Commanders safety Quan Martin talks second season, matchup vs. Eagles

WJFK-FM / 106.7 The Fan

JP and Tobi welcome Commanders safety Quan Martin to the program to discuss his second season in the NFL, playing with veterans like Bobby Wagner, and Sunday's divisional tilt against the Eagles.

Transcript

00:00We're very excited right now to welcome in Kwon Martin, Commander Safety, to the program.

00:06Second year starter.

00:07Kwon, what up, man?

00:08How you doing?

00:09How y'all doing?

00:10We are doing well, man.

00:14You know, obviously that was a wild one down in New Orleans.

00:19Before we look ahead to Philly, when you go back and think about kind of the chaos of

00:25the end of that game, like in the moment you're so locked in, you're probably not thinking

00:29about it, but once you got on the plane or watched the tape or whatever, was there any

00:34part of that game you're just like, oh my God, how did all that happen in the last couple

00:37of minutes?

00:38Yeah, man.

00:39It was definitely, like you said, it was a lot going on, but we're just trying to stay

00:44poised in that moment.

00:45You know, that's the thing we talk about all the time, the winning time moment, so a lot

00:51went on, man, but you know, we got the opportunity to finish the game how we did.

00:55Finally got Marshawn Lattimore out on the field with you guys.

00:58What kind of an impact did he have for you guys on the back end and how nice was it to

01:01have him out on the field?

01:02Yeah, man.

01:03It was great to have him out there with us.

01:05You know, he's been working through some things to get back, but man, just to have him out

01:11there, man, just was awesome.

01:12I don't think they targeted his side of the field at all, so just to have his presence

01:16out there and not lock down the side of the field was awesome.

01:21Quad, so you know, you add Lattimore last week, a former Pro Bowl player, and now you've

01:26got John Allen back on the field, at least practicing, but we're not sure when Allen

01:31will make his return, but sure seems like it's trending that way.

01:35What can that do for a defense to add two Pro Bowl players this late in the season?

01:41Yeah, man, it does a lot, honestly, and you know, there's two great players, you know,

01:47that we can use this later in the season and, you know, just come out, keep the motor running

01:51fast, man, and, you know, just build off of it, and you know, like you said, just had

01:56those guys back out here just means a lot for this team and our defense.

02:01We're just listening to Joe Witt Jr. talk about this defense.

02:04He's talked about how it's improved as the year's gone on, specifically the last couple

02:07of weeks, some of the numbers being better.

02:09What have you seen as a part of this defense that's allowed you guys to grow as the season's

02:13gone on and got more comfortable in the system?

02:15Yeah, I think it's, like you said, just been comfortable in the system, just knowing what

02:20to be, when to be there, and just knowing what to expect from coach so we can go out

02:25and execute the defense properly, so I think that's been a huge part of it.

02:31Talking with Commander Safety Quan Martin here in his second year out of the University

02:35of Illinois.

02:36Quan, you talked about just knowing what you're going to get from the coaches.

02:41How, you know, I asked B-Rob this yesterday in the locker room.

02:45Yesterday was Jaden's birthday, obviously, right?

02:47And there was a birthday cake and Mikey sang a song, but Jaden was asked, you know, how

02:53different does a year feel for you in your second year compared to where this operation

02:59was late December, last season, where, you know, you're eliminated from the playoffs

03:04and a lot of folks are trying to figure out what their future is.

03:08How different is this season and how much more are you able to kind of enjoy the moment?

03:15Yeah, I mean, every moment is special with these guys, man, and just having the opportunity

03:19to go out there and compete with some of the best against, you know, some of the best.

03:24So, I mean, it's awesome, man.

03:26It just shows the team chemistry, the bond we have, and it really translates on the field.

03:31So we've just been able to take it one game at a time, one week at a time, and, you know,

03:36put ourselves in the best position to be successful and, you know, just have this opportunity

03:41to continue in the postseason.

03:44If you can correct me if I'm wrong here, Quan, but, you know, when you were drafted, part

03:47of the reason that, you know, a lot of people found you as an attractive prospect was your

03:51versatility and in your rookie year, it seemed like you were kind of put all over the place

03:55versus this year.

03:56It seems like you've kind of found a spot and had a clear messaging that you're going

03:59to be used in this specific way.

04:02Is that something that's allowed you to take a step forward in the second year?

04:05Because you, you know, you've had a really good season this season.

04:07Yeah, I mean, it definitely allowed me to play faster.

04:11Um, or if it was one of the first times in my career where I've just been able to, you

04:16know, play one position on the field.

04:17So I mean, it definitely comes with some understanding of the position, understanding of the game

04:23a lot better.

04:24And I just seen it from one point of view and just being able to play as fast as possible.

04:30Quan, I'm curious, man, when when you moved here last year, I imagine everything was was

04:37kind of moving so fast, right?

04:39You get drafted.

04:40You got to move to a new city.

04:41You're from Florida.

04:42You play college ball in the Midwest.

04:44Now that you've been here a year, like what do you think of the DMV?

