RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe Miami Dolphins brought their veterans back to the building on Tuesday before getting on the practice field at their Baptist Health Training Complex for their first training camp session of the year.
Before Miami hit the field, they had their offensive leaders, quarterback Malik Willis, and defensive leader, linebacker Jordyn Brooks, speak to the media, and they both showed why the team believes in them to help turn things around in South Florida.
Willis was a third-round pick who really struggled in his first stop in the NFL, and while things turned around for him a bit in Green Bay over the last two years, he knows exactly what it's like to be a player that's dismissed. However, while analysts and fans are taking shots at the roster, he's sharing exactly how the rest of the team should think.
"We all play football at a high level or we wouldn't be in the NFL. Every team has good players, it's just putting them in position to be successful," Willis said. "All the guys that have big names at one point didn't have a big name, and I think that's how it goes. You just got to prove it and that's where we're at right now."
Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley, who were both in Green Bay with Willis and chose him to be their quarterback in Miami, have spoken highly of Willis' work ethic. As he prepares to be a team's starting quarterback for the first time as a professional, he has the right mindset.
"I'm just trying to do whatever I can to earn that role every day," Willis said. "Put the work in, put the time in and earn the respect from my teammates – I think that's what's most vital and most important, more than a paycheck or more than a position that other people say you're in. I just try to focus on that and continue to get better."
Brooks, who was an All-Pro last year for the first time in his career and was thus awarded with a three-year extension earlier this month, also knows exactly how to work in the NFL as a proven pro, and he plans on sharing that advice with the large rookie class.
"Just show up and work," Brooks said. "I mean, there's really no other reason for us to be here other than to work and work together and have fun as we do it. Enjoy each other's company, get to know each other, and really put the time in, and do whatever it takes to win. And that's showing up every day being consistent. If there's something extra we need to do as a group, we'll do that, whatever it takes. But that’s the biggest thing that I want the locker room to understand is we're doing whatever it takes to win, whatever it takes to change the narrative around here, whatever it takes to turn the page over. That's the path that I'm taking."
The linebacker has taken exception with the word "rebuild" this offseason, and it's evident that he's going to keep that message going for everyone in the building all year.
"I mean people could say it's a rebuild, I don't look at it as a rebuild because I'm in it and I play the game. I realize being in the league, everybody is super talented, and it's not always what it looks like on paper. You can have the superstar-studded teams and they don't be worth a darn, you know what I mean? They don't have the right chemistry. They don't know how to connect the dots together. And then you can have a bunch of no-name teams who know how to gel together, who know how to win, know how to buy in together. I think if you have that, you have the perfect team.
"That's the way I'm looking at it. I don't really care if people think that it's a rebuild or they think we're going 0-17 or whatever people have been saying; I look at it as we got a bunch of football players who's hungry, super talented. Nobody in this locker room would be here if they didn't have what it takes. Mygoal is to help lead the charge, be the very best that I can be and help us win."
That's how the Dolphins have to think this year. A lot of players are young or are playing on one-year deals. If they don't succeed this year, there's no guarantee that they'll be playing in the league much longer.
Luckily, Miami has leaders to pass that message along and lead by example.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins leaders setting the tone for camp with inspiring mindset
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