CB Greg Newsome II (5.14.21)
On his first day on an NFL field:
“It was great. I was trying to embrace the moment, and I had to realize myself that this was my first NFL practice. It felt great to be out there with the guys, just getting around them and learning new techniques and coverages. Overall, I thought Day 1 went well.”
On evaluating his performance today:
“I think I had an OK day. I definitely made some mistakes, just getting used to different techniques and things like that. I do not consider making mistakes is OK so I would say I had an OK day. I have two more practices, and I will be ready to fix those.”
On his reaction to know his first NLF game would be against the Kansas City Chiefs:
“It was crazy, and it was cool. A team like the Chiefs, obviously, they are a great franchise so we will have a great matchup against them. I just can’t wait.”
On having to face an offense like the Chiefs in the first week and what it will take for him to get ready for Week 1:
“I have not been thinking about anything like that. I am just trying to get here, establish myself here and really just trying to get the playbook down and things like that so I have a chance to compete on Sunday. I am just trying to control what I can control right now and just keep learning.”
On his initial impressions of starting his NFL career and what is ahead:
“Overall impressions are, first, I am just grateful to be a part of an organization like this and a part of a coaching staff like this, and I am a part of a team that is on the rise. That is just the first impression. I am ready to keep going and just get around some of the vets and just learn from them. Just try to get one percent better each and every day. That is my main focus right now.”
On if it has been helpful to have fewer guys at rookie minicamp so there are more one-on-one coaching opportunities:
“It is amazing. Like you said, I will never have this one-on-one coaching ever again pretty much. The fact that I am getting right now and before the vets get here is just giving me an edge. When the vets get here, I will at least know what I am doing and will not be a rookie who does not know anything. It is good to get coaching after I make a mistake right away and I can learn from it quickly. I enjoy having that one-on-one coaching, but I know starting next week when the vets start coming back that I am going to have to be able to do it on my own.”
On what he has been doing since he was drafted:
“Pretty much have just been working out and trying to get in shape. Guys sent over the playbook so just trying to get ahead on the playbook and things like that. That is pretty much what I have been doing for the last few weeks.”
On the transition from being a student-athlete to a full-time professional athlete:
“The difference really is just there is no schoolwork so I have a little bit of extra time. While I was at Northwestern, I considered myself a professional athlete with the way I took care of my body and doing extra things. I kind of already had that idea in my head. Obviously, I just have more time now so I have even more time to focus on my body and watch film. The difference is not too much. It is just the fact now I do not have schoolwork to do.”
On how he is approaching having CBs ahead of him on the depth chart and if he has a goal to be a Week 1 starter:
“My goal honestly is just to do whatever I can to help the team win. Obviously, I would love to start at corner. I think any corner in the room would love to be a starting corner. At the end of the day, if I am helping the team win, that is all I can ask for. I am definitely going to try to learn from those guys like (CBs) Greedy (Williams), Troy Hill and Denzel (Ward). There are a lot of guys in that room so I am just going to try to learn from them and get better each and every day so on Sundays, whatever coach needs me to do, I will be able to do it.”
On his interaction with members the Browns secondary so far:
“A few of them reached out to me, texted me and congratulated me and then just saying they are ready to get to work. Hopefully, I am seeing some of them next week. They reached out, and I can’t wait to get to work with those guys.”
On if there a story behind picking jersey No. 20 and if he considered No. 1 or No. 2:
“The single digits are not something this program… We are going to keep it more of a you have to be at least a vet so we are trying to keep it kind of the same and keep it formal. No. 20 is just cool. That is a number that had some openings, and I like No. 20. <y dad said Greg 2.0 so I was like, ‘OK, that is a cool little saying.’ I am going to embrace No. 20, and it is a new beginning anyway. I am kind of glad I did not get No. 2. I want to be somebody different that I was in college anyways. I want to be a different player than I was in college. It is cool to have a new beginning.”
On what number he wore in high school:
“I wore No. 5 in high school.”
On if there is a story behind his draft night sportscoat:
“Not too much story really behind it. Just me trying to create awareness for all of those three different things. There is a lot of other stuff that I wish I could of had on the jacket. I did not have a lot of space so I could not put everything that I wanted to create awareness for. I am just trying to be somebody now that I have a platform where people are going to actually listen to what I have to say. I was just trying to show the world some things that I care about and just trying to bring awareness to the world a little bit.”
On how he balances football and taking a stand on social issues as a rookie:
“I think I really just have to see how I want to do it and see what I am comfortable with doing. Obviously, I am professional. I get paid to play football. At the end of the day, I have to make sure that I can do my sport to the best of my ability and then I can work on doing things like that. Just making sure that I am able to first complete my job and then being able to branch out and try to raise awareness for some of those things that I really care about.”
On if the Browns told rookies that single-digit numbers would be reserved for veterans:
“That was something that I kind of knew already going into after draft day that I was going to get a double-digit number. It does not really bother me too much. I am just excited to be on the team and excited to be a part of the NFL. If I wore No. 98, I would be OK with it. I will make the number. The player makes the number anyway so it was no challenge to me at all to switch numbers.”
On the Browns selecting LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah:
“This was my first day really meeting him, but he is a cool dude, making jokes and stuff so we will definitely have a great relationship. Playing alongside a guy like that who is super versatile, he can cover tight ends and cover receivers and he will come down and hit you. It is going to be so much fun playing with a guy like that. You can just tell just in his voice and how he talks that he is a natural-born leader. I think we will work very well together.”
On if he is under the impression that some veteran players will be in the building next week:
“I really do not know too much. I have not really talked to too many of them. Some will probably be in the building just because they are tired from being at home. I really honestly do not know too much.”
On if he has seen DE Myles Garrett’s recent workout videos and if Garrett is setting a high bar for teammates:
“Yeah, I definitely see him. He is a freak. I can’t wait to play with a guy like that, especially a guy like Myles Garrett where I will not have to cover for too long. I just have to do my job. He is definitely setting the bar and showing he is ready to go. Whenever we get the pads on, he is going to be ready to go. How hard he works, it kind of shows me how hard I need to work all of the time to be a as successful as a player like that. I can’t wait to play alongside a guy like that, as well, and I won’t have to cover too long so that will be amazing.”
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