Fourth-year Jets defensive end Bryce Huff tackles some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby before Sunday’s showdown with the Giants.
Q: There aren’t many 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive ends.
A: I just work with what I’ve got. I remember growing up, I was like 5-7 my freshman year in high school, and I used to pray, I was like, “God, just give me enough height, just give me enough, and I’m going to work hard and make it happen.” So, He gave me just enough.
Q: What would your message to GMs be about why you deserve to be paid?
A: I’m a hard worker day in and day out. Every day when I come in here, I’m the same person. I put my head down and I go to work. I’ve just really mastered my process and mastered my craft, so I know what I’m going to be on every Sunday, I know how I’m going to feel every Sunday, and there’s not going to be anything up for question as far as, “Oh, how will he match up against this person?” or “Will he find a way against him?” I’m always going to find a way to win.
I’m not cocky or arrogant, because I feel like my confidence is backed by years of work, and so when I say that I don’t think there’s a person that can shut me down, or stop me from imposing my will in the league, I feel like I worked to get to that point. That’s the confidence that I feel like as a D-lineman you have to have, or else you’ll go out there and get strapped up on the weekends. Like if you go into a game scared of somebody with a big name, or this guy’s 6-8 or something like that, you kind of defeat yourself before it happens. I don’t let myself get into that mode.
Q: Who are some pass rushers who remind you of yourself?
A: I’ve taken a lot from Von Miller’s game. I honestly didn’t know what pass rush was until my sophomore year of college [Memphis] when they were like, “Oh he can be the next Von Miller.” I didn’t even know who Von Miller was, I wasn’t even that deep into ball until then. So I started looking up Von Miller, and I was watching his highlights, watching his spin move, his speed dip, his get-off. I feel like T.J. Watt as far as the effort and how he plays sideline-to-sideline. Haason Reddick, I feel like that’s probably the most comparable in the league right now. I talked to him after the Philly game.
I used to watch his highlights before every Memphis game my senior year. I was like, “I’ve been watching your film for years, thank you for doing what you do,” and he was like, “Bro, believe it or not, I watch your film, too.” That was really a cool moment for me. I’ve looked up to him for so many years, for him to say that, that made my whole day. So him and then Shaq Barrett, that’s another really good comparison ’cause we have kind of the same body type.
Q: Describe what is so great about the feeling you get after a sack.
A: Pressures are cool and they impact the game as well, but when you’re training, you’re training to put the quarterback down.
Q: If you play a full season, can you be a double-digit sacker?
A: Definitely. Definitely. I got 2 ¹/₂ right now, we got 11 games left. So I feel like I definitely got a shot to even do it this year. If we keep rushing how we’re rushing as a unit, and I keep doing my job, I should be able to get that this year.
Q: Does anybody have a better get-off than you?
A: I don’t think so. I’ve been rushing a little differently this year. I understand there’s more to pass rush than just beating the guy in front of you, it’s about rushing the quarterback. It’s not about rushing the man, it’s about rushing the quarterback. There’s openings in an O-line besides just the guy in front of you. I feel like when it’s time to get off the ball and run a speed rush, then I don’t think there’s anybody faster than me in the league. But when it comes to just rushing in general, I’ve kind of switched on my get-off. Like I might get off a little slower sometimes to open up a game or to open up a stutter move or just to mess up an O-lineman’s set.
Q: So you’ve become more of a scientific pass rusher?
A: Definitely been looking into every aspect of the rush as far as get-off and openings and things like that.
Q: You’re a student of the game.
A: They say it’s a game of inches. You have to find those inches in your game to help come out on top.
Q: You won’t be sneaking up on people anymore.
A: (Laugh) They’re kind of looking for me now. Even this last time we played the Bills, it was the final drive, and I hit a cross chop on Spencer Brown and I came free, and Josh Allen was like drifting away, ’cause last year he wasn’t drifting away, but this time he was drifting.
Q: Do you read books on the power of positive thinking?
A: Since like fourth grade, the church we went to back in the day, my mom and my dad had us in church every Sunday, and the pastor was really big on the power of your tongue and speaking things into existence, and your tongue has the power of life and death and all that stuff.
We always had that mindset, even my mom would stay on me about not speaking negativity, even if I was joking. I keep that same mentality now. It’s kind of evolved into more than just speaking, but it’s like an identity, like who do I see myself as … after my career’s over, who would I be remembered as?
And say for instance I want to be known as a Hall of Fame defensive end, I want to have 100 sacks, multiple All-Pros and things like that. And I kind of walk in that image and that identity. Like when I do my recovery, I recover how an All-Pro would recover. I practice how an All-Pro would practice, how he would prepare and all that stuff. So I just keep it in the back of my head no matter what I’m doing, and I feel like it’s really manifesting itself.
Q: Why are you no longer a liability against the run?
A: Because I really honed in on my discipline as far as like first step … hand placement … staying strong at the point … keeping extension for the most part. I guess just being locked in in general, it slowed the game down for me and I can just see everything better.
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Q: You’re not a trash talker.
A: In high school I talked trash one game and I broke my shoulder. Year 2, I talked trash in the Patriots game, and the next day I herniated a disc, so I was like, yeah, I’m done talking trash.
Q: Any other superstitions?
A: Every morning I step with my right foot first, just kind of like controlling the day. I don’t walk across handicapped signs, I don’t park or drive over handicapped signs. I don’t split poles. And then like if you step on the back of somebody’s heel, you gotta put an X on their back just to cross out the bad luck. And if somebody steps on my heel, either they gotta X ’em out or put X on my own back.
Q: What do you mean put an X on your back?
A: Draw like an X just to cancel out the bad luck.
Q: Describe your gameday routine?
