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Announcement : My name is Max Strauss with www.prointerviews.org, www.facebook.com/ProInterviews/ and www.twitter.com/ProInterviews. I’d like to welcome you to the interview with Bills legend, Andre Reed. Reed played collegiately at the Kutztown University. He entered the 1985 NFL Draft, and was drafted in the 4th round, 86th overall by the Buffalo Bills. He played with the Bills for 15 years, made four Super Bowl appearances, and played in the Pro Bowl seven times. He is currently eighth all time in receptions with 951, ninth in receiving yards with 13,198, and eleventh all time in touchdown receptions with 87. Here is the interview with Bills all-time great WR, Andre Reed.

Strauss : When did you finally realize that you were playing in the NFL?

Reed : It’s ironic because my whole career was based on taking big hits and getting  back up, and coming to the huddle, and doing it again. I’d probably have to say my Welcome to the NFL moment was in training camp in 1985 when we were doing a drill, and I ran a pass route across the middle, and I got hit pretty good. As a 21-year-old kid, that was my probably my wake-up call to what was going to be happening in the NFL if I was going to last. That was my wake-up moment. Welcome to the NFL, you get hit, and you got to be able to take the hit and come back do it again.

Strauss : You were one of the most durable players in NFL history, what do you think the best game of your career was?

Reed : I can’t pick one. There are so many. All of the interviews that I have done over the years, I always say the same game. I always say that Oilers game because it was not only one of my best games, but one of the greatest games ever played. It was the game against Houston in 1993, the Wildcard playoff game. We were down 35-3 with ten minutes left in the 3rd quarter, with pretty much a whole half to play to try make something of the game. We came back and won. Just the way that game unfolded and how we responded to the adversity and all of that. It was reminiscent of what our team was about for many years, and the kind of players that we had. I have to say that game. There are so many more, but that one definitely sticks out from the others. It was also the most exciting because it meant the most out.

Strauss : When did you guys start talking?

Reed : At halftime really. The crazy thing about that was that we played Houston the last week of the year. Then, we had to comeback and play them the next week. We played them two weeks back-to-back. I think they beat us 28-3 in Houston the week before. We had all of that to think about too. We didn’t play good that last game. It was fortunate enough that the next week when we had to play Houston in the Wildcard that we played the game at home. We used that as a springboard to play better. And, we had many things that we had overcome from the week before. It was all set up for us to play well, and then we came out and laid an egg. I don’t know what turned the light on, but I think we got in at halftime, and we wanted to preserve our season. We didn’t want to go out in the offseason with two losses like that. That’s not a good feeling. There were a lot of things we had to think about that week as far as playing better, correcting mistakes, and things of that nature. Another thing about it is that we had a veteran team. I think sometimes things happen like that with some teams, and they don’t know how to respond to it and come back from it, but we had a veteran team. We had guys that had been there a long time. We had been to two Super Bowls already before that, so we knew what it would have to take to win that game. We knew that we would have to rely on the things that we did the years before, and what we were about, and to see if we were up for the challenge and win.

Strauss : You talked about the Super Bowls. What was it like to be a part of that Bills’ Dynasty?

Reed : It was like no other dynasty. Yes, we got there. I think that Bruce [Smith], Jim [Kelly], Thurman [Thomas], and I are going to write a book about it. We have had people approach us on writing a book about those four Super Bowl years because it’s not going to happen again. Just what happened this past week with the Packers. It’s hard  to repeat, and it’s hard to even get back to that game. We did it four years in a row, which is unprecedented. It just makes it even more difficult to do. To get back just the year after is hard.

But just to be a part of that, to do it four years in a row, to see the kind of resiliency that we had, and the flare that we had. We took it upon ourselves to do our role and be a part of the team. We all wanted to go back to the Super Bowl year after year. In order to do that, there were a lot of factors that had to be in our favor. We had to be injury free. We had to have all the guys on the same page. Everybody had to be there for the same reason. That’s hard to do now-a-days because there are a lot of teams that are good one season, and it’s hard to come back the next season and then you try to figure out what happened. For example, they lost a player due to free agency or maybe they just don’t have the same drive. I feel that we had the same drive every single year, four years in a row. We all stayed together too. That was definitely a big factor. If you look at dynasties, the last dynasty was the Patriots, before that it was the Packers in the 60s, the Steelers in the 70s, the 49ers in the 80s, the Cowboys. If you look at all of these teams, if you put your finger on it, they just stayed together and believed in what they were doing. They believed in each other. That’s what we did for those years. We really had each others’ backs.

