Christian Wilkins

this podcast. Let's jump right into the interview for this Friday, March the sixth edition of the Drivetime Podcast. Wilkins, that's good. Come on, then you can expand and make a point. Wilkins. Wilkis textbook defens twitch to rock actor Roger Wilkins. Christian Wilkins start back as quite well and I'm thrilled to be joined now by the leader and tackles among all

rookie defensive tackles in twenty nineteen. He played all sixteen games, started fourteen of them, and played a whopping seven hundred and twenty nine snaps As a rookie. He was the thirteenth overall pick in the twenty nineteen draft. He is Christian Wilkins. Christian, welcome in. Thanks for doing this, man, Hey, I appreciate it, so thank you for having me. Yeah, and it's no problem. May. And first of all, how are you feeling. It's your first full offseason here as

a professional. How's the mind, body and spirit working for you this March? Oh, well, good question. I'm definitely getting all that back. You know, during the season, they could get so busy, so hectic, and you know, it's it's a challenge to play sixteen games and you know, and it was a new adjustment for me and everything like that. So I'm definitely enjoying my first off season and I never had this much time on so it's good. I'm

gonna joining it. I definitely still saying I'm locked in and focus on trying to you know, train my body and get ready for years for being year two coming up. And you also had plenty of long seasons there at Clemson, and I was always curious to ask guys in your position this question. The length of a rookie season one starts out with the combine, then you go into your pro day, and then you get drafted. Then rookie mini camps. It's like you don't have a any time off whatsoever.

Do you feel that grind late in the season, your rookie year, I feel like it could definitely pile up and and at all. That's why a lot of people talk about the rookie wall, and I feel like that's a that's definitely a real thing for most guys. There comes a point in the season where you just like, uh, you know, you might be mentally into it, but your body just can't do what you you know, what it what it needs to do. Or you might be physically

feel good, but just mentally you're just so drained. Uh you know. So I definitely feel like the likes of the niflus because this for rookies and stuff, because like you said, it starts almost immediately after after year, you know, last year of football and college. Uh you know, you go through training, you know, through a mini camp to go through you got a train all through the off season and everything, and then the seasons asturing melong. So's it's a bit of a challenge and you know, but

it's it's a bit of a justment player. Uh, you know, I'm definitely excited now that I'm you know I'm no longer a rookie, and I get to, you know, prepare for that the right way coming in the year too. One of the things that Brian Flores and Chris Career and pretty much everybody associated with the Miami Dolphins operations said about drafting you was both your on field prowess but also you're off the field acumen and personality and what you bring to this organization as a leader and

as a personality. And we saw that last weekend, Christian when you participated in your first Dolphins Cancer Challenge and you won first place in your own race. So I gotta ask you how extensive, how extensive is your cycling history? Was that your first time on a bike or have you have you done that before? H No. I actually love riding bikes and trying to get on as mother as I can and everything. Every since I was a kid.

I always just loved riding bikes. It was kind of just you know, like when you're a kid, that's your first like sense of freedom a little bit, you know what I mean, Like you you're on your bike, get George, you can go around and go wherever you want. Kind of So I've always enjoyed, loveing, uh, enjoying the love

riding bikes. Um, so as soon as they told me that one it was for a good cause, and I get the opportentities just drop my bike, you know, you know for such a great Collins I was next time yet by the way, um and you know, I've never I've never wrote thirty one miles before in my life, but uh, you know I got it done. Uh, Doug deep and was and was able to find a way to push through. But that was definitely an awesome experience

at this cause. And I'm always down to uh you know, trying to be a leader in the community as well as on the field. But you know I'm in the community is importing too, because this is this is I'll take pie in Miami now this is my city. Uh you know, I just take a lot of pie and then just getting comfortable and just long loan a lot

of people and just get my face out there. We we love to hear that on three or five day especially here to talking to Christian Wilkins here on the Drivetime podcast March the sixth, talking to him in March the fifth. Right now, though, I gotta ask you, Christian you, John Jenkins, Ray Kawa, McMillan, plenty of guys out there. Who made the cyclist suit? Is that what it's called, the uniform that you wear when you're on a bike? Who made that suit look best? Besides you? Of course?

