TAVIERRE THOMAS: It was great, I was in the right place at the right time doing my job.
Q. How would you describe the energy of the defense? Seems like every time y'all make a play, how would you describe the energy?
TAVIERRE THOMAS: Oh, yeah, it's great. Like everybody playing together, having fun, everybody make plays, when everybody make a play, everybody just celebrate together and make it even more funner. If everybody just continue to do they job and having fun while doing it, it's going to be like that each and every day.
Q. Talk about walking on at Ferris State to get to this point.
TAVIERRE THOMAS: Oh, yeah, so I was coming out of high school, I couldn't get an 18 on my ATT. I had a couple offers from DI schools and whatnot. I was trying to go to Iowa with my best friend, Desmond, but I couldn't get 18. I got 17 three times in a row and I end up going to Ferris. And I saw Coach Annese and asked him, could I walk on or whatever, and he told me, yeah, and I walked on. And ever since then, I never looked back, and now I'm here today going on year four.
Q. What is it about special teams, not everybody can do that.
TAVIERRE THOMAS: It's just all about want-to for me. A lot of guys out there, they don't want do it. You just have to know your role and play it no matter what it is. If that's my role, I try to perfect it in everything I do. I just try to get better each and every day with the other guys and my coaches and the sky's the limit.
Q. How far does your friendship with Desmond go?
TAVIERRE THOMAS: Des, that's my dog. We been playing together since we were six back in Detroit. That's my right-hand man. Our moms are real close. Our families are real close. We been together our whole life and play with him now is a blessing. I'm happy to be here and happy to play with him.
Q. Do you spend much time together outside of football?
TAVIERRE THOMAS: Oh, yeah, we with each other very day. Either I'm at his house or he at my house. He chilling with my son and my fiancée; I'm chilling with his fiancée. It's just cool. We're just real close.
Q. Inaudible.
TAVIERRE THOMAS: He got a score. We from Detroit, every at home say you got to score. Everybody at home say, you got to score. I had my good 'ole block, I'm trying to block all good for him and he get caught. Yeah, I was real disappointed.
Q. Did you let him know?
TAVIERRE THOMAS: Oh, yeah, for sure. As soon as I picked him up, I tell him, you got a score, every time.
Q. Going for the ball --
TAVIERRE THOMAS: In college? I was always offensive player in high school, so every time the ball in there I just try to attack it. Nico got me yesterday but he don't give me no mo. He had a great day yesterday. I just try to attack the ball each and every day.
Q. What have you noticed about the battles with receivers?
TAVIERRE THOMAS: The they are pretty good. They are savvy vets. They got a couple rookies, a couple younger guys, but they savvy to you got to be on top of your game because if you're not, they can make you look like a fool. So they are really good. It's a lot of competition out there with us and them and that's what we need to be good, so that's great.
Q. How tough is it, especially when you're a guy that's made a lot of tackles?
TAVIERRE THOMAS: You've just got to keep your leverage on the ball, no matter if you're on the right side, keep your leverage on the right, and if you are on the left, keep your leverage on the left side.
When you're there, you've just got to want to make the play. And that's what a lot of guys on the team, that's on special teams, they want to make the play each and every time. It's a fight trying to get down there to make the tackle because if you don't make the tackle, somebody else going to make the tackle and that's good but you want to make the tackle.
Me and AJ, we have competition, first tackles and kickoff and punt and that kind of stuff. It just like a competition to make it funner and that's what everybody got to continue to do.
Q. Are you involved in field goal block?
TAVIERRE THOMAS: Well, I'm involved in field goal block as well --
Q. Field goal.
TAVIERRE THOMAS: Field goal, that's the only one. I wish I could play that but I'm too short and too little.
Q. Jalen Green from the Rockets said he didn't want to go to Detroit because it's boring and you have to stay in the gym. Can you defend Detroit to Jalen Green?
TAVIERRE THOMAS: Don't wear them buffs in Detroit, that's all I'm going to tell you. Don't wear them buffs because they going to try to get you. Don't wear them buffs, all that talking you doing. I ain't going to say too much.
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