Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels addressed the media after practice on Jan. 24. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.
On how much he enjoys playing road games and being considered the underdog:
"Me personally, I just like, no matter if it's a home or away game, I treat it the same. It's always good to have like a, like everybody tries to write like an underdog story, but for us it's just, we're just going out there and playing confident. Like know we can compete against these guys and that's a very good team. So, there's nothing like I take a little extra motivation. I'm already motivated to go into the game regardless of if it was week two or you know, the NFC championship game."
On going back and forth with fans in Detroit last week and if that riles him up:
"Nah, it wasn't even, no back and forth. You know, they're rightfully so talking. They're trashing [trash talking] and I didn't really say anything. It was just kind of just let my play do the talking.
On what inspired him to wear a Kobe Bryant shirt and cleats last week:
"I didn't wear Kobe shirt last week, but the cleats, I mean, I just like the cleats, cleats, fire. Kobe, my favorite athlete of all time, especially growing up in Southern California, watching the Lakers, watching Kobe. So that's kind of where that inspiration comes from and like, just growing up seeing that."
On what makes the Eagles defensive front challenging and what he can take from facing them twice already:
"Got a lot of good football players over there and really talented."
On how the mentality of every week being championship week has help them going into Sunday:
"I mean, you really don't wanna make a game to bigger than obviously what it is or where it can be. Obviously, it's a big game, but you know, you gotta go out there and keep the same process, keep the same routine and you know, trust your preparation."
On if the slogan 'Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime' is something that the players have embraced and if it encapsulates the team's identity:
"I think it's the identity. I think that people obviously embraced it. Just the model that we have and what DQ [Head Coach Dan Quinn] has set here. I think you kinda see that through our play is like, hey, we're gonna keep fighting no matter if we're down 28, you know, we're up 28. You know, the game is never over until the clock is zero."
On what the team has taken away from the three-game losing streak earlier in the season:
"I mean, you just gotta go through adversity in sports. You know, everything's not gonna be perfect. Last time I checked somebody went undefeated in the NFL season was a very long time ago, so, it's hard. It's hard to win games. It's hard to compete at this level and play at a high level up here, in this profession. So, you gotta go out there and you gotta go through stuff. I think that was just our time to kind of go through stuff, gel, and respond to adversity."
On what it was about Bryant and his game that made him exciting:
"I mean, just growing up, like you kind of just like fall in love with his game and who he is and then as I got older, you kind of fall in love with his mindset and everything like that. And just how he approached the game. He never cheated the game. He took it serious and he gave it all every time he was on the court."
On if he notices when the opposing teams' fans on the road are silent and if he feeds off that:
"Not at all. I don't. I just be focused on what I have to do. I don't really try to pay attention to the unnecessary things as far as the crowd and stuff like that. Like, they're there obviously to pump up their team, cheer for their team talk trash. So, if you get caught up in that, I mean at that point they, they got what they wanted two more."
On if he feels the team has earned the identity as road warriors:
"Nah, I mean I just think that's kind of where we were placed at. It's kind of just what we had to embrace of, you know, we don't got no more home games this year."
On if as a kid he dreamed of going to the Super Bowl:
"No, I mean, as a kid you kind of just dream about playing in the NFL and as you get older you get closer to your dreams become a reality and you kind of just set bigger goals because ultimately, making the NFL is just the beginning of it. So, now it's like, okay, what can I do my rookie year? And you keep going from there."
On what young Jayden would be thinking right now if he saw him at this moment:
"I don't even think he would be thinking anything. He probably wouldn't even pay attention to this, He'd just be locked into the game on Sunday."
