Interview: Catching up with Guard, Adam Gettis

Redskins fifth round pick, Adam Gettis, has been in Virginia spending the last vacation time he has with his family before camp starts on Monday for rookies (no media availability). I had the chance to chat with him on the phone today for 10 minutes talking about his adjustment to the NFL, zone blocking techniques, current Redskins teammate and former Iowa teammate, Jordan Bernstine, and a funny Robert Griffin III story.

You played at 285 pounds at Iowa and weighed in at 293 at the combine. What are coaches looking to have you at coming into training camp?

Gettis: I received a note saying I have to come in at under 300 pounds, so I'm somewhere between 297 and 298 right now. I'm staying there until they give me the green light to get a little bigger.

What do OLine guys do in this down time? As fans, we hear about QBs and WRs, but not so much the big guys.

We stay in shape. We lift in the weight room. We run every day just to keep a good breath. Develop that second breath. Me and Josh LeRibeus worked a little bit together this off-season.

There's a bit of a log jam at Guard and Shanahan always keeps two Guards. In regards to backups, there's LeRibeus, yourself, Tyler Polumbus, any risk of not making the team? What have coaches been saying?

I've gotten good feedback so far. Just keep working hard and doing your best. You never know. The best five are gonna play and the next best two are going to go with him. We'll see how it works.

Scouting reports pre-draft praised your technique and quickness. You even won the Hayden Fry "Extra Heartbeat" Award (goes to a player(s) who gives that little bit extra at all times). The weakness was your size and lack of playing time. What are your strengths and weakness going into training camp.

My quickness and getting off the ball because you run back and forth here. My strengths are good for the NFL, which I'm finding out. Some of the weakness would be technique things. Different techniques than Iowa. We ran the same system but things are a little different.

Is the block on the line of scrimmage won or lost in the first second or is it something that technique can overcome?

I believe technique can overcome anything. I'm a small <missed word> , but I've been able to make it this far, and I believe it's through technique. It's more though the whole three to four seconds of the block. First second you have to get after somebody and he may shed off the block that first second, but you may be off some body for two to three to four seconds and they shed the block and make the tackle ... so you gotta be technique style throughout the block.

What can you say about Jordan Bernstine and what he'll bring to the defense?

I think he's a great player from what I've seen so far from camps. They really like when he's getting in there. They're putting him in more here and there. He brings what I believe Landry used to bring... He'll hit somebody in the hole. He's not scared to hit somebody. Put his head down and make a play. I believe he's a better player overall.

Have you been watching a lot of film from last season?

Yes.

Painful, right?

(laughing). Yea. It is.

What are they pointing out in film sessions?

The biggest thing we've seen so far is the technique things. If we can work on technique things and make those better, we'll make less mistakes and make more plays, and that's what it really comes down to.

So, you're watching tape on Chris Chester...he had a pretty good year.

Yea, he did have a good year.

So, film sessions turn into Jammal Brown bashing?

(laughs) Everybody's got to get better.

What's something that RG3 fans don't know?

They pretty much got everything. I got a story. Me, him, and Bernstine were at the airport. When we first got here for the rookie camp. Three or four people came up to us, "Oh my God! Oh my God! It's RG3!! It's RG3!!"...and then they all look at us and are like, "Which one of you guys are RG3?" (laughs) Me, Jordan, and RG were like, "We're all RG3, so you might as well just get all our autographs."

I'm guessing it was white people. That's embarrassing.

(laughing) Yea, but it was pretty funny though.

OK...last question, what was your favorite movie all time.

Major Payne by far.

Solid choice.