P Jamie Gillan, G Justin McCray, K Austin Seibert, WR Taywan Taylor and G Wyatt Teller (9.2.19)
Included below are select quotes from interviews with the following Browns players during today’s media availability:
- P Jamie Gillan
- G Justin McCray
- K Austin Seibert
- WR Taywan Taylor
- G Wyatt Teller
P Jamie Gillan:
On how he learned he made the Browns’ 53-man roster:
“I was with my dad, and we went to a local bar. I was just trying to not sit around the house and twiddle my thumbs. We were sitting in the back of the bar hanging out, and I got the phone call from Mr. (General Manager John) Dorsey and he just said to get ready for Tennessee. I put the phone down and the place went pretty crazy. It was pretty funny. I called my parents and some friends and family to let them know the news and times get busy.”
On if he tried to buy a round at the bar to celebrate:
“I tried to. It ended up going the other way. I made the offer. I was at the Flying Monkey. It was really fun there.”
On his dad’s reaction to him making the Browns roster:
“He could not believe it. He was over the moon. We had a really fun time together and got to hangout this weekend. One of his best buds had come, as well, and right when he walked into the room, that is when I got the phone call and he found out right then. They were all really happy. It was fun.”
On how different his life could have been had his father not been transferred to Maryland when he was younger:
“Yeah, we have actually talked about this before and we have no idea. I was in boarding school at the time, and if we had not moved to Maryland, I think I would have stayed in boarding school, graduated from there and kept playing rugby. My goal was always to play professional rugby. Hopefully, it would have been somewhere along those lines. Life is weird, isn’t it?”
On if his approach changes at all now that he made the 53-man roster:
“Not at all for me. I haven’t done anything yet. I have made a ball club for now. It is incredible being here, but now I have to go and keep getting better and more consistent, punt well and go win some games with the Cleveland Browns. I still have a long season ahead, hopefully, and go and get it done.”
G Justin McCray:
On his reaction to being traded to the Browns:
“At first, I was told that I was being released from Green Bay. I was definitely down about that. I got a call maybe an hour and a half later from a 920 number so I figured it was Green Bay again, but it was actually (General Manager) John Dorsey telling me that they were trading for me. Just knowing that I was coming back here with (offensive line coach/associate head coach James) Campen and (assistant offensive line coach Jeff) Blasko and some familiar faces, it felt really good at that point.”
On how anxious it was to be in the situation of not knowing where he would be:
“I have been in that situation before of being cut. The last time I was cut, I was out of football for two and a half years – out of outdoor football for two and half years. You do not know. It is just a bunch of unknowns. You do know what is going on. As soon as I got that call that I will be playing football and it is another opportunity, I was ecstatic about it.”
On getting back into the NFL after two and a half years:
“Very fortunate. Very blessed. I played arena football for a year and then I was working at a hotel. My twin brother actually decided that we should try and do our Pro Day at UCF. I went out there and ran pretty decent, and that is actually where (Vice President of Player Personnel) Alonso Highsmith saw me and brought me in for a workout in Green Bay. I ended up doing the workout with him and that was history from there.”
On if he was opposed to participating in the pro day:
“No, I still knew that I could play so I still wanted to give it another chance. I just did not know how well the pro day thing would actually work because I have seen a bunch of guys do pro days and not really get any looks from it. It just so happen that I actually did.”
K Austin Seibert:
On his reaction to learning he made the Browns 53-man roster:
“I was excited. I was actually driving to Ann Arbor, Michigan. I like college football and I like checking out the universities and big stadiums. I figured I would go do something and wait and see what happens just to get my mind off things. It was awesome, though. It is a dream come true so now I have to put our head down and keep working.”
On choosing to visit Ann Arbor over Columbus:
“It was a night game so I had more time to get there and everything.”
On driving while he got the call from General Manager John Dorsey:
“I definitely slowed down a little bit, but it was awesome. I can’t really explain the emotion that went through me. I called my dead to let him known and then called my family members. They were just ecstatic for me and know how hard I have worked for this. To see it all come together, it is awesome.”
On what clicked for him during the past few weeks to get into a more consistent rhythm:
“Like I said before, as a kicker you are going to go through those rough patches. You can choose to either give up or keep pushing. I do not give up. I keep pushing. I worked hard because I want to help my team the best way I can. By me working hard and figuring things out, that is how I am going to help this team win.”