Strauss : I know you pride yourself on your work ethic. That’s why you continued to be successful in the NFL and at every level you played at. Will you talk to me about what you work ethic was like with the Bills? Where do you think you formed this work ethic?

Reed : I wouldn’t say I formed a work ethic when I got to the pros. I’ve had that work ethic since I was a kid. I was one of those kids that really loved sports. Sports was a great way for me to build character. I even tell my kids that sports has a way of having to do with a lot of things in life in general. It teaches you perseverance, dedication, discipline, and respecting your opponent. It teaches all of those things that you need later in life. My dad was really instrumental in showing what it was like to be successful in life. I still use that as a metaphor for my family. You’re not going to get something for nothing now-a-days. You got to work at it. The guys and the people that are willing to work are the ones that get the best of it. Again, I started probably at a young age, into high school, and into college, and I knew that football could be a real good thing for me. Of course, it turned out that way, but you got to make your own luck in life too.

Strauss : Would you talk to me about what it would be like to make the Hall of Fame?

Reed : Again, I’ve been talking about that for the last seven years too. If you talk to anybody that’s ever been nominated, it’s a big accomplishment. There are so many players that have come through the league in the ninety years. I think this is the 91st year of the NFL. More than 20,000 to 40,000 players have come into the league. There are only 260-something right now that get that distinction of being the best of the best that ever played. The first year that I was on the ballot, I think that if you were to ask me when I was a teenager, ‘Would I be on the ballot of the Hall of Fame?’ I would have probably laughed at you. But again, I think it has a lot to do with the people that were around me. My teammates, my family, and my friends that all believed in me. I fed off of that. It would just be a validation of a lifetime of your craft and what you do. You think about the first time you put your helmet on to the last time you took it off and there are a lot of things in between there, that you can talk about that were instrumental not only in your life, but in your career. I share that with everybody, my teammates, my family, and my friends. It would be a tremendous honor, and it would be indescribable. I can’t even describe it. It’s indescribable because you’re put up for eternity, and you’re part of something that not too many people get a chance to be a part of. That was the biggest thing. I would be in the same sentences with the Montanas, Jerry Rices, and all of the guys that played football, and really loved the game. All of those guys in the Hall of Fame loved the game. They loved to play. I’d be no different than that.

Strauss : There are so many rules today that benefit the wide receivers. You took some big hits in your career. What do you think of the rule changes today and do you think that they’re necessary for the game? Do you think they make the game better?

Reed : I think so. If you look at guys that played in the 40s and 50s, there was no such rule where receivers were “defenseless player”. Those guys had to go to another job right after the game. Over generations and throughout eras, the rules had been the same. But now the question is what happens to players after they are done playing. To me, that’s the most controversial rule change in the last few years. There’s a fine line being defenseless and somebody getting hit to dislodge the ball. There are probably four or five times I watched games this year where guys got good hits, and there was a flag thrown because supposedly he was defenseless. As you just said, there were a lot of times that I was defenseless, I got hit, and there was no flag. Again, you got to commend the commissioner because not only is he  trying to make it safer, he’s trying to raise more awareness of what concussions are about, and about how guys can really get hurt.

Strauss : When you watch the game today, if you were to choose a player or two that had the same style that you played with. What receivers would you choose?

Reed :  I have to think about that one… There aren’t too many guys that make their living in the middle, and do that kind of stuff anymore. That’s kind of hard question to even ask. The guys like Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, now Calvin Johnson, and even Wes Welker. Welker does all the dirty work in the middle and for a little guy, he’s a tough guy. I can’t say that there is one guy that emulates what I did and you can compare him to me. Another may be Anquan Boldin, he does a lot of their dirty work for the Ravens. If you look at every team, they have a speed guy and a guy that does their dirty work in the middle.

Strauss : Who do you think the best wide receiver in the game is today?

