S Grant Delpit (5.26.21)
On how his Achilles feels and where he is with his recovery process:
“It feels good. Better every day. It is a long process, a long journey to get fully back healthy, but the plan is to be fully healthy by training camp. I am on track for that.”
On the recovery process:
“It has been a lot. This injury is like nothing I have had before. I never thought about my Achilles and what it is used for until I hurt it. It is an eye-opening experience for me. I have done a lot to come back in rehab and just do all of that right now. I am doing sprints, cutting and all of that. Just on the backend of my rehab now and just trying to get rid of that annoying pain. It is coming along, and I should be ready by training camp. It is a crazy injury. It is crazy how it happened, but I am glad it happened, I guess, while I am young so I can still have my whole career ahead of me.”
On his mental approach during the recovery process:
“I feel like I keep my mind very positive at all times. That being said, I just try to focus on the positives and not be stuck in the negative or what happened to me. I always focus on how I can get better and what is next. Focusing on negative things that could get me down, I could have easily been depressed and all of that, but I stay positive.”
On who has helped him most during his recovery process:
“A lot of people have helped me – old trainers, coaches and family, of course – staying in my ear, especially the Browns staff always hitting me up and checking on me. It is great to have a great support system when you go through an injury like that.”
On the most difficult moments during his recovery process and not being able to play as a rookie:
“Some of the most difficult moments were just seeing the success and how I was not playing. At the same time, it is a great feeling – you want to see the guys you have been working with the whole year succeed and of course, the team succeed. It was a good and a bad feeling at the same time. I wanted to be a part of it, but at the same time, we were winning. I hope I can be a part of it this year.”
On if he learned enough in 2020 to not necessarily feel like a rookie this year:
“Yeah, I do not consider myself a rookie anymore. Definitely a Year 2 player. I got to sit back and really study a lot of film and see what happens behind the scenes, also. Watching the game from a fan’s perspective, which I have not been able to do my whole career, that was cool to do. I definitely do not consider myself a rookie.”
On his personal expectations for 2021, particularly given fans are excited about his potential:
“I have high expectations for myself. We have high expectations as a team, first of all. We have to prove that to ourselves. Me, I know what I can do. Just putting myself in the best position by knowing all of the positions and knowing the defense as well as I can and know that coaches are going to do the same. That is all I can do. I am ready to give the fans what they want, and hopefully, be on the field.”
On if he knew immediately his Achilles was injured when his injury happened:
“Yes, I think so. Not immediately. I thought I ran into somebody behind me. I thought it was like a golf cart or something it hurt so bad (laughter). (LB) Jacob Phillips was walking by and I was like, ‘That was you?’ He was like, ‘No,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, OK, I kind of know what it is now.’ It is only one pain in that area. It sucked, but I picked up quickly on what it was.”
On if there was a point in rehab where he felt like he was back to his old self:
“I was in Florida, and I was running like 18 mph on the treadmill. That is when I was like, ‘OK, I am feeling like myself again. Let’s do it.’ At that moment, that was a good moment for me because I was just working and getting back in cleats and doing a lot of that stuff.”
On when he first ran 18 mph on the treadmill in Florida:
“That was late March.”
On how he fits into defensive coordinator Joe Woods’ defense and playing next to S John Johnson III:
“We are installing the whole defense right now – installing everything. All of us playing our own positions, that is a good thing that we can do. Learning from guys like John and (S) Ronnie (Harrison Jr.) and playing alongside of them, it is going to be great. We are all playmakers. We know what John can do and what Ronnie can do, and it is time for me to see what I can do. Hopefully, we all pitch in and do our part to win. That is the plan.”
On if he can sense the excitement from Browns teammates about his return:
“I am sure. We will see when we get there and whenever we do get together. It is kind of hard over Zoom and stuff like that. I want to see everybody win. That is something we have is a good team.”
On the Browns’ current trajectory after his experience watching the team last season:
“Everything we do is to win. Like I said, AB (Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry) and the coaches put all of the right pieces together. When they put them in play, we just have to put them together. It is all the players now. That is what training camp is going to be for, OTAs and just putting the pieces together so we can put ourselves in the best position here. We have the pieces. It is just time to work.”
On returning to the field with CB Greedy Williams, who also sustained a significant injury, and if it makes it sweeter that the plan is to return together with Williams and WR Odell Beckham Jr.:
“It was definitely tough for both of us. It was cool to be able to rehab together – you never want to be in that position – just to keep each other a position mind and keep pushing each other to get better every day. He went through some hard, crazy stuff just as I did. Same with O (WR Odell Beckham Jr.). I know O is going to be come back ready. Hopefully, we can all stay healthy and the sky is the limit.”
On if Woods told him how much he missed him in the defense last season:
“Yes, I guess. I know they drafted me for a reason. That was not the plan for me to be out a year, but just have to go on and someone else is going to step up, and that is what it was. Hopefully, this year it does not happen, I can get back on the field and stay healthy.”
On how valuable safeties are in Woods’ scheme:
“Safety is probably one of the biggest roles on any defense. Just having the things like we do where we could rotate, three, two or whatever. It is going to be great for us to have versatility, show different looks and all that coach Woods has in place. I am excited to get on the field.”
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