TITANS GENERAL MANAGER RUSTON WEBSTER
(opening statement)
OK, we're proud and excited to have Chance Warmack with us and officially a Titan. It seemed like an old friend was back when he showed up at the complex today, sat in the same chair he sat in for our meeting when he came here on his visit, and obviously as I said (Thursday) night, we're very excited.
TITANS GUARD CHANCE WARMACK
(on if he has the same feeling and was comfortable walking in the door)
It was like I was coming home, man. It didn't really feel like I'm coming to a stiff organization. This is like a family to me. They've welcomed me with open arms, and I'm just happy to be here.
(on what the experience has been like since he was drafted)
Once they called my name to come to the Tennessee Titans, it was a dream come true for me, so I still haven't come down yet. I'm still trying to take it all in, but it's a blessing, man. I'm happy to be here.
(on the other teams he visited prior to the draft)
Besides the Titans, I went to the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Jets, Giants and Detroit.
(on if he's talked to his new teammates)
No, not at all.
(on if he's bothered that Jonathan Cooper was selected ahead of him)
Not at all. Everything happens for a reason. I'm definitely happy that he went before I did. I'm happy to be with the team I'm with right now.
(on what he thinks will be the biggest transition about going from college to the NFL)
Just expanding my mind, learning new things, as far as playing the guard position and getting used to the speed of the game.
(on the comparison between his run blocking and pass blocking)
I think my run blocking is a little better than my pass blocking. I think I'm naturally good at that. That's what I do. You can always get better at that. The pass blocking all depends on what the scheme is and you just have to learn what you're supposed to do and what you're not supposed to do when it comes to pass blocking.
(on the adjustment of moving from left guard to right guard)
I feel like it will be naturally better for me to play right guard because that was what I was playing coming out of high school and going into college, so going back into that situation will actually be better for me.
TITANS HEAD COACH MIKE MUNCHAK
(on why Warmack is a good fit at right guard with what the team tries to do)
Well, we have Andy Levitre playing left, no, I just think what we ask the right guard to do a lot, and like I said, a lot of times they're right handed, and usually the guy is covered up a lot and that's the point of attack a lot of times on the right side — those kinds of reasons right there, just the strength he has, like we mentioned, we thought that one of his biggest assets was his hip power off the line of scrimmage, the push he gets, and again to me, he can play left or right and it wouldn't matter. It just so happens that the way this thing fits out we're going to ask him to move to the right guard spot for that reason, but again, to me, it wouldn't matter like he said. When I came out of Penn State, I played right or left. It's not going to matter, it's just a matter of what's the best fit for the team, and the best fit right now is to put him on the right side. He can pull and do all the things we're going to ask the left guard to do. He's going to have to pull a lot at right guard also, so the guards do the same things. It's just sometimes the matchups are a little different, and I think he's a guy that matches up, like I said (Thursday) night, he'll match up well with any size player he's got to play against. He's shown that in college and he'll see the same thing on this level that he saw in the SEC.
TITANS GUARD CHANCE WARMACK
(on what he's looking forward to learning the most from Munchak and Bruce Matthews)
All the tricks, man, all the tricks. We were going over some of that on my visit. I feel like I could grow as a player, learning from some of the best guys that's played the position, and I'm not saying that because (Munchak) is sitting right next to me. It's a dream for a guy like me to find other guys that played my position and know what's hard and what's going to be easy and can speak from a guard's perspective.
