Transcript of quarterback Tim Tebow's news conference at his locker following Wednesday's midday full-squad minicamp practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
On how it has been learning a new offense…
It has been fun. It has been good. [I'm] just enjoying it. [I'm] still learning the offense – trying to get everything down whether I am in there or not.
On if there has been a learning curve…
Everyday its been something new, from learning the offense, understanding coaches – building relationships with them, how you interact [with them], how they handle practice, the drills that we do. Everything has been somewhat of a learning curve, but it has been a lot of fun – I have enjoyed it every day and I am looking forward to the future as well.
On if he was worried about his relationship with Mark Sanchez before he got here…
We have been cool for a long time. He is a great guy and obviously we go out there and compete hard in everything we do, but we have a great relationship. It really helps when you are rooting for the other guy as well. I know I am rooting for him and I believe that he is rooting for me, whether that is in the weight room, classroom, locker room or on the practice field I think that really helps the relationship.
On if he is purchasing a home in Northport on Long Island…
I can deny that. I've never been there. It's just another one of those rumors like "I am living in Hoboken [N.J.]."
On if he is anxious to see what kind of plays the Jets are going to put in for him…
Not really. I'm just excited right now about learning this offense and getting it down 100% before we move on and throw some other things in there. I think I have to remain focused right now and try to understand the offense. When you have the whole offense down it is easy to tweak things and work around everything.
On if he feels as if the offense is struggling…
Not really. I really feel like as an offense we have done a good job of understanding and grasping the offense every day. We are pretty much through everything now. Now will kind of be our second time going through the plays. I feel like we continue to get better. I really feel like the last few days we have had pretty good days and done pretty well. You just have to continue and be consistent as Coach Sparano always says.
On having the fans out today…
It was fun. It is great having them out there. We are so busy throughout practice it is hard to always get out there and see them. They were definitely passionate.
On playing for Tony Sparano and learning his offense…
I think it's fun. Coach Sparano is someone that is very passionate and very excited out there at practice. He's going to let you know when you do it good and he's going to let you know when you do it bad. And that's what you want out of a coach. You always know where you stand. It's just fun because every day, regardless what drill or what you are doing, he's into it 100 percent and that is fun to see.
On if he has learned anything this spring from playing alongside Sanchez…
I think I've learned something new every day. Whether that's something with fundamentals, whether it's something we're learning as an offense, whether it's something we're learning about our defense, every day is a learning opportunity and I try to get better every single day.
On if it is weird that he has come from Denver being "the man" and is now here figuring out his role…
One of my favorite quotes is "I don't know what my future holds but I know who holds my future." That's something that gives me peace and comfort in whatever situation I'm in and whatever circumstances are thrown my way. That is how I try to handle everything. I'm not too worried about being the man; I'm just worried about being the best man I can be.
On Jets West…
It'll be fun. We'll have a good time. We'll enjoy it. We'll go throw it around and hang out and try to get a little bit better.
On how everything has been with the Jets compared to what he expected…
Well, I did not know what to expect to be honest with you. But it has been fun. It has been a great time. From the six weeks or whatever we had in the weight room, to the OTA session, and now to the minicamp it has been fun. In our meeting today, we were going over plays from our first practice and me and Mark [Sanchez] looked at each other and where like, 'Gosh, that seemed like forever ago that we have been doing this.' And it has only been four weeks. We have had a good time and it has gone by very fast.
On Dustin Keller winning the offensive offseason award over him…
Dustin does a great job in there, so good for him.
On the media attention...
Honestly I try not to let it bother me one way or another. There's really not too much I can do to control it and I just try to handle it the best I can.
On Tedy Bruschi's comments…
Someone mentioned something to me about it, yeah. To be honest I just do what I'm told. I'm told on this day to talk to you, so I'm going to talk to you. And to be honest, I just go about it however the Jets set it up, the rules that they want us to do, who they want us to talk to, who they don't want us to talk to. I don't get paid enough to make all those decisions. I just do what I'm told and try to do the best I can.
On speaking to the media and the public…
Well, I don't know that I'm out there talking, I'm here talking to y'all because that's what they want. So like I said, I just do what I'm told and try to make the most of it. So that's something that you'd figure that he would understand, though, just that I just do whatever I'm asked to do.
On if it's "old school" to only have the first-string quarterback speak to the media…
I'm not sure. I think he's a guy that I've always respected and he always makes a lot of great points so I'm sure he had a great reason for it. But like I said, I'm just doing what I'm asked to do.
On Bruschi's comment about needing to disappear…
I don't know that I can help him with that. It would be pretty hard [laughs].
