Offensive guard Laken Tomlinson, an offseason free-agent addition by the Jets, blocks out some time for a Q&A session with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: How would you describe your on-field mentality?
A: Hyper locked-in. … It’s like a transformation.
Q: Describe that transformation.
A: It’s hard to describe, honestly. It’s a different feeling on game day for me. I really can’t describe it.
Q: If I was a defensive lineman, what would I see going up against you on Sunday?
A: 1) I don’t care what they see. 2) I hope it’s fear. I hope they feel fear looking at me.
Q: Is that a great feeling when you do see fear in the eyes of the defensive lineman?
A: It’s an amazing feeling. I mean, it’s taking their will away. There’s no better feeling than that in football.
Q:. Was there a time when you experienced fear?
A: I wouldn’t say fear. It’s just mostly anxiety. I would say my first couple of years in the league, just getting to learn the game and I’m learning the speed of the game. But past my first season, I was locked in.
Q: Was there pressure on you as a 2015 first-round pick of the Lions?
A: Of course. There’s pressure to perform. You want to give the team everything that you can. And with that comes like anxiety, but I had great teammates there. I had Megatron [Calvin Johnson], guys that would help those younger guys have confidence. Having those guys around me helped me a lot.
Q: You were traded to the 49ers in August 2017. Are there any similarities here to the culture being built here to what it was in San Francisco when you guys went to the Super Bowl?
A: Yes. … It’s just the energy, the vibe. Everyone is hungry to win. When you feel that and you have your teammates lean on each other, it’s like this love. That love for your teammate, it makes you fight that much harder.
Q: What drives you?
A: Love. … Love for my teammates, love for my family. That drives me to play this game. A lot of people say I play with emotion, I play with like a chip on your shoulder, but if you truly love your teammates and love what you do, you’re able to play free, and when you can play free, you can get the most out of anything you do.
Q: Describe the on-field personality of the Jets’ offensive line.
A: I want to create an identity for this offensive line of being one of the nastiest in the league. Being one of the more formidable offensive lines that you’ll ever face.
Q: Can this be a top-10 offensive line?
A: I don’t see there’s a reason why we can’t be one of the best.
Q: Whatever comes to mind: Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams?
A: (Laugh) Monster.
Q: Linebacker Kwon Alexander?
A: Bang-bang. Bang-bang player.
Q: Safety Jordan Whitehead?
A: No-fly zone.
Q: Cornerback D.J. Reed?
A: Lock-down.
Q: Cornerback Sauce Gardner?
A: The boss.
Q: Have you tried his Sauce Sauce yet?
A: I have a bottle of his Sauce Sauce, yes.
Q: Have you tried it?
A: Of course I have.
Q: And?
A: It’s really, really good. I actually put it on my Instagram, I was like, “Y’all gotta go try this.” He gave it to me [Wednesday].
Q: What did you put it on?
A: I put it on some wings.
Q: Joe Flacco?
A: Super cool.
Q: Defensive end Jermaine Johnson?
A: Young ninja.
Q: Defensive end Carl Lawson?
A: Unstoppable.
Q: Describe him physically.
A: I would say he’s a true definition of “All gas, no brakes.”
Q: Receiver Garrett Wilson?
A: Stylish.
Q: Defensive end John Franklin-Myers?
A: Relentless.
Q: Describe the feeling walking off the field as a 49er after losing Super Bowl LIV to the Chiefs.
A: A lot of people say when you have a loss, you have to have the next-game mentality, but when you lose the Super Bowl, there is no next game. That’s it for the season. That stings a lot, but it’s also a motivator. You can give it all you got and still come up short. That just means you have to get that much better next year, prepare for the next year.
Q: How did you become a mental-health advocate?
A: I’ve always been a mental-health advocate. Me and my wife, we both majored in psychology in college. She’s now a doctor in San Francisco, she’s a clinical psychologist.
Q: Have you spoken to defensive tackle Solomon Thomas about what he’s had to endure with his sister’s suicide?
A: I was teammates with Solomon Thomas [in San Francisco, too], we chat a bunch when he was there, and even when he went over to the Raiders, and even now. He’s a great teammate, and he’s also a mental-health advocate.
