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Stephon Gilmore Conference Call Transcript 3/13

Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore addresses the media during his conference call on Monday, March 13, 2017.

[wysifield-embeddedaudio|eid="539581"|type="embeddedaudio"|view_mode="full"]Q: What are your thoughts on teaming up with a player like Malcolm Butler in the defensive backfield and how might his style of play team up with yours?

SG: I'm just looking forward to obviously meeting all of the players on the team, getting to know them. Just gelling with the players and bonding as a team, so he's not the only person that I'm looking forward to working with. I'm just looking forward to talking to the coaches and the players and getting to know them pretty well.

Q: Do you have a sense of how it might work playing with a guy like Malcolm Butler in the secondary?

SG: Yeah, I mean I don't know what's going to happen with that, but I'm looking forward to it. He's a great player. He's made a lot of good plays in the league, so I'd love to team up with him and play with him.

Q: You tweeted that you had signed with the Patriots on the same day that your wife gave birth to your daughter. How much of a whirlwind has it been for you since that day and what was it like to have those two big moments happen together?

SG: It was just a great day. I flew in and signed. She actually came late, so she came on the same day that I signed with the Patriots. As soon as I landed she was delivered 45 minutes after I got to the hospital so she really waited on me to get back, so it was a blessing to do that. It was just a good day. I haven't really slept much. I just got back from the hospital yesterday. I'm blessed and back in Charlotte working out right now.

Q: How did this signing come about with the Patriots? Was this something on your radar when free agency began or did it kind of come together last minute?

SG: No, it actually happened at the beginning. I was surprised a little bit, but I'm just looking forward to the opportunity to go out there and get to know my teammates and meet them. You never know in free agency what's going to happen, so when I found out that the Patriots wanted me I really put that into consideration.

Q: How have you viewed this organization from afar and what are your thoughts on being able to be coached under someone like Bill Belichick?

SG: It's an honor to play under coach [Bill] Belichick. Coming in, watching from afar, obviously I've played against them a lot. They find a way to win so that's one thing you've got to respect about them. But it starts over every year, so I'm just looking forward to going in and meeting my teammates, learning from the coaches, and learning from the players and being the best team that we can be.

Q: Have you had a chance to reach out to Chris Hogan or Alan Branch or any other former teammates that are now here in New England?

SG: I have. I talked to Chris Hogan. He congratulated me, and [Devin] McCourty – I knew McCourty since my rookie year. He called me and reached out to me, so a lot of guys with open arms. Just welcoming me in open arms, just getting in and making you feel like you're a part of the team. It's always good to have guys that you know and have played with and have a good camaraderie with.

Q: Did they give you any nuggets of advice right off the bat?

SG: Chris Hogan just told me to come in and let me know if I need anything as far as massage people or people to help me be a better player. So it's always good to, like I said, know guys that you played with that kind of had a great year and did the right things to make them a better player.

Q: Could you describe your game as you view it to us, and do you see yourself as more of a man-coverage cornerback or a zone-coverage player? How do you think that will translate here in New England?

SG: I think a strong part of my game is just being physical at the line of scrimmage and playing a lot of man-to-man coverage. But I'm just ready to do whatever the coaches want me to do to make the team better. I'm down for whatever challenge they want me to be in. I think me just pressing at the line of scrimmage and making plays on the football – that's the strongest point of my game.

Q: What are your thoughts on Malcolm Butler as a defensive back and what do you remember about his interception in Super Bowl XLIX and his story in general?

SG: Obviously, he came into the league undrafted so he came in and grinded his way up to the top and he's made a lot of good plays in the league, so you've got to respect him as a player. He's made a lot of great plays on big stages. I definitely respect him as a player. In this league you have to have a strong mentality playing at the corner position and I think he has that. He has that fight in him, so that's one thing that sticks out from watching him. He always comes back. If you get him he always puts it behind him and makes plays the next play.

Q: Would you mind sharing the name of your newborn daughter?

SG: I actually named her Gisele Sienna Gilmore. My wife's name is Gabrielle, so we thought of a 'G' name and we picked Gisele. She was seven pounds, eight ounces. I don't know how long she was, but it was a blessing when she came into this world.

Q: Is this your first child?

SG: This is my second. I have a son. He turns two in April. His name is Sebastian Gilmore – Stephon Sebastian Gilmore Jr. I've got a boy and a girl so I've got the best of both worlds.

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