Tua Tagovailoa, Austin Jackson and Noah Igbinoghene Interviews

Miami Dolphins football. And on today's show, we're talking to each of Miami's newest rookies, the first round draft selections, and a preview of Day two of the NFL Draft. All of that and more on this Friday, April edition of the Drivetime Podcast. That's adieu and joining the Drive Time Podcast Now, is your new Miami Dolphins quarterback, the fifth pick in the draft to a tongue via looa to how you doing man? I'm doing good. Thank you,

Thank you for having me big time. Congratulations on getting picked by the Miami Dolphins fifth pick in the draft. All the talk, all the noise over the year, over the draft season, How does it feel to hear your name called as the newest member of the Miami Dolphins. I'll tell you what, It's been a dream. It's been a dream to to have an opportunity like this. It's not big just for me, It's it's bigg for my

family as well. So I just wanna wanna thank the fans for the love and support, but I also want to thank um, you know, owner Stephen Ross. I want to thank Chris Greer and as well as head coach Coach Flores for giving me this opportunity to play for Miami. And two, we know how important family is to you. How excited is the family about coming down to Miami. Similar weather to what you're used to in Hawaii, right man, It's similar weather, But sadly I'll be the only one

coming out there to Miami. My parents are staying out here and focusing on my my, my brother who's in college, and um my, my two younger sisters. Um. So it's it's gonna have to be a new home away from home kind of thing. Absolutely, what We're happy to have you down here. What can you tell us about the type of player, the type of person The Dolphins are getting into a tongue of bloa. Man. For me, I'm

not one to really speak on myself. Um, I like I like to say that my my actions, Um speak kind of for me, and so in a sense, I would say someone who's tough, um um a leader, but some someone who who who's who's also also a relationship builder on the team. So looking forward to building relationships with guys on the on the football team and to your personal quarterback coach throughout the process of this whole

lead up to the draft. Trent Dilford put you through a pretty extensive pro day of workout and you were able to get back from the hip injury. So quickly explain to us the work that went into that rehab process and how you're able to get yourself medically cleared so quickly. Man, It's it's been a It's it's been a journey. It's been a journeyman. It hasn't been just me putting in numerous hours. It's it's been everyone that's

been by my side. It's been my parents, the support and love they give me, the support from my my siblings, from everyone that I've been surrounded with. Um. Then you've got guys like Trent um being willing to help. So it was just a combination of everyone chiming into to help me get to get as better as as I could. Well to Trent also talks a lot about his history with you, and he talks a lot about what he's seen from you on film. He talks about your recall

a lot. I want to ask you about two particular plays in your career at Alabama, and start first with the National Championship and that game winner to DeVonta Smith and overtime. Can you walk us through what you saw on that play? Uh, well, we're in three by one set, so we had four verticals. You know, really I could have worked to two guys. I could have worked the bender, which is the middle of three, and then I could

have looked the safety off and came backside. And I decided to look the safety off, kind of held the safety inside on number three coming over and went back out. Safety kind of was misaligned and were we were lucky that the corner corner give our receiver free release. So that's that's why it was. It was so wide open. And then you come back this year in the big game against l s U and you catch the L s U defense sleeping with a quick count on the

another touchdown past a teammate. Again, Davontae s it once more, what happened? On that play because I saw that play live and I was like, how do they get him like that? Yeah? So it was it was a snap count. I took a step up. The step up was really the biggest things we wanted. We wanted to make that play look as if we were actually looking to the sideline for play. But it was a dummy. It was a dummy. Clap dummy kind of signaled going into that and I mean we we we knew a play we

we wanted already. So once we got those guys to look to their sideline and snapped the ball, they were misaligned in trying to hold um their middle of the field safety, you know, in the middle of the field for as long as I could before going back outside to the ponte Smith. But it touched down. And one more question here for you about your time with Trent

Dilfer back at the Elite eleven camp. He talked a lot about how he coached you hard and your commitment that you had to making those changes and working extra time after practice with your father, and what would you say, all those repetitions, all that straw work, what did that do for you as a quarterback? I would say Trent's helped me tremendously. Um, he's always been been a guy that's been in my corner. Um, you know, after after the National championship, I mean my two eighteen season, two

thousand nineteen season, he's been there. But you know, the biggest thing with with Trent is embrace hard. You know, hard hard is what a lot of these professional guys. You know is what makes a lot of these professional quarterbacks successful because they embrace it and they learned how to maneuver themselves through those hard times. And to you, of course, were number thirteen at Alabama. That number is held in high regard down here in South Florida. What

number are you looking to snag with the Dolphins? Whatever numbers the Dolphins? I mean, whatever number is free and the Dolphins are are are gonna give me if it's number two, it's number three, four or five six, like any of them are, It's fine with me, you know, I mean, that's I gotta earn my respect over there. Absolutely, we're looking forward to howing you on the football field. Last question for you to how long until the Dolphins

locker room gets some shy lights on the speakers? Oh? Man, I don't know, Man, You know, it's one of those things where you gotta you gotta earn your respect where you can start doing things that you know you you normally would do if if you're comfortable. So I mean, I'm just really looking forward to being able to build relationships with guys in in that locker room, um, and getting to know everyone well. Soak it up to enjoy. You've earned a man, and welcome to Miami. Appreciate it, brother,

thank you. And there he goes your new Dolphins quarterback to a tongue. By lower the fifth pick in the draft, the Dolphins stay put at number five and take their quarterback. He joins a quarterback room of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh

