Jack Strand and other Atlanta Falcons speak to media post-practice | Press Conference

So, are you actually 10% body fat, Jack? Cuz the broadcast was promoting this. Uh, >> I I don't think I'm that low. Back when we got tested in college, I was like in the mid- teens, I think. Uh, yeah, I don't think I'm quite quite as low as 10%, but that's all right. Got to have a little bit of protection on me to take hits. >> How'd you feel about Friday night? >> I felt good about it. I think it was a good performance by by all three phases of the team, offense, defense, special teams. Everybody was making plays. Um, I think offensively we did a good job. You know, in the run game, we had we had some big runs. had some big passes too and guys were flying around making plays uh uh you know on deep balls and stuff. O line did a great job of of uh holding their blocks giving us time to throw and obviously running backs they did a good job too both p both in pass catching and running the ball. >> Did you realize you sort of set the internet on fire or were you were you made aware of that? >> Uh no I did I didn't know at the time but I found out about it afterwards. >> Who told you? >> Um I kind of I kind of heard it from some of my family members after the game. >> What did they say? >> I think they're kind of just taking it in stride like I am. like they're they're just, you know, they're they're just happy for me um like that I that I have the opportunity to be here to to be able to play football professionally, be able to continue playing this game that I love. And that's that's the that's kind of where I'm at, too. >> Have your expectations changed in the last month? >> No, definitely not. I I'm I'm still, you know, I just want to be the best football player that I can be, help the team out in whatever way possible. >> How hard is it not to start thinking about next week, the end of next week? And >> um I mean, I'm not I'm not really focused on that. Like, I'm I just I just want to be where I'm at now. Like, we I I want I was focused on practice today. I wasn't focused on anything that happened, you know, on on last Saturday. I wasn't focused on anything in the future. I just want to be where my feet are and I got to keep continuing to get better every day. >> Did Mike have a little more juice today cuz he was able to go full >> He was excited for sure and it was it was really good to see him back out there going full 11 on 111 going full speed. >> Was there a level of comfort you felt like you had against Indie that maybe that the first game against Denver helped in any respect or anything you took from that Denver game? >> I think so. I think just every time you get reps and and and obviously in game playing against another opponent is is a lot different. Um and uh so I think yeah having some familiarity just with being in a game, you know, playing in a stadium and stuff. Uh I think that that gave me a little bit more, you know, made me a little more comfortable in the indie game. But I think just getting more and more reps and especially more more mental reps cuz that's a big thing for me too, like just watching these guys and the way that they operate, the way that they perform out there, picking up as much as I can from them, both out here on the practice field and then watching film too and trying to take as much of that into my own game as I can. Obviously processing information such a pivotal part about playing quarterback and it's something that a lot of people have said you've done really well in your career so far, but how has it changed over the course of training camp? >> Um, I think just just starting to understand the offense more and understanding what we're trying to do on certain plays, why, you know, we might be changing the play against certain looks, things like that, trying to get us into uh like a run play that might be better against a certain front or a certain, you know, safety rotation, something like that, or a pass play that might be better against man versus against zone. So, I think just starting to get more in tune with that as part of the offense and starting to process that more and that that allows me to, you know, hopefully get us in the right play more often than not. >> Taking me back to your college days for a second, you did have an opportunity to leave, right? But you chose to stay. >> Um, I didn't really like have any, you know, phone calls or people trying to tamper with me too much, but it it was never my intention to to leave. Anyways, >> why was it important for you to do that? >> Well, the the culture that we had there was incredible. like the culture of loving your teammates, like being part of something bigger than yourself, wanting to see the team succeed, wanting to see your teammates succeed more than you care about yourself and your own personal success and things like that. And uh you know, we had we had a whole 100 plus players and all the coaches, everybody on the in in the program bought into that. And when you have a culture like that, everybody's bought into it. You can do some special things with it. And I knew that that wasn't something I'd be able to find anywhere else. >> And the culture here has been great when they're really excited to see you get over the goal line yourself with your own legs. What's that like to have your teammates rally around you? >> Oh, that's that's so cool. And I I I you know, I think that's that's you know, football's the ultimate team game and and when you're getting