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Transcript - Jaguars Head Coach Urban Meyer: March 19, 2021

(On his reaction of being reunited with Coach Charlie Strong) "I was excited. I know how he coaches and what he's about. It's just this energy level that he brings. It just brought back flashbacks of college and how we were, and I got very excited once I heard that and just to see him again."

(On the process of ending up in Jacksonville and his reaction) "Like I said, I was ecstatic about coming here with the direction the program is going, but the process was like—once I heard about me being traded, or potentially cut, I kind of just focused on working out and things like that. Because the first time I went through free agency, I kind of sat there and worried about everything, what's going to happen and this and that, and I just kind of worried myself to death. So, I just kind of worked out, stuck to the family, just kept my mind busy all day and then whatever happened after that, would happen."

(On starting something different and new in Jacksonville versus an established defense in New Orleans) "Man, it's just—I mean, everybody's got to come in, got to work hard. It's not a real big difference. We've just got to come in and, like I said, work hard. Everybody's got to contribute and just come out there and go [hard] every play and just leave it out there."

(On building the team around the defensive line) "Being in this league for a while, you hear that a lot and it's very true. The big guys set the tone of the game. Everybody goes off of those guys, whether it's offensive line or defensive line, they start it all. Offensive line has got to block for the run, block for the pass. Defense has got to go through the offensive line and go stop them. We always make contact first, so we just—it feels good that we're building something strong on the defensive line and I just hope we continue to grow and get better together."

(On what he learned from coaches at the Patriots and Saints that he hopes to bring to Jacksonville) "Like you said that Coach [Urban] Meyer said, it starts at the line and I take that to heart. Being like a nose in this league, I'm always making contact first. Some of the most physical blocks happen in that position, so we've just got to come in and work hard at it. I mean, that's all it is. From program, to program, to program, that's all it's been, is that it starts right there, make contact first and everything happens right there."

(On coming to Jacksonville) "Like I said, I was ecstatic. I heard what coaches were here and what direction they were going in and like I said, I was happy. I already knew the situation I was in over in New Orleans, I already knew they had to get under cap space, I already knew it was over. So, I mean, just doing that, keeping that mind. I just wanted to attack the offseason, wherever I'm going to be, I'll be the best version of me. Like I said, when the trade happened, I was on the phone, I was happy, I was running around the house. It doesn't matter where the program was last year, it's about what we do next year."

(On meetings with the coaches including Jaguars Head Coach Urban Meyer) "I mean, it's good, man. Getting to know his mindset, his philosophy on things, how he thinks about things. It really gives you a clear picture of what he wants to put out or create from this program. So, hearing him talk about that, just even more got me more excited about the whole process and where we're going forward. Those conversations have been going good. And d-line, he thinks that much of the d-line—that also made me happy."

(On whether conversations with Coach Meyer felt like a recruiting pitch) "No, definitely not. I mean, I wouldn't necessarily say that because I'm already here now, we already made the trade and everything. [There isn't] anything to pitch for me right now, I'm already here, I already signed up and everything, so it was more so, like I said, just getting to know him and the philosophy that he comes with, the things that he's trying to bring to the team and the direction that he's trying to go with what he's trying to do. So, that's what we really talked about and stuff like that."

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