Opening statement:
"Before we begin, I'd just like to start off by thanking the Spanos Family, [General Manager] Joe Hortiz and [Head] Coach [Jim] Harbaugh for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I'd also like to thank my two parents that are here today. I couldn't be here without them. They've blessed me with a lot of opportunities. I want to thank God for the opportunity, the body and the ability that he has blessed me with to be here today."
On his 'first thoughts' upon being selected by the Chargers:
"I think that there were two thoughts that popped in my head immediately. The first one being gratitude. Like I said, just grateful for the people around me, grateful for this organization in believing in me and this opportunity. The second one, just straight excitement. I can't wait to get out here, get to work and go back to what I love doing, and that's playing football."
On his timeline since being drafted by the Chargers:
"Obviously, got the call. Super excited. I spent the time with my family briefly there, got to hug everybody. I appreciate everyone that was there. Then, hopped onto a couple of interviews, got my flight set up, hung out with my family and my girlfriend. Went back to my house, went to bed about midnight, woke up this morning, hopped on a plane at 7:30 [a.m.], flew out here, got to come to the facility, and have just been meeting everybody and going from there."
On playing quarterback growing up:
"I grew up playing quarterback, all the way until my sophomore year of high school. For me, the biggest thing there was just learning an entire defense and how it works — understanding safeties, their rotation, and how it affects a defense, how you can read a safety and see how that can give you a pressure look. I started playing tight end when I grew, my junior year of high school. Then, transitioned to offensive line when I got to Notre Dame as a freshman."
On if being a quarterback 'helped with his footwork':
"Yeah. Playing quarterback, playing basketball, all of that stuff did. I think that's a testament to my athleticism, now, from those things, because I was able to kind of stay light on my feet as I grew."
On the 'type' of quarterback that he was:
"I was a bigger quarterback [laughter]. Let's be real, I ran the ball most of the time [laughter]. I had a decent arm, but it was mostly just running the ball, sweeps out there. [John Alt] was the one getting me out there on the ball."
On if he 'could be the emergency quarterback':
"I don't know about that, I haven't thrown a football in a long time [laughter]. Been putting my hand in the dirt instead. I don't know, we'll have to see."
On his training during the pre-draft process:
"I've been working with [former NFL offensive lineman] Alex Boone up at Training HAUS in Minnesota, that's where I did all of my Combine prep. The biggest thing for me is just getting comfortable, being able to set both in my left and righthand stance, being just as comfortable as I was at the left at the right-hand side. Did a lot of drills — pass pro, run blocking — just to make sure that I was comfortable there. I thought we put a lot of good work in from that."
On if 'playing in unbalanced fronts helps with a potential transition to the right side':
"Yeah, of course. I think just having that in-game experience, those live reps, is always a huge help — just being comfortable getting over there and putting your hand down in that stance in-game is huge for my confidence going forward."
On football being 'in his family':
"Yeah, my dad played 13 years for the Chiefs. Football is all I can remember growing up. Walking into the basement, my dad's jersey was hung up at the bottom of the steps, and it was a dream for me my entire life. My dad coached me from youth through high school. He was there, he allowed me to really learn what football was and the appreciation for the game and what it did for me and my family. Football has always been kind of top of the totem pole in the family in what we wanted to do. That's why I fell in love with it and have been going with it ever since."
On if he played hockey growing up, like his brother, Mark:
"I did, until second grade. I did not have the body for hockey [laughter]. I got a little heavy for it, so we just decided to hang up the skates and start playing basketball."
On watching his father's games on tape growing up:
"We didn't watch a ton of tape of his VCRs [laughter]. In high school, we kind of stayed away from that. But most recently, a lot of his games have come back out on YouTube in better quality, and we re-watched them when I was home this training process. I got to give him a little bit of crap and watch his film and assess the differences in our games [laughter]."
On the differences between him and his father:
"My dad had — still does — very, very broad shoulders. He has the biggest shoulders that I've ever seen on a man. His ability to clamp guys, like defensive ends, is one of the most humbling things, I think, for defensive end, they were just out-muscled up top. I think that's the biggest difference. I like to punch inside because I don't have as big of shoulders as he did. I think that's the biggest difference between me and him."
On players in the NFL that he 'tries to learn from':
"I watch a lot of Joe Thomas. I watch a lot of how he sets. He has a lot of changeups in his set, between jump setting and vertical setting, and how he throws the differences in there. Then, I listen to a lot of Lane Johnson and stuff with the snap count, and how crucial that is to win the first second and being ahead of the punch, ahead of the defense, being able to get off the ball early."
On 'setting the tone up front':
"I think the thing I love about the offensive line is being able to hit someone every single play. You don't have a play off, you're going to be throwing your head in there. Whether it's pass or run, you have a job to do and you have to hold up your end of the bargain — one of the five [offensive linemen], one of the 11 [offensive players]. If you don't do your job, it's going to hurt the offensive line, hurt the entire offense. I think that's why I love it. That's kind of why I fell in love with the position, and just really the camaraderie of the group. The offensive line group, I think, is a special group."
On 'dominate' being one of his 'favorite words':
"It's not a word that I use in my vocabulary, but it's a mindset that I have, I would say more so. Just refusing to lose and taking it one play at a time and trying to do your best each and every play is kind of my mindset."
