Quenton Nelson: "I'm Honored That This Team Wanted Me Here" — Seattle Seahawks

[0:01] Thank you. [0:02] I'm sure it's been a whirlwind the last few hours. [0:04] What was your reaction to the trade, [0:06] and what are your initial impressions to being here? [0:09] You know, the reaction, I've got to admit, was like a little bittersweet. [0:13] Formed a lot of great relationships in Indy, great community there. [0:18] But definitely excited for this next chapter, being here in Seattle. [0:23] I mean, just driving in and then the couple times I've played here. [0:27] It's a beautiful state, a really cool city. [0:30] All the nature here is sick. [0:34] And then getting to meet some of the guys. [0:37] Everyone's been super welcoming already, and the coaches as well. [0:43] And everyone, it's a family here. [0:46] The equipment, the trainers, it's been a great day and a half so far. [0:52] Your name had been out there in rumors, [0:54] but were you still surprised that it happened, [0:55] or were you anticipating that something might happen, or what were you thinking? [0:57] I was just controlling what I can control, [0:59] which is being my best every day and doing my best on Sunday. [1:04] Leaving everything up to God, that's it. [1:07] You scored a touchdown as a fullback and did a keg stands celebration. [1:11] I know it got called back. [1:12] But have you thought about talking to Brian Fleury about fullback reps at all? [1:16] I have not, no. [1:17] I've got to learn this playbook. [1:19] I've got to do a lot of other stuff before ever even considering that. [1:23] You've played in different – [1:25] Oh, go ahead. [1:26] What's that? [1:26] How is – what is Fleury's scheme like for you? [1:28] Like, how is learning that compared to what you've been doing for eight or so years? [1:32] It's a lot of the same stuff, just different terminology. [1:37] And, yeah, a lot of different terminology. [1:40] So, I'm just trying to learn that. [1:42] Coach Q and JB have been – I mean, we met a lot all throughout the day yesterday [1:49] and are just pouring everything into me. [1:52] So, really appreciate them. [1:54] And also, Sundell stayed around, which was nice. [1:57] He was there with me all night last night answering any questions I got. [2:01] How late? [2:03] I'm sorry. [2:03] I was just going to say the guys here have been great so far. [2:06] How late are we talking last night? [2:09] It was late, yeah. [2:10] You played with Julian Love and there's a couple other Notre Dame guys here. [2:14] I guess, does that help a little bit, lean on some of them? [2:16] Yeah, Jay Love, you know, he's already come up to me. [2:20] He's asking how my family's been since the Notre Dame days [2:24] and saying, like, anything you need, you know, [2:28] if your wife needs to hang out with anyone, [2:31] I could give her my wife's number and all this stuff. [2:36] So, he's awesome. [2:37] You just got married this past summer, right? [2:40] And how is that to have that go on and then, you know, [2:45] going all across the country? [2:47] Business. [2:48] Business as usual, man. [2:50] It's awesome. [2:52] You met her in Indiana, right? [2:53] That's right. [2:54] And you went to school in Notre Dame, of course. [2:57] The jarring transition of being two days in Seattle [3:00] after such formative years in your life in Indiana. [3:04] How long will that transition take and how real life gets into this [3:11] and what a big a factor is that for you? [3:14] I mean, I'm not really letting it affect me. [3:19] I'm looking at this as a new opportunity [3:22] and something I'm really excited about. [3:27] And, you know, it's great to have all those memories [3:30] and years spent in Indy. [3:33] But, like I said, I'm excited for this. [3:37] It's awesome over here. [3:38] What was your reaction today to seeing Jeff Simmons get traded [3:42] to your next opponent after years of battling him twice a week? [3:45] Yeah. [3:45] I mean, he's an amazing football player and competitor. [3:51] And, yeah, I was like, man, can't get away from this guy. [3:54] So, yeah, it would be another battle against him this week. [4:00] How would you describe your – not so much about you personally, [4:05] you know what I mean, the type of guard that you – [4:08] what are some of the tangibles? [4:13] I don't know. [4:15] I think I just, like, what you can expect is to get my absolute best every day [4:22] at work and on the field as well. [4:28] I think I can move pretty well. [4:31] I feel like I could do any, like, kind of scheme, [4:36] whether that's, like, gap or inside zone or outside zone, polling, [4:41] whatever it is, we can get it done. [4:44] You obviously can be a free agent at the end of the year. [4:46] Do you come here hoping that, you know, you can stay here for a while? [4:49] Or what are your kind of thoughts on that? [4:51] Haven't really thought about it. [4:53] I'm just, you know, excited to be here and going to do my best [4:56] and control what I can control. [4:57] You played the Seahawks last year. [5:00] What did you see preparing for that team? [5:02] What was it like to face them? [5:03] And what was your general impression of the Seahawks? [5:06] I saw two stud D tackles. [5:09] I mean, the D line is just filthy. [5:11] The D ends as well. [5:13] And then I don't think I gave the linebackers enough credit, like, [5:17] going into the game. [5:18] They definitely earned my respect, [5:20] the way they