Washington Redskins runningback Alfred Morris answered questions following the teams first walk through at training camp.
On topping his production from last season:
“You can always top production. It comes down to willingness and, I guess, how bad you want it in a sense. I always hold myself at a higher standard and I love a challenge. It’s going to be tough to do that, but it is definitely not impossible to do.
“I trained very hard this offseason. I made sure I was in tip-top shape conditioning-wise. I fine-tuned the little things that just help my game even more for this upcoming season now just to help me get an extra edge on the competition.”
On if he lost weight:
“No, I actually gained weight. I carry it good, so you can’t tell.”
On if he has been working on catching passes out of the backfield:
“Definitely. Everybody wants the ball so, I mean, it sounds selfish but it’s true. The more you can do, the better your chances are to actually be able to help your team. Last year, why I only got like seven catches, I have no clue.
“I’ve definitely been working a lot this offseason, just building trust with the quarterbacks and coaches just to let them know, ‘Hey, I can catch’. So I’ve been very good this offseason – OTAs, minicamp, I did well. Hopefully during camp I can just continue to build off that, and hopefully it will translate on game day.”
On if there is a difference in his mental approach this camp compared to a year ago:
“I don’t approach it any different. I mean, I’ve got a year under my belt. I learned a lot. I’m more comfortable with the offense and what the coaches are trying to get done with their schemes. I mean, I’m a lot more comfortable than last year. But I still come in, in my mind, I’m still not the starting running back.
“They drafted two guys. We have a lot of competition with [Roy] Helu [Jr.], [Evan] Royster and Keiland Williams. Competition only makes us better, so we are all competing against each other. But to me, I’m not the starter. I still have that mindset as if I haven’t made it yet. I know it sounds cliché to say that but, that’s just the way I approach everything.
“It’s a business. You never know what can happen, so I’m always trying to find way to better me. I’m always trying to find ways to continue to outwork everyone.”
On what ways he can improve his game:
“Like we said earlier, just make myself more versatile. Making sure I can get involved in the passing game instead of coming out on third downs a lot and they have a third down running back. I can just stay in the game, and do the screens and run the different pass plays they have.
“Things like that and just working on the little things like my tracks. Other little things that I noticed last year watching last year’s film, I was like, ‘Man, I could do that so much better.’ So just fine-tuning those little things that I overlooked last year.”
On if another year in the offense helps him mentally:
“It does a lot – it all comes down to how comfortable you are with the new thing. Every time you learn something new, you kind of don’t know it – you’re unsure. But once you learn it and get comfortable, it makes it that much easier.
“You can tell if you watch some of our earlier film then towards the end of the season, we were a lot more comfortable doing it. Getting the feel with Robert [Griffin III], getting the feel with the O-line and how they were blocking, with DY [fullback Darrel Young], and other things just makes you that much more comfortable – it makes it a lot easier than it was when we first put it in last year.”
On his 1991 Mazda:
“Actually, Mazda has her [the car]. She’s getting refurb – Mazda is going to make her like new, like she came off the floor on ‘91. They actually just took it, so we’re going to switch cars while they’re doing it.
“They said it would take about 6–8 weeks to do it, but they’re going to totally refurbish it, so I’m happy about that… They’re just [refurbishing] it so that it can run for about 20 more years.”
On if he has spoken to veteran running backs about defenses who will now adjust to him:
“No, not from vets, but I have talked to some of them about just making your body last and not taking unnecessary hits, going down instead of fighting for the extra yard. I can take one or two extra hits off you, and sometimes fighting for those extra yards, you get that hit and then you’ve got a bruised rib or you’ve got this.
“It will actually keep you off the field. It’s kind of hard for me because every play is my last play – that’s the way I look at it, and that’s the way I play. The next play isn’t promised to me, so I’m going to go out there and lead. It’s kind of hard for me to say, ‘I don’t want to fight for that extra yard.’
“Adjusting to that is going to be a little tough, but I haven’t talked to anybody about defenses knowing who I am. Last year I was a mystery, but this year everyone knows the type of back I am this year. I, myself, know that it’s going to be tough, and I’ve dealt with that, whether it was in high school or college.