excited for other people to do things like that, you know, you you know, there's times where you're going to be the guy out there scoring scoring the touchdown guys. There's times when you're going to be the guy, you know, pushing another guy into the end zone. There's going to be times when you're the guy on the sideline cheering your teammate on. So, I think uh anytime that you know the whole team can get excited for one guy's success, that's when you really come together as a team. I know you're learning a lot right now, but what have you really taken away from being a part of this quarterback room? >> Um, I don't know if I can even choose one specific thing. I think the biggest thing is like, you know, I always talk about being where your feet are, but just the whole trust your feet mentality that we have. We have it up on a sign in the QB room. Like, trust your feet. If you if you if your feet tell you you should make this throw, you should make it. If they tell you you should keep moving on the progression, they tell you you should step up in the pocket, if you should run, then you should you should learn to trust your feet. So, that's probably the biggest thing I've taken away. Jack, I know you've constantly said where your feet are, but there's a lot of people out there among the fan base that love you so far, been big fans of yours on social media. I What's that been like for you to kind of endear yourself to the fan base so far, even though you're just trying to do your job right now? Yeah. I mean, it's it's obviously it's really cool to see the support kind of come from from outside the walls, too, and from back home, you know, in Wisconsin, from up in Morehead where I went to school. It's cool to see just the support from everybody. And um but, you know, I obviously I try not to to lean into that too much. And what's what's most important is, you know, what we do inside the walls of our building. >> Were you watching the Brewers Braves game at all? >> Yes, I I watched I watched the game yesterday and then on Friday night, we had some off time at the hotel, so I turned that on. Yeah. >> Love it. >> What was your NFL team growing up? >> Uh, I was actually a Patriots fan growing up. Patriots. >> Yeah. So, I I I have a story behind it cuz uh I So, my dad had this uh 1996 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl VHS tape and it was the year that the Packers won the Super Bowl cuz he's a Packers fan. They played the Patriots in the Super Bowl and I like the Patriots colors. cuz I like the red, white, and blue. And so that's how I became a Patriots fan. I was really young, don't worry. Was your dad pissed about that? >> No, he he he was okay with it. He was kind of, you know, choose whatever sports you want. I think he's happy that I'm a Brewers fan, though. >> Jack, you were a guy that didn't get a lot of attention coming out of high school and then to become an undrafted rookie free agent and you played with a chip on your shoulder. Like what's your mentality around all of that? >> Um, yeah. I think uh you know especially coming out of high school and only having one scholarship offer I think naturally there's just going to be a chip um because I I want to you know show people I want to prove people wrong obviously but I think uh when you think like having a chip on your shoulder that can kind of put unnecessary pressure on from yourself onto yourself and so I think uh the biggest thing like especially with playing the quarterback position like there's times you just got to play free and you got to make plays like if you're putting so much pressure on yourself it'll be perfect and like I think of myself as a perfectionist like I want to run every play correctly and obviously that's just not something that that can happen. Um but uh I think sometimes like if you do something like that then you can put unnecessary pressure on yourself, chase like goals that really don't matter. So I think you know at times I think there's a chip just because I was like I was an underrecruited guy and coming out of you know college and being an undrafted guy. Uh there's definitely a chip but I think there's times where you know you kind of just got to you know be in the moment and play free. >> Talk about that a little bit more. High school football season is starting. There a lot of kids who are in that position. Yeah. What's your message to it? Uh, I think, you know, if you're if you're not, you know, being recruited a ton like and you feel like you you want to play college football, you feel like you should be, you know, you got to just go to camps in the summer. And I know camp season's done now cuz the actual season's starting. Um, but uh, you know, try to just reach out to coaches and get in get in touch with them. And then like if you're a quarterback, I mean, I think the biggest thing like you got to obviously you got to be able to make all the throws, but I think a big thing too is you got to just like understand know how to process a defense and know how to run an offense. And there's a lot of um high school offenses that don't really allow quarterbacks to do that. Like espec, you know, me personally coming from a double wing offense, I wasn't really processing a lot of defenses in high school. But you kind of just have to, you know, at times you got to teach yourself like you got to watch NFL games, you got to watch NFL film, you got to watch college games and kind of just understand the way that the game works at those higher