I mean, I mean, I would like to say me, even though it was a little tight and I'm I'm a little too big to be having that much tightness song, but I would say I would have to give it to Ray Kwan. It's not me because he didn't get anything else under race. He came in like dead last. We all sat at the same time. He finished twenty minutes behind all of us. So I'll give him, you know, at least give him that he at least look good when you know, from the crossing the finish line, he

looked solid. So i'll give him that. You mentioned thirty one miles. I saw Ray Kwana mentioned they were supposed to go twenty five and there was some kind of detour that made you go further. Was that was that the case? That's that's right. Yeah, So when I originally signed a BIS sign up for twenty five miles and then the detour made the thirty one, so I was like, well, I guess you just gotta jump from the fly. It's kind of like, you know, you're just taking rom with

It's just like a football. He just gotta just just as you do. You know, you got a game plan and then you can switch it up sometimes. Okay, we're gonna get to some football here in just one second, but I have one more other sport question for you. We posted your high school basketball highlights on the Miami Dolphins official Twitter account, and first of all, Man, you love that drop step. I see you work in that thing every single play, it seems like. But I gotta

ask you, who's the best Cooper on this team? Who's the best basketball player on the team? Christian, Oh, it's me. I feel like I feel like, skill set wise, I might not be the best skill set wise basketball player. Like there's other guys who can shoot who look more like the typical basketball players, you know, uh, taller, skinnier. You know you've got a couple of those guys. But when it comes to just getting it done and getting the job done and executing and winning, I think I

give that. I would you know I can do that guss out of anyone else on the team. So uh, you know, I know they posted another guy's stuff from what they can do with all their prisses too. But when it comes down to it, just get getting a bucket and getting it done. You know, I'll get it done. You know, it just might not be as pretty as some of the other guys on the team. Well, it definitely shows off your athleticism. And I want to talk a little bit here, Christian about playing for Brian Flores

and also Mary and Hobby. You're posession coach. You were recruited by Marry and Hobby and played for him at Clemson. Can you talk about your time with him at Clemson and the transition to working for him as a pro, And then also we'll talk about Brian Flores as well.

Oh well, um no, it's definitely it's definitely been a blessing to have a coach Hobby around because it's just you know, he's known me since I was the sixteen sixty year old kids pretty much, and you know now that I'm twenty twenty four years old, you know, we've had a long relationship and there's just you know, there's just a level of expectations from both of us. I know what I'm gonna get from him another coach, and I know and he knows who's gonna get from me

as a player. So you know, when either when either of us aren't reaching our standards as a culture or the player, you know Woods Woods is, which is very few times. You know, it's just good that we have each other, the challenge each other. Um, he gets the best out of each other. And it's it's important to always have that kind of relationship with here, Uh, with your coach. And I just got a lot of respect

to CoA child because he's been allowed for a while. Uh, coach a lot of great guys and uh, you know, he said threw himself and I'm just you know, expect and most other players. And that's what you want. You want that type of coach. He's gonna be commanding. Um, you know. But it's all you know, it's all you know for your best interests and for you to be great. And what was your biggest takeaway from year one playing

under Brian Flores the strong finish of the season. What did you take away from playing for coach Flores throughout the course of twenty nineteen, Well, I just love it's all over our mindset and approach to not only the game of football, but just to a game of life. Uh. He's a coach. He always just has a chip on his shoulder. Uh. He's never satisfied with anything, whether it's on our outhatility always looking for ways that he can

do better and improve. And I feel like we as players and we as an organization kind of sept out to that mindset. Uh, you know, just being a tough physical discipline, you know, and all that we do. Um, you know, just being smart and just and just getting it done and get pushing ourselves to the limits. And also, you know, just never being satisfied and always having to check no matter their money success you had. You know,

