Browns TE David Njoku was in a joking mood at the podium on January 4, 2024.
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00:00 [inaudible]
00:03 Feels pretty good.
00:04 Hopefully for the many, but honestly,
00:08 the best feeling is just being what I can be.
00:11 [inaudible]
00:14 saying that.
00:15 [inaudible]
00:18 [inaudible]
00:21 [inaudible]
00:24 [inaudible]
00:27 [inaudible]
00:30 Watching it and doing it were two different things.
00:36 Doing it, I was like, whatever.
00:37 I was having a good time.
00:38 Watching it, I was like, oh, shit.
00:40 I did some wild stuff, but it was awesome.
00:43 Great deal.
00:45 [inaudible]
00:50 Honestly, vice versa.
00:51 When I started screaming, he started screaming,
00:53 so we both like--
00:55 [inaudible]
01:04 Honestly, I owe it all to God.
01:07 That's really how I feel.
01:09 It's all God's work.
01:11 God's timing at that.
01:14 On a day like yesterday, when you get that award,
01:16 do you reflect on what has been here and kind of return?
01:21 As crazy as it sounds, you know?
01:25 As crazy as it sounds, throughout my whole career,
01:32 it was mostly about stats and how many yards I can get,
01:37 how many touchdowns I can get.
01:38 But one year where I felt like--
01:41 not that I didn't care about it, but more so the team was more
01:44 important than me, the year that I made it.
01:47 So it's really funny how that all worked out.
01:49 [inaudible]
01:52 We, not me, yeah?
01:54 Okay.
01:55 [inaudible]
02:00 Probably after my face got burned off, I was like,
02:02 you know, the one fight no matter what.
02:08 The finer things like being able to see, hear,
02:10 you know, sense and everything.
02:12 And then each week went by and went by,
02:14 and I started noticing how I was caring more about what the team
02:18 needed to win more so than what I needed to be happy.
02:21 And by doing that, it also makes me happy as well.
02:26 Funny how life works.
02:28 [inaudible]
02:34 The world, you know?
02:36 [inaudible]
02:38 Yeah, you know, I'm happy with how we are so far,
02:40 but the job's not finished.
02:42 You're not-- no work, you're done.
02:44 So it's not really what you're happy at.
02:46 [inaudible]
02:57 I mean, that was a long time ago.
02:58 I'm not saying I'm old, but that was seven years ago.
03:01 You know, I don't really remember like my mindset.
03:03 I was just young.
03:04 I just didn't really think of what I'm thinking of now.
03:07 And before anything else, you know,
03:11 I mean, obviously we're taking one week at a time, yeah?
03:14 But that ring, that's what it's all about.
03:19 [inaudible]
03:22 being held back from other guys being held back.
03:26 How helpful though can it be for you guys to prepare you
03:32 for the playoffs, give you a little extra class,
03:34 provide you with a chance to meet the early line?
03:38 The guys that are banked off, it's going to help prepare us,
03:41 you know, like a deal and everything.
03:43 Other than that, we're pretty much very locked in.
03:46 We all are playing, you know what I mean?
03:48 So that's how we're taking it, you know, one day at a time.
03:52 And just, you know, stay ready.
03:55 And how important is it then not--
03:58 maybe not having everybody playing,
04:00 but still to finish strong out for the regular season?
04:02 Very important.
04:04 You know, like I said, I don't work for anybody.
04:06 It doesn't really matter who's playing.
04:09 The job is still, you know, going.
04:13 We take that upon ourselves to be very mindful of that.
04:16 So that's what we need to do.
04:19 [inaudible]
04:27 With who?
04:28 [inaudible]
04:34 Pretty strong.
04:35 I mean, as each week goes by, you know,
04:37 we try to find ways to be more involved more and more.
04:40 So I appreciate that.
04:42 I'm very grateful that we have pretty strong coverage now.
04:45 So, yeah.
04:47 [inaudible]
05:06 It's a mind day to start, you know, like,
05:08 even practice today, just like us, like, bullshitting together.
05:11 Like, we weren't doing that back in 2020.
05:13 You know what I mean?
05:14 And it just-- it feels good.
05:17 It feels really good just to be, like, on the same page,
05:19 have, like, the same, you know, views and the same, you know,
05:24 what's the word?
05:29 The same goal, you know?
05:31 So, yeah, it's awesome.
05:33 [inaudible]
05:35 You used to be this love of tight ends, right?
05:38 Just curious, what did you say to me either last night,
05:42 on the afternoon, or today?
05:45 Yeah, I was sick yesterday.
05:47 So he called me, you know, congratulating me.
05:50 You know, like, I mean, it was a really heartfelt message.
05:54 Yeah, I'm very appreciative of him.
05:57 And I have nothing to say.
06:01 [inaudible]
06:03 [laughter]
06:06 Proud coach.
06:07 [inaudible]
06:11 Ask him that.
06:12 God, man, I tried, you know?
06:14 I mean, you know, the mentality for this team is next man up.
06:18 So I'm trying to, you know, go on a limb and say,
06:20 let me try to help the team.
06:22 And you got to ask him, man.
06:23 I tried.
06:24 [inaudible]
06:26 Far.
06:27 I can kick.
06:28 I'm strong.
06:29 You know what I mean?
06:30 Like, that's what I said, right?
06:31 I'm strong, yeah.
06:32 So if we could do a time machine thing,
06:34 what would your 20-year-old David say about that?
06:37 [inaudible]
06:40 I don't know.
06:41 I don't -- what would 20-year-old David say about today?
06:44 Probably -- I mean, you got to understand,
06:46 it's a different mentality.
06:48 I'm a 20-year-old, David, was not thinking about the team as much.
06:53 I was thinking about the team, but not to this extent.
06:56 And me now is all I think about every day.
06:59 What can I do to help the team get better?
07:04 And sometimes it's more mental.
07:07 Sometimes it's physical.
07:10 So I just do whatever I can to help.
07:12 David, you --
07:14 [inaudible]
07:23 [laughter]
07:25 You mean, can I see that relationship now?
07:27 Yeah.
07:28 Was that part of the book I was all about,
07:30 how you were trying to show, you know,
07:32 this is all about the team, this is what I'm about,
07:34 I want to be that guy for the team?
07:36 I can't believe I told you that.
07:37 I feel embarrassed.
07:38 Okay.
07:39 What was your question?
07:41 Was that what it was all about for you?
07:42 Was it about, hey, I want to be that guy for the team,
07:45 I want to show you where my head's at?
07:47 No, because he knows where my head's at.
07:50 He knows, you know, where I stand as a team.
07:53 It was more so -- I guess it was more so for me.
07:57 Because when I called him, the first thing he told me was,
08:00 "Don't worry about it, whatever."
08:02 But it's not something that I think of lightly,
08:05 especially with, like, our team was totally, you know, losing.
08:10 Nick Charles losing, Paul Strong losing,
08:13 [inaudible]
08:16 So it wasn't really to show him that I'm about the team,
08:20 it was more so for me.
08:22 Do you feel like that was a promotional for you in this?
08:26 No, because I feel like -- I feel like it was a bad game.
08:34 I feel like that game didn't really define me.
08:38 I never lost confidence in myself,
08:40 but it was more so because I had to get out of my comfort zone.
08:44 Yeah.
08:46 Thank you.
08:47 All right.