TITANS HEAD COACH MIKE MUNCHAK
(on if he sees any of the same attributes in Chance Warmack that he brought to the team as a rookie)
Well he is a hell of a lot bigger than I was and a lot stronger man and a bigger man. I may have been the same quickness. No probably not. I think his mentality towards the game and the way he approaches the game and is what Bruce and I both saw as being very comparable. When we visited him for five or six hours back in March, I think we walked out of there thinking that he reminds us a lot of ourselves with his approach to the game. His passion for the game the guys that came before him and he wants to learn all of the little tricks that go on within the game. That's not usually the first thing that someone talks about when you first meet them. We were watching tape he was more interested in what we did than, 'hey look at me on this play.' He explained what he was doing, but he was more interested in, 'well how would you have done this, or how would you have done this, or how would you have done that, or how would you teach this. In that way our approach to the game, when you get a great player is very similar to how ours was and I don't care what decade you play in. The bottom line is that you love what you do, you have a passion for what you do, and you want come here and be the best that you can be knowing that you can continue to improve. We saw all of those traits in him. His resume is on film and we have seen all of that on film. The film doesn't lie. We go back and watch the film from his junior year and his senior year, so we have seen a lot of his games. The thing that hits you in the face is the consistency. He consistently does a good job when he plays. He really doesn't have any bad games. There are things we can help him improve upon, but that's what got us so excited about having him here.
TITANS GENERAL MANAGER RUSTON WEBSTER
(on if they knew what teams may like Jonathan Cooper more than Chance Warmack and if they thought they may have to trade up to get him)
It's like I said, you hear a lot of things especially during the week before the draft. We did hear some things about some teams liking Cooper, but really the closer it got the better I felt that he was going to be there and I felt real comfortable with staying where we were.
(on who the fallback player was if he was taken at number nine)
We knew that we were going to get him all along.
TITANS GUARD CHANCE WARMACK
(on if he was able to continue working out during the draft process)
I would be lying if I said that I have been putting in as much work as I could have been. Just with the visits that I have been going on this past month. I have a lot of time to get back into the shape that I want to get in and also, we have two weeks going into OTA's and mini camps and I am looking forward to that and getting ready to play.
(on if his weight fluctuates depending on his exercise)
Not at all, I am comfortable. I don't have to get ready for a combine or Pro Day anymore. It's football and that's what I'm good at. This is where I shine at and I'm pretty comfortable in my weight right now and everything will be great.
(on when he first knew he was a good football player)
I think when I finally understood what the game was about my sophomore year in college; I understood what I was doing and why I was doing it. Once I understood that I started making great plays every day and every week and it started paying off for me.
(on his 'mean streak' side)
You have to get mean playing the game of football. It's either him or it's me. Most of the time I am not trying to get hurt or not trying to get digged by the guy in front of me so I have to move him out of the way or hold him up. That's my position and that's the mentality you have to have playing guard or any offensive line position and I just take pride in what I do.
(on who his toughest matchup was in college)
Probably Drake Nevis. Someone told me that he is in the same division that we are so I am kind of excited about that. I can get my rematch on. He opened my eyes to what you see in a great three technique. He helped me improve and be a better player over the course of my time at Alabama. He is an excellent D-lineman.
(on what he thinks the toughest adjustment may be going from Alabama to the NFL)
I feel like it just depends on the fit. Everybody is different. I am so blessed right now because I am in a situation where Tennessee is not so different than Alabama. Other guys have to make a great transition based on location and who the personnel is and who works in the organization. I feel like here it won't be any different for me, so it will be a lot easier for me to make the transition.
(on the challenge of facing J.J. Watt)
Everybody talks about J.J. Watt. I don't know.
(on when people started asking him about J. J. Watt)
When I was a junior in college. He is an excellent football player and I can't wait to see him.
(on if he had a favorite team growing up)
No. I just loved football and loved the game.
(on if ever tried to play like someone he watched play)
I watched Larry Allen's film when one of the coaches showed me his film I think my freshman year in college. He was an excellent football player and a very physical football player. We are about the same size and the way that he makes blocks and how his feet are, I feel like I am pretty similar to how he plays.
(on if he has been to Nashville other than on his visit here)
No sir.
(on if he will be able to continue his half shirt tradition)
Well I am going to answer that question right now about the shirt; I probably won't be able to do it in the NFL - maybe in a commercial or something. It's all about being comfortable for me. I wasn't really trying to get any attention or separate myself. It was hot, obviously, I wasn't comfortable, so I rolled my jersey up. I just went with it because I was getting it done that way.