A: If I have a night game or a 4 o’clock game, I might wake up early, go to this park and sit on a bench and just kind of meditate for a little bit.
Q: What does that do for you?
A: It just kind of clears out any thoughts or any noise. I just kind of focus. I play these affirmations on my phone, and then I just kind of listen to the wind, like look at the trees, like look at the sky and just ground myself, just to be present, don’t worry about extension talk, don’t worry about numbers, don’t worry about any off-the-field whatever. And I take that same energy to the games.
Q: How does it feel to hear Jets fans saying, “Pay Bryce Huff”?
A: I really appreciate all the support. They’ve been behind me since the beginning of my career, for whatever reason, they just like embraced me as I came into the league. It’s been really cool having them motivating me and asking for me to get paid, which is cool. I can’t spend time thinking about extension and things that are outside of my control.
Q: What do you remember about Tyrod Taylor from preseason?
A: He’s an agile dude. He’s a playmaker, he can definitely get after you with his feet, so we just have to be on our P’s and Q’s as far as staying disciplined in our rush.
Q: Describe the day you thought you might die.
A: My mom was going to work, me and my brother and sister at home. The living room needed to be cleaned or something crazy like that, I can’t even remember. My brother took my phone and hid it. And I like lifted up the couch, and my brother got mad at me and he like spazzed on me, he picked me up and dropped me on my head. I had a knot on my head.
Q: You were scared, right?
A: Oh yeah. The knot swelled up to the size of almost like a tennis ball. And I’m like, “Oh my God, it’s over.” I was freaking out. I think we ran down the street asking the mail lady to take me to the ER ’cause none of us could drive at the time, I don’t think. I think my brother tries to play it off like he wasn’t freaking out too, ’cause he was definitely freaking out, and my sister. I had a concussion.
Q: Describe the lawn-cutting business you and your older brother Jordan started.
A: We went up and down the streets asking people if they needed their lawns cut. We would rake lawns, cut hedges, we were setting up Christmas lights one year.
Q: Did you make any money?
A: We made a good bit, for being like in grade school (smile).
Q: You once dressed up for Halloween as Tigger.
A: (Smile) I was like 3 or 4? That’s probably the only time I ever did Halloween. That’s the only one I can remember.
Q: Tell me about your mom, Colette.
A: She’s a really hard worker, and I feel like she’s one of the main reasons I go so hard. Every job she’s had, she secured a promotion. If she has something in her mind that she needs to get done, it’s like it has to get done or it’s a problem.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Jay-Z, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Forrest Gump.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Mark Wahlberg.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Sarah Paulson.
Q: Favorite singer/rapper/ entertainer?
A: Frank Ocean.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Steak.
Q: Tell me why you’re proud of yourself.
A: I haven’t let other people’s beliefs or analysts’ opinions of me infiltrate my dreams and infiltrate my vision for myself over all these years.
Q: Driven is a good word to describe you.
A: I didn’t necessarily have a vision or a plan or even like an identity behind why I worked so hard. It’s just like a culmination of all the things that I’ve been through. I feel like it’s internally driven. I didn’t feel happy at one point. After my rookie year I kind of had like this realization. I see all these people, “Oh, he’s a skateboarder, that guy is a stockbroker, we got guys that play soccer, and dudes that are artists,” and they identify with that. But I was just playing ball, and I was looking for other ways to identify myself. After my rookie year I kind of switched that mindset to where it’s like, “Oh, I’m a football player. This is who I am, this is what I do.” I became happier because I knew who I was and I knew what I was working towards. I feel like once I made that switch and put a purpose to all my work, it all started coming together.
Q: Are there athletes in other sports who maybe remind you of you with how driven they are to impose their will on an opponent?
A: I look at a lot of Mike Tyson stuff, for sure, ’cause he’s just like a vicious human in the purest form. He’s just a warrior, he imposes his will every time he’s in the ring.
Q: From your social media: “Success is inevitable.”
A: Everybody’s familiar with David Goggins and his mindset as far as mind over matter at all times. No matter what it takes, you have to achieve your end goal. Once I finished his book, the next day I woke up at like 3 in the morning and went to the field and ran like five miles. And the longest I ran before that was like a mile. I went out there with no music, just my thoughts and the birds chirping in the morning and just grinded out five miles. I knew that if I could conquer my inner thoughts, like telling myself to stop, or you’re tired, it’s hard to breathe, your feet hurt, that I could conquer anything.
Q: When did you do this?
A: Going into my rookie year.
Q: What percentage of Jets fans do you expect to be at the Giants game?
A: Realistically, I’ll probably say like 40 just ’cause it’s their home game.
Q: What is your message to Jets fans on Sunday?
A: Come out, and be as loud as possible for us. If we can get a silent count with it being a Giants game, that’ll be a huge advantage for us.
Q: You’ve come a long way from being an undrafted free agent from Memphis.
A: I’ve been counted out my entire life. On every level I’ve been counted out, and I took that personally. And I also find motivation in small things. Was it Year 2 when Carl [Lawson] went down, and they told me I was gonna start. I just remember talking to myself, like I put in the same work as Q [Quinnen Williams] and JFM [John Franklin-Myers], we eat the same food, we’re coached by the same coach, there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to play on par with them.
Q: Why have you been overlooked?
A: I feel like it’s just part of my path and God’s plan for me. I feel like He knew with how he wired me that the things that would take place in my life would cause me to just be driven and use that as fuel to achieve my goals.
Q: What things that took place in your life?
A: Not going drafted … not getting invited to the Senior Bowl. Being from Mobile [Ala.], that was probably the biggest punch in the face. … There’s too much to even think about, but I’ve internalized so much I have nothing but pure motivation from inside to just be the best to ever do it. That’s where I see myself. When I’m done playing ball, I want to be known as the best.