WR Taywan Taylor:
On his reaction to being traded to Cleveland:
“It was like a dream come true. I was so happy and I was like wow at the same time. I could not be any happier to be here in Cleveland, a great city, a great organization. Very promising. Just to be around all these great guys, an elite receiver room, I just can’t wait to get out there and just get with the guys and be able to learn. Come in, work hard and just go out there and be ready to play.”
On learning he’d be on the same team as WRs Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry:
“Like I said, it is a dream come true. Just hearing guys like that and just knowing I got guys like that in my room, like O (Beckham), Juice and (WR) Rashard (Higgins). Those guys, they bring it every day. They come to work. Just to see about how they go about work every day – meeting rooms, practice, weight room – it is going to be an honor to be able to just be behind those guys and just learn and just take notes to be able to soak in all that knowledge. I am ready to soak it all up and just be around. I am ready to go to work.”
On what he brings to the Browns:
“I am ready to bring effort, urgency. Just ready to go out here and make plays. That is our job, especially at the receiver position. Our job is to go out there, get open, catch the football, make plays and be playmakers. We have the guys in the room that have done it. They have proven that they can do it, and that is going to feed off the rest of us. It is a great deal for us, and I can’t wait. I am very excited. Like I said, this team is young, hungry and everybody wants to win and everybody is hungry for win. I am looking forward to it.”
On how he learned he would be traded to Cleveland:
“It was kind of crazy. I was actually on my way to practice. My GM (Jon Robinson) had come down, I had went up there, he kind of spoke the news to me and that is when I was like, ‘woah’, and then when he told me Cleveland, I automatically thought about the receivers. I thought about O, I thought about Juice and I am just ready to work. From right there when he told me, then I got on the phone with (General Manager) John (Dorsey) and I was able to talk to John. We had a great conversation. I got up here first thing that day and I was ready to go to work. That is kind of what it was like.”
G Wyatt Teller:
On the past five days since being traded to Cleveland:
“Whirlwind. It was kind of crazy. I was getting ready to play in the game last Thursday when I get a call that (Bills General Manager) Brandon (Beane) wants to talk to you. ‘Oh gosh, can’t be good.’ It ended up being an amazing thing. When you first look at being traded, especially as a young guy, you get in your head a little bit and then you realize that you are going to a team that wants you. That is kind of how the Browns went about it. They showed that they wanted me. It is an absolute blessing to one be here and two to be on this team. We are talking about a really good team, and I am blessed to be here.”
On if he anticipated being traded:
“No. I was in the hot tub getting ready for a game. I was not expecting to get traded.”
On moving from Buffalo to Cleveland:
“Technically, I am so happy that it was to Cleveland because it is only a three-hour drive so I could go grab my stuff real quickly and get back over here and find a place to live.”
On his relationship with Bills QB Josh Allen and now working with QB Baker Mayfield:
“Yeah, Josh and I were really close. My ex-girlfriend and his girlfriend were really close. We have since broken up with my ex-girlfriend and I, but Josh and I still stay close. Maybe Brittany does not want to be around me too often but Josh will hang with me (laughter). He is a good guy. He is a character. He is a fun guy to be around. Character is the best word I could use to describe him. He is something else. I knew Baker a little bit through two different ways. I met him through the Senior Bowl, same with Josh, but also one of my old quarterbacks who transferred from Texas Tech to Virginia Tech, Michael Brewer, actually knew him. First thing I say to him is ‘Hey, Brewer says shut up’ or something like that and he starts laughing so we got along really well. I am excited to work with him. I am excited to work with two guys who proved they can do it week in and week out. It is a blessing to be a young guy blocking for young guys who want to be your friend and hang out with you. Some of the older guys just want to hang out with their family and wife and everything so it is nice to have guys like that.”
On how much there is to learn to be ready for Sunday after the trade:
“A lot. The playbook, it is an NFL playbook so it is a lot of words, plays and all that stuff. Not only that, but spiritually, there is a lot you have to deal with emotionally being traded to another team. Right now, these past five days have been a whirlwind. Basically, just trying to get in here, dive headfirst into what coach is talking about, embracing the competition and working for everything we have. It starts with learning the plays, and that is kind of where I am at now is getting it. That is what nice about having Coach (Bills offensive coordinator Brian) Daboll at Buffalo is his playbook was hefty. If I can replace some of those things with this, it should go well.”
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