E.J. Biggers Interview Transcript

[InsaneBoost]

Ray Smith: E.J thanks for joining us on the show, thanks for taking some time out to talk to Redskins Nation

E.J. Biggers: No problem, thanks for having me

RS: Well, we’re really excited, a lot of us up here in the D.C. market may not have a whole lot of knowledge of who you are. Tell us a little bit about yourself. You’ve only been in the league for a couple years, you’re a young guy, 25, a newly signed free agent for the Redskins, talk a little bit about what you’ve done in your career, and who you are as a football player.

EJ: I was a seventh round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, by Raheem Morris who was the coach of Tampa Bay. I played there for four years. Started about 12 games this past year, was the starting nickel the past two years. I’m just happy to have the opportunity to be in Washington and be a Redskin.

RS: Tell us a little about your free agency experience. Raheem drafted you when you were in Tampa Bay, this is your first free agency experience, in years past this has been a little bit of a different beast. Now the new CBA things have changed a little bit. Talk about how free agency went for you.

EJ: Coach Raheem was one of the first guys I talked to as soon as free agency started. Washington was interested as well as a couple other teams. Tampa was still giving offers, but at the end of the day this is the best opportunity for me at this time for my career. I’m happy and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

Kiel Maddox: The Redskins contacted you right away, you played with Raheem so he knows who you are, making you a perfect fit in this system to replace players we’ve released just due to playing under him for so long. Were you leaning towards Washington more than the other teams just because of that?

EJ: Washington was showing interest right away, to be honest that was the most interest I had. With a guy like Raheem, a guy that took a chance on me, a seventh round guy, didn’t play my first year because I was hurt, then to come back that second year, being the starting nickel. When games were going good and weren’t going good, he was a guy that stuck with me at all times. We always kept that relationship, he’s a guy that I trust, that knows me, the ins and outs. It was just a great opportunity with a guy that I know and trust, to come to Washington and become a Redskin.

RS: We get to watch Raheem coach, and it’s a little bit different from you guys being on the players side of things, but being on the media to keep an eye on how he coaches, he seems to really be involved with the players. He’s very hands on, I don’t want to say he’s a rah rah guy, but he definitely seems to get the players pumped up and keeps practice lively. You can hear his voice well above any of the other coaches voices. Talk about Raheem in practice and what it’s like because I’ve seen him undress players, I’ve seen him go at it with them a little bit. He’s one of those coaches that’s a little old school in the fact that he seems like he would line up across from you even without pads and hit you if he had to. Talk about Raheem and the energy that he brings.

EJ: He a guy with a lot of lot of lot of energy. He knows how to get his guys fired up as you said. Very energetic. He knows what buttons to push to get you going in the right direction. That was the thing I loved about him from day one in Tampa. If he things aren’t going right, he knows what buttons to push. Great motivator. Not a rah rah guy like you said, but if he needs to be he can be. Really down to Earth person. Great coach and I’m just happy to have the opportunity to play for him again.

RS: You talked about the Redskins and this being a great opportunity. Tampa did play the team twice last year which is a little bit abnormal. What is it that you saw in the two times that you faced this team last year that made this an attractive destination for you.

EJ: I saw a great team, a great young team. Guys on the verge of doing great things. When we played them it was a hard game. [Washington] has great receivers, a great quarterback, great running back, and I was looking at it from that perspective. Going against those guys every play was a battle with a fight. RGIII is one of the top quarterbacks in the league right now. He’s doing some great things and is a humble guy. They were guys I enjoyed playing against. They are the type of guys that come in and fight each day and they do everything it takes to win. That’s something you want to be a part of.

RS: Is RGIII that good? There’s a lot of hype about this kid here in D.C. He’s loved by the media, the players. I’ve never seen a player walk in day one and literally erase all doubt in his first press conference. As a guy whose faced him, to go to battle against him, does he strike fear in you? Does he make players wonder what he’s going to do next?

