Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda (7.30.24)
Opening Statement:
“How’s everyone doing? Beautiful day. Got the rain, the fog on the West Virginia mountains, this is training camp weather. Can’t ask for anything else.”
Do you like practicing in this weather?
“I do. I mean, when you play in Cleveland and the environment, the conditions being by the lake, the weather changing, I mean, what more do you want? It’s hard to obviously simulate that, but when you get an opportunity to get out here and practice with a wet football, practice movements on a track that can be a little bit slippery and wet, that’s what you want. So absolutely love practicing in this weather.”
We just got a chance to talk to Mike Vrabel. We’re having a good time watching Mike just dig in and getting all those drills, and race Jameis (Winston). What’s it been like for you to have Vrabes around and just how much fun is it to even watch?
“You know, I got asked that question the other day. A guy texted me, he’s one of the coaches and he’s like, ‘What’s it like to have a Vrabel around?’ I said, to be honest with you, it’s amazing because who you see and who you feel is who he is every day. Energetic, but very, very approachable, super intelligent, willing to lend a hand anywhere, comes to the meetings, and he’s been in safety meetings and he’s quick to jump up and help guys in there bringing up little pointers. I mean, he’s just got a great vibe to him and the players love them. For me, it’s been awesome, you know, year two in the NFL, you know, a freaking Hall of Famer and unbelievably great, an unbelievable good coach to just be around and sense that, see that, feel that and learn from that has just been a blessing for me personally. I know all the other staff feels the same way.”
What about Grant Delpit? Can you talk about his development from last year and just coming off that injury?
“Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, Grant played well last year, had a great year, attacked it. Obviously, I’ve known the young man for a long time. We really had goals set out last year, and this year is about a reset of goals and what he wants to do and attack. You know, I’m excited to see where coming off the injury and the work that he’s put in in the offseason and seeing him really attack this offseason, get closer and closer to games and I know he’ll be ready. I know he’s motivated mentally, physically. He really wants to attack it and have a really successful year with his body. He wants to go out there and be the guy for the group and really push everyone to get to where we all want to go.”
From a leadership perspective, how have you seen Grant grow just personally since you’ve known him?
“Yeah, he’s grown a lot. You know, again, known the young man since high school, and I’ve seen him mature from that point all the way down. And even last year, really pushed him to make sure that the defense feels his personality. He has one. You know, sometimes he kind of comes across as stoic and quiet, but when you see him behind closed doors or you see him on the field, make a play like it comes out. And my challenge to Grant is to make sure that that defense that’s on that grass feels that consistently because that’s leadership, and people respond to that. So for me, it’s all about, for Grant, it’s all about making sure that he makes the ones around him better every day. So that’s the leadership area that, you know, I thought he did a good job last year, and we’re going to continue to push this year.”
That said, Grant is in his division with a lot of good safeties, two Pro Bowl safeties. What does he have to do to take his game to that level?
“You know, that’s a great, great point, and I know he’s motivated to be among those groups. I know that’s something we talk a lot about. For him, you know, the big thing for him to take that next step that him and I discussed is making sure he grows big picture in the defense. Understanding why and how things are done, not just his position, not just the corners. Like, we spent a ton of time, you know, understanding how to set fronts, how to set pressures, why we pressure. The conversions off that pressure, identifying offenses to give them more opportunities to make plays, you know, really growing his game beyond just his position in his spot. Finding ways to create more takeaways, get more sacks, create, you know, get more tackles. With that, yeah, everyone wants that, but how do we do that? It’s growing the big picture in terms of understanding the defense and then also understanding offenses so that he can take advantage of those opportunities.”
How early on are you having those conversations with Grant? Is it as soon as the season is over you’re sitting down and talking to him or how has that evolved?
“Right away. Right away. Like exit meetings, that was the conversation. What do you want? Right. What do you want as a player so I can make sure that I tailor that when you come back and we’re ready to go. So he expressed those things, and the first day he’s in that building we’re going. Like, this is what you want. You want to learn these things. You want to grow in this area. So to answer your question, the exit interview after the last game, day or day after, then as soon as he walks to the building, to the meeting we just had.”
With Juan (Thornhill), how much of his mindset this year is kind of getting past what happened last year? Because I know he’s disappointed, all the injuries, everything that went into that.
“Yeah, I mean, first and foremost, he busted his butt this offseason. I think he put on like five or six pounds of muscle, one of, like, the best gains in muscle on the team this past offseason. He really got an opportunity to get into a routine this past offseason, which I think helped him. The NFL is all about routine, especially in the offseason when there’s not somebody giving you a schedule where to be every day. You know, he was transitioning. I think his mindset, his focus in the offseason has definitely spilled out to this point. So his mindset, the chip on his shoulder, the attack, the intent and the fire in his eyes is there. So I think he’s locked in and focused and ready to really make sure that this is his best season of his career and that’s what he’s looking to do right now.”
Do you think it was mostly about the calf that was early or was it transitioning to a new team, or other stuff that goes into struggles?
“You know, I think it’s a culmination of a lot of different things. You know, anytime you got a nagging injury that’s tough on a wheel. It’s one thing for a DB if it’s somewhere else on the body, but when it’s the wheel and it’s a little flat or it’s not moving right, it’s hard to really get everything out of yourself to play as good as you want, especially with an explosive athlete like Juan is like, that’s what he is. He’s a dynamic athlete that needs that explosion. And when he couldn’t get that and really push off those things, you know, it was tough for him and he pushed, I will say, man, that young man pushed his butt off. He pushed himself and pushed through injury and fought for this team to get to where it needed to get to.”
Last year, you got some production out of those rookie safeties when you needed them. Then when you got to Houston, they were exposed. Lack of a better way. How much do they learn from that game in particular?
“You know, it’s growth, right? It’s about growth no matter what. And to answer your question. We learned a lot. You know, we learned a lot about approaching a game like that. We learned a lot about handling adversity right, because that’s where true growth is had. I tell the guys all the time, those environments, those situations, you want them even though it’s tough and it hurts to touch the stove and get burnt and feel that fire, but that’s where growth is had. So, for us, it’s been an awesome experience to come off of that, learn what we did wrong, so that when we get into that arena, that environment, feel that pressure. That’s what this thing’s about. We can respond in a better situation. We can be better in those environments.”
They’re not in that environment right now, but are they different players as a result?
“I definitely feel that they are seeking opportunity when things are not right, to respond in a better way so that when we’re in that situation, we can make it just part of who we are. So, I’m definitely seeing it right now, given the opportunities like the weather or changing the practice situation as soon as we can, responding in the right way.”
When you look at the safety room as a whole, and now that we’re in training camp and getting those opportunities, what really excites you about, you know, where this group could go, just especially off of the success they had last year?
“You know, anytime you can go into year two with pretty much the same group, you’re excited as a coach because you can start – start is always start for us – there always will be, but I can start to layer a lot more on, them because they have a good foundation of the understanding of what AB expects, what Kevin expects, what Jim (Schwartz) wants. And they have a foundation. Their memory card is already coming in with some stuff downloaded so I can compact that and add more so they can play better. So to have that, have the continuity, have the ability to communicate with each other and not be so new, that’s probably what I’m most excited about [with] the group.”
Is “OG” always a nickname for Rodney (McLeod) or do you got other ones for him?
“Oh, I got lots. I got ‘Coach McLeod,’ I got ‘the OG.’ You know, he’s amazing. He’s a mentor, but definitely the OG is what we call him. He knows now if I’m yelling OG, it’s just like your kids, you know, like, or, you know, your wife yells at you, you can hear it fast. He turns around quick. It’s a great name for him. He really is the best.”
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