After outstanding play for the first six weeks Seahawks rookie Tariq Woolen received some league wide recognition. The former wide receiver turned cornerback and fifth round draft pick stepped into training camp on the front and never looked back. As a result, Woolen has recorded four interceptions in four games and this week earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
SUPERIOR EFFORT
In Sunday win over the Arizona Cardinals Woolen showed that he is more than just a cover guy. Woolen recorded five tackles and recovered a fumble and is tied for No 1 in the NFL with four interceptions. Became the third rookie (Jairus Byrd, Joe Haden) since 2000 with an interception in four consecutive games. He is now the first rookie since 1970 to record both an interception and opponent fumble recovery in consecutive games.
HUMBLE AND GROUNDED
While he has that certain drive and determination to become one of the best players at his position what sets Woolen apart from many of his counterparts is his good nature and steady attitude.
TRANSCRIPT FROM TARIQ PRESS CONFERENCE
(On what it means to be NFC Defensive Player of the Week)
“It felt pretty good. You know Player of the Week, I want to be Player of the Month, Player of the Year, or whatever. That is just one steppingstone to reach even more goals and it gives you even more confidence to go out there and do what you do.”
(On the difference between now and the beginning of the season)
“It’s growing a little bit more because I feel like whenever a ball is near me, I just want to catch it. Other than that, I mean I just stay level-headed. You never really get too high or too low. You just got to be the same person through it all.”
(On if being level-headed is a lesson learned or if it’s his personality)
“In college, in my early years when I was a receiver, that’s what it kind of was like, up and down. As I got older, in my senior year of college, it just went ahead and started to do that (even out) a little bit because you start to understand why coaches do what they do and you start to understand yourself and you self-evaluate like, ‘Okay, this is what I can do, and this is what I need to work on’, and stuff like that. And then now, it just carried on through here and I just try to be chill about everything, stay calm, and just keep a positive mindset through it all.”
(On the differences between the player he was in college versus now)
“I feel like a way different player. In college, I feel like I did good at first, but it was inconsistent rather than now. I feel way more consistent and trusting my technique and trusting my speed and just trusting that you can go out there and play freely.”
(On if his improvements came from time spent at the position or coaching in Seattle)
“A little bit of both. The coaches do a great job, and I had the opportunity to be a starter and go out there and show what I can do, they just made sure to stay in my ear about being comfortable, and to keep being myself, don’t go out there and try to do extra; just do your part and make sure you do it the right way. I have just been doing that the whole time.”
(On if he prioritized practice more than he did in college)
“Oh yeah, for sure because I’m around football all day. In college, you go to practice and you’re in practice thinking, ‘Did I finish my homework, or I’ve got Algebra class, or I’ve got an exam or something.’ Rather than now, you don’t have to worry about any of that. You can just do the one thing that you love and that’s playing football.”
(On if his receiving background helps him when he gets a chance to get his hands on the football)
“Yeah, I feel like it does. Also, I think my hands have gotten a lot better since those days too.”
(On if going against DK Metcalf and Marquise Goodwin in training camp gave him more confidence)
“Oh heck yeah. I remember before I was drafted, if I am on the team, I just hope it is with DK (Metcalf) and if I am on another team, I hope it isn’t against him. I used to see how big he was and what he used to do DBs and the next thing you know, I got drafted here and it just made it a lot better because when you look at great DBs and cornerbacks, they have great receivers that they go against in practice. They go against good receivers that get them better. And that’s one thing that I have to do because I was forced to be into a position to be a starter and whenever I had the option and the opportunities, I just made the best of them whenever I went against DK or (Tyler) Lockett or (Marquise) Goodwin or (Dee) Eskridge) or just any receiver.”