EJ: Most definitely. He can throw the ball as good as anybody and run with the best of them. He’s a guy you always have to be aware of where he’s at. You have to have somebody on him at all times, a spy, somebody on him. Last year he did some great things when we played him in Tampa. He’s the reason they pulled out the win, he did everything he had to do to lead them [Washington] to a win. That’s all you want from a quarterback and the leader of your team.

KM: Obviously the offense for the Washington Redskins, they lit up the league, they did a lot of special things much like San Francisco and Seattle, but defensively, especially against the pass, wasn’t that great for the Redskins. They almost finished as one of the teams to give up the most through the air in league history. They luckily stayed out of that, but we still need help back there. How are you going to help improve this unit?

EJ: I’m just a hard working guy that’s going to do anything and everything it takes to help the team anyway I can. Whatever that means holding towels for guys, whatever it is, I’m going be that guy. I’m going to come out every day in practice and give everything I have. When you give everything you have in practice the games are going to be easy. Go in and work as hard as I can at all times and do whatever I have to do to help the team. I’m just coming in to help. The defense has some great players, pass rushers, defensive backs, linebackers, I’m just coming in to do my part and help them become a great team.

RS: You talked about earlier that this is a great opportunity for you, you felt the Redskins gave you that best opportunity. Have they talked to you at all about what your opportunity is, or what your role is going to be coming in and what the role possibly could be. Obviously the salary cap penalty has hampered what they were able to do in free agency, and they’ve had to separate, at least right now from a guy like DeAngelo Hall who has been here for a couple of years. Talk a little bit about what your expectation is and what is attainable for you as far as your role with this defense.

EJ: Just a chance to come in and play, that’s all I needed and that’s all that’s been translated to me. I just want the chance to play and help the team anyway I can. Whatever that is. I’ve talked to coach Raheem like I said, but whatever they need me to do, and whenever they need me to do it I’m going to be there and do it.

RS: For a guy like you coming into a new place, obviously you’re joining Jeremy Trueblood who we just signed about a week ago, Tanard Jackson who was here last year, and Raheem Morris, as the former Bucs or “Bucskins” as I’ve coined them. What’s it like to have so many familiar faces when you are going to a new place?

EJ: Walking into a lock room where you’re going to know nobody is rough, but to have a couple that you do know makes it a little easier. It’s a football team though, and guys are going to gravitate to each other and you’re going to be around them all the time. That’s not going to be anything I’m going to worry about too much. When you put your hard work in that makes it a lot more easier to get along with guys. I’m just going to try to make the locker-room as positive as I can.

RS: Before we let you go, let’s get some not so intense questions out of the way. We joke about how this fan base refreshes Twitter every five minutes trying to figure out what a player is going to eat for lunch that day. Tell us a little bit about your fun side. You have any funny stories about Raheem? Or fun experiences you’ve had so far? What do you do to relax? Are you a gamer like some of these guys? I know a lot of them are Madden guys and you can ask some of them who have had to face me in Madden ask how that went for them

EJ: [laughter]

RS: Just talk a little bit about yourself on the personal side of things

EJ: I’m more of an NBA2K guy, I like to chill, a family type of guy, chill with the family, that’s pretty much about it for me. What is a good story about coach Raheem.

RJ: Yeah man, you have to give us some dirt

KM: Give us something

[laughter]

EJ: Like I said, he’s really just a down to Earth guy, whatever you want to hear from him, he’s going to tell you. He’s not going to keep anything, he’s not going to hide anything. He’s a great coach and I love playing for him and enjoy playing for him again. I can’t really think of any stories

RS: We’ll let you off the hook of having to dig up the dirt on Raheem I’m sure we’ll find it sooner or later. Who do you have in the Final Four since the tournament starts this week?

EJ: Not really, I’m a Miami guy so I’m pulling for them, but I really like the Michigan team too so those are two teams I’m really watching and pulling for the most.

RS: Good stuff. We appreciate the time and understand you are a busy guy and have a lot of calls to take. Best of luck to you and we’ll be looking up to you in about a month when OTA’s get started. Thanks a lot.

EJ: Alright thank you

[BullsFan_1]

I’m a Miami guy

sold

Welcome to the Redskins.

[InsaneBoost]

Haha you would.