Latest / The Heisman Hopefuls Podcast / SMU QB Kevin Jennings & UCLA LB Sammy Omosigho

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SMU QB Kevin Jennings & UCLA LB Sammy Omosigho · The Heisman Hopefuls Podcast

0:00
SPEAKER_04: Hello, and welcome back to the Heisman Hopefuls Podcast, where we talk to the best players in the country, regardless of position, regardless of program.
0:06
SPEAKER_04: I'm your host, Chris Houston, and we've got an excellent slate lined up for you today.
0:10
SPEAKER_04: First up, Southern Methodist quarterback Kevin Jennings joins the show, talks about his five years in Dallas, the Kevin Jennings Recovery Center, and what it takes to be named the King of Dallas.
0:20
SPEAKER_04: Afterwards, we'll talk with UCLA linebacker Sammy Omestigo, one of the nation's top tacklers at a big part of UCLA's renaissance under Bob Chesney.
0:28
SPEAKER_04: All that and more after the music.
0:39
SPEAKER_04: Every program, every position, every player.
0:47
SPEAKER_04: They are all Heisman Hopefuls.
0:52
SPEAKER_04: Our next guest might be the biggest star to come out of Dallas since J.R.
0:56
SPEAKER_04: Ewing.
0:57
SPEAKER_04: I'm talking about SMU's fifth-year senior quarterback, Kevin Jennings.
1:01
SPEAKER_04: The six-foot one hundred and ninety-five-pounder out of Dallas area South Oak Cliff High is third nationally with 317 passing yards per game, with 1,588 total yards to go with 14 passing touchdowns and two scores on the ground.
1:16
SPEAKER_04: You know, he's that rare breed in college football, a player who has stuck with this program all the way through.
1:21
SPEAKER_04: And as a result, SMU has reached heights it has not seen since the 1980s.
1:26
SPEAKER_04: He's the school's all-time leader in touchdowns with 77 and the all-time passing leader, so it's no wonder that they're calling him the King of Dallas.
1:35
SPEAKER_04: Kevin Jennings, welcome to the Heisman Hopeless Podcast.
1:37
SPEAKER_00: Yes, sir.
1:38
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for having me all.
1:39
SPEAKER_04: I want to start right off the bat with what I think is one of the most interesting facts about you.
1:43
SPEAKER_04: Here you are, still playing college football, and there is already a facility on the SMU campus that bears your name, the Kevin Jennings Recovery Center.
1:51
SPEAKER_04: It kind of has a nice ring to it.
1:52
SPEAKER_04: What was your reaction when you found out about the plans to name it after you?
1:56
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, just super grateful and blessed.
1:58
SPEAKER_00: You know, um just getting the opportunity, you know, to leave a legacy at SMU and just to have a recovery center to have our um help our teammates out, you know, is super, super great.
2:06
SPEAKER_00: Just um, you know, just to get our bodies right and all of that, and just to leave a legacy at SMU, which is gonna continue to go for the next couple of years.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: So it's amazing.
2:13
SPEAKER_04: Such an important part of the process of getting players ready to play.
2:16
SPEAKER_04: You know, most of the time, buildings are named after players who have already finished their career.
2:20
SPEAKER_04: Really speaks to your connection with SMU in the city of Dallas.
2:24
SPEAKER_04: You've been there all five years, which is a rare thing in this day and age.
2:27
SPEAKER_04: What is it about SMU in Dallas that resonates with you so much?
2:31
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, just being a kid from Dallas, you know, um looking up, watching SMU, and just watching the great players that came to this program, you know, it's amazing.
2:39
SPEAKER_00: And it's it's no place I would rather be.
2:41
SPEAKER_00: You know, um, just being home and having this um staff members, the connection of Dallas around you, you know, it's amazing.
2:47
SPEAKER_00: And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
2:50
SPEAKER_04: Now, your Heisman campaign is dubbed you the king of Dallas.
2:53
SPEAKER_04: You even put out a crown in the kickoff campaign video.
2:56
SPEAKER_04: Uh kind of a bold statement.
2:57
SPEAKER_04: Does wearing that crown give you more confidence or does it put more pressure on you?
3:01
SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't say pressure at all.
3:03
SPEAKER_00: You know, if anything, more confidence.
3:04
SPEAKER_00: You know, um just to um you know have that thing around Dallas, just king of Dallas, you know, it's kind of crazy.
3:09
SPEAKER_00: But um, you know, it's a blessing to have that name and uh, you know, just to carry it alongside and you know, carry it alongside SMU.
3:16
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you know, at the Big 12 Media Day, you were wearing a cowboy hat, a big cowboy hat.
3:20
SPEAKER_04: Uh, what fits your personality best?
3:22
SPEAKER_04: The cowboy hat or the crown?
3:25
SPEAKER_00: Probably a cowboy hat.
3:26
SPEAKER_00: You know, I'm trying to um bring some little countryside out.
3:29
SPEAKER_00: You know, I'm rocking the boots now, rocking the hat, and all that stuff.
3:32
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, it was a thing that me and my All Line talked about, wearing a hat to Media Day and, you know, end up doing it.