Rosen and the futures contract and Jake Rudoc. And now let's go ahead and spin it over to an interview with our second draft pick of the night on Thursday, with the eighteenth pick, offensive tackle from USC Austin Jackson and joining us now on the Drive Time podcast is the eighteenth pick in the NFL Draft, new Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson. Austin, congratulations, and welcome to Miami, man, thank you, thank you. I'm excited to be a part

of the family. We're excited to have you down here. How does it feel now the whole process finally complete, combine pro days, all that crazy stuff. Now you're a Miami Dolphin. The process is over. Time to get to work. How do you feel? I feel great, you know, I'm excited. These last couple of months have been great. But you know it's been the tiring process. It's been a lot

of moving parts and uncertainty. But you know, I'm more comfortable now knowing I got you know, place I can you know, call home and grind, uh, you know, put them together with some special special guys. Are you familiar with the East Coast going from Left coast to the East Coast now? Uh, not familiar with the East coasts at all. Well, hey, you're staying in the sunshine, so you've got that going for you. Yeah. Yeah, Still beaches, Yeah exactly, We've got some beautiful beaches down here in

South Florida. As far as the player on the football field, Austin, what are the Dolphins getting in you? Uh, you know, they're getting a guy that you know, knows how to come in day in and day out in the working Uh, you know, not just about better in myself, but you know, trying to you know, help out the whole team really. You know, I think winning as a team and on and off the field is you know, what helps us

the most. So you know, I'm looking to put as much work in as I can and try to get to know as many guys on the team as I can and you know, put some together. So you're an invite to the virtual NFL Draft, A different experience from what other classes in the past I've had to go through. But you get the phone call from the Miami Dolphins. You're there with your loved ones. What was that phone

call like from Brian Flores and Chris Career. Uh, It's unbelievable, you know, just sitting there watching the draft, watching people get the names called it then you know, all of a sudden, like you know your next, your name is being called next. Is beautiful? UM, very gladful it inside it and I'm glad I could share with my loved ones. Do you have any certain role models or players and maybe you like to model your game at after as

a left tackle? Yeah, you know, just you know, just growing up and being a West Goes kid, um and watching online play. I always watched Tyrn Smith, you know, just it's a bunch of USC graats, you know, Anthony Unos and Baker. You know, the list goes on and on and on. So just I watched a lot of

those guys. So you just finished up your third season there at USC, and by now I think a lot of people know about an incredible story with your background in a relationship with your sister Autumn, who needed a bone marrow transplant in order to kind of beat this really rare bone marrow disease that she has. What did it mean to you to be able to go ahead

and do that and step up for her? Uh? And to me, you know, you know that's like part of my heart is so right there, you know, scrowing up together. And it was just having the opportunity to help her, you know, at ways I never thought I could. It means a lot to me, and you know, I hope I was, you know, I hope, you know, I just I'm really glad I could have done that for her. How is she doing now? She's great. You know, she's a couple of months aft from being declared a full

recovery from since her transplanted, So it's great. What was that moment like for the two of you when you got the draft calling and you got to kind of enjoy it with her. It was unbelievable. Um, you know, we're both excited. Everybody's yelling and jump in and it's just a great time. And how do you think that

kind of that whole situation the last year. I'm sure it's been very hectic on you, obviously not really having much of an off season to work out to prepare for the twenty nineteen season there at USC How do you think that grind and that adversity kind of prepared you for making the next step here to the professional level. Uh, you know, that's adversity is a part of life, and

you know also each part football. You know, I feel like, you know, battling the things I went through to help my sister and also get on the field, or just you know everyday adversities that everyone has to go through. You know, you just gotta keep looking forward and you know,

keep moving forward no matter what's going on. Any And as far as being back on the football field playing the offensive line position, do you have a favorite pass set and also a favorite running call that the offense calls? And it gets Austin Jackson just fired up in the huddle. Yeah, you know, my favorite passets would always be third down. Yeah, that's on the defensive vent is you know, try to

roun with their head cut off. You know they're gonna their best move, you know, try to get you on whatever. But you know, setting that down is probably my favorite. I'd say my favorite run play is probably you know, any power play where you know, I tackle into pulling, you know, on a backer and you ran a five oh seven forty time at the combine, you jump thirty on the vertical jump, one fifteen on the broad jump. Those all ranked austin the top eight percentile of your position.