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"Before we begin, I'd just like to start off by thanking the Spanos Family, [General Manager] Joe Hortiz and [Head] Coach [Jim] Harbaugh for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I'd also like to thank my two parents that are here today. I couldn't be here without them. They've blessed me with a lot of opportunities. I want to thank God for the opportunity, the body and the ability that he has blessed me with to be here today."
On his 'first thoughts' upon being selected by the Chargers:
"I think that there were two thoughts that popped in my head immediately. The first one being gratitude. Like I said, just grateful for the people around me, grateful for this organization in believing in me and this opportunity. The second one, just straight excitement. I can't wait to get out here, get to work and go back to what I love doing, and that's playing football."
On his timeline since being drafted by the Chargers:
"Obviously, got the call. Super excited. I spent the time with my family briefly there, got to hug everybody. I appreciate everyone that was there. Then, hopped onto a couple of interviews, got my flight set up, hung out with my family and my girlfriend. Went back to my house, went to bed about midnight, woke up this morning, hopped on a plane at 7:30 [a.m.], flew out here, got to come to the facility, and have just been meeting everybody and going from there."
On playing quarterback growing up:
"I grew up playing quarterback, all the way until my sophomore year of high school. For me, the biggest thing there was just learning an entire defense and how it works — understanding safeties, their rotation, and how it affects a defense, how you can read a safety and see how that can give you a pressure look. I started playing tight end when I grew, my junior year of high school. Then, transitioned to offensive line when I got to Notre Dame as a freshman."
On if being a quarterback 'helped with his footwork':
"Yeah. Playing quarterback, playing basketball, all of that stuff did. I think that's a testament to my athleticism, now, from those things, because I was able to kind of stay light on my feet as I grew."
On the 'type' of quarterback that he was:
"I was a bigger quarterback [laughter]. Let's be real, I ran the ball most of the time [laughter]. I had a decent arm, but it was mostly just running the ball, sweeps out there. [John Alt] was the one getting me out there on the ball."
On if he 'could be the emergency quarterback':
"I don't know about that, I haven't thrown a football in a long time [laughter]. Been putting my hand in the dirt instead. I don't know, we'll have to see."
On his training during the pre-draft process:
"I've been working with [former NFL offensive lineman] Alex Boone up at Training HAUS in Minnesota, that's where I did all of my Combine prep. The biggest thing for me is just getting comfortable, being able to set both in my left and righthand stance, being just as comfortable as I was at the left at the right-hand side. Did a lot of drills — pass pro, run blocking — just to make sure that I was comfortable there. I thought we put a lot of good work in from that."
On if 'playing in unbalanced fronts helps with a potential transition to the right side':
"Yeah, of course. I think just having that in-game experience, those live reps, is always a huge help — just being comfortable getting over there and putting your hand down in that stance in-game is huge for my confidence going forward."
On football being 'in his family':
"Yeah, my dad played 13 years for the Chiefs. Football is all I can remember growing up. Walking into the basement, my dad's jersey was hung up at the bottom of the steps, and it was a dream for me my entire life. My dad coached me from youth through high school. He was there, he allowed me to really learn what football was and the appreciation for the game and what it did for me and my family. Football has always been kind of top of the totem pole in the family in what we wanted to do. That's why I fell in love with it and have been going with it ever since."
On if he played hockey growing up, like his brother, Mark:
"I did, until second grade. I did not have the body for hockey [laughter]. I got a little heavy for it, so we just decided to hang up the skates and start playing basketball."
On watching his father's games on tape growing up:
"We didn't watch a ton of tape of his VCRs [laughter]. In high school, we kind of stayed away from that. But most recently, a lot of his games have come back out on YouTube in better quality, and we re-watched them when I was home this training process. I got to give him a little bit of crap and watch his film and assess the differences in our games [laughter]."
On the differences between him and his father:
"My dad had — still does — very, very broad shoulders. He has the biggest shoulders that I've ever seen on a man. His ability to clamp guys, like defensive ends, is one of the most humbling things, I think, for defensive end, they were just out-muscled up top. I think that's the biggest difference. I like to punch inside because I don't have as big of shoulders as he did. I think that's the biggest difference between me and him."
On players in the NFL that he 'tries to learn from':
"I watch a lot of Joe Thomas. I watch a lot of how he sets. He has a lot of changeups in his set, between jump setting and vertical setting, and how he throws the differences in there. Then, I listen to a lot of Lane Johnson and stuff with the snap count, and how crucial that is to win the first second and being ahead of the punch, ahead of the defense, being able to get off the ball early."
On 'setting the tone up front':
"I think the thing I love about the offensive line is being able to hit someone every single play. You don't have a play off, you're going to be throwing your head in there. Whether it's pass or run, you have a job to do and you have to hold up your end of the bargain — one of the five [offensive linemen], one of the 11 [offensive players]. If you don't do your job, it's going to hurt the offensive line, hurt the entire offense. I think that's why I love it. That's kind of why I fell in love with the position, and just really the camaraderie of the group. The offensive line group, I think, is a special group."
On 'dominate' being one of his 'favorite words':
"It's not a word that I use in my vocabulary, but it's a mindset that I have, I would say more so. Just refusing to lose and taking it one play at a time and trying to do your best each and every play is kind of my mindset."
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