Q: Did he console you after you lost 18-day-old daughter, Claire Abigail, in 2019? Did you console him?
A: He’s had his thing, I’ve had my stuff as well. When you have someone, a teammate that you love, you’ll try to be there for them and you talk to them and you can do anything you can to help them get through it. You really can just take talking to one person to help you through anything. Solly’s been an amazing teammate ever since I’ve known him as a rookie till now.
Q: Describe the personality or your 2-year-old daughter, Taylor Rose.
A: (Laugh) She is a firecracker. She is hyperactive, and she has my soul. She’s just a kid who wants to be in Jamaica, wants open space, wants to run around, wants to climb a lot of stuff.
Q: What do you mean she wants to be in Jamaica?
A: I say it’s Jamaican soul ’cause she’s kind of like me when I was a kid. She has that side of me in her, and I think it’s awesome. It’s a lot different here in the States where you can’t really do that, but we try to encourage her to be confident and to explore her surroundings.
Q: How emotional was it for you and your wife to have a healthy baby after what you had to endure?
A: It’s a blessing, really, and I think God every day. That’s all I can say, man, it’s God’s blessing just to have her.
Q: Tell me about your grandfather, Ivan Wilson.
A: He’s the reason why I’m here, standing here in front of you today. He came to the States, I think it was the late ’80s, and he worked years and years and years to get my mom — my mom’s the second-youngest of 10 kids — and he worked in the States to get all of his kids and kids’ kids to the States. It took him a while, but it finally did. Me and my mom and my and my siblings moved to Chicago 2003. When he passed away [in 2006], it affected all of us. It affected us deeply. He had a plan, and he executed his plan, and we all were very thankful for him. He was a loving grandfather and great grandfather, and he loved all of his grandchildren, like he would fight for us. We all loved him.
Q: What criticism has bothered you the most?
A: I don’t really buy into the criticism that much, but I do respect the criticism from my peers and my coaches. If I’m not being consistent that I know I can, then that bothers me.
Q: If you could block any linebacker in NFL history, who would it be?
A: Ray Lewis. He was one of the most feared linebackers that ever played the game.
Q: If you could pick the brain of any offensive lineman in NFL history?
A: Jackie Slater was my mentor, so I already kind of do pick his brain a lot.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: [Barrack] Obama, Dave Chapelle, Bob Marley.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Shutter Island.”
Q: Favorite actors?
A: Jet Li and Jackie Chan.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Angelina Jolie.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Jerk chicken.
Q: Why did you take Italian at Duke?
A: I just wanted to switch it up. I took Spanish in high school. I remember in high school I took world history, and I learned about the Italian culture. I got to Duke, and it’s required for you to take a language. The reason why I didn’t go Spanish ’cause none of my Spanish credit transferred over.
Q: Why did you pick Duke?
A: Duke was my No. 1, my No. 2 was Ohio State.
Q: What was the tiebreaker?
A: Coach Cut [David Cutcliffe]. The way he recruited me, the way the guys respected him there, and when I went on my official visit and I saw the love that the players had got him, it drew me there.
Q: You know Daniel Jones?
A: Yeah. I helped recruited him at Duke.
Q: What do you remember about him as a recruit?
A: He was very small (chuckle). He grew a lot in college. He was very small coming in (laugh).
Q: Like scrawny?
A: Yeah. … He grew a lot in college. That strength-and-conditioning program did him wonders.
Q: What do you remember about him personality-wise?
A: He was a very quiet kid, but he’s actually like sneaky funny. Like really cool to talk to. I’ve heard he was a really good teammate. He was ballin’ at Duke as well.
Q: How do you like playing on the big New York stage?
A: It’s awesome. I love the fans, the fans are awesome here. I’m excited to give ’em a win at home.
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: Being a player that’s always there. I take pride in being up every game, knock on wood (knocks on locker). Just to have my teammates count on me, because offensive linemen, one of our stats is like: How many sacks did you give up the year? I’ve played a lot of ball, and I plan on continuing that.
Q: How about in life? What are you most proud of?
A: I would say being a dad. It’s pretty self-explanatory.
Q: Does fatherhood change you in any way?
A: Yes it does. It’s something else to fight for.