Press Conference (Austin Sierveld) ULTRA March 23

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1:03That's 20% off when you use code giant20 at american-giant.com. Finding a hoodie that lasts through the season can be tough. The American Giant Classic Foolsip hoodie is made to last year after year. Snag the hoodie that brings comfort for life. Save 20% off your first order at american-giant.com with code staple20 at checkout. Do you have stepped up more comfortably in the car now? It's down a little bit more than he's probably comfortable with. Was it easier to get out of your comfort zone than you see that other guys were willing to take that step as well? Yeah, like guys like Carnot stepping off, it just makes me want to step up even more. I just leave the line and also leave the offense and then leave the team. Awesome, what is that battle been like with the tactics? I mean, obviously it could be 4-8 and then the obviously even 12-8 and 8-8 and 8-8, just what's that been like? Yeah, so every day we're just working. We're always, Indio always pushing each other. Coaches are always pushing each other and

2:03same thing in the film, no medium. Would you have guessed if this time a year ago that you'd be practicing to potentially be the starting left tackle right now? Uh, no, not even any tackle, I doubt it'll be at guard, but just going out and trying to be the best player I can be. How is that experience playing guard? How do you feel like that's translated now to being able to be a tackle? Well, I don't have, you can translate the physicality from the guard and always having that the year three or a two line-up across from you, but that tackle is a lot more space. And I guess having some good feet and coaches keep coaching me up. So, like that. Do you have a position you feel most comfortable right now? Or is it just whatever they have? I mean, that's what I feel most comfortable. Have you enjoyed things? Yes, fun. Yeah. Do you prefer a left or right tackle? Uh, it's whatever they have. What would you say is that for people who have never done it? What is the adjustment when you move from a guard to tackle?

3:04What are you working on? What's the difference? Um, the biggest thing is the space. You have to know. Oh, it becomes natural in me. I guess playing basketball in high school helps a lot. Having some good feet, quick feet, and that helps to just being coachable is a place of big factor too and just always come to come ready to learn and ready to be. What did last year's camp do for your confidence being playing everywhere and succeeding? Oh, yeah. Last year's camp mean I pretty much got thrown into the fire with Donnie having his late and I just got thrown in and I had to produce that or if I couldn't produce and we're not re-worked on waiting yet. And then, as I just carried through the entire season, when you knew you could play, Yep. Yeah, so he's a, he's a, he's going to be a good player.

4:08He just got to keep building, keep getting developed. On and off, like, it's a freshman off the line and like they're going to have to get developed. But he's, he's doing really good. I've been able to talk about some of the struggles you've gone through. Yeah, yeah. But every time he, like, and then the I'm always there coaching him, like we need every, like you guys see in the last year, we need everyone. It happened to play that early in the season, maybe do more for your development than maybe anything else just because how you're talking like you had to have that mindset of I have to do this or else we're probably not going to work. Yeah, I was pushed camp last year and then I just had to have a mindset. So yeah, if you're going to make your last year Donnie made his first study tackle at the time of the card, it seems like your potential, one of your first slides, it's attacking him against playing the Texas offensive line. How much are you looking for in an opportunity to prove yourself in right away? It would be a good tackle as well coming against this really good defensive line. Yeah, it's going to be a great matchup for us up front and just trying to prove and show like, like, prove to what I've been working on and just trying to just be the best that I can be.

5:11How much do you guys like can you allocate and see Jay, like how much do they prepare for you for defensive line like that? Yeah, so each of those guys are very different defensively. They bring up different style and then just going against that every single day, like I think I'll be ready. Austin, you talked about it earlier, what have you seen from Jay, can you say about like the other two pressure teams that you're pushing? Yeah, they're doing good for young guys, like they just keep coming to keep coming every day, keep competing, keep working, keep working hard and they're going to be really good. What was the last question that really got you moving to left tackle a lot of this camp, like how was it first discussed? How did it first happen to you? Surprise, why are you expecting it was just so interesting to do how this happened? I wouldn't say I was surprised because like last year I was playing left and right, so like it came natural for me to play both sides. But I mean, we were just trying to find, like we, like I said earlier,

