Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. Another season of Scary Terry is on the way. McLaurin inked a three year contract extension, making him a commander through the twenty twenty five season. The wide receiver led Washington and receiving yards through the past three seasons, accumulating over three thousand yards and sixteen touchdowns. I sat down with Terry after the signing. Terry, I see that smile. How does it feel. I mean, you just finally inked the deal.
I'm sure this is something that you dream. I mean, you dream to get in the NFL, but you also want to get you want to get that contract. Yeah. Is super exciting to kind of have this culmination to come here and sign my extension, to stay with this team that drafted me. That kind of initiated my dream with just being in the NFL. And I remember getting here and just being so happy to be in the
opportunity that I had. UM. You know, guys, bless me with so many great opportunities and just the ability that I have and UM to come here and sign that contract and make things efficial to stay here as UM one of the leaders of this team and just so many goals we have going forward. Is really exciting to share this moment with my family, my girlfriend, and my agents. So it's it's been really an exciting day. And uh, you know, this smile may not like off for a
little bit. Should it shouldn't? It shouldn't. It's great. It's you know, I mean, you talk about your God given abilities, but let's let's not deny the fact that you've worked really hard for this too. There's a lot of aspects of your game that are earned throughout that as well. Yeah, um, where do you feel that your game most because you get paid for what you did? Where do you feel your game really kind of that work paid off to where you're at today? Um? I think, honestly, just my
ability to be able to increase my ball skills. I think that was something that was really a point of emphasis and college, and I remember just being in the indoor at Ohio State and trying to create different drills and trying to increase my ball skills where it's contested catches or just catching the ball in a way that was cleaner and just gave me the best ability to
do something with the ball. As soon as I got it and now just to see I'm you know, my drop percentage is really low and my contested catches led the league. And that's just a testament to the hard work that I was trying to put in during that time. And you really never know at the time when that's going to show up, when you're going to need it most. So it just makes me want to continue to try to improve on the weaknesses I may have in my game and then continue to make my strengths even stronger.
So the work ethic is something that I've always prided myself in, and no matter what the opportunity that I head in front of me, I knew I wanted to prepared for those moments by putting the work in when nobody else was watching. So you talk about your hands kind of the ability to do that, But does that still resonate with you when Ohio states so that's something we want you to work on. Is that something that
still impacts you today? I mean definitely. I think I'm always trying to analyze my game and see where I can see improvements, and I think that the time you get complacency in this league is the kind of when you get passed by, and so I'm always looking to try to stay on top of my game, whether it's my route running, my releases. It was something that was very big and last offseason I wanted to improve on.
And so it's just things that I always wanted to continue to focus on in my game that I can keep me at the top of my level and continue to keep to be my best for this team and one of the best receivers in this league. Another thing you touched on is staying here. Yeah. You know, this is the league where a lot of guys, you know, people typically would follow a team and the players would move, and so now a lot of times people follow the players to whichever teams they go to. Why was it
important for you to stay here? I mean, I think I got a very unique opportunity to come and play for you know, Washington, and I got that call that night in Indianapolis to you know, be a part of this organization and just the history that this organization has in the winning culture and the Super Bowls, and having
Doug Williams around, who's been a mentor of mine. I get the even where his seventeen again, and so um, you know, it's just was super special to come in here and I had an opportunity to be able to contribute right away. And you know, I was very excited for my opportunity to come you know, help the team anyway I could. But I knew I had the chance to play a big role as a receiver as a rookie. And you know, I was very fortunate to have some really good mentors my rookie year that really helped me
be prepared for my opportunities. And I was just putting the work in and excited so um, you know, and just these fans, they're so passionate, you know what I mean. There's there's really no fan based like them in the NFL. To me, and the way they supported me and just encouraged me, and autographs I get to sign, and seeing them out at camp, it's just it makes it makes my heart really happy to be able to stay here and continue to try to build something back to where
it should be. And uh, I know we got a lot of great guys in the locker room that are have the same goals in mind set as I do. I know you're gonna say winning is most important over everything, and of course it is, um, but personally you're starting to break records that were set by Gary Clark, and he got that for being here and staying at this franchise. But just in a short time, in three years, you're already breaking those records. Give a thousand yards season last year.
How much do you pay attention to just and I don't know how real you can be, but how they're saying to pay attention to come on, when you see those numbers and those records being broken on you individually, I mean, it's definitely very humbling when you see guys like you're in the conversation with Gary Clark and our monk in Santana like to be just in the conversation
with those guys extremely humbling from me. And to be able to achieve some of those things so early in my career is definitely very exciting and it's something I really take pride in. And you know, at the end of the day, I really do just love being around the guys and winning football games. But i'd be lying to say I don't want to be like the best player I can be and try to, you know, reset
some of those records and things like that. But I think that just comes with the everyday work ethic that I try to bring, the competitiveness, the leadership, and I think the rest takes care of itself. So I'm really excited to continue to try to be my best and improve, you know, individually, but help our team in our offense improve. This year, you get a new quarterback again, another quarterback to work with. Um, you haven't been on the field with him yet because you were waiting for this to
be signed before you get out there. So we'll see you on a training camp. But what are you anticipating you can do with Carson knowing the arm that he has and then also the other weapons you know, Curtis, say, Curtis healthy, John Dotson coming in here. What are you anticipating. Yeah, I haven't got to be on the field with Carson quite yet, but we've we've really got to be able to build a personal relationship over the last few months.
