Photo Courtesy of CBS-Boston
PATRIOTS CENTER DAVID ANDREWS
PRESS CONFERENCE
July 25, 2018
Q: Is it different for you this season coming in as a captain and being considered a veteran on this roster?
DA: No, I think you just approach each year as the same. You’ve got to kind of start at ground zero here. We’ve got a lot to work on. I’ve got a lot to work on, and that’s why we’ve got these weeks of training camp. I just try to take it day by day and really approach it the same that I have my whole career.
Q: We often here from players that this is an ongoing process to get “where we want to be.” Where exactly is that? Is that the Super Bowl?
DA: I mean, I think everyone’s obvious goal is to go out there and play and win games. You win enough games, the result is obvious. I think for us, right now, it’s just we’ve got to go out there and get better every day. We’ve got to form that team. It’s kind of a new group every year. We’ve got a lot of things we’ve got to work on and we’ll start here in the morning. I think it’s just improving each week, each day, and that’s just what we try to do.
Q: If there were a list of goals to accomplish throughout the season, would winning the division be at the top of it given that it would be the surest springboard to the playoffs?
DA: I think there’s, obviously, things like that, but that stuff’s going to happen a lot later in the year. Right now training camp is really that main goal. Training camp is fun. It’s a lot of competition, things like that, where we can work on each other. We’ll just try and start building that process to get to that point.
Q: Is it good to have Coach Dante Scarnecchia back as your position coach for another season?
DA: Yeah, I’ve got a lot of respect for Scar [Dante Scarnecchia] and what he does. He’s been doing it a long time. I think as a player – seeing that – it speaks volumes to how committed he is and how much he really does want to do this. It’s been awesome getting to learn from Scar and getting to play for him.
Q: Is it strange not having Nate Solder here?
DA: That’s just, unfortunately, the business. Like I said earlier, each year has been different; different teams. It’s kind of crazy when you think about it, but that’s just how it is. Nate was always great to me, a great teammate and I wish him all the best.
Q: Are you looking forward to all of the competition that lies ahead on the offensive line throughout training camp?
DA: Yeah, I think there’s competition every year and I think you need that competition to really push yourself and become a better football player. I think that’s where you see a lot of growth in guys, is competing. Not only competing against the defense and defensive lineman, but within a group and that’s just part of it, too.
Q: As a veteran player, how would you say your relationship with Bill Belichick has evolved since your rookie season?
DA: I’ve always had a lot of respect for Coach [Bill Belichick]. I think it is kind of crazy to think of [myself] as a veteran player. It’s only my fourth year. But Coach has always been good to me and I really respect him and he’s a heck of football coach.
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Q: Have you gotten to spend a lot of time with Isaiah Wynn, and what have been your first impressions of him?
DA: Yeah, I mean, I played with Isaiah at Georgia. Isaiah’s a great guy. I’m excited that he’s on our football team. I think he’s a good football player. Like the rest of us, he’s got a lot of work to do. I’ve always liked Isaiah.
Q: Given that there has not been much physicality on the field during the offseason workouts, has Isaiah been able to keep up with you guys as far as the mental aspect of the game is concerned?
DA: The learning curve as a rookie is so tough. Personally, as a rookie, I remember being in his situation. It can get overwhelming and I think that’s what you’ve got to try to do, is not let it overwhelm you. There’s going to be stuff you don’t know. You’re going to mess up, but it’s not making those continuous mistakes and things like that. It’ll be big for all of us to mesh and grow and not make the mistakes moving forward. We’ll see.
Q: Do you feel for your teammate, Malcolm Mitchell, and how he has been sort of snake-bitten with injuries throughout his time here?
DA: I’m not quite sure. Malcom’s a great guy, a great competitor. Unfortunately, injuries are a part of this game.
Q: With Tom Brady going into this 19th season, does he continue to amaze you every day that he steps in and what he’s able to do throughout training camp?
DA: Yeah, you know, you’ve got to have a lot of respect for that guy. Just seeing what he does day in and day out, the same drive and focus that he’s had, in my – now going on our fourth training camp together, I guess – so it’s kind of crazy to see all of the things that he’s accomplished and things like that, and still has that drive and things like that. It’s a great quality of his and something you look up to.
Q: What are some of the things that he has taught you that have helped you throughout your career?
DA: He’s taught me a lot. I think you can learn a lot from just watching people and just kind of soaking things in like that. It’s not always what people say or may say to you. It can just be something as little as watching somebody and seeing how they approach things, how they carry themselves. I think you can learn a lot from people like that.
Q: How has your perspective changed heading into training camp from your time as a rookie to now?
DA: I don’t think it has changed that much. I think it’s big to just come into each training camp and go to work for a job. I think if you look at it like that, with that competitiveness and non-complacency, if you look at it in those ways, I think it’s going to work out the best for you.
Q: Is there one thing you know now that you wish you knew as a rookie?
DA: Relax. Take a deep breath. It will be alright.
Q: Is there any part of you that is surprised or shocked at how big Trent Brown is?
DA: No, I mean, he’s a big guy. There’s been a lot of big guys in this league that I’ve come across, especially in college, too. He’s a massive guy. I wouldn’t have wanted to feed him as a child, that’s for sure.
Transcripts are provided by the Patriots media relations department as a courtesy to the media.