3:37
SPEAKER_00: And it, you know, it was a good look, I think.
3:38
SPEAKER_04: Nice.
3:39
SPEAKER_04: What did it feel like to look up and see the student section wearing crowns?
3:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was amazing.
3:44
SPEAKER_00: Just um, you know, sending them on the um video, jumbo trun the whole game, you know, wearing a crown, wearing the shirts, and all of that stuff.
3:50
SPEAKER_00: It was truly amazing.
3:51
SPEAKER_00: And then just send the pictures after, you know, it was crazy.
3:53
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, definitely best to have our student section come out like that and support me.
3:58
SPEAKER_04: What kind of feedback do you get now walking around the city?
4:00
SPEAKER_04: Do even more people recognize you than before?
4:03
SPEAKER_00: I think it truly depends on where I'm at.
4:05
SPEAKER_00: You know, Dallas is so huge, just it's crazy.
4:08
SPEAKER_00: But um, you know, if I'm around SMU, it's definitely um a lot of people recognizing me.
4:11
SPEAKER_00: But, you know, outside downtown development is you know, it's kind of crazy.
4:15
SPEAKER_00: Dallas is so big, so not really quite notice.
4:18
SPEAKER_04: Who on your team or in your friend circle gives you the most grief about being the king?
4:24
SPEAKER_00: I probably have to say Yamir Knight, Ms., you know, um he jokes about it a lot.
4:29
SPEAKER_00: You know, he always brings it up and just trolls with it and all that, just bringing the king of Dallas is funny.
4:33
SPEAKER_00: So I'm definitely I'm right there.
4:35
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you know, every king needs a court.
4:37
SPEAKER_04: Who's in your court?
4:39
SPEAKER_00: So um, you know, got my my court, just my teammates' family, and all that stuff, you know, um they're big supporters, you know, no matter what I'm going through.
4:47
SPEAKER_00: My family's always there, my teammates are always there, the coaching stuff is always there, so you know, those those people definitely help me a lot.
4:54
SPEAKER_04: And if you were the actual king of Dallas, what kind of ruler would you be?
4:57
SPEAKER_04: What changes would you make?
5:00
SPEAKER_00: Man, it's a lot of great stuff going on in Dallas right now.
5:02
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, it would be kind of hard to put a finger on one thing, but I don't know.
5:08
SPEAKER_00: I'll truly have to, you know, sit sit and think about that for sure.
5:11
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's a tough job being not easy to be in King.
5:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is tough.
5:16
SPEAKER_04: Uh you throw out the first pitch for a Texas Rangers game over the summer.
5:19
SPEAKER_04: Now, I've seen a lot of uh pitches in those situations go bad, a lot of embarrassing situations.
5:24
SPEAKER_04: What was your strategy for making sure you got the ball over the plate?
5:27
SPEAKER_00: Definitely a lot of practice.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: Um looking up, I'm scrolling on TikTok, looking on YouTube, is pitches going everywhere, so I knew that couldn't be me.
5:35
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, the day before um went to go practice with a couple teammates, just throwing the ball and stuff like that, and then we got there, practiced with Coach Lash a little bit, and you know, ended up pretty good.
5:45
SPEAKER_00: You know, I don't think it was a strike, but no, didn't embarrass myself.
5:48
SPEAKER_04: That's good.
5:48
SPEAKER_04: That's the goal, and don't embarrass yourself.
5:51
SPEAKER_04: I also saw you make some crazy throws on a YouTube video, hitting the crossbar on the goalpost coming off a 360.
5:58
SPEAKER_04: I mean, where did you come up with that?
6:01
SPEAKER_00: So it was like a minute ago.
6:02
SPEAKER_00: I think JJ McCarthy like did a 360 and threw a pass.
6:06
SPEAKER_00: It was like a while ago.
6:07
SPEAKER_00: I can't remember when it was, but I think that just came in my head at one time and I just you know decided to do it and ended up hitting it a couple times in a row.
6:14
SPEAKER_00: And it was crazy.
6:15
SPEAKER_00: You know, James Prochet, former SMU legend, he kind of challenged me to do it and ended up doing it and it worked out.
6:21
SPEAKER_04: Pretty amazing.
6:22
SPEAKER_04: You also threw the ball 80 yards in that video.
6:24
SPEAKER_04: Is that the furthest you can throw?
6:25
SPEAKER_04: Only 80 yards, Kevin.
6:26
SPEAKER_00: Only 80.
6:27
SPEAKER_00: I think 80 yards might be the max.
6:29
SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna lie.
6:30
SPEAKER_00: Um 80 yards might be the max for sure.
6:32
SPEAKER_00: Maybe in a game.
6:34
SPEAKER_04: Once you throw 80, is it like you like you don't throw anymore?
6:37
SPEAKER_04: Like that's as like your your arm is done at that point?
6:39
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's probably done after that.
6:41
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if the arm can functionally go over 80 yards.
6:44
SPEAKER_04: So Yeah, you'd have to go to your recovery center.
6:46
SPEAKER_04: So let's go back to Oak Cliff.
6:48
SPEAKER_04: What did football mean to you growing up?
6:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it truly meant a lot.
6:52
SPEAKER_00: You know, um just growing up around a football family.
6:54
SPEAKER_00: You know, um, my dad played football, my uncle played at a high level, and just seeing those guys, seeing the great things those guys did at a high level, you know, it truly just um, you know, just gave me hope to, you know, go to another level and keep going.
7:07
SPEAKER_04: Tell me about that moment when you realized that you had the talent to shine at quarterback.
7:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think it kind of started like in middle school, you know, um, just playing alongside a couple of my teammates.
7:17
SPEAKER_00: I went to a private school in middle school, and it was, you know, it truly helped me out a lot just being around the great coaches, great players, and all that stuff.
7:24
SPEAKER_00: You know, it truly built my confidence up and just gave me the hope that I can go play quarterback at the next level.
7:29
SPEAKER_04: So in middle school, you were like you did you throw a pass that maybe like gave you some confidence, or maybe you found out you had a good arm or a good accuracy?
7:36
SPEAKER_04: Was it something like that?
7:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think middle school was I won't say it's the first time I was actually open up to throw the ball, but that system right there was like a spread offense, and you know, it goes to the quarterback.
7:46
SPEAKER_00: Quarterback makes some throws and makes some reads and all that.
7:48
SPEAKER_00: And um, it was kind of like just easy to me going on through that time, and you know, it kind of helped me out a lot.
7:53
SPEAKER_00: So I think the system and the coaches out there definitely helped me.
7:56
SPEAKER_04: You know, SMU sits 20 minutes from your high school.
7:59
SPEAKER_04: They were your only power five offer.
8:01
SPEAKER_04: Did that give you a bit of a chip on the shoulder as you started your college career?
8:05
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it definitely did.
8:06
SPEAKER_00: You know, um just the numbers I put up, I feel like I put up on my senior year of high school, you know, I think it was pretty much great numbers when on a wedding state and all of that, but still no offers was out there.
8:15
SPEAKER_00: But uh SMU gave me a chance, and you know, it was um history from there.
8:20
SPEAKER_04: What's one thing you do as a quarterback or did that you did as a quarterback coming out of high school that you thought well you were the most confident about, the thing that you felt the strongest about uh as far as in your repertoire?
8:31
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, I think just the way it was um like flawless, just throwing a ball.
8:35
SPEAKER_00: It would be some games I will literally probably just like wrestling air, you know, would go out there and win and complete a pass.
8:40
SPEAKER_00: So um, you know, just having that and um having the confidence in my receivers, my teammates, and all that stuff, you know, it was truly great.
8:47
SPEAKER_00: Just how we connected and um how we just um you know continue to go as that.
8:51
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
8:52
SPEAKER_04: What quarterbacks did you watch closely when you were growing up?
8:55
SPEAKER_00: Growing up, um, Marcus Mariota, um, Aaron Rodgers, Baker Mayfield, Johnny Menzel, all those guys.
9:03
SPEAKER_00: You know, it was um a lot of great guys growing up to watch, and you know, they definitely caught my eye.
9:07
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, a lot of Heisman winners in that list.
9:09
SPEAKER_04: Who's your favorite Heisman winner of all time and why?
9:12
SPEAKER_00: Definitely Marcus Mariota.
9:13
SPEAKER_00: You know, I grew up um, you know, watching Oregon a lot.
9:16
SPEAKER_00: You know, um, it was exciting, just Oregon back then, you know, having all the cool color combinations, Marcus Mariota, D'Anthony Thomas, and all those guys, you know, it was super great just watching them.
9:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
9:26
SPEAKER_04: What's the first word that comes to your mind when you think of the Heisman?
9:31
SPEAKER_00: Just first word, just big time plays, you know, uh big time plays, big time plays.
9:37
SPEAKER_04: Mustangs are four and one heading into the bye week.
9:40
SPEAKER_04: Virginia's up next after that.
9:41
SPEAKER_04: How would you grade your performance so far this season?
9:45
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it hasn't been great, but you know, um, we've been you know getting it done, you know, four and one, you know, heading to Virginia.
9:50
SPEAKER_00: I mean, heading to a bye week, then we got Virginia, so it's it's been pretty good so far, I think.
9:54
SPEAKER_00: And um, you know, we're just gonna continue to get better and um continue to second ones.
9:58
SPEAKER_04: And what are you gonna do during the bye?
10:00
SPEAKER_04: Like on Saturday, you gonna watch games?
10:02
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, definitely watch some games.
10:03
SPEAKER_00: You know, um got some people at Bama, might go check that out.
10:06
SPEAKER_00: Bama and Georgia game, and just check a good football game out, and you know, just be able to, you know, take the toll off my body and go watch again.
10:12
SPEAKER_04: It's gonna be a wild game.
10:14
SPEAKER_04: Who you got in that one?
10:15
SPEAKER_00: Man, that's tough.
10:17
SPEAKER_00: Um, two great teams right there.
10:19
SPEAKER_00: I have to root for my boy Keelan Russell.
10:21
SPEAKER_00: You know, I think he's gonna get the job done.
