Latest / Coaches Corner / Football HC Jim Mora - Media Day 2024

Transcript

Football HC Jim Mora - Media Day 2024 · Coaches Corner

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Okay, Well, first of all, thanks for coming out. Appreciate it.
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Nice to see your faces again. I know this.
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: I'm very excited about this season. I think we have
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: high expectations about what we can accomplish if we're able
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: to you know, put it all together and and you know,
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: learn how to fight through adversity and learn how to
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: handle tough situations. I think we improve this team in
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: the off season through recruiting and through the portal. I've
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: seen a group of young men that have really shown
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: a commitment through the off season. It's it's been a
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: difficult off season for me. We've we've been very demanding,
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: but feel a real sense of anxiousness from our players
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: to go out and and improve on what we did
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: last year. You know, and I don't like to look
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: back at last year, but it is a whole new team.
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: And when you have a season like we did last year,
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: it's always going to linger. Even if you don't want
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: it to and you try to, you try to push
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: past it, it's always going to be in the back
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: of your mind. So as many times as I tell
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: you we don't look backwards, it's always it's always.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: There to be.
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  Speaker 2: To be quite Frank, and you know, we get to
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: work tomorrow. We've got a lot of work to do.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: I think you look at some of the positions offensively.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: I look at our quarterback room and I feel like
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: that we've done a really nice job of upgrading that room.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: I think there's four guys, all at different stages of
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: their career that all are capable of being really good
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: players here at University Connecticut. And I look at what
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: we did in the depth at the running back room,
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  Speaker 2: through the portal, and and even bringing in a true freshman,
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  Speaker 2: and I think we've got five guys there that are
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: all competitive and all can.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: Go into a game and do good things.
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  Speaker 2: One of the areas that we needed to show up
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: was the receiver position. We brought in, you know, five transfers,
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: We brought in some young guys that are freshmen, and
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: you know, that room looks solid. Of course, I say
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: all of this knowing that there's a lot of work
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: to do. We lost a you know, a real contributor,
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: and justin Jolie. We didn't necessarily go out and get
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: that type of body to replace him, but we got
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: bodies that can do the things that he that he does,
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: and we'll have to, you know, manipulate our offense around
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: the guys that we have to make sure we put
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: him in the best position to make plays.
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: Defensively, I feel.
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  Speaker 2: Like we upgraded on the defensive line. We had some
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  Speaker 2: holes to plug at linebacker and we brought some veterans
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: in there that I think and have an immediate impact.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: And in the secondary as well, specifically at corner. So
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: feel good about offense, feel good about defense, and then
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: you know, we will have a new punter, we'll have
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: a new kicker, we'll have a new snapper, and hopefully
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: we can you know, we made the right decisions on
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  Speaker 2: the guys we brought in. I feel like we did
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: every you know, indication so far as that we did.
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: But we've got a lot of work to do, and
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  Speaker 2: there's a there's a real sense of urgency amongst this
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  Speaker 2: team too. You know, I think win back or at
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: least start to regain, you know, some of the trust
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  Speaker 2: that we were building a couple of years ago amongst
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: our fan base. You know, that's important to us is
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: that we you know that there's a lot to live
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  Speaker 2: up to when you're at University of Connecticut, you know,
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  Speaker 2: not only basketball but other sports as well, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: I'll point out baseball as well, and I think that
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  Speaker 2: I know, I feel responsibility to it, and I think
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  Speaker 2: all of our players do as well. Have huge respect
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  Speaker 2: for what's accomplished by the other sports here and don't
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  Speaker 2: want to get left behind. And you know, i'd lie
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  Speaker 2: be line to you if I said it didn't matter
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  Speaker 2: to us to you know, try to at least get
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  Speaker 2: on the path to attaining some of the great things
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: that our other sports have attained. And you feel that
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: amongst our players. So it's all positive right now. What
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  Speaker 2: do you like about the skill set that Nick is
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  Speaker 2: brought to the quarterback run?
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  Speaker 1: Well, he's extremely athletic.
