Bills - 31, Dolphins - 28
Q. How would you assess how you placed? You seemed to be flying around the field quite a bit, especially in the first half making some plays and in the second half making some plays. When you look back, how do you feel like you did?
TYREL DODSON: I feel like I did okay. I still left a lot out there that I can get better with, but it's a long process for me, first game. So I'm still trying to get my feet wet and still trying to learn and see stuff that I've never seen before. I mean it's a good start there, but I'm just going to keep trucking.
Q. Did Tremaine talk to you at all before the game, maybe what to expect and the thought process at all?
TYREL DODSON: Yeah, Tremaine talked to me last night and this morning, just motivating me and just telling me just to play my game and stuff like that. But Tremaine has done an excellent job being a leader to me, and he's actually helping me grow a lot.
Q. How hard is it to fire things back up after a 36-minute Lightning delay and have you ever had to deal with anything like that before?
TYREL DODSON: No. I was actually very anxious. I was like, man, I hope God forbid I don't pull anything or stuff like that because it was very random. But Coach Ciano and the whole strength and conditioning staff did a good job of warming us up before we got out there and played.
Q. Congratulations on the win. What were your emotions like pregame and leading up to it knowing that you were about to start your first NFL game?
TYREL DODSON: I'm going to be honest. I was very emotional, just knowing that everything that I put into this, going through trials and tribulations and putting God first. I was very emotional. But, yeah. That's honestly the main word right there. I was very emotional.
Q. When did you feel like you had settled in and got comfortable?
TYREL DODSON: Oh, I've been comfortable since day one, to be honest with you. Coach Bob has done a great job teaching us, the defense and just teaching us our fundamentals and stuff like that. But I feel like I've been ready since day one, you know.
Q. Second half, you guys were out there quite a bit. Was fatigue a factor at all for you? What was maybe going on on the sidelines when you did get a brief break and Miami had pushed ahead? It seemed like things were maybe teetering a little bit. What was being said during some of those adverse moments on the sidelines?
TYREL DODSON: Just staying the course, you know, hydrate. I had to get the oxygen tank. I was kind of fatigued. It was my first time ever playing in Miami or ever being in Miami. So the fatigue kind of kicked in a little bit. But I have to remind myself why I'm here and why I'm starting. So I had to kick it into another level.
Q. What was the experience like? Take me through getting ready for this, your first NFL game. Obviously you spoke about the emotions, but just from an Xs and O perspective, it seemed like everything we heard from your coaching staff, your teammates, there was belief that you were going to be able to go out there and execute. What was this week like for you?
TYREL DODSON: Yeah. Me being on draft, I had to take pride in just knowing my Xs and Os and actually being one step ahead of the guys already drafted and stuff like that. So that's what I bring to the game. My mom always tells me always be the smartest on the field. So I feel like I am at all times. And sometimes I make mistakes, but, you know, mistakes are going to happen and we're going to get that fixed.
Q. How important was Tremaine to you this week?
TYREL DODSON: Tremaine was very important to me. We really didn't talk a lot of football, you know. He really just talked about being myself, keeping my composure, don't try to live up to anyone's standards. Just play your game, because he honestly believes I'm a good football player. So that's what I went out there and did, and I tried to lead my defense.
Q. And now just looking back at the fourth quarter, I know it's immediate. But how comfortable did you feel out there in terms of calling the defense? Levi Wallace said, hey, we believe in him, man. He's going to go out there and call the defense as good as anybody because we've seen it in practice. How did that go?
TYREL DODSON: Perfect. It went really good, 110 percent.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports