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Here's everything Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell said after Day 8 of training camp practice on Friday afternoon, including his recovery time, the overall progress of his body and what he expects of himself this fall.
Question: On how he feels being back out at practice
Tank Dell: "It's nothing short of a blessing. That's just a testament to all the work that I put in with the staff, on my own and God first. It's great."
Q: On his mindset while rehabbing
Dell: "I'll say mentally, it's just about trusting that the work you put in prior to going out there to do those things. Prior to going out there to put your foot in the ground, trusting the process with the training staff and what they had set out for me so that when I got out here I wasn't scared and I was talking to my doctor and I was just asking him questions and he was just telling me to let loose, trust it and be you because it's 100% stable. When he told me that, I just came out and was putting my foot in the ground. I didn't care about it, I tried not to think about it, because during your process the mental aspect of it is the hardest thing you have to get over. If I went out there iffy about what I'm doing, then I probably would never be able to come back to what I want to be. I was just out there, just trusting it, putting my foot in the ground, trying to be explosive and it's working in my favor."
Q: On being able to reflect on the rehab process
Dell: "Faith and trust is what I started with. It started with God, putting all my trust and my faith in Him and my belief to get back here. When I got hurt, I wrote the goal down to just be better than what I left off and be better than what I left off that Chiefs' game. When I come back, I want to come back not like this is going to be the same. I want to come back better than where I was. That was never a question in my head. The thing I said was when God wanted to build you up, He doesn't bring you comfort, so He puts you through a storm. When I was in a storm, I just had my trust in Him, knowing that I'd get back to where I want to be and just every day getting 1% better and working hard."
Q: On how he envisions himself in this offense
Dell: "It'll play out how it's supposed to. We're going to take the steps to get where I want to go. How do I envision myself? You know how I come, I'm trying to make plays. I'm trying to be a big factor on the team. I know I am, I know I will be. Just trusting it and going out there and letting loose."
Q: On his road to recovering and how the Houston Texans played a role
Dell: “Trusting God, trusting His favor, trusting everything that He had set out for me. His plans can’t be denied, so that’s all it was. Just trusting my process and trusting God. I have a wonderful coaching staff and organization from top down, from Hannah [McNair] and Cal [McNair] to Nick [Caserio], DeMeco [Ryans] and the whole training room, ‘Ro’ [Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer Roland Ramirez], [Director of Reconditioning Return to Football and Speed Development Ryan] Grubbs, everyone. I had a plan and they were behind me 100%. They told me take the time you need, we’re going to be with you 100% the whole time. It just worked. I was a junkyard dog. I was just working all day. A lot of y’all didn’t see the work that I put in. I know y’all didn’t see it, but every day I was working, every day. There wasn’t one day that went by. On a Sunday I was working. There wasn’t one day that went by that I wasn’t out there or inside doing something to get better that day and now I’m here.”
Q: On what he hopes to accomplish this season
Dell: “Right now we’re just taking it one day at a time. There’s light at the end of the tunnel for sure I’ll be out there, but we’re just taking it one day at a time. That’s all we’re doing.”
Q: On how comfortable he is within Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley’s system
Dell: “I feel like anything you do in life, you’re going to have to get reps at it. As far as knowing my plays, I’m a student of the game. Every day I’m in there doing walkthroughs. OTAs I was doing walkthroughs; they were implementing plays into the offense. I was doing walkthroughs and stuff like that. On my own I have my brothers at home call the play out and I just walk through it on my own. Being a student of the game, that’s easy for me because I love it. I was just taking the time by myself to learn the offense.”
Q: On his collision with WR Jared Wayne that caused his injury
Dell: "He wrote to me right after it happened, but I wasn't on my phone like that. I didn't really see it, but then when I got back to him, I told him, 'Ease up, yo, it's football,' and I know it was a genuine mistake. Nobody wants to take out their own guy, not even another guy to that. It was a mistake. I told him, 'Man, it's good. God got me. Ease up, man. Go play, go have fun, play football, I'll be back.' It was cool. There are no hard feelings; that's my brother, so we're cool."
Q: On the biggest milestone during his recovery
Dell: "Probably touching grass for the first time. When I first started back touching grass, it was a great milestone because people thought I would never be back to where I am right now. Going out there and putting my cleats on it and tying them back up."
Q: On his relationship with QB C.J. Stroud during his recovery
Dell: "Everything, man. During this long process, he was with me the whole time. From the first day it happened to today. We have long conversations. I go to his house, he comes to my house, we have long conversations about the future that we want to build with each other on the field and stuff like that. Off the field, just being a brother to me. Sending me scripture, praying for me, just hanging out with me and having fun. Y'all saw us off the court during the offseason, I was with him a lot. That's my brother to the end, with or without football. He was with me the whole time."