10:22
SPEAKER_00: You know, he's a great quarterback, you know, he's previously committed to SMU, but um, you know, he's a great quarterback, and I got a lot of um faith in him.
10:28
SPEAKER_00: Are you guys pretty good friends?
10:30
SPEAKER_00: Yes, sir, for sure.
10:31
SPEAKER_00: You know, him just being from the Dallas area, him coming on a couple of visits up here, getting to know him.
10:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, definitely cool friends.
10:36
SPEAKER_04: So what you guys should like hang out in New York later on, like in December, potentially.
10:40
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, definitely be the goal.
10:41
SPEAKER_00: You know, that guy's balling.
10:43
SPEAKER_00: He's been putting the numbers up, getting um winning some ball games for Bama, you know, bringing Bama back.
10:47
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, that's um definitely the goal right there, meeting him in uh New York.
10:50
SPEAKER_04: What's one thing you want to improve upon as the season goes on?
10:54
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, just um continue to um trust my guys, you know.
10:57
SPEAKER_00: I think that's the main thing.
10:58
SPEAKER_00: I think um I believe in them, have a hundred percent confidence in them.
11:01
SPEAKER_00: But um, you know, just trusting the pocket more, um, not getting flushed out too early and just um trusting my trusting the guys in front of me.
11:06
SPEAKER_00: You know, they've been doing a great job um past five weeks and just continue to build that relationship and continue to trust in them.
11:13
SPEAKER_04: Kevin Jennings, SME Mustangs, thanks for coming on the Heisman Hopeless Podcast.
11:17
SPEAKER_04: Get some good rest this week.
11:18
SPEAKER_04: Enjoy your maybe enjoy your little trip to that game.
11:22
SPEAKER_04: Uh good luck against Virginia and good luck the rest of the season.
11:25
SPEAKER_00: Yes, sir, for sure.
11:26
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
11:26
SPEAKER_00: I appreciate it.
11:28
SPEAKER_04: Our next guest is one of the nation's top linebackers, making a huge splash with UCLA after starting his career at Oklahoma.
11:34
SPEAKER_04: Sammy Omasigo, a 6'2, 239-pound senior out of Crandall, Texas, leads the nation with four forced fumbles.
11:42
SPEAKER_04: He's fifth nationally with 10 tackles per game, and fifth with almost two tackles for loss per game.
11:48
SPEAKER_04: He's got 40 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks in his first four games as a Bruin.
11:54
SPEAKER_04: He's one of the early favorites for the Buccus Award that honors the nation's top linebacker.
11:59
SPEAKER_04: And one reason why UCLA is off to a 4-0 start and looking like one of the most improved teams in the country under new head coach Bob Chesney.
12:07
SPEAKER_04: Sammy, welcome to the Heisman Hopefuls podcast.
12:09
SPEAKER_04: Yes, sir.
12:10
SPEAKER_04: Happy to be here.
12:11
SPEAKER_04: Bruins are 4-0 with Oregon on deck.
12:13
SPEAKER_04: You've been on fire to start this season, my friend.
12:15
SPEAKER_04: Tell me about your first impressions playing in the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten and contrast it uh with playing with Oklahoma and in the SEC.
12:24
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think it's very similar, to be honest.
12:26
SPEAKER_02: But the competition level of athletes and there's a caliber of athletes you play against in the week in, week out with the Big Ten.
12:32
SPEAKER_02: A lot of good players in the Big Ten, and uh um the environments are pretty cool.
12:37
SPEAKER_02: One thing I can say is SEC is more in the south, and there's less to do in the cities in the Big Ten.
12:43
SPEAKER_02: So like if you go into like uh Oklahoma game, you go into Alabama game, there's nothing around Alabama besides Alabama football or like Ole Miss.
12:52
SPEAKER_02: And like we went to the Maryland with the DMVs right there.
12:55
SPEAKER_02: So I say it's a more populated city, but like it was still a cool environment.
12:59
SPEAKER_02: But outside the SEC stands or the arenas, I would say are a little different, but the caliber of play is just the exact same.
13:07
SPEAKER_04: A few more things to do in LA than Norman, Oklahoma, I imagine.
13:10
SPEAKER_04: You know what I'm saying?
13:11
SPEAKER_04: It's just it's a little different.
13:13
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
13:13
SPEAKER_04: You had 14 tackles in your Bruins debut against Cal, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
13:19
SPEAKER_04: Best game of your career to that point.
13:20
SPEAKER_04: You were just flying around out there.
13:22
SPEAKER_04: You also had 12 tackles versus Purdue.
13:24
SPEAKER_04: Is this production just a matter of you getting more opportunities now or are you being used differently than you were at Oklahoma?
13:31
SPEAKER_02: I would say the opportunities.
13:32
SPEAKER_02: There's more opportunities for me to be on the field, fly around, just have fun, ball out, and I've been put up and coached really well.
13:39
SPEAKER_02: Coach Vic and uh Coach Coach Hitler, and it was just really really good group of guys.
13:45
SPEAKER_04: I'm particularly impressed by your four force fumble.
13:47
SPEAKER_04: That's a stat that really requires a certain knack.