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  Speaker 2: He's a six foot three, two hundred and five pound
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  Speaker 2: kid with a rock and arm who can also throw
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  Speaker 2: a touch and he can run. And you know what
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  Speaker 2: you see in this in the college game now is
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  Speaker 2: the quarterbacks that are dual threat guys, the guys that
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  Speaker 2: when a play breaks down that they can tucket and
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  Speaker 2: they can get a first down and get out of bounds.
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  Speaker 2: So they you know, they can threaten the defense down
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  Speaker 2: the field with their legs, or you can get into
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  Speaker 2: some triple option game or RPO game, zone read game.
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  Speaker 2: You know, those are the offenses that seem to be
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  Speaker 2: having success. And he has all of those traits. You know,
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: when you look at him and you look at his
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  Speaker 2: college career, his high school career was outstanding. Obviously, he's
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: had some hurdles he had to overcome collegiately, but watching him
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  Speaker 2: work in the in the limited time that I've been
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: able to watch him, you just see real athleticism out
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  Speaker 2: of him.
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  Speaker 1: And you see you see a real resolve.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, it's a guy that's had to overcome a lot.
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  Speaker 2: He came, you know, to his college career with high
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  Speaker 2: hopes and it hasn't quite worked out the way he
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  Speaker 2: wanted yet. And I see a real resolve in him,
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  Speaker 2: and so that's exciting.
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  Speaker 3: You know, some of the transfers kind of fitting because
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  Speaker 3: that's obviously in a new situation and everything.
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  Speaker 2: You know what, it's a scary situation because in high
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: school recruiting you get a chance to really know the
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  Speaker 2: kids and their families and you get a feel for
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  Speaker 2: their personality well before they get on campus. With the portal,
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  Speaker 2: it's almost like speed dating. You know, you really have
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: a weekend to get to know them. Unless you have
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: a previous relationship with them, and so there can be
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: some risk there. You know, are you bringing in the
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  Speaker 2: right type of person that's going to fit your culture,
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  Speaker 2: the right type of character, work ethic, or are you
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: bringing in a mercenary who's just a one year guy
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: that just wants you know, doesn't really care about your
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: team and just wants to better their position, maybe to
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: advance to the NFL. My gut feeling right now after
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: being around these guys is that it's a good match
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: that we've got a bunch of guys that care about
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: this football team. They certainly care about their career, but
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  Speaker 2: I've seen guys putting this team first. They have a
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: great work ethic, they have a great attitude. I feel
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: like a lot of them have a sense that they
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: have something to prove and that they feel like this
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  Speaker 2: is a really good place for them to do that
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  Speaker 2: and to contribute and to you know, have an impact.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: So that's exciting, Tim.
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  Speaker 3: Is it difficult to have any foundation or culture that
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  Speaker 3: you feel like you've established through two years carry over
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: to year three when you constantly have to remake a
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: roster to the degree college coaches.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: Y, you know what it could be.
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  Speaker 2: And I think that's probably concern of every college coach,
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: you know, and it's one of the dangers of the
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: transfer portal in terms of just maintaining a culture. But
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: when you have a foundation like the guys that you
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: just talk to, you know, you guys just talk to
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  Speaker 2: Chase and Vow and you talk to Victor and Cam,
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: and you talk to Jilani and Price and Dalmont. You know,
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  Speaker 2: those guys are such strong leaders and stretch such strong personalities,
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  Speaker 2: and they're such good players that they almost get a
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  Speaker 2: grip on, you know. They understand what we want to be,
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  Speaker 2: and they understand what it's gonna take for us to
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  Speaker 2: be what we want to be. And so when new
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  Speaker 2: guys come in, you know, and those guys can surround
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: them and pressure them if somebody's trying to you know,
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  Speaker 2: kind of squirt through, you know, and and do it
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  Speaker 2: a different way. They're able to put pressure on them
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  Speaker 2: and keep your culture intact. But it's a challenge, but
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  Speaker 2: there's nothing we can do about it other than, you know,
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  Speaker 2: try to figure out the best way to handle it.
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  Speaker 3: Some of those guys that we talked to you said
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  Speaker 3: that this is the closest that they've felt the team,
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  Speaker 3: and it's at this point do you feel that as well?
