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(Andy Cohen In the Morning – AC in the AM – appears on Dolphins.com every Monday through Friday morning throughout training camp and the season. The column is posted at 6 a.m. You can also follow AC in the AM by Twitter @acohenfins).
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Imagine what it’s like to be Dolphins first-year defensive line coach Terrell Williams. He walks into his unit’s meeting room and sitting there, among others, is the best defensive tackle in the league in Ndamukong Suh
and one of the most elite pass rushers in Cameron Wake. A few seats away is Olivier Vernon, filled with Pro Bowl potential, and veteran nose tackles C.J. Mobley and Earl Mitchell, two of the league’s top run-stuffers.
Willliams must look around that room and say to himself: How lucky am I?
Truth is, the luck goes both ways. When the Dolphins lost former defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers to the New York Jets during the offseason, Joe Philbin had to find a suitable replacement, in this case someone who could gain the respect of a room filled with enormous talent.
Williams turned out to be the ideal choice. He is a former defensive lineman himself and spent the previous three seasons with the Oakland Raiders, coaching, among others, former All-Pro defensive end Richard Seymour. More so, he understands the mindset of these players. What drives them. What makes them tick. What tools they need to succeed.
So on a sweltering August morning, I approached Williams as he walked off the practice field. He is a big imposing looking man, but his eyes are kind, his smile is warm and his words speak of a person who knows how fortunate he is, but also has the confidence to believe he can make a difference in the football lives of these men.
“Got a few minutes to talk,” I asked him.
“Be happy to,” came the reply.
And these 10 questions followed:
1. Do you ever look around at all the talent in that defensive line meeting room and think you are in coaching heaven?
TW: (Big smile). I’m just excited to work with these guys. The best thing about these guys is that they are all hard workers not just Suh, not just Wake, but you throw in Earl Mitchell and other guys in there is well. We all know that Suh is a great player, but what people don’t realize about him is that, while he is an elite player, his work ethic is elite and his intelligence is elite. To me, that’s what separates him from a lot of players.
2. Now that you’ve mentioned Suh, how do you approach coaching him? Can you really teach him something?
TW: Absolutely. He understands he needs to get better. Every day we come out, we will set up something different for him to work on, whether it is his first step or his hands or his pad level. He understands he needs to get better. That’s the great thing about coaching a player like Suh. You can coach him just like you coach a practice squad guy. He wants to be coached. He wants to get better. I love the guy, not like him, love him!
3. Is Cameron Wake the same?
TW: Very much the same. He has a great work ethic. The thing about superstars you have to remember is they got there for a reason. They are hard workers. They want to get better. They want to make the people around them better. These are attributes I see every day in both Suh and Wake.
4. The defensive line is generally considered the strength of this team. How loaded is this group?
TW: You know we are still really trying to figure that out. On paper, we have some depth. But we have a long way to go before we can start talking about how great the group is. We have some individuals who are great, but we are still trying to jell as a unit.
5. How much fun is this?
TW: I have fun every day. You go to work with a group of guys like this group and how can it not be fun? They make it fun. They care so much about their craft; they drive each other to get better.
6. You are the only new coach on this year’s team. How comfortable do you feel?
TW: I feel real comfortable. I worked with Lou Araumo at Purdue. I know Kevin Coyle. I worked with Zach Taylor at Texas A&M. Everybody has made me feel welcome. When I went to the Oakland Raiders, I walked into a situation where I hardly knew anybody. This is different. This is a great situation for me.
7. You hear so much about the flexibility of Suh and Wake. Will they basically be playing in the same spots or will you be moving them around?
TW: We will find the best matchups and let them play football. That’s what training camp is all about. There’s a lot we’re working on figuring out. But trust me, we will exploit every match-up advantage in any way we can.
8. Do you have a basic coaching philosophy that you try to live by each day?
TW: It really is very simple. I believe in attacking the line of scrimmage. Be nasty. Play that way. That’s what I try to do tell these guys. There is no shortcuts and no easy way to play the defensive line. It’s one thing to know technique, but it’s another to have the right mindset. I want these guys to play nasty and to be aggressive on every play. Some guys naturally have it. Some guys you can bring it out of them.
9. Second-year player Terrence Fede has quietly enjoyed an excellent camp. What do you see in him?
TW: I see a young guy who has a lot of upside. I see a guy with a lot of work to do and he certainly understands that. He has good body control and a good set of skills. Now he has to refine his game. That’s what we’re working on every day. But talent? He definitely has that.
10. Finally, let’s go back to that defensive line meeting room. Take us inside. What’s it like each day?
TW: You know, we laugh a lot, we joke a lot, we have a good time. But when it’s time to make a point, we make a point. I like these guys to have fun. I want them to feel comfortable with one another. But, as much fun as we have, I always tell them I’ll get it out of them on the back end.
