Can you believe the Packers have only made it to one Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers as quarterback? He’s as close to a consensus pick as the best quarterback in the NFL as we have, and he’s led some truly incredible teams, but things just haven’t broken right since all the way back in February of 2011.
However, this year looks like as good a chance as any Green Bay will have. There’s a revamped defense whose only weakness – its secondary – is mostly due to poor health. Jordy Nelson is back this year, and in Week 3 he finally found his stride with Rodgers. The offense looks mostly cured of what ailed it last year (see: Nelson, Jordy), but it’s the front of the defense that is truly getting Packers fans excited about a title run. With a revitalized crop of linebackers that includes Clay Matthews back at his normal position of pass-rushing outside linebacker, they could find themselves waking up in Houston in a few months’ time.
That feeling — waking up on the morning of the Super Bowl — is what Courtyard (the Official Hotel of the NFL) is trying to capture with their Super Bowl Sleepover contest, which Matthews was promoting at the Herald Square Courtyard in New York when he talked with us on the phone.
How would you describe the promotion for people who don’t know about it?
CLAY: Oh, it’s awesome; it’s an amazing opportunity. Courtyard keeps reinventing itself with amazing opportunities to give back to fans and give them an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl, and this year with their Super Bowl contest, you have the opportunity to go onto Twitter and Instagram and submit your most passionate NFL fan photo to have an overnight down in [NRG] Stadium before the game. And what they’re going to do is take a suite and make it into one of the rooms from Courtyard, and you get the opportunity to spend the night, wake up and… relive all those great memories that you have waking up in anticipation of the game.
Speaking of memories, what do you remember from the morning of the Super Bowl you played in? What was it like waking up that day?
Because you have two weeks to prepare, it was almost just a relief that the game was finally here. There’s so much, I guess, chaos for lack of a better term, with the media and studying your opponent that you’re just thankful that the game was finally there. Unfortunately, for me it was only my second year, so I didn’t appreciate it as much as I probably should have — and as much as I do now, in realizing how difficult it is to get back there. It’s one of those opportunities where you work so hard to get there, that you might as well finish it off, and we were able to do that on that day.
Are there any memorable game day mornings where something odd or special happened that made the game itself more memorable?
I guess every game is special in its own right. You just have to remind yourself of that, especially the further you get along in your career — with me going into year eight. But obviously there have been times when there’s a tragedy in the family or something special that happens to make a game more meaningful, but ultimately you have to find a way to have that excitement and anxiety to go out there and perform your best in front of millions of viewers, and be accountable to your coaches, teammates, and really an entire city.
How’s the ankle feeling? You must feel lucky to have a bye week around this time.
Yeah, at first a lot of us were probably upset with a Week 4 bye week, but it couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Obviously I was banged up after Week 2, the game against Minnesota, so it comes at a perfect time. I’ll be all healed up this week and be ready to go next Sunday against the Giants. So I’m happy to have it come along, I’m feeling good and should be ready to rock.
Do players tend to value a later bye week for more rest?
I think generally, players appreciate having a bye week that splits up the season. But in looking at our season thus far, having to report to training camp a week earlier … We didn’t have to play in the Hall of Fame game, but we did have to travel, and through the first two weeks of the season and going back into the preseason, we had been on the road for four straight weeks. So it has been a long training camp and preseason, and ultimately [the bye] couldn’t come at a better time. I think we had something like 11 or 12 rookies play in this past game, because we were missing a bunch of key players. So it looks good moving forward, and hopefully we’ll get the rest we need and come back and take this thing over.
One of the Packers’ most high-profile rookies has been Nick [sic] Martinez. How has it been playing alongside him so far?
Yeah, Blake’s been a consummate professional-
Oh my god, I meant Blake. I’m so sorry.
Oh yeah, no worries. He’s a rookie, you can mess up his name. But yeah, from the moment he’s come in, he’s taken it upon himself to learn the defense checks and adjustments, just to make sure he’s well-versed in the entire defensive playbook. So when he goes out there as one of the inside linebackers, he has to have control of the entire defense. He’s done a great job, and he’s also done a great job playing off the front four.
The front seven has been fantastic thus far in terms of getting to the quarterback, pressuring him and putting hits on him, as well as stopping the run. I believe we lead the league in rushing defense right now, and that’s a true testament to the front seven, including Blake.
Blake’s presence also makes it easier for you to stay on the outside. Is that something you’re appreciating this year?
Yeah, like I’ve said all along, I feel like playing outside is my most natural, impactful position. I had success earlier in my career playing outside, and made the switch to inside the last year and a half to two years. And it was good to play on the inside, and help the team out and get a different look and understanding of the defense. But it’s good to be back on the outside, especially on the front line where I can be disruptive and set other players off, let them play off me.
And like I said, I think that’s why we’re having so much success early on. You’ve got guys like me, Nick Perry, Julius Peppers, Mike Daniels — guys who are creating havoc in the backfield, and we have guys like Blake and Jake Ryan cleaning up for us. So it’s been working out really well, and I couldn’t be happier.
Jake Ryan seems to be really improved — who do you think has been the most improved Packer so far?
Just because of the youth of our inside linebackers, you’ve gotta appreciate the way Joe Thomas is playing, coming in on passing situations and having to cover tight ends and receivers. He’s been involved in a number of game-changing plays, dating back to Week 1 against Jacksonville. Coming up with an interception, and having another opportunity to get an interception; he had a huge hit on a tight end and just kind of finds himself in the thick of things.
And as we touched on, Jake as well — that’s where you find a lot of improvement, from your first to second years. That’s what you love to see, and those guys are doing exactly that.
Do the offensive lineman still play Settlers of Catan? Have they moved on to different games?
You know, I’m not sure what they do. The offensive linemen are a different breed, you know. I never got into it — I was never invited to their parties, but it’s probably for the best. Who knows what they’re up to now; maybe it’s Chutes and Ladders, I don’t know.
It might be a tough question to answer, since the Packers are the only professional team you’ve played for, but what impact do you think the public ownership of the organization has on the culture of the team?
It’s unique in the fact that it’s the only professional organization that’s owned by the people, so to speak. So everything is done in the spirit of winning, and for the betterment of the team. If you look at other teams, an owner might make an emotional decision, or a decision based upon a relationship with a certain somebody, but here with the Packers, we do everything in the spirit of winning and getting better, and doing things that make this a better culture.
Same question, but for playing in a small town like Green Bay as opposed to a major city.
Being that this is the only team I’ve ever played for, it’s hard for me to say. But from talking with other guys who have been free agents and come from bigger cities and different markets, I think it allows players — especially young players, who can get caught up in the pitfalls of professional sports — it allows them to truly focus on their craft, eliminate the distractions and not worry so much about getting into trouble. That’s what allows a lot of our younger players to come in and have success right away, and hopefully continue that and have long careers.