that's that's in the past. You're always looking at which which board and um, you know that's and I love having him as a coach. He's not gonna eat the same thing like kind of what I was explaining about, how because he's very demanding. He expected the most un of his players, Um, you know, and and you know it just works for him. You know, a lot of guys got to respect. And I'm comproving by then on

him and his philosophy. And you know, I'm sure your best to be selected here as the Dolphin, and you know, I'm glad to see what's supposed to come in the future. I think one thing that Dolphins fans are most proud of U last year's team was the way you guys battle laid down the stretch and stayed in it and won so many games there late in the year, finishing five before you'd beat two division or two division winners, i should say, and you won three games as double

digit underdogs. What does that type of momentum or success help you to carry into this offseason and into as well. Well. I mean, we can't go off a last year's success or anything, but it's definitely like it was. It was important that we ended the season that way, and uh, you know, it just definitely was a little encouraging, especially having to deal with you know, the outside is on the outside, no it's out and people are not believing

in us. Uh, And it was just important to see that the couple of guys that we had in on locker room, that big focus, you know, kept a good positive energy around the building. I was staying locked him all year long, and it was good that we were able at least reach some from some rewards, you know, and uh, you know, so that was that was definitely a great feeling to get a few wins. But you can't carry that in the next season. You know, you

gotta start to over completely. You know, I can do guys in the build and uh, you know, be a new team. So we gotta just do it. I'll start all over again, create the right mindset and move forward. We've got Christian Wilkins hearing the Drivetime podcast on the official Miami Dolphins podcast network. Christian, we talked a lot

about the Dolphins cancer Challenge, some team accomplishments. What about for you individually, what's one area of your game that you felt like really shine through in your rookie season. I just I just felt like my ability to play with high effort and the motor um. That's what I problem myself on, especially as a big guy, because I feel like, I know, disrespect to other big guys around in the league or you know, uh, you know, it's just tough being three in the pounds and you know,

playing with such high effort and energy. Um, And you know, that's something I just had to problem myself on that. Uh, you know, someone may be better than me. I might be better than some players, but with they're not gonna be able to to uh you know, to say that they you gonna get a completely outwork. I just always trying to tell myself on being like a hard worker,

run into the ball. Uh, you know, just playing, you know, just trying to uh, you know, give every play, you know, give everything, need my best on every play, regardless of how tire and now emerging like that and decide for like I just was able to show that, um and just you know, so I flashed that time to just show my ability to stop the one, get after the pastor and things like that. Um, you know, I'm just

looking forward to making that more consistent. Uh. And we talked about the seven D twenty nine snaps you played last season as a rookie, a whole bunch, especially like you mentioned, for a guy of your size in that position, played a lot of one tech, played some three tech. You even kicked out why is a five technique? And some of those odd fronts. Is that something you're used

to uncomfortable with? Yes, I love I love that, and I feel like that's a you know, uh and and it works well on our defense because they're pretty versatile as a defense. So it's it's good that when you know, when you can kick down to a five plat me at three or four, I shade and zero, um, you know. And I try to puind myself and being a versatile player because it's always the best with the more you can do, uh, you know, the longer you tend to last U in the in, the more value you have.

So I try to pind myself on that and being able to play a bunch of different positions across the line of scrimage um, you know, and even you know, even playing some positions like running back or receiver. You know, I got to get a catch this year too, which is pretty awesome. But I definitely take a lot of pride in that UM and you know, definitely trying to improve on that as as a play as overall player. Well, I want to talk to you about that catch, because

that's all my list of questions for you. Here, We're gonna circle around this question I had for you and ask you what what's the feeling like for Christian Wilkins when the play call comes in there calling for the heavy package, but we want forty two at fullback? And the run of the flat route to Christian Wilkins. What's your thought process when that call comes in? Oh? My thought process, this go time. It's money time. Getting the ends on by all means, by by any means necessary. Um,