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  Speaker 1: Or is that just something that's kind.
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  Speaker 3: Of good to hear.
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  Speaker 2: It's great to hear. I I sense it. I'm not
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  Speaker 2: with them enough. When it comes from them, it's.
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  Speaker 1: Much more powerful than it would ever be if it
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  Speaker 1: came from me.
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  Speaker 2: So thanks for telling me that. I have that sense,
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  Speaker 2: you know, and I hear, I hear things. But you know,
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  Speaker 2: your culture is created by your players.
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  Speaker 1: You know.
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  Speaker 2: I can stand up there and I can preach whatever
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  Speaker 2: I want and talk about whatever I want. But unless
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  Speaker 2: your players embrace it and they live it and they
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  Speaker 2: enforce it, then you're y.
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  Speaker 1: You don't have a culture. And so fortunately we have.
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  Speaker 2: Some guys that that are very strong personalities and they
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  Speaker 2: are one hundred percent of about what we're about.
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  Speaker 1: And I love that. How do you feel now I'm
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: just only being a head coach, just how much I
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  Speaker 1: I feel. I feel really good about it.
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  Speaker 2: And I feel really good about it because I think
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  Speaker 2: we were able to hire uh Matt Brock, who I
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  Speaker 2: think is outstanding. I've learned a lot from him. It's
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  Speaker 2: been fun to step back and watch what he's doing.
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  Speaker 2: His intensity, you know, I've always felt like you get
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: to be a head coach because typically it's because you
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: do pretty good on offense or defense as a coordinator.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: But that was a long time ago for me, and
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  Speaker 2: I always felt like maybe what I grew into being
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  Speaker 2: my strength as a head coach was managing a team,
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: coaching effort, attitude, you know, culture, things like that, having
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: a big picture awareness, being really tuned into the pulse
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: of the team, you know, being good on game day.
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  Speaker 2: And I've told you guys this since since last years,
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  Speaker 2: I didn't do a good job.
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  Speaker 1: Of those things.
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  Speaker 2: You know, it was it was quite frankly, it was
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  Speaker 2: I did a poor job. And so just having the
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: chance to get back into a role where I feel,
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  Speaker 2: at this point in my career I can have the
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: most effect and impact on our players and coaches feels
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  Speaker 2: really good.
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: How's Gordon coming along? Is the great coordinator? He's done
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  Speaker 1: tremendous job.
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  Speaker 2: You know, you saw him really in him really from
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: the start, in his personality, his command, his intelligence. He's
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: a very smart football coach, a very smart educated man.
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: Uh.
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  Speaker 2: You know, I had seen in meetings the way he
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: connected with the players in his presentations. He has a
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: really great grasp of what he wants to do. I
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: think that, you know, sometimes there's a misconception that because
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: he's an offensive line coach, he doesn't understand the passing
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: game where he's just gonna run it, run it, run it.
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: That's not the case. He's very creative that way.
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: Bringing in Brad Robbins as our passing game coordinator quarterbacks
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  Speaker 2: coach has really helped.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: He's been a coordinator as well.
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  Speaker 2: He's he's I think pretty educated in what we want
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: to do in terms of getting the ball down the
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: field through the air.
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: So I feel good about about that. What has it
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: been like for you to learn a three through five
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: defensive sneer? And then how do you anticipate, you know,
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: being able to do that with the players? You know,
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: of course the next few weeks.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: It's Uh, the players have done a really good job
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: of adapting and learning it, implementing it. You see them
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: out on the field on their own a lot, uh,
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: you know, whether it's by position group or is an
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: entire defensive unit, putting themselves through the paces, meeting on
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: their own, testing each other on their own.
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: I think Matt the way he introduced it to them.
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: And Sprang was brilliant in terms of just the progression
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: that he took them through.
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: Uh, they love it, they do.
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: It's an aggressive, penetrating, confusing defense for an offense. It's
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: not something that people see every week, so it's not
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: easy to prepare for on a weekend, week out basis.
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: You know, he he's talked about it being somewhat of
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: a talent equalizer at times.
