Dolphins’ Pead on Gase: ‘You’d think he hates the defense’

Dolphins RB Isaiah Pead

Each day in training camp, Miami Dolphins players — especially those on offense — have to meet a lofty standard of competitiveness.

It’s something their coach, Adam Gase, demands.

‘Likes to keep pressure on D’

“Gase, he’s an alpha male, definitely,” running back Isaiah Pead told Zig Fracassi and Alex Marvez on NFL Rewind. “He wants to come out and he wants to play physical. And he wants to start fast and play fast and he likes to keep a defense guessing, he likes to keep pressure on a defense. It shows in his presentations every time we install a new play or what not. It’s always about getting up, getting lined up to the ball, knowing our alignments and splits and whatever the play is and just attack it.

“Right now, it’s training camp, so it’s mainly offense against the defense. You’d think he hates the defense the way he just always wants to win every snap. But he speaks to the entire team with fire and attitude and it rubs off on us.”

‘What’s going on?’

Pead also shared an interesting story about when he broke the all-time rushing record of two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin at Eastmoor Academy High School in Columbus, Ohio. The accomplishment took him by surprise, because Pead hadn’t even been aware he was close to the mark.

“It was just another football game, and they stopped the game and brought the football out to me,” he said. “I thought it was a timeout or something. It’s like the second or third quarter, and I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ The announcer announced it through the stands. It was cool. Humbling, definitely. But I was just super surprised. I wish I would have got a heads-up or something.”

Footnote: Pead’s grandfather and Griffin were best friends growing up.