04:48You know, I imagine you live out towards the Ashburn area, but get into D.C. periodically.

04:54But what do you make of the region you're calling home nowadays?

04:57Oh, man, it's awesome.

04:59Um, just a lot to do, honestly, you're not too close to D.C., but, you know, you're far

05:06enough away to where if you just want to relax and chill and get some peace and quiet,

05:10you can get that.

05:11And, you know, good dinners and stuff out in D.C. with my girlfriend.

05:15So, you know, we try to get out a little bit, explore what we can and, you know, just been

05:21enjoying it, taking it one day at a time.

05:24Talking with Commander Safety Quan Martin, I'm interested on this on the defensive side

05:28of the ball.

05:29It's your second year, but it's like a completely new defense because there's so many new guys.

05:35What's it been like going from last year to this year where you bring in obviously

05:38new coaching staff, new front office, but just on your side playing with a bunch of

05:42new guys like Bobby Wagner, Frankie Lou Vu, Mikey, Jeremy Chin.

05:46What's it been like playing with that new defense this year?

05:49Man, it's been great.

05:52All the new pieces that we added to this, you know, staff, the team, the players, just

05:57all around, man.

05:58Overall, it's been great.

05:59A bunch of great dudes in the building and, you know, it makes it easy to go out and compete

06:04for the guy next to you when, you know, he got your back.

06:07And yeah, it's been awesome and it's just hard to put in words.

06:14Specific to Wagner, dude, that guy, I mean, his resume, not to mention a Super Bowl ring,

06:19but he's overwhelmingly going to be a Hall of Fame player.

06:26Does that carry a little bit more?

06:28Because I see him how he acts in the locker room.

06:30He's just like one of the dudes.

06:31He's always kind of laughing, joking, the way there's always these like constant basketball

06:36debates and stuff.

06:38Is it, you ever like stop for a second and be like, damn, that is Bobby Wagner?

06:42Or has he just become another linebacker on a pretty good defense?

06:46I mean, you definitely can't look over his accomplishments, the things he's done in this

06:52league.

06:53Just to have him here and play with him on this defense has been awesome.

06:58He's a leader.

07:00He demands greatness and, you know, he gets the best out of everybody around him.

07:04So he's a great, great player, great guy on the field, off the field, and somebody you

07:10want to be a part of your program.

07:13With the coaching staff, it feels like this year you're playing more aggressive.

07:16The defense is kind of trying to force the issue as opposed to just, you know, allowing

07:20a bend, don't break sort of mentality.

07:23How much has that changed what you're doing on the back end and how much more fun is it

07:26to play on a defense that's playing more of an aggressive style?

07:29Oh, man, this is definitely my type of game and that's the kind of player I am.

07:34So just having a defense that plays the same way, having the guys around me that, you know,

07:39thinks the same way, reacts how I do, and it just makes it easy, like I said, man, just

07:44to go out there and play fast and have fun and run and hit like we always talk about.

07:50Talking with Commander Safety, Quan Martin.

07:52Quan, we won't keep you much longer.

07:53I know you're gearing up for a big game this weekend, but when you get a second crack at

07:59a team that beat you, right, like that Eagles game, y'all were right there for most of that

08:03game.

08:04And then Saquon's able to break a couple late.

08:07How much do you get excited at a chance to to get them back?

08:12And how do you guys keep Saquon under wraps all four quarters this time?

08:18Yeah, man, I think that's the beauty of playing a team twice.

08:22You get to, you know, fix some of the mistakes that you made before.

08:25And just looking back at the tape, we got a few plays we left out there, really on all

08:29sides of the ball.

08:30So we've just been able to capitalize on the opportunities that we have to, you know, make

08:35plays on the ball, get the ball back to the offense.

08:38And I mean, they got a great group of guys, obviously, and, you know, we just got to all

08:44rally to the ball and get the guys down.

08:48You talk all the time in the media about how when you have the quarterback, you know,

08:52that can kind of make up for a lot of sins, and you feel like there's a confidence that

08:56comes with just knowing if you can get the ball back to your guy, that you've got a shot.

09:01It seems like you guys feel like that in the locker room with Jaden.

09:03How much of a difference does that make when you know you've got a dude on offense that

09:07can just, he can make up for any problems that maybe you've made a mistake on defense,

09:11but he can make up for it?

09:12How great is it to have Jaden here this year?

09:15He's definitely a special talent, man.

09:17And like we said, we always talk about getting the ball back because we know how special

09:21he is and what he can do with the ball in his hand.

09:23So I think that's always a huge emphasis going into the week.

09:27Just how many times, how many extra drives can we give our offense?

09:31So there's always an emphasis on the ball, man, and, you know, take away wins, gains.

09:36Hey, man, I know you got practice.

09:39I know you got meetings.

09:40I know you got walkthroughs.

09:41We appreciate you making time for us and certainly good luck this weekend and the rest

09:45of the way.

09:46All right, man.

09:48Thank y'all for having me.

09:49All right.

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