13:50
SPEAKER_04: I mean, that's when you can really tell some as a special player that you only had one other forced fumble coming into this season.
13:56
SPEAKER_04: To what do you credit your sudden ability to knock the ball out?
14:00
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's like I said, my coaching, he just made it a big emphasis that you have consistent turnovers, some turnover that can happen over and over again as an interception, and that's a forced fumble.
14:10
SPEAKER_02: And he made it a focus in our spring training and fall training to really look at the ball, punch the ball out, and then he made let's watch a bunch of videos of Fred Warner as well.
14:18
SPEAKER_02: Like he forced fed us Fred Warner.
14:20
SPEAKER_02: So that also helped as well to make us just notice the ball mid-play and then go hit the ball.
14:26
SPEAKER_04: But isn't but don't all coaches kind of emphasize they want you to force fumbles, or is it did they do something special at UCLA that really stuck out to you, that really maybe turned the light on for you?
14:36
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was just making it uh something that was not an option.
14:40
SPEAKER_02: Had to be forced.
14:41
SPEAKER_02: Like it was a forced thing that you had to make sure you're getting the ball out, make sure you're punching the ball.
14:44
SPEAKER_02: Like he was like, we were in the film room, and he was slow the tape down, you're like, what can you do here?
14:48
SPEAKER_02: And everyone be quiet, be quiet.
14:50
SPEAKER_02: The ball.
14:51
SPEAKER_02: It's all about the ball.
14:52
SPEAKER_02: Like making sure that that's a make a key focus for us.
14:54
SPEAKER_02: So that really helped out.
14:55
SPEAKER_02: It really helped out me and then the guys in the room.
14:58
SPEAKER_02: Take us back to Crandall, Texas.
15:00
SPEAKER_02: What got you into football?
15:02
SPEAKER_02: Uh it was my my Pee Wee coaches, they went door to door trying to see you uh recruit people for the football team, and came to my door.
15:12
SPEAKER_02: We just moved in and we were like, come on, let's give it a try, and then the rest is history.
15:17
SPEAKER_04: Well, that's pretty lucky.
15:18
SPEAKER_04: That worked out pretty well.
15:20
SPEAKER_04: I would say so.
15:22
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you also competed in track and field and basketball.
15:24
SPEAKER_04: How did those sports help you become a better football player?
15:28
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, basketball just overall coordination.
15:31
SPEAKER_02: It's a different coordination to be on the basketball.
15:33
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, a bunch of football players that cannot play basketball to save their lives.
15:35
SPEAKER_02: But like I think basketball just like helps you the quickness, lateral quickness, and be able to transition really well and then track this overall natural speed.
15:44
SPEAKER_02: I really have a lot of gratitude for my track coach because they really helped me this natural straight line and this overall burst acceleration.
15:51
SPEAKER_02: That helps a lot of football.
15:53
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I saw you also did a little high jump, six-foot high jumper.
15:56
SPEAKER_04: Did you you learn how to phosphory flop?
15:59
SPEAKER_02: Nah, my high jump, I my high jump form wasn't the best.
16:02
SPEAKER_02: I can't, I can't lie.
16:04
SPEAKER_02: My coach used to call it the lawn chair method.
16:06
SPEAKER_02: I just run and jump, and I could have probably got way higher, but I told you that my form is just lackluster.
16:13
SPEAKER_04: That's pretty good.
16:14
SPEAKER_04: You still still have bad form and go six feet.
16:16
SPEAKER_04: I mean, it's not easy to do.
16:17
SPEAKER_04: Like you're not you're not like a light guy.
16:19
SPEAKER_04: You know, a lot of those high jumpers are really light.
16:22
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
16:23
SPEAKER_04: Well, you played receiver in addition to linebacker and safety in high school from your highlights.
16:27
SPEAKER_04: Looks like you got some great ball skills.
16:29
SPEAKER_04: Did you ever give any thought to playing any other positions in college, or were you always going to be a linebacker?
16:34
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, uh offense, it was 50-50.
16:37
SPEAKER_02: I think I was more of a defensive guy.
16:38
SPEAKER_02: That's flight defense, you can fly around.
16:41
SPEAKER_02: And then I started off my career as nickel.
16:43
SPEAKER_02: So I was in the slow in the slot playing man-to-man, going to the half field, all that stuff.
16:48
SPEAKER_02: So I feel that really helped me out with my coverage skills when I moved to inside.
16:51
SPEAKER_02: But I knew linebacker was a final transition.
16:54
SPEAKER_02: I was like, I want to be behind the ballbacker, three-down backer, and everything.
16:57
SPEAKER_02: So it just worked out perfectly.
16:59
SPEAKER_04: And how would you explain the job of a linebacker to someone who's never watched football?
17:04
SPEAKER_02: So a linebacker is really the heart of the defense.
17:08
SPEAKER_02: That's why I can put it like you have the quarterback as the conductor, a linebacker at the heart of the defense where they expect you to make the plays, they expect you to help stop on the run, to help to stop the intermediate and middle passes, no passes in the middle.
17:22
SPEAKER_02: And it's also a mentality.
17:23
SPEAKER_02: When you hear a linebacker, you hear of a big hit, you hear of a grunt, you hear of a crash out, you hear of a guy with a few screws loose.
