BEAVERTON, OREGON –

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Duck Territory caught up with LaMichael James at The Opening earlier this week. Here's what he had to say:

Q: Have you had a chance to watch some of the players out here at all?

A: Yeah, I really like Taj Griffin, he's really good. He's athletic; he looks a lot faster than the times they give him, so we'll see about that.

Q: Anyone remind you a little bit of yourself coming out of high school?

A: Yeah, Taj is way more athletic than I was coming out of high school.

Q: Character wise, have you had a chance to talk to him, get to know him as a young man?

A: I haven't, but I will. I'm going to holler at him in just a second.

Q: Back at Oregon, what was one moment for you that really stuck out, something that you really cherish for yourself?

A: Oh man, it was really the team. I think I had the most fun. Even now with millions of dollars, I had the most fun at Oregon. It was one sound; everyone is for each other and it's all fun. We were all brothers. Everyone's just for one goal, one mission.

Q: You played under Chip Kelly, what was that like for you? What impressed you most about Chip Kelly?

A: He treated everybody the same. I don't care if you were playing for the Heisman or a walk-on, everybody was the same. When a person does that, you have no choice but to respect him, and that's why I have the utmost respect for him.

Q: Have you been impressed with his transition to the NFL a little bit?

A: Most definitely. Brilliant mind like that, he's going to excel no matter what he does. Nobody thought it'd work in the NFL, but obviously it does.

Q: It's well noted that you and Coach Campbell had a really close relationship while at Oregon. What was it about him that brought you to together?

A: He's my dad, there's nothing else to that. We still talk every day; he's like a best friend, a father to me. We talk about everything. More life, than football, even when I was at Oregon we talked mostly about other stuff.

Q: When you committed to Oregon, was that a big part of it then? Your bond with him?

A: I felt like I could trust him, but the bond came after. That took about a year.

Q: Is there anyone from the squad that you keep in touch with?

A: Dior and Bralon, talk to those guys all the time.

Q: Coach Helfrich, obviously he's the man in charge now. What do you think of his transition and how he did in his first year?

A: I think he'll only get better. In fact, I just talked to him today. He's always checking in with me. He's a good coach, but a better friend. He really cares about the players and treats everybody fair. Last year was his first year and I expect him to have a good year this year.

Q: Would you say that its one of his strongest attributes, his friendly, down to earth personality?

A: Oh definitely. He's the most generous guy I know when it comes to coaching – almost too generous sometimes [laughs].

Q: How's the NFL life been for you? The struggles you've had to go through?

A: You just have to wait your turn; it's a business. You're playing for money, so the fun is kind of taken out of it.