KWESI ADOFO-MENSAH: Good afternoon, everybody. Obviously we're here to welcome our first round pick. We couldn't be more excited about him. After sitting down and talking with him, it honestly reminded me of the feeling that I had when we hired Kevin and he came in my office and we sat and talked.
I think through all these processes, people don't realize these players -- these people that come to life, you do research. We had Gus go to this school. We had Sholy and Pat and all these guys, they write reports.
So I read those reports, and the person sort of comes to life, but you don't really know the person. We Zoom with them, but until you sit in front of them for a while and get to know who they are as a person is where it all comes full circle.
So the person that I read about that sort of came to life sat in front of me, and it was a great feeling. Same feeling I had with Kevin. I love the decision we made, and I couldn't be happier. I think he embodies everything we talk about with our culture. Smart, tough, competitive. Couldn't be -- I don't know that there's anybody else who can have embodied it more.
Again, we're excited to have him. Can't wait to get him out on the grass with these guys over here, and with that, I'll step aside and let Kevin say a few words.
KEVIN O'CONNELL: Obviously, getting a chance to get Lew in the building today and spend some time with him in my office even watching tape with him, like Kwesi said, it confirms everything that you go through the process for to try to find a player that not only fits your culture and what you are trying to build as a team, but the physical traits. Not only to play the position that he plays, but just be a part of a defensive style of football we want to play.
From the standpoint of the explosiveness, the vertical speed, the physicality, which he plays in the run game, being a major, major factor there. Then the fact that he loves football. I can just tell talking with him. I give his coaches at Georgia a lot of credit. He has been very well-coached.
I think he will fit in with our defensive staff here. I think this morning we just were watching plays from his season and kind of comparing them, and I would throw out some things from our defense, and I think I heard the word "why" two or three times. You have heard me say, we want players that ask the why. We want players that want to understand not only what we're asking them to do, but why we're asking them to do it.
For a young player, day one, after a really early morning flight to come in and already be asking that question, I think we're off to a great start.
Could not be more excited to introduce this player, not only to you guys, but I'm very, very excited to introduce this player to our team. I think they'll be very, very fired up to have him be a part of what we're doing here.
With that, I want to bring up Lewis Cine. Congratulations.
LEWIS CINE: I want to say I'm really grateful, thankful for the whole family for believing in me, the whole organization. Kevin, Kwesi. I'm happy to be here. Happy to get started. I want to thank God, thank everyone at UGA from the coaching staff, whole organization, the whole program, coaches, family members, and everyone.
Q. You come from the best defense in college football. Besides the great talent you guys had on there, why were you guys so good?
LEWIS CINE: I think it's the whole brotherhood aspect that we had on our team. We were not just doing it for ourselves. We were doing it for the guy right next to us. We knew each other's whys. We knew each other on a personal level so it made it easy to just play ball and love on each other for every play we made.
Q. What are your general impressions of the being at the facility I assume for the first time, just seeing it?
LEWIS CINE: This facility is elite, I can tell you that. Getting a good vibe from everyone, from coaching staff, leadership, front office. Just everyone. Everyone is genuine. Everyone is nice.
We got the chance to talk Xs and Os, and all that just gets me excited. This is where I'm going to live. This is where I'm going to play ball, develop as a player.
Q. Lewis, how long have you been a safety? Is that always the position that you kind of gravitated towards?
LEWIS CINE: Yeah, I have always played safety, yeah. There was some talks of playing corner here and there, but let's leave that in the past. I've always played safety.
Q. What do you like about it the most?
LEWIS CINE: I can be -- it's the fact that I can be all-out physical and just do me on the football field and be okay with it. You think about it. Football is a violent game. A lot of things you do in football you can't do in the outside world or you'll get arrested, so I love that fact. I can just enjoy the game and be okay with that, and then once I'm off the football field, just be calm, laid-back me.
Q. Lewis, how much have you watched Harrison Smith or followed him over the years? What are your impressions of being able to play with him now?
LEWIS CINE: I've watched him a whole lot. The fact that I'm going to be learning from him, taking information from him, learning his tips and pointers has got me excited. From what I hear he is a very laid-back guy. Real excited about football. That's what he loves. He is a film junkie, and I see the same as myself, so I think we're going to get along real well.
Q. What are your impressions about the type of defense that they want to play here and how you could fit into that?
LEWIS CINE: For one, I want to say I'm a problem-solver, the fact that I can do a whole lot of things, and coaches love that. They don't want a one-trick pony. I can run. I've got the size. I'm smart. I can do the whole -- everything, the whole nine yards.
The team is not just going to put me in one place or the other. They're going to allow me to play the game at my full potential.
Q. Sometimes the challenge for rookies is sometimes learning one position and getting that nailed down before you start looking elsewhere, but given the way they played you at Georgia at different spots, whether it was slot or linebacker, whatever, do you think that that's an adjustment you can make in your rookie year to do something like that here as well?
LEWIS CINE: Yeah, I see myself as a pro. I always looked at that in the same light being in college. Watched a whole lot of film. I took care of my craft the right way, and it showed on the football field. I just have to carry the same thing here.
But in terms of the versatility that I brought UGA, that came with me being smart and watching a whole lot of film and being a student of the game. So just carry that here, and everything will take care of itself.
Q. You talk about being physical in some of the hits you've made. Any hits you would like to pinpoint in your career that have maybe made part of Georgia lore on any guys?
LEWIS CINE: I want to play the game safe. Let me say that for sure because now at this level last thing I want to happen is to be fined. NFL fines people a pretty penny, so I want to be in the game, one; I want to not get fined, two; and I want to be dependable to my team, three. The way to do that is to practice the safe way, the right way to tackle and bring people down.