Reed :  Right now, I can’t say that there is one guy that’s probably the best. Andre Johnson was playing really great, until he got a bit dinged up this year. Calvin Johnson is not really that fast, but has the size. Larry Fitzgerald has been incredible his whole career. There are a number of guys that I could say are the best at their craft right now.

Strauss : Why did you come out with a BBQ sauce?

Reed :  There are so many things that you could do. I got into it with a couple of friends. We decided we wanted to do something for charity. All that kind of stuff. We started talking about a barbecue sauce. We met some guys down in Arkansas that made a sauce, and we tweaked it a bit. We’re actually going to be coming out with two or three more sauces, hopefully soon. This sauce has really taken off and people like it. The funny part is that I was thinking of a name, and a friend of my mine said, ‘You made your living over the middle. Why don’t we just call it Over the Middle?’ That’s where that came corm. I didn’t even think of it. He did. I’m really proud of him because we’re trying to do something for kids, and trying to make a difference in the communities. We’re trying to do something really good and make a difference. That’s really what it’s about. A lot of players do a lot of things off the field that aren’t really documented, and you don’t know what they’re doing. I think it’s an obligation because you have a name, and you could use your name to make a difference in somebody’s life. That’s the way I look at it.

Announcement : Thank you for listening to the interview with Andre Reed. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you leave your comments below as well! Please check out my website http://prointerviews.org/ for other interviews, “LIKE” the Facebook page at http://facebook.com/ProInterviews/, and follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/ProInterviews/. Thanks again for listening! Stay tuned for more, and feel free to contact me.

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Download audio interview with Jeb Terry by clicking here.

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Announcement : My name is Max Strauss with http://prointerviews.org/, http://facebook.com/ProInterviews/ and http://twitter.com/ProInterviews/. I’d like to welcome you to the interview with Jeb Terry. Terry played collegiately at the University of North Carolina (UNC) from 1999 through 2003. During his senior year, he was nominated to be an All-ACC selection. He entered the 2004 NFL Draft, and was drafted in the 5th round, 146th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played with the Buccaneers for three years and in 30 games. He recently founded an iPhone/Android app called Gridiron Grunts. Here is the interview with former Buccaneers offensive lineman, Jeb Terry.

Strauss : What was your high school football experience like?

Terry : I went to a military boarding school named Culver Military Academy. We were not very good at the time. I don’t think I had one winning season in high school. We were a really competitive team, and it was an unbelievable learning experience, and I enjoyed it immensely. I grew up in Dallas and the reason I went there was because my dad went to school there. It was something that was a legacy for me, and something that I knew I’d be doing since I was a young kid.

Strauss : Going from Texas (Hometown) to Indiana (Culver Military Academy) to North Carolina (University of North Carolina), what was that all like?

Terry : For some reason, I have always liked UNC and being that the location did not bother me. I knew I didn’t want to play in the midwest anymore because I just finished four years of high school, I wanted to get back to the south. UNC was actually my only scholarship offer. That made the decision pretty easy. I was either going to go Ivy League or UNC or walk-on at Texas. UNC made the decision really easy for me. And, I’ve never looked back.

Strauss : What was it like to put all of your work in throughout your years at UNC, and finally become an All-ACC selection your senior year?

Terry : It was great, but also frustrating because we didn’t win as many games as we would have like to. We thought we had a better team, but we had some tough seasons. It was great to be recognized for my play. It’s always tough because we would have liked to win more games and we expected to. That made it hurt at the end of the day a bit, but it was still a tight group of players, and that nomination is something that I still value a lot today. It was one of my highest achievements.

Strauss : Were you more of a mauler or pass blocker?

Terry : I was definitely one who used more of my aggression. I was way more comfortable as a mauler.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite memory from UNC?

Terry : I think it was beating Florida State. We were 0 and 3 at the time and I think we beat them like 41-9. I think that was the score in 2001 when the fans rushed the field because they were #6 in the country. It was a great experience. It was my first year starting on the offensive line, and so it was a really, really great experience.

Strauss : What was your draft day experience like?

Terry : It was an amazing experience. I actually thought that I was going to be a third round pick, but I ended up falling to the fifth round. Back when I got drafted, the 1st through 3rd round was on Saturday, and the later rounds were on Sunday. So, it was tough going to bed that Saturday night, and waiting until the next morning. Eventually, I ended up getting picked up and it was a great experience.

