“In the corner you won’t make it when people are watching you every play, but it’s a matter of the moment he starts playing when everyone is watching him. He’s stepped up in the locker room as a leader and in the boardroom, but his play on the field has always been a standard.
Awuzie had no problem mentoring first-round pick Dax Hill. A safety player from Michigan, he used the slot when he was on the field. He played 14% of his snaps in the regular season, and in the postseason he had only played 20 times. However, in his one of his six plays in the AFC Division, Dawson in his end of the Bills’ tight third to Knox he defended his pass down, not 17-14. He always seemed to do something positive, like when he led 17-10.
Awuzie knows herself a little bit in Hill and isn’t afraid to play the role of wise counselor.
“With Ducks, now that you have all this knowledge, it’s about using it and trying to take something from each position you learn,” Augie said. If you can focus on position, you know who’s around you and what their assignments are, you know what their attributes are, and that helps you become a better player.”
A second-round pick by the Cowboys, Orgie had a similar rookie year in 2017.
“When I first entered the league, it was the same way,” Awuzie said. I understand what he’s thinking, and it gives me a little more freedom to play, and that’s what I would advise Ducks.”
Super Heart: Apple longed to play the Eagles in the Super Bowl, the team he grew up on. They were in last Sunday’s early game, with Apple watching its first quarter and his sidekick and fellow South Jersey native Herson Reddick delivering a big rush to Philly’s outside backer. I was watching you wake up.
“We knew they were going to win,” Apple said. “Hmm. I’m going to play a local team at the Super Bowl.”
By the way, Apple isn’t going away in the next few months. He keeps having his opinion and keeps making it known.
“I’ll keep that chip on my shoulder no matter what,” Apple said. “I speak my biggest rubbish. It doesn’t matter if I stand for it. It’s a game to me. It’s what I like. It doesn’t matter what anyone outside says.”
One of his agenda is travel. Apple plans to hold a soccer camp in Ghana in March.