Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. Fifth round draft pick Derek Forrest was mainly a special team's player during his rookie season in twenty twenty one, but in twenty twenty two he was given an opportunity to play more of the safety position and had a massive
impact on the defense all season. He was a turnover machine, leading a team in interceptions with four and forcing two fumbles as well, but perhaps his most crowning achievement was joining the Players Club to have an end of season conversation London, Fletcher and Santana Bus thanks for coming on with us, Man Washington this year, Man was I can say a bit of a surprise. We heard some good things about you last year. Didn't get a chance to
see you go out there stretch of stuff. But man, you give us a chance now going into this offseason. That's saying that we have a guy that we kind of could say, okay, we're sure about opposidden. You know, Nick cam Um, how do you feel about what you did this year and what are your thoughts going into
the off season. How are you gonna try to make sure that you come in a little better than what you displayed, I definitely feel like when out there and I bought this year, um, And that was my goal in the statement, and it was just to show the league the alcomore because you know, it's all about respect. In that respect come with confidence, you know. Um, definitely, you know it's a blessing, man, and uh, I definitely
never take it for granted. Um. But going into off season, man, I'm definitely just going watch watch film break it down, and I really want to improve on everything that I really messed up on, anything that was a game changing mistake, you know, and I wanted to correct those, man, so I can come back and be consistent this year. You know, from the from the very first game of the season,
the Jacksonville game. At that point in time, he wasn't the starter, but you made a tremendous impact on that game, made a lot of players end up getting the game selling an interception asked for you lead the team and interceptions interceptions. When you think about the season that you had and your role involving, did it surprise you at all?
Um Illo KEI did, man, because that opportunity came to that first game and I was just like I was on edge man, because it was like I knew deep down inside I had it in me, but I just ain't had the shot yet. Man. When I got out there, it was everything deep down fueling me, burning deep inside that came out and it was like, Man, I'm really a reckingforce. Man. But I gotta keep I gotta keep growing,
you know, I keep developing. You know, can't get complacent, man, can't worry about them stats and numbers and all that. One of the things we know that that's probably said a lot in your room, because I've heard a couple of times that they want to say these to be flexible, to be able to play, because we know we have that. You know the package where a lot of you guys want to feel at one time. Is there something that you just stated that you want to work on sometain
things in the off season. Are there positions or at times you was on the field this year where you kind of forgot you was playing one or the other. And that's something that's gonna be pivotal in your off season training this year, definitely, because in that the package you're talking about the PACEO. Man, you know, we had like five six dbs and you know they'll rotate us, you know from deep. They'll put me down in the box, you know, let me play, you know, playing the box.
So that's definitely something that I'm gonna have to get more comfortable with. Like they wanted me to play the Buffalo Nickel spot last year and it was like I was rotating there, but I really wouldn't. I never really got comfortable with there, man. So definitely repetition, you know, becoming muscle memory for me, and wants to become a muscle memory, you know, it becoming easier for you. So
it's all about getting those reps, man. Yeah, and the defensive defensive background, the wide receivers in the dB room y'all. The two flatboy kind of most personalities. You know, we had Cam on he's real laid back chill. You kind of laid back at chill. What what's that defensive back room? Like, Man, it's really crazy. Joke each other, it really is, man, and be like when we're not being serious and you know,
like on the field, were having fun lots y'all. You see it, man, Like they in the pregame video this week were always just dancing, you know, and they were just recording us dancing throughout the season and we didn't you know they was required as man. But that's just how it is, Like we really love each other in that DV room. Who's the funniest guy in that room? Funniest guy? It's tough, man, because everybody funny in different ways. Like some guys are just like you know, they're practical guys.
You know they'd be funny, and then some guy's just dead serious and you just like, bro, just dude, it's a clown like for real dudes comedy. So man, I'm glad I'm around great guys. Man, you know that, Let have fun, let the game. For all your commander's 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 two