Joining hosts Mark and Chad on this week’s Redskins Capital Connection podcast is very special guest, Washington Redskins Strong Safety Duke Ihenacho!
Duke talks about what new defensive coordinator Joe Barry and new defensive backs coach Perry Fewell are bringing to the team, and shares his thoughts on DeSean Jackson not being at the OTA’s last week.
Duke also talks about what it’s like to be a team mate of Robert Griffin III and watch him get trashed in the media, which makes for a fascinating listen from a player inside the locker room!
All that and more on a special edition of the Redskins Capital Connection this week!
The podcast is available on iTunes, Stitcher, or by listening here (below).
As always, spread the word, and HTTR!
Podcast: Duke Ihenacho
A couple of the key talking points in this podcast are transcribed below, but to hear more, listen to the full episode!
What’s surprised you the most since joining the Redskins?
You know, honestly, when I got to the Redskins, you know what surprised me the most was how much bad things I would hear about Robert [Griffin III]
Meaning negative media and stuff like that?
Yeah, like people try to just put him down in the media, and I didn’t realize how bad it was. Because they were saying… I mean, it wasn’t even football. People started talking about his character. People were saying things that I just didn’t see. Like he’s cocky, or he’s all about himself and not a team player. Those are all false things that people have been saying about him.
When I met the guy, he was just really humble and nothing but a great team mate to everybody the whole year. Football stuff is football stuff; people are going to struggle sometimes, but you can’t criticise a man’s character based on football stuff. People were trying to come to their own conclusions about what kind of guy he was based on the way he was playing. I didn’t really like that, and I was really surprised by that.
(On DeSean Jackson not being at OTAs)
People seem to think that we are supposed to live and die football. We’re supposed to breathe football. That we’re not human beings and we don’t have families and emotions and don’t have to do other things, that it’s all about football.
A lot of people don’t understand the fact that when they see us post Instagram pics of us out partying, or playing video games and not studying film, they think we’re wasting time, they think we not focused and that we’re taking football for granted. That’s the most annoying thing; people not realizing that we’re human beings.
Some guys you don’t have to be at OTA’s to be productive. As long as you do your part when the season comes, then you good. I think OTA’s are meant for us to fine tune and learn the system and prepare, and even work on camaraderie, but he’s a guy we already know! I don’t see anything wrong with it! But some people don’t understand that. OTA’s do take a toll on your body and maybe he’s trying to prevent that.
