Redskins Ha Ha Clinton-Dix impresses in introductory press conference

Check this out.

On the eve of Halloween, the Washington Redskins haunted the rest of the league with a savvy trade, acquiring Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix for a 2019 fourth-round pick.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, 25, was drafted in the first round by the Green Bay Packers back in 2014. Since then he’s amassed 14 interceptions, including three so far this season, and he was included in the Pro Bowl in 2016.

Clinton-Dix flew into D.C. last night, and today, he partook in the usual festivities for a esteemed new arrival, sitting down for a press conference. Many questions were asked of Clinton-Dix; the full press conference can be found here (he starts speaking around the 11:00 minute mark.).

Clinton-Dix’s entire press conference was impressive, as the safety showed off both his intelligence and his positive attitude toward the game of football and his new situation in Washington. But there’s one moment in Clinton-Dix’s press conference that stands out as a particularly poignant one. When NBC Sports Mid-Atlantic’s J.P. Finlay asked if Clinton-Dix would be able to play on Sunday, here’s what Clinton-Dix had to say:

The full quote is transcribed below. It is awesome.

“Check this out. Alright? I got practice in about an hour. I came here to play. I came here to work. And even if that’s on special teams or just helping to contribute to this team any way I can, then No. 20’s gonna be suited up this weekend, and you can bet that.”

Liking this acquisition yet?

Clinton-Dix did, in fact, suit up for practice an hour later. He appears to be eager to get off to a fast start in Washington, the city in which his safety idol, Sean Taylor, played for four years. Clinton-Dix spoke highly of the chemistry already present between he and D.J. Swearinger, and it’s clear that he has high expectations for both himself and Washington’s defense, now that the pieces have settled.

On the day of the trade deadline, when the deal for Clinton-Dix went through, the immediate reaction was already positive, in favor of the Redskins. To get a first-round pick and a defensive starter for a fourth-round pick, even if it might just be a nine-game rental, is very good value. And it shows that Jay Gruden and Co. are gearing up to win now, not later.

If it wasn’t possible to like the trade any more, Clinton-Dix made it possible with his words, words that might just live on through the season.