6:11like a prime in position. The second I was just like every guy had to play multiple positions. Like last year we had like 10 different rotations, whatever that was, but like we had a, everyone was rotating. What do you feel like you have the most to go on that trip that's in the left tackle? Just definitely work my sets and everything. I mean, as a guard, your sets are a lot different than an attacker, and I just gotta keep working on that type of thing. Does it take you to play something? Day? You did some left tackle in the spring early, right? Yeah, so this isn't completely. Does it feel it's left tackle now your primary position? I want to say no. I mean, I mean, if I have to go right tomorrow, if I will, probably I don't know. So this is, I guess, tackled right now. Do you think people are making too big a deal about it and just playing whatever spot they put together? You know, left tackle, so it's sort of got some, some kind of an aura too.

7:14No, Coach Bowen still trying to finalize our five up front. And then every day could be some guys rotating and so yeah. I guess it just starts like who I am as an individual, like how I grew up. I just always came to work, always working hard. And like, as I grew up, and I was like, I played in every position, so then that coming year was just felt natural for me to go, won't play it right, and then next time I go left. And then if I had to, I could step out one more. So you didn't play center in high school, but you can do it in a day. Probably. I really plan as much, so I just wanted to get like more experience under my belt, so I can know, bring younger guys with me because I've been through a lot of it. One of those younger guys, we're seeing it out here. It's the first time I've scored all of those last years.

8:16What have you seen from Lil, because I kind of felt like last year, we all forgot about him because he was hurt and now he's running, you know, almost a second man up behind you and tied. What have you seen in the bend between these three? Well, as a workhorse, he goes, stay quiet, you go and work hard. And that's what I love about him. He focuses, he don't really talk much. He's just going to get the job done, do a job right, rarely has any mistakes. So what, what would be a successful season? A national championship? I ring when all the games we don't want to lose anything. We got a mindset that we can't be beat, and we just got to go show it. That mindset different. It seems like you guys expect a national championship every year. This year even more so, you guys have all come back for this. You guys have all decided, like enough is enough. Does that, does it keep feeling different? Or is there not really any difference? It's definitely a difference. Everyone working harder, we noticed our last run. Most of us don't have any years after this. So we got to go bigger going home and we're not trying to go home. So it's finished big.

9:17We know what you guys think of Michigan. But when you look at what they did, they won the national championship. And you guys took them down to the final minute, right? You know what I mean? You were right there. Something goes a little different. You guys could have won that game against them. Does that tell you anything about like that, hey, you guys want to win a national championship, but you played to the 59th minute with the team that won the national championship last year, like you're that close. So I'm saying, we just like work harder. That's kind of coach makes a saying, you know, nobody cares, just work harder. Like those, you know, when we played Georgia, it's the same thing. Last, last play, you know, they went on the win in 90. So we just got to get over that hump at the end of the season. I think we'll be fine. How frustrating is that? You're that close against the last two national titles, right? Uh, of course it's, you know, it's frustrating, but you can't change the outcome. You can't really dwell on it. You just got to, you know, come back and work harder. Do things better than you did last year and hopefully the outcome will change.

10:18Is that as you get older, you kind of learn. I thought I was working hard and then you always find out there's a little more than you could have been doing? Yeah, definitely. I mean, that's how that's what growing up is basically in college. I thought freshman year I was working. It's hard as I could, but now I look back at it. I really wasn't working hard at all, compared to what I'm doing now. So just to learn anything. Uh, 80, 85. I mean, I can, it's all on me. I just, I think it's a little higher. I was just trying to be funny, but I mean, it's all on me. I just got to run harder in shape. The idea of potential is 16 and 17 and 17. Side about that idea does it make you nervous about, can you last that long? You're worried. I think I'll kill that out there. I think we, I definitely can last. I was just, you know, we got to get the young guys to come along with us. We can't play 50 snaps again. That's just too much on our bodies.

