Eric Berry & Derrick Johnson Talk Andy Reid At 2013 Pro Bowl
Two of the most talented players on the Kansas City Chiefs roster are in Hawaii tonight for the 2013 Pro Bowl.
So are four of their teammates.
Linebacker Derrick Johnson and safety Eric Berry sat down to talk about various topics on the the NFL Pro Bowl pre-game show on Total Access on NFL Network tonight before the game.
We jotted down what the to stars had to say:
On the hiring of Andy Reid:
Johnson:
"Obviously, we’re very excited about Andy Reid and what he brings to the table. He’s a very proven coach in this league. He did a lot of great things with the Philadelphia Eagles. We’re just excited to get on, I guess the right foot, starting 2013."
Berry:
"We just need everybody to buy in. Whatever philosophy, whatever plan he has for us, we just need to get everybody on the same page and just work toward that one common goal is getting to the playoffs and getting some rings. I think right now, the whole team is hungry. And we don’t want to go through anything like we went through last year. Right now we’re just focused on one mission so I want to stat early."
On the talent on the roster vs. the letdown last season:
Johnson:
"This game of football is about chemistry. It’s a big team game so if you don’t play together, you know, your wins are not going to stack up like they should. We’ve got a good core of guys right now and we just need to add a few guys and we’ll be on our way."
On who needs to step up as a leader in the locker room:
DJ:Johnson:
"Well that’s a good question. Veteran guys like myself, Eric Berry, young players that take a lot of initiative on the field. We have a lot of confidence in our players around us. At the end of the day, when things go bad, we’re going to have to forget about it, have a short-term memory and let that play go and go on to the next one. Too many times during the season we had a snowball effect and that snowball effect hampered the whole year for us."
On how difficult it is to stay composed when things go poorly:
Berry:
"I mean, it’s tough but at the same time t could be worse. We went through so much, not just on the field but off the field as a team. So I feel liek a lot of stuff made us stronger as a unit, and right now we’re just going to let that carry over into next year. Like I said, we hungry right now, man. We had two wins last year. I don’t want to go through that again so I’m putting a lot on myself, I’m putting a lot on D.J., he’s putting a lot on me and the rest of the leaders of the team just to get Kansas City back to what it used to be. Because me, I’m a competitor. I love to win. I always want to win. I don’t want to come second to no one. Right now, we hungry. We’re gonna get it."
What they think about this Pro Bowl possibly being the final one because of poor player effort:
Johnson:
"First of all, we’ve got to play harder. Playing against Adrian Peterson, he’s going to set the tempo right away so we’ll see how that goes."
Berry:
"Me, I’m going full speed. I’m not taking anything for granted. I sat a whole year out, you know what I’m saying, not playing football, this is a privilege, a blessing. I’m going to take full advantage of the opportunity. I’m thankful to be here. So I’m going in."