(On if his reps against DK Metcalf in training camp made him think that he could be a starter on this team)
“Honestly, there was a couple signs here and there, but I had to stay level-headed because at the same time, this is the NFL. Honestly, I didn’t know I was going to be a full-time starter until the first, actual, real game because preseason is preseason. And we dealt with injuries, and we had starters before I was a starter. Whenever I got the go ahead to be a starter the first game, it just clicked in like I can really do this even more.”
(On the truth of DK Metcalf helping him during training camp)
“He made sure in between reps that he gave me different pointers like, how to shed a block or not letting him block me for long and just getting off certain blocks, because he said certain receivers will be aggressive in this league, and whenever in press (coverage); what hand to ‘jam’ with or try to switch some things up so that people can’t know what you are already doing.”
(On what it means that a Pro Bowl wide receiver in DK Metcalf, gave him advice like that)
“It meant a lot to me to be honest just because it is DK (Metcalf), a guy that gets high praise around the league and just throughout the building. It just means a lot especially when you’ve got multiple guys that hold a lot of weight to his name in the league. It helps out because when you see them from the outside world and once you are actually in the building with him and are close with him, you actually see how good of a person he is and what makes him a better player.”
(On the story of moving from wide receiver to cornerback in college)
“I wasn’t getting any playing time as receiver. I remember every practice, I would snap at receiver and was like, ‘Dang, why am I not getting any playing time?’ It was just one day where my head coach at the time, coach Wilson, came to me and pulled me to the back of a meeting room and was like, ‘I know you are not happy with your playing time, but would you like to play corner? A couple of our corners are banged up right now and I feel like we can use your athletic ability on the field and not just have you sitting on the sidelines plus I think you would like to play more.’ So, I was like, ‘No coach, I’m a receiver. I’ve been playing offense my whole life.’ I didn’t how to really tackle anybody. I never wanted to tackle anybody and then I was always just an offensive minded person. And then next thing you know when I went to practice that next day, I started making some plays at corner. I was just following wherever the guy went, I would go. If it was a Cover-3, I was just bailing anywhere not knowing if it was in a zone and I would just do it. Now we fast-forward here and I’m just thankful for the whole position change.”
(On how he accepted the position change in practice)
“Whenever I went to the receiver drills, he’ll tell me to go to the DB drills. And I’ll try to go back to the receiver drills and then he’ll tell me to go back to the DB drills. That was how it went at practice, and I would get reps on both sides and then I did that for like two weeks. And the last game of the 2020 season came, that was my first ever game at corner against Louisiana Tech.”
(On if he played cornerback in high school)
“So, there was a time in high school where just for fun at practice, they threw me in at corner and I caught a pick and they were like, ‘Never mind, just keep him at offense.’”
(On reasons why he feels like his hands have gotten a lot better) “Just being more confident in myself and then just catching a lot more footballs than I usually did.”
(On if he has heard from coach Wilson since he became a Seahawk) “I have texted him and we talked through text. Yes sir.”
(On if he thanked coach Wilson)
“Yes sir. At UTSA (University of Texas-San Antonio) in my early years, it wasn’t the most beautiful thing because we were losing, and stuff was just going on within the inside. But I still text him and I tell him I appreciated his idea because at first, I didn’t really agree with it.”
(On the advice he is receiving from Quandre Diggs)
“Just to know my stuff and just to make sure I go out there and do my job so that way he can trust in me even more. I feel like that is something that I’m doing really well with, and he also gives me off-field advice about how you should live and how to be a man.”
(On if there has been a play so far that has surprised him)
“Probably two. I would say the blocked field goal. I did that once in college, but it just wasn’t like off the side. I jumped in the air, and I blocked it. And then the interception versus the Cardinals because even in college, they would throw a deep ball and it would be overthrown or I would play through the receiver. I feel like that was a big play for me because I have read a lot of things about me coming in and it was like. ‘Oh, he can’t read deep balls, he can’t catch dep balls, or he can’t catch at all, risky hands.’ That pick right there meant a lot to me just because of that reason.”