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: You know, we're going to get into some games against.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: Some of these these power for teams now that you
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: know they might have some guys that are a little
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: bit bigger, faster, and stronger, but we're going to have
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: I don't know if it caught an advantage, but we're
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: gonna you know, we'll be able to create some problems
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: that we probably couldn't create the way we were playing
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: defense in the past.
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: And that that's on me and Williams, who's yeah, yeah,
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: has he different? Has he changed? Have you noticed anything?
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: I know?
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: And that's a compliment in him that I say no,
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: because he's always been he's always had a lot of
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: maturity to him. He's always been focused, he's always been
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: kind of understated, he's always been dependable, and he's.
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: That same guy right now.
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: I'm sure internally and I'm sure he asked him this question,
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: he probably feels a little more pressure. But you know,
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: he's got a wonderful fiance. They love each other, they
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: support each other, they've got a wonderful baby, and they've
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: got a whole group of people around here supporting him.
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: I'll tell you something interesting that happened to me though
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: in spring is and this never happened to me in
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: whatever almost forty years of coaching is. I was in
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: the defensive back meeting and I was just paying attention
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: to Dalton up there coaching, and I got up to
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: leave before the meeting was over. As I turned around
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: to walk out, Malik was sitting behind me with his
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: baby in the stroller, rocking the baby in a meeting,
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: and it was it was unusual, but it was actually
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: pretty cool, you know. I mean the baby was quiet,
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: so obviously something was going on, but I don't know,
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: it was just it was wow. That's that's a first
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: in my career, after this long in this business. So
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: we try to you know, and this is it's it's
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: about family, you know, And so you see the kids
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: running around here all the time. That's the atmosphere I like,
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: and you know, my wife supports his his fiance and
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: and we're here to help them as a as a
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: as a team, and Kathy and I as a as
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: a partnership is as much as we can to make
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: sure that there, you know, their journey is smooth.
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: Well.
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: He also mentioned he's kind of switching positions to like
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: a hybrid defensive mangl Is that something that's common across
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: the defensive rossiter that some guys are doing that.
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: With the new scheme.
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: Because of a new scheme, a lot of guys have
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: had to adjust what they're doing, you know, new roles,
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: new techniques, new alignments, new assignments.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: And they've all embraced it.
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: You know, Malik, the position he's playing is a position
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: that demands a lot intellectually, uh physically, a ton of preparation.
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: But he's got he's got the traits that you're looking
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: for to play that position.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: And you know, as you said, it's it's a three
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: three five, so it's really three down.
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: It's two linebackers in a hybrid and it's five defensive backs,
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: three of those guys being safety type bodies. So he's
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: still working as a safety but it's a it's a
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: it's a pretty unique and I think fun position to play,
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: gimmutish and well the rungs and strength in the rooms
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: and stef up the running backs And Cam and Vic, what's.
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Your expectations FAM this year And.
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: Did you see enough work out of them to show you, like,
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: all right, these guys are ready.
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: To take the next step, Cam and Vic?
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. You know, I think one of
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: the big surprises, pleasant surprises last year was Cam. You know,
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: you guys know what happened with our running back room
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: with two guys deciding to transfer and guys getting hurt,
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: and it left us, you know, the cover was pretty bare.
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: And Cam, who came You came here as you know,
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: maybe a running back, maybe a defensive back, more towards
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: a defensive back. Then all of a sudden he becomes
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: a running back and he just embraced that role. And
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: you know, he's a big, powerful, strong, hard running guy.
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: I was, quite frankly, when he was a freshman, I
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: was a little worried about him. I didn't know if
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: he was going to have the maturity to be able
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: to perform and play and succeed at this level and
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: the way that's he's grown up over the last couple
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: of years is impressive. I'm excited about those guys. You know,
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: like I said, it's a good room. I think Victor's
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: very dependable. You know, Victor's gonna make plays. Victor's sneaky fast,
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: you know, Victor's great ball secure. I think you know,
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: he had a fumble last year where he hurt his knee.
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: You know, it's hard to blame him for that one.
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: They're going to do the right things and so much
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: a part of their job is protecting our quarterback and
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: they take great pride in that as well.
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: How much they're loyalty means great tribute to.