17:29
SPEAKER_02: That's that's the mentality you have to get you have to have at the linebacker, linebacker room, and the linebackers just in general.
17:36
SPEAKER_02: So you're just like a little bit crazy too, right?
17:38
SPEAKER_02: You can have little crazy stuff.
17:39
SPEAKER_02: You have to have a little crazy in you.
17:41
SPEAKER_02: Like you can't just be very normal and nonchalant, you know what I'm saying?
17:45
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, because you're like you would run into like you're running into brick walls out there.
17:48
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
17:49
SPEAKER_02: But you know, unstoppable force meeting uh meeting movable objects, who's gonna move.
17:55
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
17:56
SPEAKER_04: Uh what's your responsibility and your position?
17:58
SPEAKER_04: Do you call are you calling formations, plays?
18:00
SPEAKER_04: Are you are you uh doing a lot of communicating?
18:03
SPEAKER_04: Are you uh what's what's the main role that you have uh in this defense that you see a lot of it?
18:07
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I am the green dot linebacker, so I communicate the plays of the the defense, and then I'll try to call what I see, try to make everyone's job easier by the film study from beforehand, just making sure I see if I see any formations that are similar or or uh familiar, just call it out, look at the running back split, everything like that.
18:25
SPEAKER_03: What's the hardest part about playing linebacker?
18:29
SPEAKER_03: I would say that you have to, you're really a cleanup guy.
18:33
SPEAKER_02: So you have to make sure that everyone's right.
18:36
SPEAKER_02: And the hardest part is not even your job, but but making sure that other people are doing their job, and you have to really like react off somebody so someone can have a split decision to go this way, and then last second they want to go this way, but then you have to make them right.
18:50
SPEAKER_02: So you're like, okay, they're going that way, so I'm gonna go this way, which is easy, but you know, our D-linemen are not the brightest of people.
18:56
SPEAKER_02: So they'll go this way and go this way and go this way, and you have to make them right, which I love to do, but I I give them a hard time for it, but it's that's a fun part of the job.
19:06
SPEAKER_04: You know, a lot of linebackers, it's just doing assignments, filling gaps.
19:09
SPEAKER_04: Some linebackers get to freelance and run around people and make plays.
19:13
SPEAKER_04: Uh are you mainly someone who is emphasized that you got to fill your assignments, uh, gap integrity and all that kind of thing, versus or are you more encouraged to go out there and just use your athleticism, try to make plays?
19:26
SPEAKER_02: Uh a bit of both.
19:27
SPEAKER_02: And we have plays where we have very gap integrity and gap gap sound defense, but then we have players where I can just fly, go, go get ball, C ball.
19:35
SPEAKER_04: How do you like uh taking on blocks?
19:37
SPEAKER_04: Like if you have a uh tight end or uh H back coming down one of the gaps coming at you, are you trying to go around him or are you are you taking on that block?
19:46
SPEAKER_02: Well, it depends.
19:47
SPEAKER_02: If it's like straight up, you know, I gotta get put hands on him.
19:49
SPEAKER_02: You know what I'm saying?
19:50
SPEAKER_02: These hands lethal.
19:51
SPEAKER_02: And then if it's like a counter block or around, that's when I'll give him a good nug in the in the in the chest.
19:57
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
19:58
SPEAKER_02: What would you say your biggest strength is as a linebacker?
20:01
SPEAKER_02: I always say my lateral speed.
20:03
SPEAKER_02: I got I got pretty good quickness, pretty good speed.
20:05
SPEAKER_02: Shout out my track coach.
20:07
SPEAKER_02: And then uh hands.
20:08
SPEAKER_02: I I have pretty good hands with uh getting all blocks and everything, and then the tackle range.
20:14
SPEAKER_04: It's kind of an underrated part of being a linebacker, right?
20:17
SPEAKER_04: The hands, being able to make sure that the linemen can't engage you, that you have to disengage from them.
20:22
SPEAKER_04: Like you get a uh a guard coming up to the second level, right?
20:25
SPEAKER_04: And those guys can really lock onto you, right?
20:28
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, those are big, big people.
20:32
SPEAKER_04: So, what area do you think you still have a lot of room for improvement?
20:36
SPEAKER_02: Just overall fundamental sound, being fundamental sound in my uh open field tackling, making sure I don't miss tackles and then uh I just make sure I'm driving people back in every play.
20:46
SPEAKER_02: I feel like, yeah, you make a tackle, but you can still lose a tackle.
20:49
SPEAKER_02: I wanna I wanna have stops.
20:51
SPEAKER_02: Be consistent in having stops.
20:53
SPEAKER_04: Talking about your transfer to Westwood now, what clicked in that first meeting with Coach Chesney?
20:58
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Coach Chesney is a great guy, and having this me and my brother were in the in his office talking to him doing the this whole deciding process in the portal, and we heard heard him talk about the way he wants to win and the way he runs the program, we were sold.
21:10
SPEAKER_02: What did he say that convinced you?
21:13
SPEAKER_02: I'm a winner, and I want to win, and I want to bring my entire team to me with me to win.