(On if his quick development and performance has surprised him this year)
“Honestly, no, but yes at the same time. I know that hard work will never go unnoticed and if you just keep coming to work, keep doing what you are doing, and are willing to get better, something great is willing to happen. I’m just making strides in the right direction and I’m just keeping a positive mind frame. I stay a positive person no matter how bad things get, so I just try to have a positive mindset and knowing that having that mindset and knowing that you will get better, the sky is the limit.”
(On if his teammates were razzing him for getting Player of the Week award)
“A little bit. A little bit. They are just making sure I don’t get big-headed which I don’t think I will. I’ll just keep it level-headed like I said, but I know everybody here is proud of me and they want the best.”
(On the types of critiques that scouts at the Combine and Senior Bowl were giving him)
“It was a couple of things. It was technique, deep ball things. Some things were about me just being too laid back and just being a goofy person. I always smile. I don’t think there’s a reason not to. Just hearing the different things, they are saying and actually going out there and playing teams that I met with. It felt good because I feel like I proved a point to them.”
(On the interest of the Seahawks during the pre-draft process)
“Oh yeah. I still remember because my two meetings before that, I was sweating and all nervous and it was my last meeting. I only had three meetings and I walked into the press box, and I remember seeing coach (Clint) Hurtt. And I was like, ‘Dang, this must be coach Pete’s (Carroll) bodyguard or something.’ I didn’t see coach Pete at first either, so I walked in and I was like, ‘Okay,’ and he moved and all I see was a short guy with white hair, gray hair and I was like, ‘I knew who that was.’ He saw me and he started smiling and then from there, I started smiling too and we sat down, and they showed plays, and he was just asking, ‘How did I learn to play back shoulders (throws), why did I do this on certain plays?’ And I told him, and he was like, ‘Okay, okay.’ It was just good vibes from there and once people found out I met with the Seahawks, they were like, ‘Oh, you are going to go with the Seahawks.’ And I was like, ‘Well shoot, we’ll see.” Then, I’m standing right here.”
(On if the plays they showed during the meeting were good plays)
“Oh yeah. All the plays were good plays, it’s crazy because the two meetings I had before that, it was like, ‘Man, why did I come in here?’”
(On what it is like having people around the league noticing his achievements)
“It’s pretty cool because I remember in college last year, I used to sit on the couch and look at the NFL games. I’m like, ‘Dang’, players would go off. It’s cool because even though you are on different teams, it is still like a brotherhood because you stay connected. And just seeing Darius Slay and Micah Parsons and different players like Trevon Diggs and stuff like that reach out, it’s cool because you are actually turning heads out here.”
PERSONAL BIO
COLLEGE: Played 41 games with 22 starts, posting 62 tackles, two interceptions and nine passes defensed. Began career as a wide receiver. Played 20 games as a receiver before moving to defense in 2019 and recorded 24 receptions for 263 yards with one touchdown. Earned honourable mention All-Conference USA recognition in the secondary following his senior season.
Clocked a 4.26 40-yard dash —the fourth-fastest time in NFL Combine history — and reached 42 inches in the vertical jump on March 6, 2022. Received invitations to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine Bowl and NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Started all nine games in which he was available, posted 25 total tackles, 17 solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, one interception and a quarterback hurry. Helped lead a defense that forced 25 turnovers (10th/FBS) and yielded only 114.7 rushing yards per game (14th/FBS). Landed at No. 6 out of 101 players on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List after posting testing numbers that included 11 feet, five inches in the broad jump and a time of 4.34 seconds in the 40-yard dash in which he hit 23.33 miles per hour.
PERSONAL: Attended Arlington Heights High and had a team-leading 31 receptions for 536 yards (17.3 avg.) and 10 touchdowns en route to first-team All-District 7-5A honors as a senior. Helped lead the team to an 11-1 record as a junior. Also an all-district performer in basketball who was tabbed Newcomer of the Year as a junior. Member of the track & field team. Earned his bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies in May 2021.
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