11:19Uh, just everybody's like, online, DeLine, we got to get those younger guys to play, you know, get that pieces on the DeLine and the online. And everywhere else. So we can last that long around. Speaking of that, let's play in the dog. I'm a snap. Did you like playing that many snaps again last year because of them? I don't know if any of us were really expected to be playing that many snaps. Uh, yeah, I did. Unless we were like winning by like a lot. Uh, I thought like, there are no moments you know, I can go sit down or something. But when I'm playing them big games, like, you know, Notre Dame too or North, those kind of games, I of course I want to be because I know I can contribute. And I won't want to put that on anyone else when I know I can get the job done. What stands out about Kaden McDonald is he got a few guys in a second here. Oh, yeah, definitely. K-Mac is a K-Mac's animal. Y'all, you haven't really seen it yet. But in practice, he shows all the time. He's just, he's grown right now. He has to work, I think. He just has to get, you know, in the playbook, things like that. You guys are about the exact same size. Listen, you're both listening to 6-3. You're 3-27. He's 3-26.

12:20Yeah, he's a very often. I kind of look at him like my junior. But, you know, K-Mac, he's going to be a great player. He's just got to develop more in getting the playbook. So really a lot on you, older guys, there's that large group of young guys and then there's these seniors in the back. Is that part of your task for this year to bring those guys along as well? Yeah, definitely. We got to be leaders. Like I said, we got to have them play this year. We can't just play all the snaps. They got to get in there and get some work. And we got to get them right during the all season. So they can play. And not just play, they want to like contribute. Like, make plays, tackles, sex. It seems like these guys get bigger. Each one of the freshmen classes looks bigger and bigger. Do those guys kind of, does it kind of why you want to solve the first? Yeah, they're definitely some big dudes. And they all work hard. I'm going to be seeing much of some of the day too when I'm passing on. But throughout the workouts, they've been working hard. You know, they're determined. I would say that. And it looks like they're ready to work with me. How important is the notes? It feels like there's a lot of great defenses there.

13:23You have big athletic defensive tackles who can eat up space, but also move, you know, right? That is that. Is that important? Maybe from a great defense to have guys like you that have some balls, but also a great team? I think that is definitely. I think if you look at the last couple, not in the championship winners, like team of North, they didn't know they got two good, uh, detacled, two athletic detacles. Look at Georgia, two athletic detacles. I think that's definitely neat if you want to go on that big run. And beat those big teams. Really, if you think about this, if they want to fight by the defense with actors, like, what's Georgia's, Jordan Davis and Dylan Carter and what's Michigan? It's Chris Jenkins. Couple more questions for you. It is funny like how, I mean, you understand it because you play it, but I feel like some time I don't know. Are people realizing how important defense tackles are? A little bit more than they used to? I think so. I think they're starting to develop to develop more and more of these like freakiest detacles. Like in the combine, just now,

14:24you seeing like those guys, they're moving four to four, seven, eight, and things like that. So we'll see. And when you think it, when you think about those freakies, how do you think you fit into that old of that kind of player? You watch that and say, yeah, that's me. Uh, yeah, definitely. I think I'm top notch when it comes to detacles, but I don't want to, you know, get a big head, but, you know, watch it come on. I watch it do do the drills. I mean, I have tapes here. You're like, look at my, my film. So I think I'm up there with all those. Do you become like a artist who comes to the bad guy? I think your legs have your things. I mean, when you're going to spring practice, you're not doing as much a weapon on a weapon. That's strong. How do you work on that? Do you have like a gold one? I don't, I don't remember how much you had last year. Like, you haven't got a gold one last year or five? How many do you want to have? I mean, as many as I can have, I think I have more than that, but I think they're counting. He said it on the... I think they're counting some of them, and it's some of them where I like just missed it. So, but I think we work on drills matching the hand, I think that's, uh, goes big, and uh, what we do is a D-line, you know,

15:26just affecting the quarterback is, anyway, you can, it's just great for the defense, you know, just that little thing covering his eye, you know, he might throw it a little bit to the left to our player, so. So, let's something that you really, really have to work on, to do that with what you do in the past. It's really, that's one of the things that you've maybe worked on the most during your time here, because there are a few guys that I've seen, you know, like, oh, that password is down. We don't have to ask this style. I think I just have, like, a eye for the ball kind of, I kind of just look at the quarterback, and just, I see him like, load up, I just try to get in his ways, and sometimes he just throws it to me. I don't know. I'm irritated if you like, to the Ohio State quarterbacks game. I'm in a bad, dumb fastest. I mean, they get frustrated, but, you know, we're a team, you know, we're just getting better. Watch a lot of, a lot of different backs, man, they just learn to grow for them. If you go to pick your top three bags, you gotta go right now. Hey, I'm Josh Speagle, host of the podcast, Lunatic in the newsroom. If you enjoy journalism that drifts into my old panic,