Q. You waited 31 picks before your name was called. From the personal accomplishment standpoint, what did it mean to you to get that -- be a number one pick for the rest of your career?
LEWIS CINE: Man, that's something I can look back and just be proud of, but at the same time I know that I've gotten the chance to be first round pick by a team that I want to play for, but I know there's yet a whole lot to come. It's a marathon, not a sprint. So be consistent, come day in and day out ready to work, ready to learn, and let everything handle itself.
Q. Lewis, how important was that combine performance for you, and did you know you could attain that sub-4.4 speed?
LEWIS CINE: Yeah, I always knew that. I always knew that, even from high school to college. I always was a fast guy. A lot of people were surprised about it because I'm a big person, tall person, so they're, like, oh, how can he move at his size like that? I always knew that's something I could do.
Believe it or not, I didn't run a full 40 until the combine. I was just working on 10s, 10-yard splits and stuff, because I already knew the rest would handle itself really.
Q. Lewis, have you been able to talk to your former teammates about three of you ending up in the NFC North, and what's that like?
LEWIS CINE: (Laughing) I'm really excited for them. I'm really excited for them. The fact that they got their first round picks, one. They're going to change their whole life, their whole family's life and play the game that they love. But whether the team they play for -- I don't even want to talk about that, but I'm really excited for the guys.
Q. Lewis, every prospect dreams of getting that call on draft night. Given you were the last one much the first draw, there's obviously some anticipation building up for that. What was that moment like for you to get that call?
LEWIS CINE: Oh, man. I joke about it now, but last night was kind of nerve-wracking. I was sweating. I kind of was, like, oh, man, I guess I'm going to go day two. I went to the couch about to take a nap, and that's when my phone started ringing. It said Minneapolis. I was, like, oh, my God. I picked up the phone. Kwesi was talking, and then kind of passed the phone around, but I was real excited to get the call.
Q. You picked number six, and what's significant about that?
LEWIS CINE: I wanted to pick 16, but the option wasn't there, so the closest thing to 16 was the 6 without the 1. So, yeah. And, plus, single digits sell a whole lot, so why not?
Q. You've lived a lot of different places in your life. How has that shaped you as a person?
LEWIS CINE: I've learned to adapt to every place I've gone. I've lived in the cold, lived in the heat, lived down South, lived -- I've lived everywhere, in terms, so this is not really new to me. I've learned to adapt. I've learned to make the best out of everything.
And I'm really excited I'm here, get to know what this state has to offer in terms of the people, the culture, the vibe that it gives. So it's something that I'm really excited for, to learn something new, try different foods, meet different cultures, different people.
Q. Championship in Massachusetts. Championship in Texas. Championship in college. Just describe what it's been like to see those teams come together like that while putting your best foot forward too?
LEWIS CINE: The fact that I've been to -- I've won in different places, so I kind of understand what it takes. It takes sacrifice. It takes being unselfish. It takes the late nights, waking up early even though you don't want to. So it's all for a cause. Everybody wants to win, and when everyone wins, everyone is happy. So I know what it takes. I'm prepared for that.
Q. Lewis, I guess kind of going off that, you mentioned a few times being excited to learn from Harrison and from the new coaching staff. How do you go from being in college best defense in football to now sort of starting out as a rookie and kind of balancing that experience with wanting to learn and be the new guy?
LEWIS CINE: It's a process I've been through so many times before, from middle school to high school to college, where you restart right back to ground zero. With me I've always taken it with a humble step. Coming in, learning, finding out the older vets, learning from them, trying to follow in their foot steps and how they do things the right way.
Kind of take that step to see where it leads me to, and it's always done right by me, and I don't plan on stopping it.
Q. What part of today has made it the most real?
LEWIS CINE: It's still surreal to me, honestly. Everything is not going to blow up. It's, like, whoa, this is serious, until I start looking for places to stay and then have my daughter come here. So it's like it still hasn't hit me yet, so, yeah.
Q. It's pretty crazy to think that almost half your starting defense was drafted last night?
LEWIS CINE: I'll tell you who is happy other than myself. Kirby Smart is happy. He is really happy. He set history for the school. The university is excited.
I think it's only up from here in terms of other guys that didn't get drafted. Who knows? That might not be the only record we set, you know what I mean? Kirby is really happy.
Q. You were born in Haiti, but grew up in Florida. What year did you move to Florida, and what circumstances led you to move to Florida?
LEWIS CINE: Well, for one, it's like most people when they come from the Caribbean, Florida is the first stop. If you have been to Florida, half of Florida doesn't really speak English. It's other languages, so that's kind of your first stop. I have a whole lot of family members there. Lived with family. Then from there moved with my dad in Boston.
Q. How old were you when you moved from Haiti?
LEWIS CINE: From Haiti? I was four, four about to be five. And then moved back and forth, back and forth. And then eight, moved to Boston.
Q. Sounds like Deion Sanders was a coach of yours in high school. What's your relationship like with him?
LEWIS CINE: I have all the most respect for Deion. I know him as Deion, not "Prime Time." He is a real humble guy, real loving, real spiritual. He has his mind straight, his priority straight.
He has come a long way from how people see him to how I see him. I've gotten the chance to know him as a person at a deeper level. He has taught me a whole lot in terms of life, finances, relationships, and I'm grateful for him really. I'm blessed to say that he is in my corner.
Q. What was he like as a coach?
LEWIS CINE: He was hard. Yeah, he was hard. Old-school. Real old-school. You got to do. You got to do it. Always had a lecture. It comes from a great place, and that's why I'm thankful for him really.
Thank you for having me. Take care.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports