From Raiders Training Camp: RB Zamir White
HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have opened their 2023 NFL Training Camp, and running back Zamir White took to the podium to address the media.
You can watch his entire comments below, and read the transcript:
Running Back Zamir White
Q: How much were you able to learn from year one?
Zamir White: "Shoot man, from year one a lot because of guys like Josh Jacobs, Brandon [Bolden] and Ameer [Abdullah] just coaching me up and being here extra, just going through extra film and extra meetings, and just locking in on stuff like that. So, a lot."
Q: During OTAs, Coach Kennedy Polamalu said that the biggest stride you made is confidence from year one to year two. What went into that for you just getting more confident?
White: "Honestly, probably just extra meetings. Just being here later than I should be. Just doing the extra walk-throughs and extra film and just locking in on me."
Q: We talked earlier about you improving in the passing game -- blocking, catching. Are you seeing that out on the field now from all the effort you put in this offseason?
White: "I'm still working on it. I'm not perfect, but nobody's perfect so, yeah man just keep on working at it every single day. That's what I do. When I'm done practicing, I catch balls and run routes. Every day I try to get better at it."
Q: You've always been a guy who's played on the teams that you've been on -- high school, college. Last year was kind of almost a redshirt year. How did you deal with that mentally and absorb it and kind of grow from it?
White: "I dealt with it pretty fine because this is the NFL, so it's not easy. So it's good to sit back and learn from guys and your teammates, so yeah pretty good."
Q: You're going through camp without Josh Jacobs here, you're getting most of the reps. What has that been like so far?
White: "Just head down grinding, that's about it. I've just been focused on my part and just being here ready to work every single morning. That's about it for me, grinding it out."
Q: How different does it feel physically to be getting all those first team reps though right now?
White: "Physically, none really because we condition, and my offseason workout was real brutal. So condition-wise I'm pretty fine."
Q: What did that offseason workout entail?
White: "Shoot, a lot of hills, a lot of running. Working with my horses on the farm and stuff like that. Throwing hay bales and all that stuff, cutting wood, all that type of stuff."
Q: Is that how you spent last offseason too?
White: "Every one of them, I do the same thing."
Q: You talk about being 'country strong,' is that kind of what we're talking about here?
White: "Yes sir."
Q: How are the horses?
White: "They're great. Right now, I've probably got like 12 horses right now. So yeah, man we've got hogs, we've got cows, we've got goats. We've got it all, you name it. I've got my garden, you know how I do it."
Q: Did you buy some extra once you made it to the league?
White: "I did. Yes sir. Yeah, but farming and stuff and horses, my grandpa had me liking that stuff since I was born. So that's just part of me, man. I love it to death."
Q: How do you deal with being in Vegas in the season which is obviously very different from that?
White: "Oh yeah, Vegas is night and day from my world back home, and it's a different type of world. But it's pretty cool, though, here. It's fun, I like it."
Q: When you have family around here, what do they think of this?
White: "Honestly, the food for them is terrible. For them, in the south we really cook for real, so we just don't like the food like that. That's about it, but they like it."
Q: How do you mentally prepare yourself for a season where right now you're the guy, but Josh Jacobs can come back any time?
White: "Any time. Honestly, just doing my part. Just coming in and daily and like just locking in on film and working and just head down grinding. That's what I'm focused on right now. Yeah, that's it for me."
Q: Do you talk to him much?
White: "Yes, sir. We do talk a lot."
Q: How would you say he's holding up?
White: "Josh [Jacobs] is a great guy. So yeah, he's pretty good. He's fine."
Q: With Brandon Bolden and Ameer Abdullah, you've got two veterans that have been here a long time. What are you doing to pick their brain to learn from them to be able to sustain a career that long?
White: "Just ask questions. There's no question, no dumb questions, no little questions. I just talk to them and just ask them. Because Ameer [Abdullah] and B [Brandon Bolden] are going to help you regardless but that's just them. They're here to help you. So yeah, just ask them and they'll say, 'Yeah bro, do this and do that. With this front and this read, you do this.' We just break it down."
Q: In the draft, you guys got another Bulldog on the team in Chris Smith II. How have you been able to kind of talk to him and help him adjust to being a Raider?
White: "Chris [Smith] is my dog, man, from Georgia. Really me and are Chris the same age, same high school class and all that. So we've been close since like ninth grade, so we're really boys. So just seeing him come here with me, I was like: 'Yeah, finally. Finally we got a Dog on the team with me. We good now. I'm alright.'"
Q: Obviously Josh Jacobs had a great year last year, but what are some things you learned watching him and being around him a lot of last season?
White: "Honestly really just grind, because Josh worked so hard at pass protection, running the ball, everything. Josh is a grinder, and he does it off the field too. So just learning that type of stuff from him."
Q: Jermaine Eluemunor said the other day that when it comes to running styles, Josh Jacobs could either juke you or run you over. He said you prefer to run people over. Is that more your style? How would you describe your running style?
White: "Man, just get it down. Just go ahead downhill and just make the play work. Just trying to be a good teammate and just do my part. That's about it for me."
Q: How much different does it feel on the field knowing the offense the way you do now compared to last year at training camp?
White: "Last year I was, yeah. This year it has eased out some. Just doing the extra meetings, the extra film, the game calmed down, too. So you really just go out there and do your thing, and have fun really. Just don't think about all the negatives. Just think positive when you're out there, that's about it."
The Silver and Black open the preseason by hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.
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