21:18
SPEAKER_02: So when I saw that he literally brought his entire team from Holy Cross or from the D2 program to Holy Cross, to JMU, now to Westwood, is like, okay, he brings his people along, he has a village, and he wants to win, so why not want to play for him?
21:31
SPEAKER_02: And then Ashton Sanders called you while you were in the portal.
21:34
SPEAKER_04: What did he say to you?
21:35
SPEAKER_02: He was like, Sammy, we have a spot for you, come on.
21:38
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, that.
21:41
SPEAKER_04: Your linebacker's coach calls you Sammy Soup.
21:45
SPEAKER_04: That's quite a nickname.
21:46
SPEAKER_04: Where did that come from?
21:47
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so like that was a nickname, like the first two weeks.
21:50
SPEAKER_02: I think I've gotten 35 other nicknames in the last nine months.
21:54
SPEAKER_02: So every time he's a nice S word, he's trying to say Sammy something, whatever it is.
21:58
SPEAKER_02: I've had so many nicknames.
22:00
SPEAKER_02: Names, that's really hard to count.
22:01
SPEAKER_04: So it's just like uh alliteration, the S word, a convenient S word to say with your name?
22:05
SPEAKER_02: Anything.
22:06
SPEAKER_02: Anything like that's crazy.
22:08
SPEAKER_04: What are some other nicknames that he calls you?
22:11
SPEAKER_02: Sammy Strike, Sammy, Sammy Luce shirts, whatever it is.
22:17
SPEAKER_02: Like if he sees anything, he will he'll find it.
22:19
SPEAKER_02: He'll find a way to make a nickname out of it.
22:21
SPEAKER_04: What's your what's been like the your favorite one so far?
22:24
SPEAKER_04: The one that makes you laugh the most.
22:26
unknown: Let me think.
22:27
SPEAKER_02: I think Sammy Soup, because it's the OG nickname.
22:31
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
22:32
SPEAKER_02: That was like we were teaching a technique, and then I was going with the technique, and I struggled the first day of the technique, and then I got it down, and that was that is stuck every single time.
22:41
SPEAKER_02: So I think the OG founder, Sammy Soup, probably so give me a little giggle.
22:45
SPEAKER_04: That sounds like a an like an NIL deal.
22:47
SPEAKER_04: Like maybe you can get some Campbell soup going or some Chunky Soup deal going.
22:50
SPEAKER_04: I think that might that might be good.
22:52
SPEAKER_04: A little chick of noodle here.
22:54
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
22:54
SPEAKER_04: Okay, what's something about UCLA that you learned about or that you've learned about that you had no idea going in?
23:00
SPEAKER_04: Quarter systems.
23:02
SPEAKER_02: The school is not semesters, it's quarter systems, and quarters definitely move fast.
23:07
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
23:08
SPEAKER_02: And they start later too, right?
23:09
SPEAKER_02: Start later, yeah, and they they don't slow down.
23:13
SPEAKER_03: And what are you studying at UCLA?
23:15
SPEAKER_03: Right now it's sociology.
23:17
SPEAKER_03: And what's been the biggest adjustment for a Texas kid in Los Angeles?
23:22
SPEAKER_02: Uh it's the weather.
23:23
SPEAKER_02: The weather's amazing.
23:24
SPEAKER_02: But to be honest, I have a few speculations about the weather though.
23:28
SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
23:28
SPEAKER_02: Ever since I got out here, I've had like three extra heat waves, which has never happened.
23:33
SPEAKER_02: I'm like, bro, what's about these heat waves?
23:35
SPEAKER_02: Um I thought I moved to the West Coast to get away from all these dry heat.
23:39
SPEAKER_02: But besides that, it's been good.
23:41
SPEAKER_02: You brought it with you.
23:42
SPEAKER_02: I might have.
23:42
SPEAKER_04: I might have.
23:43
SPEAKER_04: It's crazy.
23:45
SPEAKER_04: Alright, let's do a few rapid fire questions and then we'll get you out of here.
23:48
SPEAKER_04: Uh, Whataburger or In N Out?
23:50
SPEAKER_04: Whataburger.
23:52
SPEAKER_04: Favorite spot on campus?
23:54
SPEAKER_03: Favorite spot on campus.
23:57
SPEAKER_03: I would say Bruin Walk.
23:59
SPEAKER_03: That's a good place.
24:00
SPEAKER_03: Toughest player you played against.
24:05
SPEAKER_03: Trinidad Chamblers.
24:08
SPEAKER_03: Uh he was on the show a couple weeks ago, actually.
24:11
SPEAKER_04: Uh have you had a have you had a celebrity sighting yet in LA?
24:15
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
24:16
SPEAKER_02: Uh Miles Garrett, Jalen Brown, Aaron Donald.
24:21
SPEAKER_03: I mean real celebrities.
24:22
SPEAKER_03: Like you see movie stars?
24:24
SPEAKER_03: No, no, no.
24:25
SPEAKER_03: Um Tom Cruise was here last week.
24:31
SPEAKER_03: There you go.
24:32
SPEAKER_04: That that that qualifies, I'd say.