# # #
Imagine what it’s like to be Dolphins first-year defensive line coach Terrell Williams. He walks into his unit’s meeting room and sitting there, among others, is the best defensive tackle in the league in Ndamukong Suh
and one of the most elite pass rushers in Cameron Wake. A few seats away is Olivier Vernon, filled with Pro Bowl potential, and veteran nose tackles C.J. Mobley and Earl Mitchell, two of the league’s top run-stuffers. Willliams must look around that room and say to himself: How lucky am I?
Truth is, the luck goes both ways. When the Dolphins lost former defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers to the New York Jets during the offseason, Joe Philbin had to find a suitable replacement, in this case someone who could gain the respect of a room filled with enormous talent.
Williams turned out to be the ideal choice. He is a former defensive lineman himself and spent the previous three seasons with the Oakland Raiders, coaching, among others, former All-Pro defensive end Richard Seymour. More so, he understands the mindset of these players. What drives them. What makes them tick. What tools they need to succeed.
So on a sweltering August morning, I approached Williams as he walked off the practice field. He is a big imposing looking man, but his eyes are kind, his smile is warm and his words speak of a person who knows how fortunate he is, but also has the confidence to believe he can make a difference in the football lives of these men.
“Got a few minutes to talk,” I asked him.
“Be happy to,” came the reply.
And these 10 questions followed:
1. Do you ever look around at all the talent in that defensive line meeting room and think you are in coaching heaven?
TW: (Big smile). I’m just excited to work with these guys. The best thing about these guys is that they are all hard workers not just Suh, not just Wake, but you throw in Earl Mitchell and other guys in there is well. We all know that Suh is a great player, but what people don’t realize about him is that, while he is an elite player, his work ethic is elite and his intelligence is elite. To me, that’s what separates him from a lot of players.
2. Now that you’ve mentioned Suh, how do you approach coaching him? Can you really teach him something?
TW: Absolutely. He understands he needs to get better. Every day we come out, we will set up something different for him to work on, whether it is his first step or his hands or his pad level. He understands he needs to get better. That’s the great thing about coaching a player like Suh. You can coach him just like you coach a practice squad guy. He wants to be coached. He wants to get better. I love the guy, not like him, love him!
3. Is Cameron Wake the same?
TW: Very much the same. He has a great work ethic. The thing about superstars you have to remember is they got there for a reason. They are hard workers. They want to get better. They want to make the people around them better. These are attributes I see every day in both Suh and Wake.
4. The defensive line is generally considered the strength of this team. How loaded is this group?
TW: You know we are still really trying to figure that out. On paper, we have some depth. But we have a long way to go before we can start talking about how great the group is. We have some individuals who are great, but we are still trying to jell as a unit.
5. How much fun is this?
TW: I have fun every day. You go to work with a group of guys like this group and how can it not be fun? They make it fun. They care so much about their craft; they drive each other to get better.
6. You are the only new coach on this year’s team. How comfortable do you feel?
TW: I feel real comfortable. I worked with Lou Araumo at Purdue. I know Kevin Coyle. I worked with Zach Taylor at Texas A&M. Everybody has made me feel welcome. When I went to the Oakland Raiders, I walked into a situation where I hardly knew anybody. This is different. This is a great situation for me.
7. You hear so much about the flexibility of Suh and Wake. Will they basically be playing in the same spots or will you be moving them around?
TW: We will find the best matchups and let them play football. That’s what training camp is all about. There’s a lot we’re working on figuring out. But trust me, we will exploit every match-up advantage in any way we can.
8. Do you have a basic coaching philosophy that you try to live by each day?
TW: It really is very simple. I believe in attacking the line of scrimmage. Be nasty. Play that way. That’s what I try to do tell these guys. There is no shortcuts and no easy way to play the defensive line. It’s one thing to know technique, but it’s another to have the right mindset. I want these guys to play nasty and to be aggressive on every play. Some guys naturally have it. Some guys you can bring it out of them.
9. Second-year player Terrence Fede
has quietly enjoyed an excellent camp. What do you see in him? TW: I see a young guy who has a lot of upside. I see a guy with a lot of work to do and he certainly understands that. He has good body control and a good set of skills. Now he has to refine his game. That’s what we’re working on every day. But talent? He definitely has that.
10. Finally, let’s go back to that defensive line meeting room. Take us inside. What’s it like each day?
TW: You know, we laugh a lot, we joke a lot, we have a good time. But when it’s time to make a point, we make a point. I like these guys to have fun. I want them to feel comfortable with one another. But, as much fun as we have, I always tell them I’ll get it out of them on the back end.