Strauss : You want to talk about what it was like in the NFL? Talk about what it was the like with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then to end your career with the San Francisco 49ers. Talk about what you took from it, and learned from it.

Terry : Playing in the NFL was one of those things that I worked really hard for and was one of my best accomplishments. Playing for Tampa Bay was unbelievable. They have a great fan base and it’s a great organization. I really, really enjoyed my time there. Unfortunately, as it is football, I had some injuries and things didn’t necessarily pan out as I thought that they would. I had a great career with the team, and I wanted to stay healthy, but that’s the nature of the game. The 49ers gave me an opportunity, and I went out there, and again, great guys on the team, and it was a great organization. It was great to give me an opportunity to come back, and try to make a spot on their roster, but it just didn’t work out for me either at the time. It was kind of like my body has had enough, and it was time to go home. It was time to go back to school, and I decided to go to business school.

But, playing in the NFL during one of the first practices I was blocking, well I was trying to block Derrick Brooks when Mike Alstott was running behind me. That was one of those moments when I was like, ‘Oh wow! I’m really here. This is really the NFL. This pretty freaking cool.’ That had a big impact on me. I was fortunate enough to play with guys like Derrick Brooks, Mike Alstott, Ronde Barber, guys that are going to go into the Hall of Fame for being the best at their position. I was able to watch them and try to emulate them and see what they were able to do to improve my game. Being in the NFL was a dream come true, something that I think about everyday still. It’s also something I miss greatly, competing and being around the guys and having that camaraderie.

Strauss : You talked about the guys that you got to play with. How did you end up meeting Ryan Nece? [his business partner on their joint collaboration on an iPhone/Android app, Gridiron Grunts, for more info, check out www.prointerviews.org/GridironGrunts] Did he come up to you? How did that relationship work out especially since you had to work against him in practice?

Terry : We were always the odd couple. I was a lineman, and he was a linebacker, and we ended up becoming great friends. It’s funny that I couldn’t even tell you how we first became buddies. Just playing with each other and we ended up getting to know each other by being on the team, and then, we had a chance to talk outside of football, and then we ended up becoming great friends. It was a situation in which we fed ideas off each other. Once I got the business idea structured, he was one of the first guys that I went to, with his insights and to see what he thought. From then on, it was off to the races. He had some great insights, and obviously liked what we were doing. He came aboard with his background in business. We are teammates again. It’s great to be on the same with him again.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite memory in the NFL?

Terry : My favorite NFL memory was probably my first playoff experience playing against the Redskins. It was a home game and running out into the stadium was a unique experience. It was an unbelievable moment. I always look back on that one.

Strauss : If you had to describe yourself as any sweet except for pumpkin pie and Dr. Pepper, what would you be?

Terry : Oh man… Golly. Any sweet besides pumpkin pie and Dr. Pepper… Uh… I’m not really a sweets guy. Let’s just say pass on that one. I’m not a sweets guy. I don’t think I can answer that one. I can’t come with a good answer for that one.

Strauss : For someone who wants to play in the NFL,  what’s the best advice you can give them?

Terry : The best advice I can give to someone who wants to play in the league is, well it’s kind of ‘cliché-ish’, but work as hard as you possibly can if you really want that goal. If you’re in high school or in college and you want it, strife for it. It’s something that you can’t take lightly, and it takes an unbelievable amount of work and persistence, and it’s not only focusing on the big things, but making sure you do all the little things right, in terms of preparing your body. Doing as much as you can, but also doing the little things like working on flexibility, and training. It’s one of those things that hard work and determination is something that is irreplaceable. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but you really got have your mind on that goal and go get it with all of your heart.

Strauss : Thank you so much for your time.

Terry : Alright, Max. Thanks for your time and I look forward to reading the article.

Announcement : Thank you for listening to the interview with Jeb Terry. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you leave your comments below as well! Please check out my website http://prointerviews.org/ for other interviews, “LIKE” the Facebook page at http://facebook.com/ProInterviews/, and follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/ProInterviews/. Please subscribe to me on YouTube at http://youtube.com/ProInterviews/ Thanks again for listening! Stay tuned for more, and feel free to contact me.

Strauss : Who was your childhood star?