levels. I know you said there wasn't one thing that you could say that you've learned, you know, from quarterback learn, but coming to a place with an offensive head coach. Where have you seen the areas of biggest growth for you in these couple weeks being here? >> Um, I think honestly just just growing more comfortable like being in there like running the offense and stuff and starting to, like I talked about earlier, just understanding the plays, understanding the wise behind them. I think that's a big thing for me too. Uh, when I'm, you know, learning offense or learning a new game plan or something like understand why are we doing certain plays? Why are we, you know, running this motion? what what do we want this play to look like that we want the defense to react differently to that and I think I'm starting to learn that from from you know all the plays in our offense and I think that's starting to help you know the game slow down a little bit for me >> time for one more >> Jack do you have a nickname in high school college because the name Strand is very conducive to plays on words >> yeah um not really honestly a lot of people did just call me Strand either Jack or Strand yeah there's that's kind of that's kind of all it was all right >> leader in the clubhouse of the fan base is uh Strand on business >> strand on stand up. >> The last strand Cory Leven's been saying the last strand. >> The last strand. >> All right. >> How you feeling? >> Feeling pretty good. Um, you know, it's it's good to be back here in Atlanta after it felt like a month in Indianapolis. Um, but it it's good. We got a lot of good work in. Um, obviously getting back to work today feels good being back on the field. >> Does a week like this sort of a game simulation week help you get your juices flowing a little more? Absolutely. Absolutely. Um, you know, getting into the the gameweek schedule, um, Coach Lefansky has been preaching, you know, he wants this to feel like week one, um, as much as possible, getting us ready for when that comes. So, uh, you know, it it does feel it's it's the anticipation of it getting close. Um, it's exciting. Um, and you know, I can't wait. >> Did Mike seem any different to you today being able to do be full be in full go? >> No, he's the he's the same every day. Um, he's he's preparing. um you know and he's he he's the same every day he comes out here um whe no matter how much he's doing whether he's doing just seven on seven um we got to see him in 11 on 111 action today and that was that was a good step in step in the right direction for him um but yeah he he he's the same he approaches every day like a professional um and it was good to see him out here in action >> you don't have a lot of reps with Mike especially in team drills but just in your short time of getting to know him and working with him what do you like about the way he approaches is the quarterback position. >> Um, you know, he he has the the same mentality every play. He doesn't get too down on himself. He doesn't get too high. Um, you know, he comes in the huddle. Um, and you know, he he he demands the huddle uh as a quarterback as a quarterback should. Um, but you know, you guys see it. Uh, he has a a rocket as an arm. Um, can make every throw on the field. So, you know, it's it's cool seeing him in the in the live 11 on 111 action. um and and getting the getting the ground going. >> How'd you feel when you found out he was clear he's going to be able to do that out here this year? >> Yeah, it's exciting for him. Um excited for him. Uh I know it's it's been a tough tough journey going any injury is is a tough journey. Um so it it's good to see him on the opposite side of that. Um and you know he had a little scramble today which was which is cool to see. Um you haven't really got to see that. So, you know, it's it's exciting seeing seeing your teammates um doing what they love to do. Um you know, you can tell he loves the game of football, so it's really cool to to have him back out here. >> How how unique is his arm talent in your opinion? >> Yeah, I mean, it's it's extraordinary. Uh it truly is. Um just the he can he can truly make every single throw on the field. um whether that's a 50 yard bomb um intermediate routes um he he and he trusts in his arm uh to get it there. Um and that's a big thing and you know that I first noticed when I got here um he he trusts that he can make the downfield throws um no matter what the platform is. So it's it's really cool playing with him. >> What were your first conversations with Mike like when you got here? >> Um I don't I honestly don't even remember. uh probably along the lines of ready to do this thing. Um and you know, let's get to it. >> How do you feel like your camp has gone so far? >> Um I feel like I feel like it's been pretty good. Um just you know, for me it's coming out here and and stacking days um and making plays. Uh I know that's kind of cliche, but um you know, when my numbers called, you know, make make a play. Um and that's what I've been trying to do each and every day I come out here. Um go home, reset, and come back and do it again. Um, just trying to make make as many plays as possible to to put myself and this team in in the best situation to be successful. >> So far out of training camp, you know, we're getting into third preseason week. Uh, what's your evaluation of things so far? >> Uh, I think as a team, you know, we're coming along as a as a team. Uh, you know, it's fun being out here, especially