16:27wild overthinking, and a guaranteed nervous breakdown, Lunatic in the newsroom is for you. It's news like you've never heard before. The only newsroom with a panic button, you'll laugh, you'll cry, and gasp and horror as the show spirals completely out of control. It's not just news, it's emotionally unstable. Lunatic in the newsroom. Listen today. Hi, this is Alex Cantrowitz. I'm the host of Big Technology podcast, a long time reporter and an on-air contributor to CNBC. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, and meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, listen to Big Technology podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Josh Speagle, host of the podcast, Lunatic in the newsroom.

17:28If you enjoy journalism that drifts into mild panic, wild overthinking, and a guaranteed nervous breakdown, Lunatic in the newsroom is for you. It's news like you've never heard before. The only newsroom with a panic button, you'll laugh, you'll cry, and gasp and horror as the show spirals completely out of control. It's not just news, it's emotionally unstable. Lunatic in the newsroom, listen today. I don't really have a top three, but I'll give you one. I would say, say Kwan, Gibbs, and I like McCaffrey. Although he was injured this year, I like McCaffrey. Who's the best cop in this drive? Best back in this drive. I lead out of the yard. That's y'all, that's y'all decision. Playing with Will Howard, what I'm going to remember most. We're a Howard, man. He's just such a great leader, man.

18:29It's just like in moments where usually a lot of players say, fold, man, he was just always calm and relaxed, man. He just the leader that he was, man. That's one thing I'm going to remember about him. Yeah, he's, he's going to be really good, man. He's on Coach Locke. I think he got the transfer in as well from West Virginia. Just that one, two punch with them both as well. They're going to be really good backs. And so James people's, man, he's smart. The way that he goes about his business, man, he's mature. And so, man, he's growing, you know, just as a person and as a player. And so, man, yeah, definitely Ohio State, you know, that running back room is in great hands. He's a personality and a true character. I'll keep that up until the same day. Yeah, Coach, Coach Heartline, man. He's full of energy, man. And he's creative as well, you know, just learning from him as well. You know, I'm trying to run more outside the back field. It was being able to learn from Coach Heartline. And so, he's definitely creative at what he's, he does.

19:31And he brings a lot of energy to the team as well. And so, I think that would do really good. Just the intensity, man, the intensity of the playoffs, every game, man, it's like the intensity got, you know, higher and higher. And so, you know, being able, I know in the lead, it's the same thing. Even if it's not the playoffs, just every, every game and the intensity it keeps getting higher and higher. And so, yeah, you just, I know you got to bring it, you know, each and every day and come in and work just like Ohio State. You know, I definitely feel like Ohio State. They definitely do a good job of preparing us for that. You know, I just remember even before going through this process, how I'll talk to a lot of players before then. And they told me a lot of just about how much Ohio State prepared them, you know, for the NFL. And so, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I know I took a couple of days off after the national championship. And then, shoot, right after that, I'm writing Sample Florida and I'm right to it.

20:34And so, yeah, I think where I trained, I trained that, your performance, I think it's called the House of Athlete or the Compound now. They did a good job, man, they're just bringing us in. And the way they went about training us, man, they did a really good job. The buck in the ears, no, I haven't. Tampa, Tampa, nice, this is nice, this is a nice city, man. Really nice. The 40, the broad and the vert. Yeah, yeah, no, man. It's really all about technique and then it's about mindset as well. And so, I say, you know, it's for the love of my brother. It's for the love of Will Howard. It's for the love of the receivers who I got on the perimeter. Just making sure, you know, first of all, my quarterback doesn't get sacked. And I tell Will, I think it was before the first game. I was like, I got your brother.