Terry : I looked up to Daryl Johnston. I liked watching him a lot.

Strauss : If playing football in the NFL never worked out for you, what was your plan?

Terry : I was very driven to make it work. While I was in college, I was also a business major, so if football had not worked out, I would probably be doing financial services on wall street or some banking right out of college. Right after school, I would have gone right into Investment Management or Investment Banking.

Strauss : What’s your favorite TV Show?

Terry : Probably the one I watch the most would be Entourage.

Strauss : What’s your favorite movie?

Terry : My favorite movies of all time would have to be Braveheart, Gladiator, and all of those style movies.

Strauss : What is your favorite type of pie?

Terry : I eat pumpkin pie. That’s it. I’m not a sweets-guy, but if there is pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, I’ll help myself to some.

Strauss : Is that the only sweet thing you eat?

Terry : Yeah, I like pumpkin pie and Dr. Pepper (laughs). I guess that really doesn’t count as sweets. I like Dr. Pepper, I don’t know why I like it so much, but I do.

Strauss : Thank you so much for answering these personal questions!

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Download audio interview with Reggie Jones, click here.

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[Interview was conducted in the SUMMER before the 2011 season.]

Announcement : My name is Max Strauss with http://prointerviews.org/, http://facebook.com/ProInterviews/ and http://twitter.com/ProInterviews/. I’d like to welcome you to the interview with Reggie Jones. Jones attended the University of Idaho for three years. He then transferred to Portland State University and sat out due to transfer rules. During his senior year, he earned significant playing time. He entered the 2009 NFL Draft, but went undrafted. He signed with the New Orleans Saints. He was put on IR after injuring his Achilles tendon in training camp. He still earned a Super Bowl ring at the end of the year. He then was on the Saints’ practice squad during most of the 2010 season, then signed to the Washington Redskins active roster. [Since, he signed with the Vikings in the middle of the season. Just recently, he signed a future/reserves contract with the Vikings.] Here is the interview with Reggie Jones.

Strauss : How do you connect to your fans?

Jones : I just joined twitter as of February. I think that’s been the greatest place for me to connect. I’m always tweeting, and they’re tweeting me. We have so many common interests. We talk about the most random things, whether its food, football, or the weather… I just try to be accessible to them.

Strauss : How did you start playing football?

Jones : According to my mom, she said that I wanted to play since I started Walking.  At age six, I started playing pop-warner football in Las Vegas,  I played safety, punt returner, and kick returner. I just loved playing football. Whenever I wasn’t playing, I wanted to be playing. If I wasn’t on the field, I was playing Tecmo Bowl on the regular Nintendo. I love playing the game of football. I still do. As a matter of fact, in high school, I carried my football with me everyday. In college it was the same thing. I just love the game.

Strauss : What was your high school football experience like?

Jones : I won two games in three years. haha. I moved from Federal Way, Washington to Kent, Washington. There were four schools in our area: Kentwood, Kentridge, Kent Lake, and Kent Meridian. I knew nothing about the city of Kent. I also didn’t know Kent Meridian was considered the weakest of the four schools in football. I asked my grandma, ‘Can I transfer schools? Can I go somewhere else?’ She told me, ‘No’ and that if I’m good; scouts will find me wherever I was at. So with her telling me that, I tried to make the most out of the situation and remained loyal to my school. I stayed there for four years, and we only won two games. Every time we played a game, I tried to turn it into a highlight film to make sure that I had the other coaches’ and players respect around the league.

Strauss : What was the transition like to Portland State?

Jones: I went to the University of Idaho for my first three years, where I was coached by Nick Holt for two seasons, and Dennis Erickson for my Junior year. Then with a third coaching change and everything, I left to Portland State. I had to sit out the first year because of the transfer rule. Coach Glanville was my coach for my Senior season at Portland State. The Defensive Back Coach {Alundis Brice} moved over to Portland State as well. When they told me to come over there, I had to prove myself in the offseason. I went out for un official workouts in the summer with a chip on my shoulder, and kind-of showed off to the guys, so there was a buzz about me before the official school year started . When I finally got there, I got my scholarship. During that red-shirt year the coaches had me playing Wide Receiver. They felt it was a good way for me to prepare to become a two-way player for the upcoming season.  I knew I had to go out and ball like my life depended on it, because it did! I had to do everything in one year, just to make sure I got to be where I wanted to be, which was in the NFL.  That one year I went out and, put all my eggs in a basket, and my season was successful.