you know. And it was close. It was close for me, but I got it it. I got in there by any means necessary. So, um, you know, it was good. It was a good sided feeling. And in the moment you try to stay really locked in look because you don't want to get too excited because then that's when I feel you're gonna mess up. So you gotta try to like just stay lot good as much as possible. And then you know, after you execute the play, and that's where you just let all the emotion out and

celebrate and have a good time. And that's that's kind of what I did. So so we talked about your basketball career. And sometimes guys will stat pad. They'll throw the ball off the backboard, get an extra rebound in there, and then flush it. Is that what you were doing with the fumbel on the goal one? They're trying to

pad your fumbel recovery stats? Oh no, no, I thought I got in on the first tie, just staying uh but uh no. I really just tried to make it look cool with the with the one hand and left hand and catch. I tried. I tried to make it look good, but then I got humbled really quick. The ball came loose, but it was good. I was able to I was able to jump on me. Yeah. I think if they would have gone through review, you would have gotten the initial touchdown first, but they just kept

it there because you fell on the ball anyway. So that was my opinion of it. Exactly perfect, exactly. I would agree with that. I would agree with that. So I want to go back to that Bengals game. That was the game where you did catch a touchdown pass and you kind of went viral there, I suppose when you were miked up for talking a unique brand of trash talk. I want to ask you, what's the general reaction you get from guys across from you when you kill them with kindness like that? Um, I didn't me.

I just have such an amazing time play in the game. I just enjoyed a lot. I have a lot of fun. I'm very locked in the series before the game, but once the game starts, I'm a little a little a little fat eight year o kid. I was, you know, a little chevy eight year o kid. I was, you know, playing the game that you love, and that that's side of me always comes out. So I just like to have fun. That's probably other fun and enjoyment of having the game just you know, talking trash, but not only

you know, saying bad things are mean things. It's also just kind of like throwing people off of their game or just like you know, having them here is something that did not used to be hearing during the football game. They're like, what are you guys talking about? You know, uh, And that's just kind of just the funding in two that I enjoy about the game. And you know, I have a lot of respect for all the guys in the league. To make it to this would be a pro.

I got a lot of respect for everyone. But you know, in between the lines, uh, you know, while we're playing on the clock's thinking I'm gonna try to get you at your game and talk a little trash, make fun of you, make fun of myself. I mean, this is and I mean and nobody's safe. Uh, you know, but

it's all just part of having fun. And then but you know, once we get out of the field, once the game's over, you know, I'll shake your hands to my hand to you because I have, you know, a lot of respect to a lot of guys around the league, but definitely a lot of those sixty minutes I'm playing, I'll touch some trash. So we talked about you scoring the touchdown in that game, and you've got to be part of the offensive celebration. And I want to talk

about when the offense scores. When forty two is not not forty two, I'm sorry, nine four is not on the field, when it's when when it's Preston Williams and DeVante Parker and Mike get sicky and then here comes ninety four into the into the frame celebrating the touchdown. What started that? And kind of what's the motor vacion to get down there and celebrate with your boys? Well again, I like, like I said, like that stuff, that's kind of stuff I've been doing since I was a little

kid playing the game. And and honestly, I get more more joint excitement out of watching my teammates sixte um than than myself a lot of the time. Uh, you know, because you you just see and how hard guys work, you know, and it's not there's nothing to take it light of being able to move the ball down the field and gonna score a testdown or when you got a guy like Galata would rip waffa block and may get tackled. It's not just on the testdowns, you know.

I do it to the guys on the defense, Like everybody knows they're on the way from me when they make a big play because they know I'm gonna be like a great game or something that jump all over you, uh you know, and just end up being excited for you to behalfy because it's great to see you know, all the work you put on it. But then you don't have some success and uh you know, you know Preeper Year Awards. So I definitely, you know, that's just something I've always done since I was a little kid.