Q: On if he hopes to play Week 1
Dell: "We're going to take it day-by-day, baby."
Q: On going through the process with his younger brother
Dell: "That was like my little maid around the house when I couldn't walk for a little bit. If I go to walk down the stairs, he would be by me trying to hold me. He would go get a water for me, go run to the kitchen. That's my guy, man. He's a spitting image of me, he loves the game, he loves to learn, he loves to go out there and play football on his own and with my brothers. They'd be in the house throwing the ball and I'd be telling them not to. He loves it and he loves me. He was just with me the whole time, man. He shed tears with me, he was on my side every step of the way. When I was working out in the back, he's in the back trying to work out with me."
Q: On the biggest lesson he learned through the recovery process
Dell: "When God puts you through something, when He wanted to build you up, He puts you through a storm. The patience, man, it was hard, being out a whole year, I never in my life sat out of football for a whole year. It was so hard at first, but then at a certain point, you have to accept it for what it is and just get to work. It was a long journey, but I was patient enough and it's getting close."
Q: On personal goals he set for himself
Dell: "I'm going to write back to you on that one. Since I was in college, in high school, I used to write in my notes, but since college, I have sticky notes and put them on my mirror, so I wake up and see them every day. Of course I have my goals. I'm not going to tell you now, I'm going to write back with you, but, I have a lot of them and I'm chasing them."
Q: On his first padded practice back
Dell: "I was dead tired... I was thinking, 'Am I going to go out here and practice or go work out with [Director of Reconditioning Return to Football and Speed Development Ryan] Grubbs, because I didn't want to go back over there.' I just thought I need to make a decision, but it was just something funny that I did."
Q: On his message to the kids who are about to start their little league football seasons
Dell: "First and foremost, keep God first, but don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do. If you put your mind to it and your head is on straight and you focus on what you need to focus on and your goals, you can get anything you want in this life. On the field, off the field, whatever you want to do. You put your eyes set on your goals, you can go get it. Just keep working hard, trust God and that's all."
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans WR Tank Dell said following Day 8 of training camp
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Question: On how he feels being back out at practice
Tank Dell: "It's nothing short of a blessing. That's just a testament to all the work that I put in with the staff, on my own and God first. It's great."
Q: On his mindset while rehabbing
Dell: "I'll say mentally, it's just about trusting that the work you put in prior to going out there to do those things. Prior to going out there to put your foot in the ground, trusting the process with the training staff and what they had set out for me so that when I got out here I wasn't scared and I was talking to my doctor and I was just asking him questions and he was just telling me to let loose, trust it and be you because it's 100% stable. When he told me that, I just came out and was putting my foot in the ground. I didn't care about it, I tried not to think about it, because during your process the mental aspect of it is the hardest thing you have to get over. If I went out there iffy about what I'm doing, then I probably would never be able to come back to what I want to be. I was just out there, just trusting it, putting my foot in the ground, trying to be explosive and it's working in my favor."
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Q: On being able to reflect on the rehab process
Dell: "Faith and trust is what I started with. It started with God, putting all my trust and my faith in Him and my belief to get back here. When I got hurt, I wrote the goal down to just be better than what I left off and be better than what I left off that Chiefs' game. When I come back, I want to come back not like this is going to be the same. I want to come back better than where I was. That was never a question in my head. The thing I said was when God wanted to build you up, He doesn't bring you comfort, so He puts you through a storm. When I was in a storm, I just had my trust in Him, knowing that I'd get back to where I want to be and just every day getting 1% better and working hard."
Q: On how he envisions himself in this offense
Dell: "It'll play out how it's supposed to. We're going to take the steps to get where I want to go. How do I envision myself? You know how I come, I'm trying to make plays. I'm trying to be a big factor on the team. I know I am, I know I will be. Just trusting it and going out there and letting loose."
You must be registered for see images
Q: On his road to recovering and how the Houston Texans played a role
Dell: “Trusting God, trusting His favor, trusting everything that He had set out for me. His plans can’t be denied, so that’s all it was. Just trusting my process and trusting God. I have a wonderful coaching staff and organization from top down, from Hannah [McNair] and Cal [McNair] to Nick [Caserio], DeMeco [Ryans] and the whole training room, ‘Ro’ [Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer Roland Ramirez], [Director of Reconditioning Return to Football and Speed Development Ryan] Grubbs, everyone. I had a plan and they were behind me 100%. They told me take the time you need, we’re going to be with you 100% the whole time. It just worked. I was a junkyard dog. I was just working all day. A lot of y’all didn’t see the work that I put in. I know y’all didn’t see it, but every day I was working, every day. There wasn’t one day that went by. On a Sunday I was working. There wasn’t one day that went by that I wasn’t out there or inside doing something to get better that day and now I’m here.”