Strauss : What positions did you play in college ball?

Jones : I played Cornerback Punt Returner and Kick Returner at Idaho. When I got to Portland State, they put me at Receiver, Cornerback and Punt Returner.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite memory from playing at Portland State?

Jones : I would say driving up to play Washington State. It was a big game Pac-10 opponent with a chance for me to shine on a big stage. I’ve played them every year, (being that I went to U of I, and the two schools are eight miles apart), but this time was different. Just driving back up to the Palouse felt different. Being on a big time stage and being able to perform on that level was a great experience. I had two int’s that game and a pass break up. That was the game I needed to show scouts I could play with higher competition being that I came from a small school.

Strauss : Your senior season, you had a interception return for a touchdown, if you remember, what was that like?

Jones : It was cool, I guess… It was fun! haha. When the ball was in my hand, I tried to score so, I mean I don’t know how to put that into words. It was what it was supposed to be, an interception to the house! haha

Strauss: What was your draft day experience like?

Jones: My agent told me that I could possibly go second day. I had a few people over. It was just some family and close friends and we BBQ’d (This was on day two). We were waiting around, and I kept seeing all these names going up on the screen. I was thanking God and hoping that a team would call my name. I kept seeing different names and different teams going . I was thinking, “Man, this is really kind of embarrassing. I have everybody over here watching and wanting me to get drafted.” And  as you know…I didn’t!

Right after the draft was over, I kind-of broke down for a minute. I didn’t show my tears to anyone, but I broke down just a little bit.  I was thinking that my dream might not come true. I got a call a little later from my agent and he said, ‘The Saints are on the phone. They want to sign you they want to bring you in. I talked to the coach. He asked me “Are you ready to go?” I was like, ‘Yeah!’ and I hung up the phone. I broke down again, but this time I just ran down the block. My family said, ‘Where are you going?’ I couldn’t talk to anybody, I was filled with so much emotion. 

I knew all I needed was an opportunity, Whether I got drafted as the number one pick, or didn’t  get drafted at all. The only thing I wanted was an opportunity. And here I am now!

Strauss : What was it like your rookie year to have that injury in training camp and set you back a little?

Jones : It hurt. It wasn’t the actual Achilles tear that hurt me, it was knowing that everything felt like it came crashing down all in one moment. I’m back-peddling, and I break for the interception, and my Achilles pops. In that one moment, I thought, maybe it’s my ankle. I heard the pop. When I found out, that it was the Achilles, I was like, “Oh my god” I never had any injury to that extent. They wheeled me off to the training room. All I kept saying and repeating was, “IM NOT DONE, I’M NOT DONE.” Every coach that came in, I told them, ‘I’M NOT DONE.’ The players know the type of worker I am, so I’m sure they believed in me when I said, “I’m not done.” I kept saying this because I knew I was going to work hard to get back. It hurt because it was the day before we left for our first preseason game. I wasn’t able to go out and show what I could do on the field. I knew I had a very big uphill battle to conquer.

The next year my Achilles wasn’t 100%, but it was good enough for me to go out and play. I was put on the practice squad. I was thinking, “well obviously, I’m not at 100%, but I’m good enough to help this team, and still contribute.” I went to practice, and pushed it to the limits everyday. Each week I ran routes as a the opposing teams #1 receiver, because they were thinking about converting me to receiver in New Orleans as well. I was running routes, playing offense, playing defense, and returning kickoffs. I did all of this to better my team, but also to make sure I was strong whenever they called me up. Which is where I am at now. READY TO GO!

Strauss : What was the Super Bowl like?

Jones : The Super Bowl was crazy. That was one of my top three experiences in life. Having my son was number one, but the Super Bowl, I can’t think of a feeling… The whole week of preparation and then, actually winning it all was amazing. The entire year Gregg [Williams] had me doing weekly projects for the defense. He would have me scout  the opposing  teams and break it down. He’d have me present it to the defense as well. I felt like I was part of the team that year, even with my injury. Instead of just going home, I was a part of everything that we were doing. To actually win the Super Bowl and to be on the field pretty much as a coach without the title, was great. The confetti, the cheers, the cries, all of the ‘Who Dats’, everything. It was just great!