24:35
SPEAKER_04: Hollywood sign.
24:36
SPEAKER_04: You seen it up close or just from the freeway?
24:38
SPEAKER_04: Just from the freeway.
24:39
SPEAKER_04: I haven't made that hike yet.
24:40
SPEAKER_04: I heard that's a little journey.
24:43
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's good luck.
24:44
SPEAKER_04: You go touch it, it's good luck.
24:45
SPEAKER_04: Um favorite LA food you can't get in Texas?
24:49
SPEAKER_04: Smash burgers.
24:51
SPEAKER_04: Smashburgers.
24:51
SPEAKER_04: Smashburgers is different.
24:52
SPEAKER_04: You know that LA is the hamburger capital of the world, actually?
24:56
SPEAKER_04: I believe it.
24:57
SPEAKER_04: I definitely believe it.
24:58
SPEAKER_04: There's a lot of great hamburger places around there, so if you like hamburgers, be sure to go exploring.
25:04
SPEAKER_03: Uh what do you miss the most about Texas?
25:08
SPEAKER_03: Gas prices.
25:12
SPEAKER_03: Favorite part about playing college football.
25:15
SPEAKER_02: The team, the like the chromotomy of the team is just amazing.
25:18
SPEAKER_02: The guys in the locker room are just so fun to be around.
25:22
SPEAKER_04: Finally, I heard you are a heck of a bowler uh that you consistently bowl in the mid-200s.
25:27
SPEAKER_04: What's your high score?
25:28
SPEAKER_03: 246.
25:30
SPEAKER_03: Did you ever nail a 710 split?
25:36
SPEAKER_03: I don't think I don't know if I have.
25:39
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's the one where there's two where the two pins.
25:42
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the very, very far outside.
25:44
SPEAKER_02: I don't know if I I might have.
25:45
SPEAKER_02: That's like super, super rare.
25:47
SPEAKER_02: You might know ball if you know that though.
25:49
SPEAKER_02: How do you know that?
25:50
SPEAKER_04: You know, I've I've I've been known to roll a few balls in my time.
25:54
SPEAKER_04: Uh I I heard you say that you were a top 30 bowler in college football.
25:58
SPEAKER_04: I want to know how how you come to that conclusion, actually.
26:01
SPEAKER_02: Because honest, I know that the level of bowling, especially in my prime, the level of bowling that I was bowling at was very elite with me and my roommates.
26:09
SPEAKER_02: We were all averaging 180 plus to 200, you know, at a time.
26:14
SPEAKER_02: So I'm like, there's no, there's no way we're not top 30 bowlers in the whole of college football.
26:19
SPEAKER_02: Why top 30?
26:20
SPEAKER_02: Why not like top 10?
26:22
SPEAKER_04: Because I feel like there's some pretty good guys out there.
26:24
SPEAKER_04: I'm not sure what's that a thing among Is that a thing among college football players to go out bowling?
26:28
SPEAKER_04: Is that like a Friday?
26:30
SPEAKER_02: You know, I don't really know.
26:31
SPEAKER_02: I'm just I'm just making a few assumptions, you know.
26:34
SPEAKER_04: Well, that's fair enough.
26:35
SPEAKER_04: If football doesn't work out, what about going to the professional bowlers tour?
26:38
SPEAKER_04: Is that an option for you?
26:39
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, PBA.
26:40
SPEAKER_02: I'm already I'm already tapped in.
26:42
SPEAKER_02: You know, I follow them every follow them on all social media.
26:45
SPEAKER_02: You know what I'm saying?
26:46
SPEAKER_02: I'd be watching forms, watching different techniques.
26:49
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
26:49
SPEAKER_02: Are you a spinner or are you just a power I can aim at?
26:51
SPEAKER_02: No, no, no, you have to spin.
26:52
SPEAKER_02: You have to spin.
26:54
SPEAKER_02: If you if you bowl straight, I I have I have a low respect for you.
26:58
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you wouldn't have respect for me because that's I that's how I bowl.
27:02
SPEAKER_04: Well, Sammy Omestigo, thanks for coming on the Heisman Hopefuls Podcast.
27:06
SPEAKER_04: Good luck against Oregon and good luck the rest of the year.
27:08
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I appreciate you.
27:09
SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
27:10
SPEAKER_04: Well, that's all for this week's episode of the Heisman Hopefuls Podcast.
27:14
SPEAKER_04: Big thanks to Kevin Jennings and SMU and Sammy Omestigo and UCLA for joining us.
27:19
SPEAKER_04: Finally feels like we've settled into college football season.
27:22
SPEAKER_04: We've got Alabama, Georgia this coming Saturday, and my man Sammy's Bruins are squaring off against Oregon.
27:27
SPEAKER_04: Remember to vote for your favorite players on the Heisman fan vote at hopefuls.heisman.com.
27:32
SPEAKER_04: You can vote once a day, and the final ballot will be entered in the official Heisman Trophy vote.
27:37
SPEAKER_04: Remember to like and follow the Heisman Hopefuls podcast wherever you get your podcast.
27:41
SPEAKER_04: I'm Chris Houston, and we'll see you next week.