
“I think that’s just part of my personality, and Coach (Jimbo) Fisher, my old FSU coach, who is a great coach – and thank God I get to go be coached by another Coach (Jeff) Fisher – it seems great, but he always taught me a hero is someone who tries not to be a hero. A hero never knows that he’s being a hero. I tell guys all the time I don’t feel like I’m a leader but what I do, I go to work every day and I’m consistent. It’s hard to be a human and be consistent in whatever you do to go to work every day, and I think that’s where I think I get my respect from a lot. People call me a leader because I do my job and I do it consistently.”
(On if the Rams coaches have talked to him about returning kicks)
“On the visit they talked to me about special teams and everything, but like I said earlier, I’m willing to do whatever.”
(On if there is something they don’t know about him)
“You already know everything about me because every time I speak, I speak from the heart and I reveal myself. There isn’t too much that you all probably don’t know about me.”
(On where he is right now)
“I’m in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with my family just enjoying being accepted into the Rams organization.”
(On what he knows about the Rams defense)
“I went over it with Coach (Gregg) Williams. I know younger guys like (LB Alec) Ogletree and I know (CB) Greg Reid and the guy from North Carolina, the D-end (Robert Quinn) is a great football player. I watched him come out of college and all I know is they’re on their way. They’ve got Coach Williams and by drafting me, they’re definitely going to have some help on their defense. I love the scheme. It’s not too different from the college scheme that I was running with Florida State, so it’s going to be a great defense.”
(On if he is bringing some Seminole swagger up to the Midwest)
“Yes sir. I’m looking forward to it.”
(On what he thought when he heard his name called as the 41st pick of the draft)
“I almost cried. When I heard my name, I’ve never felt a moment like this in my life. This is a moment that I expected since the age of five years old, and to hear my name called on TV, something that you grew up watching all your life, I’ve never had a feeling like that in my life. I can’t even explain the feeling.”
