DT Siaki Ika (5.13.23)

So how’s the first day?

It was good. Good first day. Knocking some rest off. Getting familiar with the scheme.

 

First impressions of being out here with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz? 

It’s fun. Real fun. I like him a lot. He’s a fun guy to be around and makes practice fun.

 

Where were you when you heard about the Za’Darius Smith trade and how excited are you to have him join the team? 

I’m real excited. I was just in my room, or actually, I think I was here. I was either here in my hotel room, but really excited about it. Someone else who’s been through everything to learn from.

 

When you see a guy like Smith succeed as a fourth-round draft pick, how much can that sort of serve as an inspiration and being able to pick his brain? 

It gets me excited, real excited. For what I want for myself in the future, so seeing someone like that and also being able, like I said earlier, to learn someone like that, really exciting.

 

What have you picked up about the defensive scheme now that you had a couple of weeks to study it and actually get out on the field? 

Real fast, explosive, and vertical. A little bit different than what I’ve been used to. I’ve been playing a lot of blocks throughout college. All I pretty much know. So I’ll be able to get here and be in a system where everything goes forward, vertical, I will just disrupt, really excited about it.

 

Do you feel like you have an idea of what Jim meant when he said you were going to be a Ferrari?

I know now, for sure (laughter).

 

Describe what it is to be a Ferrari? 

Well, just like I said, everything’s explosive. Just being explosive, getting off the ball, getting vertical, rather than just eating stuff up like a dump truck. I want to be a dump truck no more.

 

So what were your first impressions of Dawand Jones? 

Oh, that’s a big man. I thought I was big. That’s Ginormous. Just excited to be here as well. Another guy who’s as big as me that I’m going to be able to go head to head against here at practice in the future.

 

How much doe you appreciate the hands-on teaching aspect that you’re able to go through this weekend?

I appreciate it a lot, especially because it’s a new scheme for me and some I’m not used to. So having the coaches there, being real hands-on, and being able to walk me through everything, the different techniques, makes practice that much better.

 

How well have you gotten to know DE Isaiah McGuire yet?

Yeah, in the meeting rooms, I think we’re slowly starting to kind of break the ice with everyone. Everyone’s getting a little bit more comfortable in the room. I think the nerves are starting to come down a little bit, so I know him a little bit, working to get to know him better, but he’s a hell of a player.

 

Did you notice McGuire on the field yesterday?

Oh, for sure. He’s doing a lot of great things, especially in the scheme. I can tell he’ll fit in well.

 

Have you had a chance to connect with DE Myles Garrett or DT Dalvin Thompson?

Not really. The vets are out right now. It’s just us rookies, so not yet, but excited to meet them.

 

Are you kind of eager to put on the pads and get going? 

Yeah, for sure. Real eager. But obviously right now it’s just back to fundamental work and knocking the rust off, like I said earlier. So I’m excited to get into some pads, but I’m excited to also be able to take things a little bit slower and learn things more.

 

What’s the first part of your game that you realize that you have to refine right away so that you can contribute? 

Probably my ability to get off the ball. Get off the ball and get vertical quickly. Like I said, not something I’ve been familiar with before. So now I think it’s really important that I shed a little bit more weight, get a little bit faster so I can move side to side, run sideline.

 

Have you had conversations about metric shedding the weight and body composition with the Browns? 

Yeah, a little bit. We’re kind of playing with it right now. They kind of want to see how heavy I can be without losing any mobility or anything, so we’re kind of playing around with it right now, seeing where they want me to be at.

 

How different do you think that will be going from the guy that takes two blocks to just tacking up the field?

It’s going to be a big adjustment. I mean, it already has been a big adjustment for me, but it is something I enjoy. Something I’m really excited for. In college, when I was playing blocks, looking to take double teams, this is the scheme were wishing for. So now that it’s here, I’m really excited to get in and get some work.

 

Will it be easier on your body not taking on two blockers?

Oh, yeah, it should be a lot easier.

 

How valuable was it having to take on multiple blocks?

I learned the importance of my position, the importance of being a nose, and how valuable I was to the team. Now it is a little bit different, but it still provides some value if I could do my job.

 

Are you expected to be so quick, so fast, or is there a different expectation for you early on?

It is what I expected. I expected to come in and hit the ground running. Throughout the whole process, coaches and stuff are talking about how important it is to come in in shape and be ready for whatever it is they may throw at us. So it is a bit of an expectation. I did expect it.

 

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