(on if he runs into people 'Warmacking')
Oh yeah. I support it and I appreciate the support.
(on if he is comfortable in a suit)
I am comfortable in this one, but I would rather be in some sweatpants or a shirt.
(on playing for Nick Saban and how that may prepare him for life in the NFL)
He is a very, very demanding coach and expects the greatest out of you. I feel like he changes a lot of guys and put them in the right direction. I had a chance to talk with him at the draft and he is a very encouraging guy. He changed my life for the better and I feel like he prepares all of the players for the NFL and teaches them about discipline and what it takes to be a great player. He does a wonderful job at that.
(on if there was any 'Warmacking' as a celebration in his household last night)
Man, I was going to Warmack when I walked across the stage, but my mom was like, she would have killed me, so I didn't do it. I was so happy man, so happy.
(on if Roger Goodell spoke to him when they hugged on stage)
Well I actually had a chance to meet him before the draft and we talked for a while. He is a great guy. It was the first time meeting him and I feel like I have known him for a long time. That hug was real and I was happy to see him with the 10th pick…I was so happy I couldn't hear anything.
TITANS HEAD COACH MIKE MUNCHAK
(on the depth chart of the guard position)
We have quite a few guys there battling. Obviously, Fernando (Velasco) is back and Eugene Amano who was hurt last year and was the center in training camp, (Rob) Turner, Chris Spencer, so we obviously have some good versatility there with guys who can play center and guys who can play guard. We have to keep everyone healthy and I think we are excited about what we have been able to do since the season ended and the caliber of line that I think we can put out there on opening day. There will be some great competition to figure all of that out.
TITANS GENERAL MANAGER RUSTON WEBSTER
(on if they still need to add more depth on the offensive line in the draft)
I would say that there is always the possibility that there is another body some point in the draft. We are still looking and we are not going to stop working on it or stop trying to build it. So yeah, it's a possibility.
TITANS GUARD CHANCE WARMACK
(on what makes a good offensive line)
I think everyone has to be on the same page and everyone has to be a unit. If everyone knows a little bit about each other, and if everybody is on the same page on and off the field, you can get a lot done because you are not just clocking in like it's a job. You really don't have to speak where the call might be because the guy already knows what you are good at and what you are not good at.
(on if he is ready for the adjustment to this being a job and not just a game)
I was going to say, it's really not that different. It's all about the mindset that you have. I am looking at this just like college and it's just all about what you want to do. The organization that I am part of, they are always going to be there for me. The mentality that you have to have is to be great. If you want to be great, then get up early and do extra stuff. I feel like everyone here wants to be great. It's a perfect fit for everybody.
TITANS HEAD COACH MIKE MUNCHAK
(on if drafting a player with a winning tradition feeds into the locker room) You home so, you hope that's part of it and that's what he brings here. Obviously, it was his talent that excited us and I think that is part of the package that we are happy that comes with it is that fact that he went to Alabama. He learned the position and didn't know what he was doing when he walked in the door. He has come a long way in a short period of time in a program that is very demanding. It's similar in a lot of ways when you go to place like Alabama. I felt the same way when I came from Penn State that I was football ready because of what I went through in my four years there with the discipline that is demanded and the work ethic, the pride, all of those things were very similar to what you see in the NFL. That's where Chance is way ahead of the game there because of what he has experienced. He has been blessed to have great teammates and be a part of good teams that have won a couple of national championships and played in some big football games. He knows what it's like to battle back in the fourth quarter when things aren't going your way. He knows what it's like not to have a good game going for yourself but you pull together as an offensive line and find a way to win some big games that they won last year. I think that is a big plus going in because he understands what it takes to win. Things are not always going to go your way, but ultimately it's like you said, it's the hard work. It's that fact that you want to be great. I think that's the thing is that you want them all to be that good. You want them to work that hard to be that good and I think that's the drive that he has.