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: Them, you know, and as you said, hey, their loyalty
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: and their commitment to your program, and then it also
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: says a lot about the players that surround them and
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: then wanted to be a part of that group and
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: then your program in general. You know, they feel like
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: it's a place they can grow, develop, have success.
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: And so.
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: Time a guy has an opportunity and they decide to stay,
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: I think in this day and age, you know, it's
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: a it says a lot about them, and it says
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: a lot about the other players. And it says a
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: lot about your program that That's a question you'll have
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: to ask Gordy. I think when the guy scores six touchdowns,
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: you probably want to leave him in that role, right.
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: Uh. You know, he's so capable of doing so many things. Uh.
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: I'm sure we'll get creative with him, but.
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: It's not something we'll work on, you know, in the
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: immediate part of camp. But those are kind of game
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: plan types of things. But I think we'd be You
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: could go ahead and just write, he's stupid if we
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: don't use Jolanie talking about me, stupid if he doesn't
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: use Jolanni in that role.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: What is Skyler added to the receiver room? Uh?
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Well, besides experience and maturity, speed and athleticism and burst
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: and run after the catch and consistency, a great work ethic.
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: I mean he's always here working with Nick and working
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: with Joe and the quarterbacks.
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: And and he's just he's very committed. You know, you
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: sense it. And he's calm.
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: Got to call calm demeanor about him. I mean, you know,
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: bringing him and tj and and Ezra Rayah, I mean
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: those guys are all three guys that have played a
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: lot of ball you know, and been successful. Could you
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: have learn anything about yourself in the last couple of
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: years that has kind of caught you by surprise?
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: I mean, the game is changing so much. How you
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: try to build a team, and you know, if you
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: ever to find them one where you're like, why, I've
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: never wanted that to do this, or like proud of
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: yourself and any kind of.
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: I don't know about proud. I just excited to just
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: keep learning and growing. I found that I have a
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: passion for football. You know, when you take four years off,
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: you feel like you're passionate about it until you come
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: back and you realize how hard it is in the
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: grind you go through, and that you still love it.
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: I mean, I love it. You know, I have a
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: lot of football left in me. I don't see, you know,
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: the end of my career coming in the next ten years.
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: I hope. Now I love it.
• 16:56
  Speaker 2: I I've learned that from being a way and then
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: coming back, I learned how much I appreciate the players,
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: you know, and especially our players. Our players are different,
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: you know, they're just they're different kids. Man, They're awesome.
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: So I learned I love football, that's for sure.
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: So you think with the upgrades that you may, particularly
• 17:14
  Speaker 2: the Sivers quarterback, that this is going to be the
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: kind of explosive team that you've been looking for the.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: Last couple of years. Closer. I hope, so, I believe so.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: I think we have that capability. We still have to
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: be balanced, you know, you have to be able to
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: run the ball.
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: Effectively, to throw the ball down the field to get
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: your play action game working. But I feel like we
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: have some guys now more than just one or two,
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: that can get the ball in their hands and make
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: things happen in the open field, you know, or can
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: get past the guy and they can play down the field.
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: And I feel like we have quarterbacks that can put
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: it there with consistency.
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: Now we have to go out and we have to
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: do it.
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: You know, we have to execute up front, we have
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: to run the ball, we have to catch the ball.
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: But the potential is there, and now we just have.
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: To spend the next three or four weeks, you know,
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: fine tuning everything, building confidence, and then go into the
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: season and and build on.
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: That every week.
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: How are the guards coming along, Well, we've had to
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: replace a few guys. Yeah, we've had to replace the
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: three interior guys. Uh And I don't if you know this,
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: but Noel is back with us as an analyst, So
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: we we've got him. I don't think they'll let us
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: suit him up, but we got him.
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: I have tremendous faith in Gordy, you know, and Gordy
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: feels really good about that group, you know, and and
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: the transitions part of college football, but there are certainly question.
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: Marks on those interior three. And you know, as.
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: We get going and it's it's live and it's contact
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: and it's not the stuff that we were doing.
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: You know, really Spring wasn't really ever live.
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: I'll have a better feel, but you know, based on
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: on how Gordy feels, I feel pretty good as well.