Always try to celebrate with my guys, have fun, have excitement, and I feel like it's some textious to uh you know, then other guys get excited for everyone else too, um and it's just the right mindset and right energy to have. Well you use the perfect word. They're infectious across your teammates and I can tell you for sure the fan base definitely resonates with that infectious energy Christian. They love it. I want to ask you one more question about the

football side here real quick. We talked about you're you're doing offseason workouts right now. You talked about some of the strengths of your game. What's one area of your game that you really want to work on to improve next year and you think you can get better at in Well, really, I mean I'm never satisfied with anything. Uh, you know, I could, I can work on everything, because

never a part of my game as perfect. So you always chop on wood, You're always building a road, you know, you're always laying bricks, uh, you know, to try to try to complete your game and be the best player you could possibly be. But specifically, I would you know, just just just standing out low with my pad leverage and also just using my hands and being violent with my hands as the alignment. Those are two critical things

that are always no imperative and important. So I feel like once you once you at least have that downtack with you know, uh, had a good at a good place, and you could always be an effective player on no matters. You read that whether you're trying to stop the run or rush the pastor and Christian. There was a great clip of you on the field talking about how thankful you are to have this as your job, kind of kind of marveling in the fact that this is your

profession now a football player. And I want to ask you about maybe a tougher job you might have had. I really resonated with the fact that you did a substitute teaching spot or some substitute teaching jobs back in your time at Clemson. What can you tell us about teaching and what it talk to you about kind of being a professional in that regard. Well, yeah, first of all, um, you're You're right on point. Like, I'm just so blessed

to be able to play this game. I mean, it's literally a kids game and I get to play it as a job, and it's something I love and I'm so passionate about and I'm just exchanging best to be able to play the game. Um, but it was awesome when I was at Clemson to be able to teach, Uh, you know, I was able to be the subsetive teacher, a pretty much the home spring of my senior senior

senior year. Um, and it was just it just it was it was actually pretty cool to see how many of the is gonna learned it in football translated to the professional world, uh you know that, which was pretty cool to see, just like time management, being organized, having a plan, having a routines that come with that, and just you know, just trying to be your best because other people are counting on you. So that's that was

kind of like it was pretty cool. But I I thought it was important for me, uh to be a substitute teacher when I was at Collection, just because one of it was it was my senior year. I wanted a little extra money, so I was able to do that at a job here. So that was cool. And I felt like there was also something I'd be good

at two and it was cool for me. Uh. And when I thought the cool the kids, that was pretty cool was that, um, when you're when you're a young kid, you are just throughout your school career in general, you don't typically uh get to have a male teacher a lot of time and females, So I thought that was cool, and not only to be a male, but to be a black male teaching and stuff. And being and being trying to be a positive role model on positive figure for a lot of stuff. But that was that was

an awesome experience for me. And I learned so much from the kids, just as much as even more than I was able to teach time. So that that's that's awesome stuff. Christian. Really appreciate that, And that's really all I got for you today. We're so glad to have you here in Miami and looking forward to your second year under Brian Flora's with this current Dolphins regime. Really appreciate your time today, Christian, and best of luck this season. All right, thank you so much to do and there

he goes, Wow, how much fun is that guy? Christian Wilkins, the first round draft pick last year, had a really good rookie season. Looking forward to your number two with him playing all over the defensive line, pressuring quarterbacks, putting quarterbacks on the turf at hard Rock Stadium, helping out against the run as well. He does everything, even catch up some touchdown pass. Us talked about his one handed, going lefty, one hand catch on the end zone for

a defensive tackle. You're just not gonna replicate that kind of swagger and that kind of confidence, So Christian Wilkins, everybody. Good. Time to wrap up the podcast right there, you all, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple podcast or Spotify or wherever you get your podcast from. Go ahead and follow me on Twitter at Wingfold NFL, the Dolphins at Miami Dolphins, and we have all kinds of content up on Miami Dolphins dot com

every single day for you. But until next time, fins up, fins Up, fins