“I know this is a lot more talented level, but at the same time, it’s still the same. I know they’re going to know it now, and like I said: I love a challenge. It’s going to make it harder, but, I mean, know it’s possible, so I’m not worried at all.”
On his arrangement with Mazda to refurbish his car:
“My agents worked all that out; they just let me know… They approached them. Mazda was everywhere because of my car, so it was kind of giving them free publicity in a sense. I think they [Mazda] kind of hinted at saying something about, ‘Oh, we’ll fix your car up.’ They went from there and they worked out a deal. So it worked out, and I’m going to get my baby back on the road so I’m excited about that.”
On what his car will be like after the refurbishment:
“It’s not like ‘Pimp My Ride’ or anything like that [laughter]. I’m not into that type of stuff anyways. It’s just kind of – I just had a crack on my dash, so fixing things like that. They made sure the engine was in tip-top condition. Maybe if the transmission is not so good, rebuilding the transmission.
“Just making sure that it can run 20 more years so that I don’t have to worry about it, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I want to put it on the road. It might break down and I’ll be stranded.’ Just to get that worry out of the way, they’re going to refurb, and they might update it a bit, maybe put a navigation system or something in it. But nothing like big rims and fish tanks in the back.”
On the stories about his car and adjusting to life as a famous athlete:
“I did not even know there was a story written about that car. I was just driving my car and somebody took notice and it just went from there. I wasn’t looking for any publicity off of it. I really love that car. It was my first car. It’s always going to have sentimental value to me. It’s just kind of a part of it.”
On his initial impressions of Richmond and the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center:
“I haven’t seen much, but, I mean, it’s nice. We had a good crowd come out today. Everyone was so lively, so I loved that. It was a walkthrough and they were cheering like it was a playoff game and I was like, ‘Yeah, I like this. I like Richmond.’ We haven’t ventured off much. Eventually I do want to kind of get around and just see the city because I have never been to Richmond before. It is a new land for me, I do not mind exploring a little.”
On if he is content with being in the shadow of quarterback Robert Griffin III:
“Oh yeah, I definitely am. It sounds kind of selfish to say I’m glad he gets all the attention. I don’t have to worry about it. At the same time, I am the type of guy to just show up and do my job… People try to say, ‘Oh, you’re popular. You’re a celebrity. You’re famous.’ I’m not. I’m just Alfred. I just play on a stage, kind of get seen a lot. I’m not into all this stuff – the signing autographs, all that – not because I’m not a bad person, I don’t want to be like, ‘Oh, I’m not signing that’ trying to be snobby. It’s just that I don’t play for that. I play because I love the game. I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old; actually, I’ve been playing since before then. I started playing organized football when I was 5 years old when I was first able to.
“I just love the game and the reason I wanted to play in the NFL was because I wanted to play against the best of the best and be successful doing it. But that’s why I don’t play. I don’t play for fame. I don’t play for money. I don’t play for any of that stuff. I play because I really love it. And all that stuff, I accept it because it’s part of it. So I accept that. It comes with it. But, I mean, Robert gets all the attention, but I love it. It’s kind of hilarious. I can be in the middle of signing and they go, ‘Oh, there’s Robert!’ and take off running, and I’m like, ‘Oh, you’re welcome! OK, bye!’ So I don’t mind it at all. I’m enjoying it.”
On if he has any individual goals for this season:
“No. I don’t worry about stats. The only stats I really look at is wins and losses. I mean, it sounds cliché but it’s the truth. You know, even after games they go, ‘Do you want to see the stat sheet?’ I’m like, ‘No. Just did we win or did we lose?’ That’s the only thing I care about. A lot of people, they don’t realize that when you put team first anyway, individual accolades will come. Individual stats will come. I definitely don’t focus on that.
“A win for me this year? If we go past the first round of the playoffs, that’ll be a win. That’ll be a successful season for me. So, that’s what I’m focused on – team. It sounds cliché but it’s the truth.”
