This is the final excerpt from Steve McLendon’s Zoom Conference Call with Jets reporters:
Mark Cannizzaro – New York Post: If somebody had asked you early in your career if you would still be doing what you are doing now, would it surprise you at all?
Steve McLendon – Jets defensive tackle: I believed in me. I always believed in me. I knew how many years I wanted to play in the league and I’m there and that is one of the biggest lessons.
Rich Cimini – ESPN: Steve, speaking of players with longevity, what did you think of getting Frank Gore?
McLendon: It’s awesome. I met some coaches who were with him in Miami. He’s a workhorse and he’s going to bring that value to the team. With his work ethic, with his knowledge of the game, he can help the team a lot.
Brian Costello – New York Post: Steve, you competed with Tom Brady for a long time, first in Pittsburgh, and now here with the Jets. What does him leaving the division mean? Does it open up the division more than it has been for a while?
McLendon: I feel like it has always been open, man, because we always put on our pads the exact same way. We wake up the exact same. Man, I try not to lose focus on us. That’s what it’s all about. The focus is still on us. So I’m not really thinking about Tom Brady. He has a team to work [with] to make sure they are ready to go, and we have to do the exact same. I feel like we have the same opportunity every single year. They have just won more than we did, but it’s a new year, it’s a new time.
Dan Leberfeld – Jets Confidential: How is Le’Veon Bell doing? What is his mindset like entering his second year with the Jets and is he participating in the (virtual) off-season program?
McLendon: They only thing we can see on the video conference is our (position) group. I don’t really know about [his participation}. But I know he’s training. That I know.
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