1. Why are you excited to come back to Buffalo as the 'Leader of the Charge'?
I feel like I never left, but I guess just to come back to the stadium. I'm not quite on the field but it's like I am. I really don't come to a lot of games or anything…so it will be good just to come back and get that feeling [of the fans and the atmosphere].
2. What is your most memorable performance as a Buffalo Bill?
My most favorite [performance] would be when we played the Bengals…I know it was a December game. I returned the kickoff return and an interception in the same game – both for touchdowns.
3. Can you describe what that moment felt like?
It felt amazing. I think as a cornerback, when you go out there and play, that's the ultimate thing, you want to get an interception. The only thing that tops an interception is to get a touchdown – a run back from that interception. I'm also a kick returner too, so your whole goal is to get into the end zone. So, if you could do both things in the same game, that's definitely a top feeling that you can have.
4. Who was the toughest person you had to play against when you were here?
I think he's still the toughest person to play [against] to this day – Tom Brady. I wouldn't say a particular receiver or anything, [because] I feel like any receiver I played against if you had an NFL jersey on then you were good. I respected every receiver I played – no matter if he was just coming up from the practice squad. Tom Brady sticks out to me…
5. Who was your funniest teammate?
Just off the top of my head, there are two guys. Mario Haggan, he'll never stop talking, even when I saw him at the alumni event, he was still talking, and Spencer Johnson. Every now and then, we will send each other a text – just a little jab at each other…
6. Being from Texas, what was it like for you to come to Buffalo and experience the snow and the cold?
It's kind of like Texas. People say it's hot, so you should be used to it, but I don't think you ever get used to the heat or you ever get used to the cold. You tolerate it, you expect it, but you don't get used to it. What I used to hate the most about the cold is the outdoor practices. The games you have adrenaline…but the practices you go out there the whole week and it's cold and you have snow everywhere and you're just out there practicing. You're starting and stopping a lot…but I never left the place [so I grew to love it].
7. What's the biggest lesson that playing in the NFL taught you?
You always want to go to the NFL, but people don't really understand how much these guys put into preparing for this and how much of a business it is also. You know, I had an uncle one time, [and] I remember he asked me [when] we played the Cowboys down in Texas, and he knows I'm from Texas, so he asks me, 'After the game, are you just going to stay with your mom for the week and then fly back?' I was like, 'What? You think that's what we do? We play a football game and then we just chill for the rest of the week and you know don't prepare?' I don't think people really understand what these guys [do]. They're in there from 7 o'clock in the morning until probably 5 [o'clock] that evening. So, that's probably the biggest lesson. It just shows you the business side and how much work these guys put into this just to play on Sunday.
8. Do you have any advice for current or aspiring players?
I guess the two things I would say [are], really enjoy [it] because you don't know how long you're going to play. I think when you have some kind of success on the field, you almost feel like you're going to play longer than you actually are. Like, 'Hey, I had a good season, I can keep doing this.' You know, I went through the whole thing that in my last four years I was hurt on IR. I was still luckily able to play for 10 years but when I look back on it, I have a lot of regret of I feel like I left a whole bunch of plays on the field my last four years.
Also, to really just enjoy [it] and put in as much work that you can. I know when I first came in, we worked hard and would also play hard. You're young, you're going out, you're trying to balance both things and really if you really think about it, you can do all of that partying stuff after the season. Just put 110 percent into that – kind of like [Floyd] Mayweather…His success comes from [the fact that] he's not out partying all the time. He's committed to boxing. So, just be committed to that sport and you can do all the other stuff in the offseason. Also, too, on the flip side… [you need to] really pay attention to the money side and who you have around you also.
9. Is there any current Buffalo Bill or guy around the league that reminds you of yourself?
You know what, not really. I always just say that because I always felt like I was an offensive player in a cornerback's body and I wanted the ball. I loved doing the kick returns and stuff like that. I loved having the ball in my hands, but you know my position really was cornerback.
10. What has fatherhood taught you?
It is hard. It is really hard. You can't throw money at it. It's hard just balancing your time and being a parent and really just the stuff that kids go through [is tough]. My oldest daughter, she's 16 [years old and] with her emotions and different stuff that teenagers are going through, and they think they know it all [it is difficult] …Really trying to find that balance of being their friend and at the same time being the parent [is important]. Not being too friendly where you're too lax with them but at the same time disciplining them enough to where you know, you want to raise your kids right. So, when they start to have families and stuff like that you've instilled something [positive] in them.
11. What do you miss most about playing in the NFL?
I would say that I miss just that feeling when you make a big play. All your teammates are celebrating, and you know did something to help the team in a positive way. That's probably what I miss the most…
12. If you could back in time or travel to the future, which would you choose and why?
I definitely wouldn't go to the future. I would be scared to see what's up there. Past-wise, I probably do something because I have an older brother that's been locked up since '93. So, I would try and do something that would definitely change his life where he didn't make the decisions he made, and I could actually spend that gap with my brother. He never saw me play high school football. He never saw me play [in] college. He was able to watch a couple Bills games on TV, but he's never physically been to a game. That would be the number one thing I would do.
13. Do you have any favorite players on the current team?
The player that would probably stick out the most to me is Shady McCoy, just because I love his running style. It reminds me of Barry Sanders, how Barry was. Those are the kind of tailbacks I like watching. The guys you know that are real shifty, they play real exciting [are my favorite]. But what I can say, [and] there's no specific player, but the Bills defense I like everything I see from them every Sunday. It's like the whole defense plays well. From the secondary [and] linebackers, [to the] D-Line, I like the defense as a whole.
14. Can you describe your idea of a perfect day?
My perfect day, that I've dreamt [about], and will always dream about until the day it happens, is just me and my brother hanging out…That would be the perfect day for me. Me him and my mom sitting down for a dinner.