And twenty seven bench reps with thirty four and a half inch arms, what do you think is your best overall treat I'd say my athleticism. You know, I feel like I have the athleticism and strength company with that too. You know, around people, move through people, mirror people. Um, you know, I feel like that's one of my best traits.

And when you did those twenty seven bench reps, I'm really curious because, like we mentioned, you didn't have much of a chance for our strength program in the off season. How long did it take you to get up to that point? And what point are you at now on the bench? Um man, you know, since the season, really, I've been trying to strengthen up my you know, my strength process, um my recovery, you know, give my give my bench, my squad, all that stuff up as strong

as possible as it led me. It was what led me to get to the twenty seven reps on bench. And then you know, now I haven't have next to twenty five since to come by. I'm pretty sharp, could put it like thirty thirty plus for sure. It's one of those things you'll never have to do again as far as like testing it and whatnot. Same thing with all those drills in Indianapolis. And speaking of Indianapolis, I want to ask you a question or read you a

quote that you said at your media availability Austin. You said, I have a work ethic unlike any other. I see what needs to be fixed within myself, and I'm able to correct it and improve. That's a really mature quote for a very young man like yourself. Where does that kind of maturity come from? Uh, you know, it just comes from you know, just I don't know, it's just

I've just been there with my whole life, you know. Uh, I've been taught raised by wonderful people in my family, and there's just always tidy to look forward and you know, trying to think what matter as much to you and you know, most important to just you know, just never be too comfortable, never be uncomfortable to getting your faith and pray and things around. So you know, definitely look

to look for that too. And you mentioned coming from a place of love with your family, a family that's really full of football players in your past, but you're the highest drafted one. Is that bragging rights for you in the Jackson family? Uh? You know, I'm not. I'm not a big bragging rance guy, you know, unless we're talking about E. C. L A. So, uh, I think think I think that's I think you know, we're all really happy for me, absolutely, And I'm sure they wouldn't

be picked eighteenth in the draft. Speaking of being picked eighteen, dolfhers first pick was two A tongue of Biloa. How how much you're looking forward to blocking for that guy?

I'm really looking forward. So I'm really excited for you know, seeing him on film, seeming games, is a great athlete, and you know looking forward to you know, coming in with him, and so we can both work towards, you know, being the best we can be, and you know, getting around a good group of guys and working towards the same goals. All right. So when you get to South Florida, there's plenty to do. You're a usc guy, Southern California guy.

If we're looking to find Austin Jackson on his day off, where we're gonna find you at on his day off? For fun? Man, for fun, I'll probably check out a beach or something, you know, see how the Florida beaches are compared to there. You go, well, you can't go on with that. In South Florida, it's it's absolutely beautiful in that regard. You're gonna love it. Welcome to Miami, Austin. Congratulations, big time man. We're happy to have you. Thank you.

And so Austin Jackson arrives via the eighteenth pick of the NFL Draft, the second player selected by the Miami Dolphins, shoring up the offensive line after taking care of the quarterback position. And we had one more pick on Thursday night, but after the Dolphins traded back with the Green Bay Packers.

They pick up a fourth round pick in addition to going from pick twenty six down to number thirty and with a thirty pick in the NFL Draft, the Dolphins pick up super athlete cornerback out of Auburn, Noah Igbogny and joining me now on the Drivetime podcast is the dolphinst overall pick in this year's draft of the first round. He is Noah Igbanogeny out of Auburn, defensive back. Noah, congratulations, man, and welcome to Miami. Thank you, thank you so much.

So I want to get your thoughts here on how does it feel to be a Miami Dolphin. Oh, it's a blessing. It's really a blessing. Um. It was so exciting in hear I hear my fall rang a very anxious, a very anxious moment, a very excited moment for my family. So it was just a blessings on it to be here. So when that call comes in and it's either Brian Flowers or Chris Queer, what was that? What was that exact moment like for you when you heard their voice on the other side of the phone, it was just

a solid relief. No I'm getting drafted. No, I don't have to wait anymore. So it was just like I said before, all of it is a blessing just to hear their um, just to hear their voices, and so I knew um the pickles in. So yeah, now you get to enjoy the rest of your third day stress free. So congrats on that man. As far as the player on the football field, what are the Dolphins getting in you? I'm getting a player who can do anything or anything they want me to do on the field, Bottle and

the kid drive myself as my position. Um, I really feel like I can do anything on the field that they would like me to do on special change as well. So you get a complete player on somebody who's willing to do anything to coaches on me to do. Yeah, I love watching a return kick down there. A man, You're explosive player for sure. And the explosiveness I think kind of translates from your track background in the it's the long jump or the high jump. It was a

long jump in the superdun Okay long jump. That's that triple jump always gets me. I don't know how you guys do. So it's so for a non athlete like me. I can't figure that out, but I'm curious to ask you. I just read an article about you on the Athletic and they talked about how you have this leeway in college if you're a two sport athlete, where you afforded the opportunity to skip some spring practices. But they said you were having none of that, Like, where does that

come from? And you where you just said, I want to play some football. Man, I fell in love. I really we had some bad audio there, but Noah said he fell in love with the game of football in the second grade. Here is the rest of his answer. Everybody knows my passion has track backgrounds very successful in the field field, but that was something, um, I'll feel a little bit at the time. But when I met football, that's something that I just felt like it was me.

