Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. Now, while nagging injuries kept Cam Curl out of the action down the stretch of the season, it was very clear early on that he was going to have a big impact and be a force to be reckoned with in the defensive backfield. Now he had eighty three tackles in just twelve games that he played and is becoming a leader on defense for head coach Ron Rivera. They're expecting him to have a big impact on the team next season.
But before he took off for the off season, while he sat down on the players Club with London Fletcher and Santana Moss check it out. So Cam, first off, we want to know how's how's your body feeling? How's your ankles progressing? Really good? It's been good right now, just when really liked performing at a high level for you know what I'm saying, like I couldn't go ahead and do what I needed to do, you know, But it's getting good. That is going in the right direction.
I know. I know earlier this year, um, it was like one of those signs when you when you didn't get a chance to play. We didn't know and then when you got in there and played, we saw how much you meant to the defense. What was it like just seeing how it thinks it seemed like things shift again when we didn't have you them last few games. Was it something that you felt though saw also or it was just like you know, you wish you could
have been out there. You weren't thinking about that. I mean I wish I could have been out there, but I mean watching the game like you see, you know, anytime you're on the sideline, you see stuff like I could have made that could have been that, Like you're just trying to help your team, you know, no matter like who out there, just trying to help your team get better. You know, you can make it the team
better at being on the field. So anytime off the field, like it's just I don't like it because I don't like never come off like playing I'm playing every snap, so not being even able to play one snap, like, it's just it's not I'm not used to that got you. You were like a Swiss army knife for this uh this team, and you're playing Buffalo Nickel, You're playing strong safety, playing Mike backer at at times during the week from US preparation standpoint all in off the field in the classroom.
What what's your week like studying just locking in like just uh, probably we come out Monday, watch the film for one game, and then I'm on to the next team like Monday Tuesday, just trying to get to jump on them, like before the meetings on Wednesday, just so like I'm not hearing that stuff for the first time, you know what I'm saying. Then we get the game plan, just uh figuring out where they want me certain packages were in and then just watching film all week on that,
you know what I'm saying. Because playing like more than one position, like you really got lock in for but like during during the plays and different personnel groups. I know you might have a responsibility, different responsibility playing strong safety, but if you're playing a nickelor, do you have to cut out constantly remind yourself, okay, well position that my player. Yeah. In fact, like it's been time and practice where like I'm standing a safe the de fosting right behind me,
Like what you doing my fault? But like that's just like when it coming out, you gotta know what everybody doing. Like and one thing Orlando taught me when he was here, Like, make sure you know what everybody doing on the defense, and that's gonna make your job easier. So just doing that, and then when they asked me to play out a different position, like I already know what they gotta do, so that's that's gonna make it easier. Well, I know,
we don't want to take up all your time. I want to ask you this one thing before we let you go. Do you have any plans for the all season? Are you wanting those guys that you like to relax out all over or did you get right back into the weight room and get out there and start, you know, get ready for the next season. I'm gonna chill for a little bit, right I gotta get healthy first. I'm gonna make sure that's like the main thing, Just making
sure my whole body healthy. Um, just chilling my mind off a little bit, and then I'll be back at it, like late February March, trying to get ready for tas. Just trying to you know, workingna footwork stuff, running again. Different ways. Got you appreciate your time, man, appreciate you'all for all your news and analysis. Be sure to tune into Command Center weeknights at five and ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. You can also stream on YouTube and commanders dot com.