Miami Dolphins: Exclusive interview with Ja’Wuan James
By Sean Denison
It was just as hot as you’d expect at Miami Dolphins training camp Saturday afternoon. Although you thought the cloud coverage would provide some protection, not one player, coach, or fan in attendance could escape the brutality of the South Florida sun. But besides the scorching temperatures, the fans were well represented, enthusiastic, and came out in rows once practice officially began.
Focusing on special teams and one-on-one drills, the practice was, to put it bluntly, pretty boring. But as the Dolphins get ready to travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to have joint practices and a preseason game with the Carolina Panthers, it was evident that Miami wanted to pay close attention to one-on-one drills and see where the players were at in their development at their respective positions.
More from Dolphins News
- Tua Tagovailoa practicing with teammates is everything a leader does
- 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
- Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
- 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
- Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
Of course, a lot of the attention from practice that day gravitated towards the offensive line—and deservingly so. As the offensive line took their reps against the defensive line, a very special thing happened to which all in attendance fell witness: Branden Albert, still sporting a noticeable limp, was given the opportunity to go one-on-one with Pro Bowl defensive lineman Cameron Wake.
From the first rep to the last, good news calmed the nerves of the concerned spectators: Albert did good, held his own, and even knocked Cameron Wake back an inch on one occasion. It was hard to see if both men were going full speed, but good news nonetheless. After that drill, practice was coming to an end and Albert’s day was done as he attentively jogged into the locker room 15 minutes before anyone else. Albert looked good, but was made unavailable to the media.
One player that did take time to answer a few questions is the man on the opposite end to Albert on the offensive line: 2nd year tackle Ja’Wuan James. James has been solid throughout camp, and he didn’t disappoint Saturday afternoon either.
Live Feed
FanSided
Although a rookie, James played exceptionally well his first year in the NFL last season. When asked what he was more focused on this year in training camp, as opposed to the previous year, he said, “a lot of what we did today: technique, fundamentals, stuff like that.” “Last year at this point I was still learning the system and it was all new to me. So now, I can focus on the little things that are more important to me,” James finished
James also made a point to address how fortunate he is to be in Miami and go up against such a talented defensive line everyday in practice. “I definitely feel like I came to the right spot,” James said with a wholesome chuckle. When asked, James also didn’t shy away from providing details in how going up against such talented players helped him grow into a promising starting tackle in the NFL: “It really sped up my development last year going up against Cam Wake, O.V., Earl Mitchell, and now Suh.” James also elaborated on the others benefiting from the experience, “it’s speeding up a lot of the younger guys’ maturation through football. With Suh, Wake, and them, you gotta bring the strength, but also have your technique down too.”
On a different note, once the Miami Dolphins’ schedule was put in front of the face of every eager fan, they let loose a collective, irritating, sigh, once they saw that seven of the first nine games would be on the road. I, being one of those fans, thought it would be extremely difficult for a team, particularly a young team. But when asked about the situation, James told us, “I think away games are more fun, in a sense.” James explained that the way the uncharacteristic schedule is constructed will “help us come more together.” “We preach togetherness and toughness all the time,” James continued. “It’s our big emphasis this year. We’re going to need that toughness at the beginning of the season.”
But more importantly, when asked what his favorite thing about being a Miami Dolphin was, Ja’Wuan paused for a moment and sincerely said, “truthfully, the fans.” Although this is the typical response you would expect from an athlete with the media and recorders shoved into his face, I believe there was sincerity in his statement. In fact, James elaborated without even being prompted: “There’s so much tradition here,” James said unvarnished. “When I first got here, I saw how excited the fans got from us winning. If we can win here, we know we have this whole city behind us.” Later on, I told James, as he was heading back into the locker room, he was right—“win and we’ll have your back, big boy.”