Derwin James, Jr., is already hungry for the 2023 season.
James hung out at Radio Row on Thursday in Phoenix, where he worked as a correspondent for Uninterrupted, the media platform created by LeBron James that focuses on sports, culture, lifestyle and more.
I got a chance to speak with James ahead of Super Bowl LVII on his interview skills, reflections on the 2022 season and what he looking forward to in the year ahead.
What's up, Derwin? Great seeing a familiar face here in Arizona.
You've got some serious mic skills! Who's your favorite person you've so interviewed so far today?
James: "Probably Shannon Sharpe. I get a lot of messages from him. Brandon Marshall gave me a lot of game, I learned a lot from him. A lot of guys, it was a lot of guys I got to interview and it's pretty cool. J.J. Watt also, pretty cool."
We're only a few days about from the big game. What's Super Bowl week like for you?
James: "I want to be playing. I definitely want to be playing. I can feel the fan side of it, and then I can feel like the player side of it. Something is coming up, a big game coming up, a big moment and I just want to be in that moment. I'm here to enjoy this stuff that I have to enjoy, but I definitely want to be playing right now."
The Chargers took a step forward in 2022 with 10 wins and a playoff berth. How do you reflect on the season?
James: "I kind of just took my mind off it. I haven't really tried to overthink it because I know it didn't end the way we wanted it to and it's so easy to pinpoint or try to dictate what's the reason that happened. Like I said, we can't go back and change nothing."
Given the way it ended, does that add any fuel to the fire going into 2023?
James: "I feel like anytime you don't make the playoffs and you don't go the way you want to go, I feel like it's a miss. This year, only one team can win it so for the 31 other teams, it's a miss for them."
