Five questions with Jimmy Wilson

Written by Greg Likens of The Finsiders
Coming off his strongest season, Dolphins defensive back Jimmy Wilson enters his fourth year with more confidence. 

Wilson became the full-time nickel defensive back early last season and has become a staple in the Miami secondary.  With some new faces being brought in, Wilson sees the 2014 season as an opportunity for an already strong defensive unit to take their game to the next level. eg Likens of The Finsiders sat down with Wilson to talk to him about what he expects from the Dolphins defense in 2014.

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On how the offseason approach has changed since his rookie year

“When I first got in the league I was basing everything off of athletic ability, and I really didn’t understand how to be a pro. It takes time to understand exactly how to be a pro and learn from other professionals. I have a family now, so every offseason is going to change a little bit for me. The first year may have been a little wilder, but now everything has calmed down; it’s really family oriented now because you miss them for those six months when you’re out here grindin’, so it’s good to get back with your family and do the right things.”

On the addition of FS Louis Delmas

“You can tell he’s a fun, aggressive guy. He’s going to bring a lot of playmaking abilities. He seems like a guy who can cut loose and get the ball off of people. Any addition that the coaches bring in, they’re doing it for the best [interest] of the Dolphins, so I’m happy to have him here.”

On how good the secondary can be

“We got so close last year, and got a couple more additions, like Cortland Finnegan, who’s a pro-bowl type of a guy and a real good corner. That teaches Will Davis and Jamar [Taylor], and gets them pushed along even more by learning from more vets. We obviously have a great pro-bowl corner inBrent Grimes, who made a lot of plays last year, and we take pride in how close we got last year. We don’t want to be that close and not get the mark this year, so guys are really taking a professional approach and want to do great things for the Dolphins.”

On what to expect from the 2014 defense

“We always take something from all of the other teams that do great things; we’ve seen some Seattle tape and some things that they’re doing. We’re not taking plays, but more of how they play. They play with a lot of enthusiasm and that’s what most of the great defenses do in this league. You see everybody run to the ball, everybody celebrating around the ball, and I just think that’s something that we’ve learned to do. We need to appreciate each other more when somebody makes a play; [we need to] get around and impose our will on offenses.”

On relationship with rookie LB Jordan Tripp, who also went to the University of Montana

“It’s great. When I went back to Montana for my senior year he was a freshman there. It was great to be with him when he was that young, and to see how good of a guy he is, and how good of a guy he remained. He became a great football player and still an even better person. He’s somebody that I really care for. He’s like a brother to me.”