Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Charles Tapper recently joined ESPN radio's "J Dub City" with Jean-Jacques Taylor and Will Chambers to talk all things football. Here are some highlights of their interview:

How's the back injury?

Will Chambers: We saw last year and heard about the back issue. Just wondering 1) what happened there? And [2)], how are you now? Where are we at with the injury?

Charles Tapper: I have a birth defect, it's called 'L5 pars defect.' ... Me not being in the best shape coming to the Cowboys was what happened to me. Coming from OU I was sitting about 275-280 [pounds]. So coming here I was about 280, 275 trying to play a five-technique. As we all know [Rod] Marinelli, he didn't like that. So he was running and running me. It's kinda more of a fatigue injury I would say than injury of any sorts. Right now I'm feeling better than I ever felt in my life condition-wise, core-wise, strength, flexibility and everything.

What can he do for Dallas?

Will Chambers: Tell us what you believe you can do for this team. We know when we look at the Cowboys that they need help getting after the quarterback. What can you do for this team and that need coming up next year?

Charles Tapper: Exactly what you said: get after the quarterback. Marinelli has given us a lot of keys and tools to rush this quarterback. There's a lot of things that I wish I knew in college. Playing for the Cowboys they give me the freedom at the five-technique to kind of just rush the passer and have fun doing it. So I'm just having fun rushing the passer where OU was like kind of a two-gap. I just took up blocks there. Now it's be a athlete, have fun and win some one-on-ones. It's kind of like one-on-one basketball and that's what I'm used to.

Biggest strength?

Jean-Jacques Taylor: What do you think your strength is as a pass rusher?

Charles Tapper: My speed. And I have big powerful hands. When I use that speed and get those powerful hands on some offensive linemen it kinda throws them off because somebody that strong shouldn't be able to move that fast. Or somebody that fast shouldn't have that much power or pop to 'em. It's kind of the combination of speed and power.

Why patience is key

Will Chambers: What have you learned from what has happened to you in this past year missing the season [with] the injury and coming back?

Charles Tapper: Patience. I learned so much patience. Patience, I feel like, is the key to life. If you can learn how to be patient and understand that God has everything planned for you it makes life and football easier. On the field you're going to be thrown a lot of different obstacles and different challenges on the field. You just have to be patient, think about it and then react. ...

This offseason, I call it my offseason, I've been working so hard. During the season it was like a mini-offseason for me and Jaylon [Smith]. ... I can't wait to get on the field and see how I look now.