On if he wants more reps with the starters…
No, I think one way you can look at it is to look at it with the group you're going with if you do a good job with them than you should do an even better job with the ones. So that's how I look at it, from the positive standpoint. And If you're able to communicate with protections, with the routes, with the players, and the twos, who are usually a lot of young guys, then you know when you get to the ones it just should get easier from there.
On if he ran with the ones at training camp last year…
Last year, in Denver? No.
On getting in only one rep with the ones today…
Two [laughs], two.
On how it felt to get a rep in…
It felt the same, I'm just playing football. Didn't really feel any different.
On if it was a surprise to get a rep in…
No, not really. Coach Ryan does that every now and then, just kind of throws you in there. I don't know that it's necessarily planned, I think it's just a field thing, however it's going. So the last two plays threw me in there and tried to make the most of them.
On if people should read into the reps he received with the ones today…
I don't think so, I don't.
On learning the team dynamic…
I think I'm continuing to do that. I think, overall I'm still pretty young here as a jet, and so I'm still learning every day. Just from the chemistry in the locker room, I feel like I'm gaining a great relationship with a lot of guys in this locker room. But they're still understanding. Still getting to know guys, from coaches, to players, to front office, so it's still pretty new.
On the locker room dynamic…
Absolutely. I've got a great sense from, you hear all this stuff from the locker room. The locker room has been great. It's been a locker room that's been supportive of one another, it's been a locker room that's been encouraging one another. It's been phenomenal.
On getting reps with the starters…
Whatever I'm asked to do, I'm going to do it. I mean, you're running the same plays, I'm still getting timing with those receivers from routes on there, and 7-on-7's sometimes and certain things. So just whatever I'm asked to do, that's what I'm going to do with all my heart.
On what he heard about the locker room prior to being a Jet…
I mean, yeah, you do hear about certain things. But since I've been here, it's been great. The guys have been encouraging from offense, defense, special teams, regardless. It's been a great locker room.
On working on mechanics…
Yeah, I mean, every day, trying to get a little bit better with my mechanics, with my fundamentals, with timing, rhythm, all those things and understanding the offense. I feel like I am getting better every single day. I feel like I've made a lot of strides, a lot of improvements through this OTA minicamp time and hopefully I'll continue that through training camp.
On improving his motions….
I think to improve, that's always a possibility. I think that's what we're trying to do every single day and that's something that I'm trying to do as a quarterback, improvement, and I believe I am doing that.
On his level of muscle memory…
You throw it, you do anything enough a new way, and you'll learn it.
On if the Jets' approach to mechanics is different than what he has done in the past…
Well, I was doing a lot of work before I actually became a Jet and then that kind of carried over into my work with Coach Cav [Matt Cavanaugh] and Coach Sparano. And I think that will continue for a long time. I feel like we've made a lot of strides and we're continuing to improve every single day.
On if he will disrupt the offense…
I'll try not to do anything to disrupt the offense too bad [laughs]. I'm left-handed, there's not really too much I can do about that. And as far as running and stuff, I'm trying to work on sealing the pocket, everything that Coach Cav [Cavanaugh], Coach Sparano are working on with me. But they're also, when everything breaks down, they like me trying to be an athlete and making plays every now and then. Like the second-to-last one in the scrimmage, they don't discourage that at all, either.
On if being left-handed is disruptive to a defense…
I don't think so. I don't know. Your blind side's different, so usually they put their best in at right end for the left tackle so you get to see them coming more. Maybe that could be an advantage, but for the most part, I feel like it's pretty similar.
On if he goes to special-teams meetings…
Not all of them. I go to some. More just meet specifically with Coach Ben [Kotwica] and Westy [Mike Westhoff] when he gets healthy and gets back.
On if Coach Westhoff has called from home…
No, he hasn't called me.
On a target weight…
I've talked to them a little bit about it. They just want me to be just athletic. But I feel like I'm at a good weight right now.
On if he is at a similar weight to when he was at Denver…
No, I weighed in at 249 today and played about 240, 242.
On the added weight…
Yeah, I'm not sure, but I'll probably play about 250 this year.
On if the weight gain was for running purposes…
No, I just feel like I'm just training hard and just trying to be in shape and be strong enough to handle anything, but also fast enough to be able to run around a little bit as well.
On if it's the heaviest he's been in his life…
Yes.
On the Jets fans' opinions…
I think if they're a Jets fan, hopefully they'll be rooting for me. And I'll do whatever I can to help this team win football games. I'll give my heart and soul whenever I step on that field and even when I'm on the sidelines. And at the end of the day, that's all you can really ask of someone.