being a rookie. So, you know, just, you know, getting in the motion and everything, just like taking everything in day by day. So, right now it's fun for me. It's a grinder at the same time. So, I'm taking the grind like Coach N say, man, you got to chase God through it. So that's what I'm doing right now. Just, you know, chasing God and let him lead me step by step. >> Adjustment wise, what's been the toughest thing? What's been the uh transition that might be uh easier than you thought? >> Probably the speed of the game. Uh it's probably it's a little bit faster than it is in college. So that's probably like, you know, the biggest like thing that I'm like, you know, adjusting to right now. >> What were your expectations for yourself coming into this process? >> My expectation of coming in was, you know, come in make a name for myself. Um you know, I feel like I've been, you know, the underdog, you know, since I came into college. So, man, I just still feel like I'm the same same dude, underdog trying to climb his way to the top again. So, that's, you know, that's my expectation just to make a name and, you know, put put my name out there. >> Do you feel like you've done that? >> Uh, uh, a little bit, but, you know, I got a long way to go. It's, you know, it's a it's a hill. You got to climb it step by step. You know, you can't just skip steps. You know, it don't work like that. So, you know, I'm just taking it step by step, day by day. >> At the same time, is it hard not to start thinking about next week? >> Um, I mean, it's hard, but, you know, you got to focus on, you know, the minor details right now. you know, the things that's in front of you right now. >> You have one thing you'd like to get accomplished Friday night? >> A win. A win as a team. Bring the W back home. >> Who have you uh kind of leaned on, relied on in that, you know, room so far? >> Um, you know, I talked to Mason Mason Smith. You know, that's a guy I always talk to. Uh, you know, Zack Harrison, Brandon Doris, like, you know, they've been very accepting, you know, just, you know, bringing me in and pulling me closer and closer together, like, you know, this what you do here, this what you do here. you know, it's the right way to do this or, you know, if you thinking too much, hey, this is what I do. So, you know, it's just great being in the room with a a lot of guys that, you know, that want to see me succeed and things like that. So, you know, it's fun just being in the room with those guys. >> What did you think of Douglas beating Harvard Columbus on Friday? >> Oh, man. I remember I think I remember getting back to the dorms Friday night. I looked at my phone cuz I had went to talk to him like last week. I went up there and talked to him just told him like, you know, it's just minor details like, "Yeah, minor details, you know, show effort. A lot of things are changed for you guys." and you know seeing that game right there with them coming back with the dub versus the reigning champs uh defending champs know it's fun you know as alumni to see that. >> Is it fun to to be here as a Cal team you know growing up here and spending year at Kenna State as well >> and it's fun like especially being back home my family is like right down the road like an hour away so you know it's fun being back home playing for the home team like I remember I was telling a couple of guys like I remember being in like 19th grade when the Georgia Dome got you know tore down and things like that. So, you know, just being here, it's it's fun, man. You know, in the city, just to be here to play for the city and, you know, it's just fun. >> Any desire to go back and play in college? >> Nah. Nah, that's class of 2022. I'm old. I'm class of 2020. So, hey, that's out the window for me. >> So, how how was it playing for Nate? And how is he is he different than other coaches you've been around, >> man? Very very energetic. Like, you know, I always like my last coach was coach Oscar J. So, he's an older coach, so know more of a laidback type of coach. like he's aggressive at times and things like that, but you know, playing for coach Na is fun, man. Uh, you know, just getting a young young coach able to run and go and just be so energetic every day to meet it. It's fun for me cuz like I'm a young guy, too, so I be needing the energy sometimes to come up there, you know, just put a smile on my face sometimes, you know, just get me going going someday. So, you know, it's just fun playing with coach Nali. >> Do you have a clear understanding of what they want your role to be here? Kind of a swing tackle role. You feel like you have a grasp on that? >> I mean, I I've always been the type of player. whatever coach asked me to play, whatever he needs me to do, that's what I'm going to do. Uh, I'm not really like set on one position. >> Hey, whatever the team needs me to do, that's what I'm here to do. >> We've we've heard a lot about the attention to detail, the efficiency of this coaching staff. Like, is is that something that has stood out to you throughout this process? Like, is that something that feels everybody's locked in maybe a little bit of a different degree? >> Uh, yeah. Uh, I can only speak from my experience. Uh, do you know Coach Callahan? >> Uh, yeah. very very uh detail oriented and like even it may be a good rep, he may have won a rep, but if something not the way he like it, he he going to get on you about it. Has he almost expanded your awareness of like what constitutes a good rep, like