GK to be on ESPN News @ 3:40 CST [Archive] - SoonerFans.com Message Boards

Salt City Sooner

5/21/2010, 05:17 PM

They finally had him on at about 20 after 4. Here's the transcript (sorry for typos)

Q: What's life been like for you since joining the NFL?

GK: It's been insane, crazy, I'm lovin' it. It's the NFL. College is college, high school is high school, & the NFL is the NFL.

Q: How many more friend & cousins have you picked up along the way?

GK: (smiling, as usual) Too many. I've got the most relatives in the world right now.

Q:Take me back to draft night. You hear your name, you go on stage, you give commissioner Goodell a big old bear hug. Where did that emotion come from, & what did Goodell say to you?

GK: I told Mr. Goodell the day before, expect something insane or crazy from me. I asked him, have you ever been hugged by one of the players, & he said, yeah, all the time. Well, apparently, he hasn't, because he was so surprised, & he kind of teased me & whispered in my ear, you're too big to be crying. I was like, hey, hey, look, I'm not even worried about that.

Q: What's the rookie treatment been like? Who's been cool with you?

GK: The rookie treatment's been great, they haven't done anything too bad. Maybe it's because camp isn't here yet, it's just OTA's. Everybody's been welcoming me in & having a lot of fun.

Q: Any former Bucs, like Warren Sapp, reaching out to you, Gerald?

GK: I've talked to Warren, I'm supposed to meet up w/ him because this is where he's at right now. I've talked to Lee Roy Selmon, he's helped me out a lot, plus all the guys, the vets, on the team.

Q: At least you got your old # 93. Roy Miller, a former Texas Longhorn gave it up to you. Are you surprised by that?

GK: No, no. Roy's a real guy. He's a real friend. You know, you never really realize until something like that happens who your friends are, & for him to be selfless like that, it just shows he's a real team player.

Q: Did you have to give anything to him? Maybe a Rolex or something? (laughs)

GK: (BIG grin) We've got our deal worked out.

Q: You're keeping it on the QT though eh? That's fine.
Seriously though, Gerald, many know about your mom dying a few years back, & what an inspiration she's been to you. How does that continue today?

GK: My mother is always going to be my inspiration. She was even before she passed away. I used to see my parents get up early every morning to go to work, & I wanted to do whatever I could to make sure that they didn't have to do that too much longer. So, I told them, if y'all can get up & go to work like that every day, then I can get up & go to workouts, I can get up & go to class, I can do what I've got to do to help y'all out, because you've been doing it my whole life. So, she's been my inspiration my whole life.

Q: And so, I'm just curious, does that make it bittersweet with you now that you're on this grand stage, & no one would be happier for you than your mother?

GK: My mother's here with me. She can see me, & I can hear everything she would say to me right now. I can see her big grin, & that crazy laugh she had. I'm not missing a beat.

Q: Sounds like the steps have been positive for you. What do you think is going to be the biggest adjustment on the field, once you actually strap it up in September?

GK: Adjusting to the fact that everybody in the NFL is good. Everybody's smart, & you've just got to prepare for that. You have to prepare better in the NFL You have to know who you're facing, & what to expect with formations & all of the different things, so that's the biggest deal. I'm already seeing the speed of it, & I'm picking up on it pretty quick, so speed won't be an issue, just the fact that everybody's smarter in the league.

Q: And as you know, Tampa Bay's known for having a smart, physical defense, that was the backbone of their teams for years, how much do you welcome that challenge of being there & trying to fill a void on that Tampa team?

GK: I love a challenge. Anybody who issues a challenge to Gerald, you're going to get a fight, & that's what I plan on bringing to Tampa. I don't plan to disappoint, & I'm going to give it my all. If it's staying after practice, getting extra film in, making sure I get all the corrections, making sure I do all I can for the team. They're expecting big things from me, & I don't want to disappoint them.

Q: Yes, they certainly do. Have you set any specific goals for yourself in 2010, Gerald?

GK: No specific goals. I've seen Warren Sapp's rookie stats, & you know, a lot of people like to make comparisons. Personally, I don't feel there's a comparison with my game & his. He's a hall of famer, & I'm just another good defensive lineman to come out of college. He's on a completely different level, but if I can get close to his stats as a rookie, that'd be good for me.

Q: We'll send this interview to him, he's going to love it with you staying nice & humble & giving him lots of props. Best of luck.

GK: Thanks.