LB Mack Wilson (9.21.20)
LB Mack Wilson:
On his emotions returning to practice following his knee injury during training camp:
“Even when I went down that day, I was just thinking to myself, ‘Why me?’ I thought I was going to be done for the season with all the pain I was feeling. I constantly started praying when I got on the cart just to get back good news after I have my MRI and things like that. I have been working extremely hard every day with treatment and doing all of the right things so that I can come back. They were saying possibly six to eight weeks so I was just telling myself every day, ‘I am a warrior. I am built for this. I know I will be back sooner than six to eight weeks.’ That was my goal to take it one day at a time and do everything they told me to do, and now, I am here today.”
On how he felt in practice today and if he expects to play Sunday:
“I felt great. As far as me playing, that will be up to the coaches. That is their decision. I am just going to continue to take it one day at a time, let them evaluate me as I practice and things like that. We are just building up every day.”
On the Browns defense during the first two games and what he can bring to the team:
“We have been playing pretty solid. We have been leaving plays on the field, obviously. We just have to eliminate the mistakes and correct those things week by week. As far as for our room, I would be talking to the guys and telling them, ‘We have to make more plays in this room.’ I feel like everybody else – the D line, DBs – they are making plays, and I have just been telling (LB) B.J. Goodson, Taki (LB Sione Takitaki) and (LB) Malcolm (Smith), ‘We have to make plays.’ I feel like as far as me coming back, I am going to definitely try to bring some juice and do whatever I can to work my way back to playing and things like that. We will see how it goes.”
On his emotions after his tackle that resulted in RB Nick Chubb sustaining a concussion and then personally sustaining a knee injury the next day of practice:
“It was really tough. For me to make a bad decision with tackling Chubb when we should not be tackling, I felt like it was karma, honestly, with me going back the next day and getting hurt. I did not really use it as karma. I did not really think to myself, ‘This is karma on me.’ I just left it all up to God and feel like God makes no mistakes. He is setting me up for the future with what I am going through right now. I just stayed positive about it and just kept my head held high. I was just praying constantly that nothing was really bad and I could make my way back this season.”
On if it was helpful that Chubb did not hold anything against him following the hit:
“Oh, yeah, definitely. I know Chubb is a hard-nosed player so I know he really did not get mad about it or anything like that. I made a poor decision by just tackling him anyway. I felt like I was out of control a little bit, and it happened. Chubb just put it as it is football. I just moved on from it, talked to Chubb and told him, ‘It was nothing personal. I was not trying to hurt you. I am just here and tying to get better.’”
On the impact of CB Greedy Williams, CB Kevin Johnson and him potentially returning to the defense:
“I think it will be a huge spark to have all three of us back. We have guys that filled in for us, and I feel like they have been doing a great job. As a whole, we have to do better, but like I said, getting off the field on third down, eliminating mistakes and just playing within the gameplan and trusting each other. We are going to see how everything goes, and all three of us will just continue to work every day and let (Head) Coach (Kevin Stefanski) and them evaluate us and see what we are going to do about this week.”
On his comfort level with his knee and if he is worried about potentially reinjuring it:
“I am comfortable. I am confident. If it was up to me, I would tell coach play me regardless and I am good, if it was my decision. Obviously, it is going to be all on coach and ownership. I feel I am comfortable. I can do everything that I thought I could do. Just have to continue to take it one day at a time and just go from there. I feel like I am ready.”
On if he realized his injury was not as bad as initially expected when he tweeted ‘See y’all soon’:
“Definitely. I just saw the progression every day, and I knew that I would be back in no time. It has been a long five weeks, I feel like. Like I said, I did everything in my power to come back. I have been rehabbing. I have just been putting in a lot of time with just trying to get knee better and get back used to walking straight because I had my brace on and it kind of stopped me from straightening my leg so my bones could heal and things like that. I just try my best to stay on top of everything and making sure that I stay off my leg and let this thing heal.”
On if the second opinion on his knee injury agreed that he did not need surgery and if that made him feel better about the situation:
“Oh yeah, of course. I got a second opinion, and they both agreed that I probably will not have to have surgery. They gave me like 10-11 days to see if the swelling will go down. It was like maybe the sixth day and the doctor had said he had never seen anything like it as far as my healing process. The swelling was going down pretty fast. I want to say, like maybe the 10th day after I injured it, I was able to do like single-leg balance, I did like a single-leg squat and things like that. and he was impressed. I just told him, ‘I am working hard every day to get back out there.’ That is what I have been doing.”
On if his tackle of Chubb that resulted in a sustained concussion was due to his desire to set a tone for the Browns LBs:
“Not really. Like I said, it is nothing personal. We all are here for a reason. We all have a job. I was just practicing hard, and I was just amped up to have pads on and things like that. Like I always tell myself, I am a leader no matter what. Obviously, yes, I want to set the tone for this team and for this defense and try to bring that juice every day, but I have to be smart with my decisions. Leaders do not do things like that. I had to reevaluate myself and really just sit down and talk to myself, and then I got hurt so it was even worse. I just try my best to stay positive, and that is what I did.”
On S Ronnie Harrison Jr. and T Jedrick Wills Jr.:
“As far as Ronnie, when we got him, I instantly hit him up and was like, ‘When you get her, let me know if you need help with the playbook or anything like that because I am pretty comfortable in the playbook, and I will help you learn that as fast as you can because I feel like you can help us as a defense.’ He brings a bit of a play style to the DB room. I feel like he can do a lot. He is one of those guys who plays very hard, who is smart, who can blitz, who can cover and who can tackle. He can do it all, basically. He brings juice to the defense. As far as Jed, I feel like he has been doing a great job, like I thought he would when we drafted him. Jed obviously did a tremendous job at Alabama with protecting (Dolphins QB) Tua (Tagovailoa), (Eagles QB) Jalen (Hurts) and guys like that. Just being able to see him these first two games, I am not impressed because those are things he is supposed to do and those things are what I have been seeing him do ever since college. He has been doing a great job. I am happy for him. I just want him to keep going every day, going up against guys like (DE) Myles (Garrett) OV (DE Olivier Vernon), (DE) Adrian Clayborn and guys like that, (DE) Porter (Gustin). He has been doing a great job. Jed is going to be a great player in this organization for a good time and going to be a great player in the NFL for a long time. Just have to keep a level-head and just not let anything get to him. Do not let any distractions get to him. Just know that I am always there for him, no matter what.”
On if the number of significant injuries across the NFL yesterday made him more grateful to return to practice today:
“Definitely. I was just checking Twitter every now and then and saw Adam (Schefter) tweeting out all these guys that are getting hurt. I was heartbroken for them because I got injured in August. For these guys to be going down and these great guys that are leaders on their team and guys that their organization needs, it is tough. I constantly pray for those guys because you do not want to see anybody go down with injuries, especially season-ending injuries. I just pray that those guys get back soon, heal the right way and just take advantage of their time being away from football and really just focus on life, get to know yourself more and things like that. It is tough. It is what we signed up for, though, and this is our job. You have to expect things, freak accidents to happen. Just prayers out for those guys, though.”
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