were coming downhill and hitting. [5:24] So, yeah, it's a great defense. [5:27] And it was a challenge playing against them. [5:31] I think the fans here generally know how good Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams are. [5:35] But you're the one that has to try to block them in the past. [5:37] Like, what is it like trying to deal with those guys? [5:40] Murphy doing the drop knee thing that he does [5:41] and what kind of special things that they bring to the table? [5:44] Yeah, it's pretty impossible to move him from my experience. [5:47] And then Leonard, not only is he just, like, a physical [5:55] and, like, just, like, alpha of a D tackle, [5:59] but, like, his technique and the way he's able to get his hands inside [6:03] is really impressive. [6:05] And both of their pass rushes as well [6:09] for being as good as they are in the run game, [6:12] they're really good in pass rushing situations as well. [6:16] They're not just one-dimensional. [6:19] Do you still do the Taekwondo regularly? [6:22] No. [6:23] Okay. [6:24] You don't often get to control where you're traded to, [6:26] but you are traded here defending Super Bowl champs [6:29] for the culture you mentioned. [6:30] When you look at it through that lens, like, you know, [6:32] how special is it that you didn't get to pick, [6:34] but it's this place trying to run things forward, as they say? [6:37] Yeah, it's really special. [6:40] And I'm honored that, like, this team wanted me, [6:44] that the GM and coaches wanted me here to add [6:48] to their already amazing team. [6:51] So I'm truly humbled by that. [6:54] Did you have any say over where they sent you? [6:57] No. [6:58] I was – I met with Ed the day before the trade, [7:05] and he told me that there were fielding calls [7:09] and there were a few teams interested, one of them being Seattle. [7:14] But he said, like, how do I feel about it? [7:17] And I was like, you know, that's what you guys got to do. [7:23] Then great. [7:24] And I was happy when he called me in the next day [7:29] and told me it's Seattle. [7:31] Your first impressions of the playbook, how different is it? [7:34] How much is the run-up, spin-up is going to be until Monday? [7:37] Yeah, it's completely different. [7:40] But I've got great people around me helping me out, [7:45] between JB and Q, [7:47] and then also the players in the offensive line room. [7:52] Everyone's super welcoming, [7:54] and they understand that this is a whirlwind situation for me. [7:59] You've got to step in and play left guard [8:02] and pretty much get a whole offense installed, new protection, [8:08] learn that as well, and be ready to go on Monday. [8:14] You've only missed four games in eight-plus seasons, [8:16] playing a pretty violent position. [8:18] What do you think has been the key to your durability? [8:22] I would say having a really good routine [8:25] of doing, like, stretching on your own, [8:30] activation on your own, eating healthy, sleep. [8:38] Getting, like, physical massages that are deep tissue [8:44] and just, like, doing everything in your power [8:48] to be as healthy as you can be has helped me a lot. [8:53] And, I mean, this is a physical game, [8:55] so you're still going to deal with nicks and nacks and what have you. [8:59] But you've just got to, you know, [9:02] tape some stuff up and play through it. [9:04] Wasn't that long ago that guards were not the most valued position out there? [9:08] And, obviously, now it's, like, really valuable to play that role. [9:13] What do you think people don't understand [9:14] or maybe appreciate about what great guard play can do to an offense? [9:21] I just think, like, these de-tackles, like we mentioned already [9:27] in this press conference, Simmons and Leo and Byron, [9:33] like, blocking those guys is a tough task. [9:35] So, it's important to have a good O-line to combat that. [9:42] And it all starts in the trenches. [9:44] You said it's bittersweet leaving Indianapolis. [9:47] I'm curious just what are you going to miss most about your time from the Colts? [9:49] Because there was a serious stint of time there, wasn't it? [9:51] Yeah, I would say the relationships and with the guys on the team, [9:57] with my O-line coach especially, Tony was awesome, great. [10:03] And then the community there, had a good group of friends out there. [10:09] So, I miss that. [10:11] You said the playbook's quite a bit different. [10:13] Is it stylistically much different, [10:14] or is it more just, like, the terminology being the shift [10:16] that you've got to get up to speed on? [10:18] Terminology, and then it's no secret, like, Seattle uses a fullback. [10:25] And I don't think we did, like, much of that in Indy. [10:28] So, that's a little bit of an adjustment. [10:30] But it's all new terminology for me. [10:33] You were a basketball player of some repute in high school. [10:36] How does that help you in your position? [10:40] I think playing a different sport growing up. [10:44] Basketball and, you know, being a larger person [10:47] and having to cover people smaller than you, [10:49] I think that helped with developing some quickness [10:54] and having to move efficiently to stay in front of the person dribbling [11:00] and stuff like that. [11:02] And running the court, I think running the court in basketball [11:06] helped my endurance a lot as well. [11:12] All right, thanks, guys. [11:13] Thank you. [11:13] Thank you.