RE: How do you improve on your confidence throughout the week?

“The biggest thing for me last week, I think I was just hesitant on some throws. I didn’t throw them the way I threw them consistently all week in practice. That’s just getting back there and throwing the ball the way I do and putting some zip on it and getting it to the receivers and letting them do something with it. Guys travel a lot faster than the ball and holes close up extremely quick in this league, so whenever something is there, you have to jump on your opportunities when they are there. You have to be decisive.”

RE: Does part of you thrive on the fact that you are kind of in these guys’ heads a bit when they taught you with your “money” sign?

“I think it goes a lot with how hyped up that game was and how hyped up I’ve been since college. Obviously guys are very aware of it now, and it is something that I’m so used to now that it really didn’t factor into anything the other day. That is what is going to happen if you don’t come out and play the way you are supposed to and get beat straight up you are going to get it rubbed in your face a little bit. It is part of all the hype, but at the same time, if you want to talk a big game and have all this hype behind you, you need to go out and support that and play better.”

RE: What has the work life been for you since entering the league out of college? Is it tough to find that balance?

“My life has changed drastically. This is the place where I want to be. I want to be up here with these guys. I don’t want to go out and be unprepared or caught off guard by anything throughout a week. Definitely my structure of my week and my schedule is a lot different now in the NFL compared to college. It has been something that I have had to learn continuously throughout the year. Obviously when I came in from college I didn’t know how a typical NFL week would go or how a practice would be. It has been a continuous learning process for me, but I feel like I am better from it.”

RE: Can you tell us about your relationship with Cam Newton through the Heisman and how he has maybe helped you along at all?

“There was a point last July or August where Cam reached out to me. We talk occasionally through George Whitfield, which is how we kind of got matched up and then obviously through the Heisman and everything. I talked to Cam last July or August, somewhere in there, that was when all the NCAA stuff was going on and he said to keep my head up and don’t let anything get me too down and continue to focus on those guys in the locker room. Cam had obviously been through something like that before, and he had great words of advice for me. I remember talking to him for probably 30-40 minutes one night, and Cam helped me out in that sense a lot and I never got a chance to thank him for it. He really helped keep my mindset on the right track during a tough time, especially coming from a guy who I looked up to when I was in high school watching him play. That was a big thing for me and a big moment in my life from a guy like Cam, who is pretty high up on the pedestal for me and a guy that is incredibly fun to watch. That was a big thing for me with Cam.”

RE: Did Cam offer advice on how to handle yourself in public?

“No, we really only got to talk just really here and there. A couple texts exchanged there and back but hopefully one day throughout the offseason we can get back to a Heisman commercial and get a chance to reach out to him a little more and get the chance to pick his brain a little more. I think from the last time I talked to him it was obviously helpful to me. Cam has been above and beyond great to me in the few times I’ve talked to him, so obviously I will feel comfortable with that with Cam.”

RE: When you bring in Johnny Manziel, you expect there will be plenty of publicity. This year, has the publicity been what you expected, more or less?

“I don’t know if I can say it’s exactly what we expected. It was probably in the neighborhood. It’s been a challenge, but the easy thing for us, I think there was a lot more about him outside of the building than there was inside. We based all our decisions purely on football. There were a lot less of those issues like I said internally than there was externally.”

RE: Teammates have tired of answering questions about Johnny Manziel. Have you seen that the notoriety surrounding him has worn on some his teammates, coaching staff, or whomever?

“If that is the case, it’s more tiring of the media. I don’t see a rift between him and teammates. People try to put that out there and being on the inside every day, and seeing how these guys interact whether it’s in the locker room or the hallway or whatever it is, there’s no existence of that. I can see where guys would get tired of talking about it because it’s such a galvanizing topic.”

RE: Has there been any discussion with Johnny on trying to reign in his behavior outside or are you trying to keep that separated as long as he’s able to perform on the field?

“We’re not going to micromanage our players outside of the building. He understands his position is going to carry a little bit more weight when people look at it. I know he has a relationship with LeBron, and he goes to some of the Cavaliers games. Donte Whitner, Joe Haden, they have tickets, and they go a lot as well. But, it just gets pointed out that he goes. As long as it’s a situation that it’s not affecting his job and he’s representing the organization in a positive light, we would give the same advice to any player on our roster, not just him.”

RE: Are you tired of talking about it and would you rather just talk about football again?

“I get it. I understand that it comes with the territory, and I understand that there’s that thirst for information, and it’s a topic so, I wouldn’t say that I’m short fused with it. But at the same time, as long as I can get the conversation steered back to what’s important and football and the Cleveland Browns then I’m okay with it.”