To all the fans wishing me a happy birthday on Twitter and Facebook, thanks for the support. Without the fans, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
It’s true that 34 is old for football and as far as my career goes, it’s like . . . Tick, tick, tick. But it’s a blessing. It’s funny because all the young guys call me the old man, but everyone of them would kill to play until they’re 34. Every one of them. That’s my best comeback and after I say that, they just shut up.
Even though I’ve played for many seasons and I have a Super Bowl ring, what pushes to keep on playing is those times I came up short. Like winning the West last year and losing in the playoffs or 2008 in Montreal we went to the Grey Cup and lost to Calgary. It’s the chance to make up for those close calls that keeps me motivated.
I’ve also been played to be able to continue to play and be successful at a high level. If I ever roll out of bed and feel like I have to go to work, then I think it’s time to hang ’em up. But until then, I’m just going to continue to enjoy the ride.
If I could go back and talk to a 24-year-old DeVone Claybrooks, I would tell him to listen to the older guys and soak up everything they tell you like a sponge. What older players tell you is invaluable because some day, you want to be in his shoes. I think that’s why young guys listen to me today — they want to be 34 and still playing.
I played with Warren Sapp and Le’Roi Glover and a bunch of great D-linemen and I learned a lot from those guys. Now, I want to pass along my knowledge to the young guys because I want our team to be successful. It’s important to make sure the young players take care of their business.
It’s all about technique. A lot of the young players have raw talent and don’t concentrate on technique. But as skills and speed diminish, the technique will take over. Unless you’re Nik Lewis and you never had the speed to begin with so you have to rely on technique from the beginning! Ha!
But seriously, I enjoy working woth the young guys and teaching them as much as I can.
DeVone Claybrooks, #95
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