Exclusive: Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane joins Zolak and Bertrand

Beasley Digital

On Tuesday's edition of Zolak and Bertrand, the guys were joined by Patriots linebacker, Robert Spillane. While discussing his transition of New England, Spillane dove into his excitement to be coached by Mike Vrabel, and also explained why  training camp is his favorite time of the season.

Transcript

00:00Robert Spillane, how are you?

00:01I'm good, thanks for having me on.

00:03How's camp been to this point?

00:05Camp's the best part of the year.

00:06You get to learn the guys next to you,

00:09see where things are headed, and just get better every day.

00:12What was that PR person telling you on the way over?

00:14Not to say to us and watch out for this guy, that guy?

00:17Not at all.

00:18Okay, good.

00:21You got some heavy stuff on it.

00:23You trying to lose some pounds,

00:26or is that just the way you practice all the time?

00:28I like to switch it up.

00:31Well, I was telling these guys before

00:34that a pool was a part of some of your off-season.

00:39Today's a great day for a pool,

00:41but how did you involve the pool in falling into a pool

00:44to prepare yourself for being out there on the field?

00:47I like to find ways that work for me.

00:50I've spent years studying my body,

00:53knowing what I need to do,

00:54knowing what I want my body positioning

00:57to look like,

00:58so that's just one of the ways

00:59that I work on my body positioning.

01:01So that's like falling in at certain angles?

01:03Is that how you do it?

01:05There's a lot of different exercises

01:06that I can do in the pool.

01:08Super explosive, off-angle landings,

01:11repositioning my body the way I want it to be.

01:15Do you have the green dot on?

01:17Are you calling most of the plays?

01:19I know we haven't got games yet,

01:20but are you going to be one of the green dots?

01:21We're going to wait until the games happen to decide that.

01:24Okay.

01:26How's it out there working with some of these guys?

01:28You know, it's a brand-new front for a lot of you guys.

01:30Working with Landry out there

01:32and guys like King on White on the other side.

01:34Yeah, it's important to learn,

01:35especially the guys in front of you

01:37and how they like to play,

01:38different blocking schemes,

01:40and I'm proud of those guys.

01:41They've come out here to work every single day,

01:44looking to get 1% better every day,

01:45so I'm proud of.

01:47I think we're really trending in the right direction.

01:49What's your relationship with Mike Rabel?

01:52He's obviously a big fan of yours.

01:53You guys have a history together,

01:55but how is it to have a head coach

01:56that knows what it is for you on a daily basis

02:00because he did it himself?

02:01Yeah, I'm a player.

02:02He's the head coach.

02:04He has so much knowledge and understanding in this game,

02:07and he knows how to win,

02:09so I put my trust in him,

02:11I put my faith in him,

02:12and I know good things are going to happen.

02:14I thought one of the coolest things

02:15when you first signed here

02:16and they brought you guys in as free agents,

02:19you know, you see a lot of the video

02:20of inside the locker room and your daughter

02:22when you got number 14

02:23and Mike's in there playing with your kids.

02:25How much does that help you guys as players

02:27to have the ability to bring your family around

02:29and they feel included in everything?

02:31Yeah, to me, my family is everything.

02:33My wife, my two daughters,

02:35my mom and dad, her mom and dad,

02:37my siblings, her siblings,

02:38and Mike Rabel really understands that,

02:42Coach Rabel, I'm sorry about that,

02:43really understands what is important to us as players,

02:46and he's willing to do whatever to make us happy.

02:48How's the experience been overall

02:50since you've signed here,

02:51you know, being in this area,

02:53being a patriot, being in this building every day?

02:55I love it.

02:55Being on a new team,

02:57it gives me a chance to reestablish myself every day,

03:00so I try to come in here

03:01with the best positive attitude

03:02and that yearning to get better every day.

03:05Do you feel like a foundational piece now,

03:07you know, being a part of that first free agent class

03:10staying with Mike Rabel sort of putting his program in here?

03:12Of course, and I've always looked at myself

03:14as a foundational piece wherever I've been,

03:17whether it's an undrafted rookie or an eight-year vet.

03:21You're part of a defense that has a lot of guys,

03:23yourself included, that can hit

03:26and can really get after it

03:28and play a physical, aggressive style of defense.

03:30Are you starting to see that take shape so far in this camp?

03:33Yeah, we got a long way to go,

03:34but we're taking it one step at a time.

03:39We got a lot of hungry people on the defense

03:40and we just got to keep getting better every day.

03:43Do you like the violence angle they're trying to preach?

03:46Of course, football is one with violence,

03:49with communication, with pad level,

03:51with understanding at where your people are

03:53and we're just going to keep working on that every day.

03:56What young player so far has surprised you the most

03:58early on in camp?

03:59You know, I love watching Drake May work.

04:04I love watching him study.

04:06He's going on his second year

04:08and we're excited to see a big jump from him.

04:11All right, Robert, we appreciate the time

04:13and hopefully we'll talk to you again sometime soon.

04:15Thanks for having me on.

04:16Have a good one.

04:17Thanks, Robert.

04:17Appreciate it.

04:17Robert Splane, Patriots linebacker,

04:19who I think is a perfect guy for Mike Vrabel.

04:25Mike Vrabel loves him.

04:26Huge fan of him.

04:27He's caught his eye a number of years ago

04:30and the first time Mike Vrabel saw that player,

04:34he's only improved.

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