Strauss : What was the transition like to the Redskins?

Jones : Like I said, I was on the practice squad with the Saints, all year. I was going up against one of the best offenses in the NFL everyday. Brees, Meachem, Colston, Bush, Shockey, etc…  To deal with their caliber of talent everyday during practice,  made the transition a lot smoother and a lot easier for me to get to Washington D.C. I learned so much from Gregg Williams who was actually the coach in Washington before he came here. Combining both of those, it made things so much easier. I still have a chip on my shoulder! I’m ready to go in there and dominate! I want to do my thing, lead by example, and help get this team where we’re supposed to be.

Strauss : You mentioned Gregg Williams, the Defensive Coordinator of the Saints, what’s he like?

Jones : I love Gregg [Williams]. Gregg is probably the best coach I’ve ever had, simply because he pushes you to your limits and further. He doesn’t believe you have a cap; that you can’t push further. He always teaches the little things about the game. I remember the first thing he ever told our entire defense, “I want when you leave here to be able to say, I learned something more about football that I didn’t know before you coached me.’ I learned a lot more. I learned so much more with Gregg coaching me.

Strauss : What are your plans for next year?

Jones : Whenever next year starts, I plan to be the starting Cornerback. I’m going to work as hard as I need to work. That’s what I’m doing now. I want and will be the starting Corner for the Washington Redskins, and lead by example.

Strauss : What do you think the three keys to your success are?

Jones : My three keys to success would be hard work, determination, and just pure will.

Strauss : What advice do you have to rookies especially going through this offseason, and the ones who are undrafted?

Jones : It’s tough enough to be undrafted, but for these guys, I feel a little more for them. They thought they would be able to sign after the draft, and get a contract. I’d tell them, keep grinding and working everyday as if they are going to have to start tomorrow because you never know when we’re going to start up again, and you’re going to have to be more than ready. You’re not going to have the same amount of chances that the first round draft pick has, so you have to be ready to go when your number is called.

Strauss : If you could describe yourself as any ice cream flavor, what would you be and why?

Jones : Hahaha. Ice cream flavor… Hmmm… Mint Chocolate Chip. Haha. The reason is because that’s my wife’s favorite ice cream. I don’t really eat ice cream though. I just like how it sounds. There’s a lot to it. haha

Strauss : For someone in college, in high school, or even in pop warner, who plays football, what’s the best advice you can give them if they want to make it into the NFL?

Jones : Hard work. Always work hard. Never think that you’re done, and that you’ve reached your maximum potential because even when you’ve reach your so-called, ‘maximum potential’, you can push yourself even further. Just continue to work hard, and continue to try to better yourself.

Strauss : Thank you so much for your time Reggie. I really appreciate it.

Jones : No problem, Max. Stay tuned.

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->Here are the personal questions that Reggie Jones answered.<-

Strauss : If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?

Jones : I would meet P. Diddy because I like his swag. Some people don’t like him. People say he’s cocky, but I think he is one of the greatest entrepreneurs. He made something out of nothing. I like people like that.

Strauss : If you weren’t playing in the NFL, what would you want to do?

Jones : If I never had the opportunity to play, I would either be a personal trainer or try to go into music, which I’m doing now. I like working with people. I would definitely run some [football] camps if I couldn’t play.

Strauss : After the NFL, what do you plan on doing?

Jones : After, I plan on sports-anchoring, like ESPN-type stuff. Just getting out there and still staying in the game. I also wouldn’t mind coaching. The hours the coaches have to put in are a bit hectic though. haha That might make me think twice about doing that.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite TV show?

Jones : I would say, Chloe and Lamar I guess. I used to like the Kendra show with Hank Baskett.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite movie of all time?

Jones : TROY!  It’s kind of funny that that’s my favorite movie, because I ended up tearing my achilles. And the warriors name is Achilles. So I grew even closer to the movie.

Strauss : Do you have a favorite type of pie?

Jones : Nah… I’m not really too into sweets. But I guess if I had to pick one, I’d say apple… I guess. haha

Strauss : Thank you for your time on the personal questions Reggie.

Jones : No problem.