You know, he was texting me all throughout the off season, just checking in on me, seeing how I was doing. And you know, personally, he's just a really a really good guy that I feel like we were going to get along personally and just as a competitor. You know, he's been doing this at that very high level at the early part of his career, and you know, hopefully I could just add something to his game and be a guy that he could really trust and depend on.
And I think no matter the quarterback that's been here, I've just always wanted to make their job as easy as possible. So whether that's getting the extra work to try to make up some of the time we missed in camp or watching film we're just hanging out. I think we're gonna have some opportunities to grow together, and you know, I think that will permeate throughout our group, the receivers and the quarterbacks, and I'm really excited to be a part of our guys again. I think we
have a really interesting dynamic group this year. Young, some vets, some guys who can come in and step into spots when we need them with camp sims, and I'm really excited to see how we all gail together and mesh this camp to see how we can make some explosive plays happen. Because I think talking to Coach with Very and Coach Turner and things like that, we want to really make more explosive plays down the field, and we know how big that is. In this NFL with you know,
points and scoring points and making big plays. So I'm really excited to see how everybody starts to jail together and you know, do my best as the leader to try to push everybody. I know they're gonna push me as well. So that's that's the fun part competition, that's really where you get better. You've seen over the past few years or this team really kind of invest a
lot on defense this offseason. They kind of made it a point to say, Okay, we've got Carson, we've gone Terry, we need to make sure that we invest on the offensive side of the ball. How do you see this offense maybe different than what you've had so far in the past. Well, I think we're really strong upfront. Um you know, I think coach Masko does a really good
job with the guys up front. You know, Charles and Chase obviously guys have been around for a little while, and Wes and the new guys that we brought in I haven't got to meet yet. I think it really starts up front with the old line that we have and the toughness that they bring. I think that sets the tone for our offense. But um, I think think as many weapons as we have, I think it's really this guy could possibly be the limit if we put the work in each and every day to try to
mention Jail. So we're on the same same page, and I think it's not going to be like all on me or all on one guy, all on Carson. I think a group collective efforts really is what's gonna make this offense successful to where defenses have to respect the run game with Antonio and j D and the other guys in that room, and the tight ends with Logan come back healthy and in what John Bass does in our run game and in the past game. So I think we really have a dynamic group UM of a
lot of versatile guys who are smart and unselfish. I think when you have a collective group like that, you have an opportunity to do a lot of great things. But we're just gonna try to take it a day at a time. Just one ball, try though, Yeah, just one ball. But I mean coming from college, I mean at the end of the day, I know what that's like to um. You know, the ball to be distributed. But that also I know what I have to do and bring to this table and be the guy that
could make the plays when we need them most. But I think it's very exciting that we have other guys can make plays when we need them as well. And um, like I said, when you when in this league, now you see teams with a lot of different dynamic weapons, and I think that will really help us guys to develop and step into their role to make this offense a complete offense this year. All right, when you look, queen, I appreciate it. You got the chains. I mean you're
looking you're looking like that contract. Um, but let me ask you, is it going to be the fishing poles to get upgraded or the golfing clubs? I haven't decided. My partner's at PXG actually upgrading my golf clubs to their new gym five, So shout out to them for that. I've been really kind of get some golfing because once the season starts, I got to kind of put so now that you couldn't afford everything for free, it's a blessed. It's a blessed. So maybe, um, you know, I maybe
upgrade my dad's golf clubs or something like that. But um, you know, I'm really excited just to you know, tie my money and give it to a church that I'm really um passionate about and seeing the great works they're doing in this community, and um, you know, I want
to be continue to be a part of that. And UM you know, I know I'm not being blessed with this money just to enjoy for myself, but UM, I'm excited to have this opportunity to set my family up and myself just um financially so that we're that we're good. But at the end of the day, you know, I've always played this game because I love it, and I respect the time, the work, and the effort that it takes to be good at this be great at this game. And I'm really just excited to get back to work.
All right, family, proud fan base, proud excited. Keep that smell well, it looks good. Thank you, Terry, congratulations and we can't wait to see you on the film. I appreciate you can see you again. For all your Commanders news and analysis, be sure to tune into command Center weeknights at five thirty ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. And while you're at it, follow us at Commanders on all social media platforms. For the latest on the team. Hail to the commanders