all of the little tiny details that go into doing something at the truly high highest level? >> Most definitely. You definitely look at film differently now. You know, uh when you're going back and watching yourself, you just like, ah, I could have did this better. I could have did that better. And even then, you know, like talking with the people with to with a naked eye, like my mom and stuff like that, but some you played a solid game. I'm like, ah, yeah. I know what I'm about to hear when I go in meetings on Monday. So, no, I wouldn't say that. >> I feel like I've seen you mostly at left tackle. Is that mostly where you've worked so far? >> Yes. Yes. Yes. >> Did you do all right tackle in Kansas City or is did you go back and forth? >> Uh, I went back and forth all the time. >> So, left is not the new thing to you. >> No. Yeah. >> Has pulled any tape from like before you were born yet? Has he done that yet? >> Oh, many times. many times when like especially when it comes to me dropping my post foot, he'll go back to like Washington, Dallas, even Oakland back in the day when he was head coach there and stuff like that and just like put on the tape and just let us watch it. Let's put it on a run like hey look at this, look at this. Like look at the the detail of this guy dropping his post for like how important it is like you know those little things intricate details >> his run game like the way that he orchestrates the run game. What makes it unique? What makes it work in your opinion? Uh, I think it's just mostly just getting off the ball and getting hands on the guy first, you know? Uh, getting movement, but like everything matters cuz you want the run lane to be as perfect as possible for that running back. As you can see, like it came to friction Saturday. Uh, with Tyler making that good run off the sideline and just, hey, showing what we could do. Uh, you know, helping us out. You know, people like Tyler, Bean, Brod, like those guys do a good job for us and help us. you mentioned getting getting hands on them kind of first in the run game, but I I feel like I've noticed that too in pass protection a little bit like the moments where you can find the chance to be aggressive and maybe attack. Is that is that accurate? >> Uh yeah. I mean, I feel like you don't want nobody to just put their hands on you, you know, like especially as a lineman, you'll go straight back into the quarterback. So, just finding any chance to get your hands right and just put them on put them on the defender first. I feel like that helps in any any position you at, whether it's at receiver, running back, quarterback, you know, like put your hands on somebody first so they don't do it to you first, you know, it it makes sense. >> Yeah. Uh, and going back to the to the details, like I know sometimes you can be paralyzed by the amount of details. So, how does coach Callahan strike that balance of here's a lot to to maybe work on or focus on or pay attention to, but also go play fast and and kind of go trust yourself on game day? Uh yeah, I think that's just part of being a pro, you know, just learning those details and learning how to balance that. Uh taking it to the field from the meeting room, you know. Uh I feel like he does make meetings a real a little light, like just laughing and stuff, you know, like and then like giving us a little 5minute break when we he knows he's talking a lot sometimes, but I feel like, you know, just like I said, it's just part of being a pro and just learning how to make that balance in life really. >> Knowing when to improve and then when to kind of like lock in. >> Exactly. Exactly. And like certain details are more important than others, but like all details matter. What's it been like being home? I was uh in Gwynette when coach uh Khan was building that program. >> Ah. >> Oh man, it's cool. You know, just especially being right down the street from home. You got you got all your friends, your family, but not letting it become a distraction is the most important thing. Uh I love my family, but they know like, hey, I'm at work, so like let me do what I got to do, you know. >> What's the energy like with Mike back out there today? 11 on 11. >> Oh man, it's good, man. It's just good to have him back on the field, see him doing good, smiling, making plays, you know, and I feel like all the guys have been supporting him, been around him, especially those guys around him in his room. Like, everybody's doing a good job. >> What do you like most about the way he kind of commands the quarterback position? >> Uh, that's that's that's hard to say cuz I feel like all our quarterbacks do a really good job just coming in there, commanding the huddle, and just like making sure everybody's on the same page, you know? Uh, whether it's somebody line right or or getting the count right. Uh, I feel like all these guys come in and just do a good job demanding it, you know, demanding excellence. >> Is there a degree of excitement in your room when you've got options at that position right now going into the final week of the preseason? We saw what Jack did on Saturday and >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah, man. Like like you said, like Jack went out there and did a great job Saturday. So, like when you see that and see your quarterbacks banning behind each other and doing stuff like that, man, it just it makes your job a lot easier as O line, you know? It just makes it makes you a little light. It makes you feel a little light.