I felt like I was a part of who I was in the person when you would see me a track because I always got the track I light at the football and anytime spring pool society rack. And so that just shows my love for the sport. And I'm just ready already to say what next step? And I think your track background certainly served you well at the scouting combine this year four eight seven inch vertical jump,

one inches in the broad jump. Did you know the Dolphins have a cornerback and that's gonna be working with you this year that has the world record broad jump? Yeah, what do you think about I want to be interested to see what he would have jumped in the law jump. We could have some some good competitions down there practice in South Florida. I love that story about you. You You joined this Dolphins second there with Byron Jones, Xaviing Howard,

so many good players. What does it mean to you to come into a room that is so experienced and has so much success in their back pockets? Um, it means everything and everything I got, I got folks to look up to. UM. And so on my side, those are two players I've watched for a very long time. I know that, know that. UM. So I'm just ready to watch them and grow from them, you know, in life from them as well. And I go and take their stuff that they learned and you know, just something

learning to me, give it to me. And so so I'm just ready. And is one of the interesting things about your game, Noah, is that you do have that jumping ability of leaping ability, athletic ability, but you also played press man on the outside like an absolute bully. Dude. I love watching you play out there, and you like getting those receiver spaces, don't you. Yeah, yes, I do, I do, I do, I really do. That was something my my defensive discordinator taught us. Well, he kind of

forced me to do it in a way. It's kind of just reader than me. I guess, um that was just who I am as a player. Now, that's always um, I would think Coach Kevin, still, how much of that has to do with the fact that you used to play receiver And I'm sure you know that really is not fun to deal with on the other side of the ball, right That's that's that's another reason. And so I remember a receiver. That's something I would not like a physical corner because there's not a lot of things

you can do with that. Um. So that's why that's the main reason why I did it. But another reason was my coach. I played some bad sketball back in my heyday. I like saying, you know in air quotes, but my worst the worst person to go up against was the guy that was just ready to play hard. Defense on you. So I'm sure there's some some crossover there.

You did play Auburn obviously part of the Iron Bull in the SEC, the best conference in America as far as I'm concerned, What was it like defending your now teammate to a tongue of iloa at quarterback? It was it was everything. It was alive, especially my twohousand eighteen year. He didn't play this past year, Uh about two eighteen year.

That's my first year playing in the position, and so going to get some my first time around was kind of nervous going into the iron Ball game, and so because it's my first time well ever, especially playing quarter you can't even imagine how I felt. But I felt like I played a pretty good game. He's a missing, fantastic quarterback, gonna have a tremendous career. So I'm just a way to get the work. Yeah, you'll get plenty more chances in practice down here in South Florida every day.

As far as when you're not on the football field, not practicing, what does Noah Banogamy like to do for fun on your day off? I'm just when you see me, I just like you showed my family. Um read listen to music, play video game stuff like that. Just a normal do so don't really do all the other days. I'm just something sounds good to know. I appreciate it for your time today, man, and congratulations, welcome to Miami. We're very happy to have you. Thank you, thank you.

And so there he goes Noah Igbogny, the Dolphins third first round draft pick and number thirty overall. Of course, after trading back four spots with the Green Bay Packers, they round the night off with two a tongue of Volo the quarterback out of Alabama, Austin Jackson, the tackle out of USC and Noah Igbanogeny, the cornerback out of Auburn.

If you guys want to hear a preview of Day two for the draft on Friday, which kicks off at four o'clock Pacific, seven o'clock Eastern time, go ahead and check out the previous episode we dropped on Thursday night early Friday morning. We went into depth on these players, their background, their on field skill sets, some scouting reports, their character background, all that fun stuff and a good

preview of Day two of the NFL Draft. And we're gonna come back on Friday night, do it all over again, and do it again for a third time on Saturday Day here on the Drive Time Podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins podcast network. As for today's episode, that is gonna be My time you all, please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple, podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast from. Go ahead and leave us a rating, leave us a review, give me a follow on Twitter

at Wingfield, NFL. Follow the Dolphins at Miami Dolphins, check out the Fish Tank and the Audible podcast, and of course Miami Dolphins dot com. Until next time finds up