Q: On what he hopes to accomplish this season
Dell: “Right now we’re just taking it one day at a time. There’s light at the end of the tunnel for sure I’ll be out there, but we’re just taking it one day at a time. That’s all we’re doing.”
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Q: On how comfortable he is within Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley’s system
Dell: “I feel like anything you do in life, you’re going to have to get reps at it. As far as knowing my plays, I’m a student of the game. Every day I’m in there doing walkthroughs. OTAs I was doing walkthroughs; they were implementing plays into the offense. I was doing walkthroughs and stuff like that. On my own I have my brothers at home call the play out and I just walk through it on my own. Being a student of the game, that’s easy for me because I love it. I was just taking the time by myself to learn the offense.”
Q: On his collision with WR Jared Wayne that caused his injury
Dell: "He wrote to me right after it happened, but I wasn't on my phone like that. I didn't really see it, but then when I got back to him, I told him, 'Ease up, yo, it's football,' and I know it was a genuine mistake. Nobody wants to take out their own guy, not even another guy to that. It was a mistake. I told him, 'Man, it's good. God got me. Ease up, man. Go play, go have fun, play football, I'll be back.' It was cool. There are no hard feelings; that's my brother, so we're cool."
You must be registered for see images
Q: On the biggest milestone during his recovery
Dell: "Probably touching grass for the first time. When I first started back touching grass, it was a great milestone because people thought I would never be back to where I am right now. Going out there and putting my cleats on it and tying them back up."
Q: On his relationship with QB C.J. Stroud during his recovery
Dell: "Everything, man. During this long process, he was with me the whole time. From the first day it happened to today. We have long conversations. I go to his house, he comes to my house, we have long conversations about the future that we want to build with each other on the field and stuff like that. Off the field, just being a brother to me. Sending me scripture, praying for me, just hanging out with me and having fun. Y'all saw us off the court during the offseason, I was with him a lot. That's my brother to the end, with or without football. He was with me the whole time."
You must be registered for see images
Q: On if he hopes to play Week 1
Dell: "We're going to take it day-by-day, baby."
Q: On going through the process with his younger brother
Dell: "That was like my little maid around the house when I couldn't walk for a little bit. If I go to walk down the stairs, he would be by me trying to hold me. He would go get a water for me, go run to the kitchen. That's my guy, man. He's a spitting image of me, he loves the game, he loves to learn, he loves to go out there and play football on his own and with my brothers. They'd be in the house throwing the ball and I'd be telling them not to. He loves it and he loves me. He was just with me the whole time, man. He shed tears with me, he was on my side every step of the way. When I was working out in the back, he's in the back trying to work out with me."
You must be registered for see images
Q: On the biggest lesson he learned through the recovery process
Dell: "When God puts you through something, when He wanted to build you up, He puts you through a storm. The patience, man, it was hard, being out a whole year, I never in my life sat out of football for a whole year. It was so hard at first, but then at a certain point, you have to accept it for what it is and just get to work. It was a long journey, but I was patient enough and it's getting close."
Q: On personal goals he set for himself
Dell: "I'm going to write back to you on that one. Since I was in college, in high school, I used to write in my notes, but since college, I have sticky notes and put them on my mirror, so I wake up and see them every day. Of course I have my goals. I'm not going to tell you now, I'm going to write back with you, but, I have a lot of them and I'm chasing them."
You must be registered for see images attach
Q: On his first padded practice back
Dell: "I was dead tired... I was thinking, 'Am I going to go out here and practice or go work out with [Director of Reconditioning Return to Football and Speed Development Ryan] Grubbs, because I didn't want to go back over there.' I just thought I need to make a decision, but it was just something funny that I did."
Q: On his message to the kids who are about to start their little league football seasons
Dell: "First and foremost, keep God first, but don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do. If you put your mind to it and your head is on straight and you focus on what you need to focus on and your goals, you can get anything you want in this life. On the field, off the field, whatever you want to do. You put your eyes set on your goals, you can go get it. Just keep working hard, trust God and that's all."
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans WR Tank Dell said following Day 8 of training camp
Continue reading...
