2019 TRAINING CAMP MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019 | Jack Hammett Sports Complex | Costa Mesa, Calif.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS HEAD COACH ANTHONY LYNN
On the end of training camp:
"We've got one more day tomorrow. We'll come over and walk through a little bit before the game, but it went by pretty fast. I like the camp that we had though. I thought the guys worked hard. I think we are a better football team now than when we showed up July 24th. We are just doing our best to keep guys healthy and trying to get to Week 1 with the right team."
On the importance of versatility:
"Special teams is huge. If you can play your position, multiple positions — on defense, if you're a linebacker can line up in all three spots and play special teams, that's valuable."
On if QB Philip Rivers has asked to play Saturday:
"No, he has not so the plan will stay the plan.
"You haven't seen him play yet. I doubt you'll see him on Saturday."
On who will play this Saturday:
"The guys that have been playing all along, those guys are going to play, and they may play a little bit longer this game because it's the third game. The guys that I've sat out, those guys are going to sit out, except for [CB] Casey Hayward [Jr.]. Casey's going to play a couple snaps. That's what he felt like he needed, so that's what I want to give him.
"We had a plan from the get-go with those guys. We are going to stick to the plan."
On S Nasir Adderley:
"It's good to see him back out there today. He made a couple of plays. We're working him in slowly though.
"I don't know about [playing him] this week, but definitely want to try and get him out there next week."
On WR Dontrelle Inman:
"He's a heck of a guy, young man but when I was here, he was hurt so I never got to see him play. I saw him playing in the playoff game last year, he looked pretty good. I'm glad to have him. He's a good-looking height, tall. He can run a little bit and [is an] excellent route-runner. I think he's a guy that can line up across the board in any position, so that's valuable to us. I think he's going to bring some good depth to our receiving corps.
"He was in the same system in Indianapolis with [Colts Offensive Coordinator] Nick [Sirianni] and our system is similar to New England's, so the terminology is the same for him. He can pick up pretty much where he left off, to be honest."
On the reason behind signing Inman:
"It was everything to do with Dontrelle and what he's done in this league. He's very familiar with our quarterback, he's been here before. We just wanted to get more depth.
"I think [Inman's familiarity with the team is] a good factor. [He's a] veteran guy who's been there and done it. To come in and compete with some of these younger guys in the next couple of weeks, I thought it was a good pick up."
On the similarity of Seattle's defense:
"I think it definitely helps the quarterbacks, they've been seeing a lot of the same schemes all training camp, so they've had a lot of reps. It's definitely going to help them. I like it when they go up against different defenses. I like to see how they respond to something different because that's kind of how the season is."
On the quarterbacks:
"We want to keep the best 53 players — I shouldn't say the best — the right 53 players. [General Manager] Tom [Telesco] and I will sit down, we'll talk about those numbers and we'll do the best we can."
On the difference between the best and the right 53 players:
"The best 53 are not always the right 53 that you need to build a team and chemistry and to play together. A lot of the core values that we believe in here, I think you need the right guys. Sometimes it's not always the best guys, just the right guys."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS RUNNING BACK TROYMAINE POPE
On training camp:
"Training camp is going well for me. I'm blessed to be here. I've been having a great time being out here."
On his punt return touchdown:
"First, I saw the first man coming down on my right side, so I made him miss and then my team did a great job of setting up the wall for me and I just hit it. I just used my speed to get down the field and score a touchdown."
On his previous plans to work at a factory a year ago:
"Oh yeah, I was going to work at my mom's job at the depot. I went to the orientation for a couple days then went to work for like a day, then the Seattle Seahawks called me and then I went out there. My career took off from there."
On how far he's come:
"Yeah, it's crazy. It's a blessing to be here because I was lost at that point. I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't know if I was really going to play football again. I didn't know if it was over with or not, but when I got that call I knew was going to make the most of that opportunity."
On his motivation:
"It's just a reminder, you know stay humble, stay grinding. It's what you've been working for even though over the years I've been having some ups and downs. It's all motivation. You just keep going and keep surviving."
On what motivates him to stay focused:
"My kids. My kids just kept me pushing and kept me motivated. I knew I couldn't just go on my butt and leave them empty-handed. I knew I had to make them food, provide clothes for them. So I just wanted to go to work and not look back on the things that went bad. Just focus on the things that are good and focus on the positive things that are going on in my life. Getting that call was one of the more positive things to happen at that moment in my life. So I was just focused and didn't let a lot of stuff distract me at that time."
On who he looks to for inspiration:
"My mom. My mom. She has worked so hard. She gets up at three [in the morning] and goes to work still to this day. I'm still grinding for her and my kids. My kids and my mom are the most important people in my life."
On his mom's reaction to his touchdown:
"She just sent me a little picture. She was happy for me. She told me she was proud of me. Today is my mom's birthday, too. Happy birthday, mom."
On playing on offense against Seattle:
"Really, I just need to lock in and just be more focused, prepare myself, understand what the defense is doing and what the game plan is. Just relax, let my natural ability take over, not try to force myself to do too much and just be calm throughout the whole process until the game kicks off at seven o'clock. Just be calm, relaxed and get my mind right."
On letting his instincts take over against the Saints:
"Yeah, I just let my instincts take over. My teammates did a great job blocking for me, first and foremost. It was wide open. All I had to do was just use my speed, so big ups to my teammates for the blocking."
On checking for flags on his touchdown run:
"I kind of looked back one time when I was running, like, 'I hope I don't see [any] flags.' When I scored and everything [stood], I was cool from that point on. I wasn't really worried about the flags because I saw that it was good."
On teammates that have tutored him:
"[RB] Austin [Ekeler] and [RB Justin] JJ [Jackson], they're really doing a good job with helping me understand the playbook. If there's something I don't understand, they have no problem answering questions truthfully and being honest with me. Those guys I go talk to about the playbook. If I don't understand something in the protection, I can go ask JJ any time and he's got it right there."
On if playing against his former team gives him extra motivation:
"No. The chip comes from my kids. I've got to feed my family and all that. Playing them, [I'm] just going out there to play the game, have fun and enjoy it. It doesn't create any extra fuel. I've already got a chip on my shoulder."
On if he could play special teams on the coverage unit:
"Yeah, I could do all that. Wherever the coaches put me, I'm going to go out there and make a play."
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS LINEBACKER KYLE WILSON
On his time in camp so far:
"It's going great. I grew as a player, I feel like, up to this point."
On what he feels he has improved most:
"Really, just being familiar with the playbook, the fundamentals and really just the culture that the coaches and players are trying to portray. [I've also worked on] being more confident in myself."
On his familiarity with the defense:
"I feel comfortable, for sure. Even with people knowing that the beginning of the game is probably the most intense part of the game, unless there's another crucial time. Being out there to start the game, I felt really comfortable catching onto the speed of the game."
On what's unique about the defense:
"It's really just, 'Do your job, do your fundamentals, and let the plays come to you.' Every player is held accountable for doing their own job, so believing in the man next to you while you do your job also."
On the defense:
"There's a bunch of great players at every level of the defense. Up front, in the middle, and in the back end — there's a lot of great players ready to make plays when they come their way."
On who he has learned the most from in camp:
"Probably the whole linebacker corps. [LB] Denzel [Perryman], [LB] Thomas [Davis Sr.], [LB Jatavis] JB [Brown], all those guys are really just like players and coaches at the same time. It's easy to be in the meeting room and out in the field with those guys."