21:34It's like, I said, man, I'm not going to let you get hit. You know, and so, I don't know if I gave up a sack. I'm not sure that, but I know if I did, I haven't given up too many. And so, man, it's for the love of my brothers, though, man, making sure that the ball get in their hands, you know, the guys on the outside and making sure they get fed. You had to hit the practice field later today. What is something you'd be working on right now when you need to? In my game, you can't really work on this. You know, in all season, I feel like it's more so, you know, you got to put the pads on. You got to go through some inside run, you know, maybe. I was really just continuing to run through tackles. And so, that's, I feel like that's one of the areas in my game. You know, I want to continue to get better at it. I feel like I did a good job of that in my senior year. And so, I just want to continue to build on that. Yes, I did. Yes, I did. I did meet with New Orleans as well. I never got that comparison. Actually, I know I have a Camera shoe.

22:36Yeah, man, I have a Camera great, great back, man. Just what he does and those 101 matchups, he's dangerous, man. And he's so smooth. He's so smooth as well. I'm not going to lie, he's smooth. Yeah, um, inside zone from stack, being able to hit that thing downhill. And I'll say the next one is probably just an option route out of the backfield. You know, a man and man coverage, you're getting on that linebacker. And so, yeah, I say to man, the biggest thing is the way that he carries himself, man. And the way that man, um, he approaches the game. He comes in with the mindset, you know, he's going to work every single week. You know, every practice, you know, he's working hard. You know, um, even shoot it. I don't know, every good, I think he had it. Every game was a good game for him, man.

23:37And so, but still, man, he always has the mentality to mindset that, you know, he's going to come in each and every day. He's going to continue to work and get better, man. And so he's definitely man. He's going to be a special player, man. He really is. Man, a lot of ups and downs, man. It's just how you respond to adversity. And I feel like that's something that God has definitely helped me to do better. It's just, um, I have something to lean on now. You know, I remember before I met him, you know, going through those adversity, I had nothing to run to, you know, you can run to people, but they still can't. It's not too much. They can't truly help you. You know, I feel like, you know, I feel like the only person that can truly help you is your relationship with Jesus Christ. And so, um, being able to lean on him, you know, he gives you, in those moments, where it's tough, you know, where it's low. And, um, when you're behind the scenes and you're going through things that people don't know about, um, he gives you, he gives you that peace and comfort, you know, um, even in those moments, man, where it's so hard that you can't,

24:40you can't explain. It's like, man, I'm going through this, but like, how am I still filled with this internal joy? You know, how do I have so much peace in this situation? And so that's something that only Jesus Christ can give you. And so, Um, man, those guys have such a great mentality, man. Um, I just really love their mentality, especially, um, Q as well, you know, I talked about Will Howard, his leadership, but Quinshaw mentality, man, um, that boy just, yeah, that boy just gifted, you know, you see, you know, sometimes he put in a situation where he looked like, you know, he should have a negative five yards. And then, as soon as you know it, you know, he, the running through somebody, still farming somebody, and shoot, it's a game to 10. And so, uh, um, shoot, I think,

25:41yeah, man, I think it just like, he's just gifted, man, to be honest, he's just gifted, you know, he's, he's a big back. You know, he's strong. And so, um, you know, he's, he's able to do, he's able to do those things. And so, um, yeah, man, it's definitely, you know, I look at his game and I want to, you know, at the same time, I want to learn from Quinshaw. You know, I want to look at his game and it's like, man, where, where can I get better at as well? You know, that's the type of player I am. I'm always looking to get better, man. I'm always looking to grow as a player. Julian San. Oh, yeah, he's going to be a great, but he's going to be a great quarterback, man. He's so, so accurate. And so, um, he's definitely, man, I know Coach Day is definitely going to get him right. Just, you know, um, container, grow as a leader, container, grow as a player. And so, he's going to be really good for a high state. Uh, he's, I know just the quarterback position. Um, I feel like, you know, the quarterbacks in the past, they've, they've definitely been vocal. And so, I feel like that's something that they're definitely going to, um, ask of Julian San as well. It's to be that vocal leader and lead, um, and lead to offense and lead to steam. Right.

26:44Shoot, man, he has, he has a build like JK Dobbins. And, um, I kind of see them, you know, similar, similarities in their game as well. And I know JK Dobbins, he was a great running back. Um, I feel like he's not talked about his, no, um, a lot. But man, his career here, you watch his highlights is, is great. I remember, um, before I recruit, before I committed here, I remember watching JK Dobbins highlights like every, every, um, one of his years here, like four or five times. And so, man, he was such a great back. And, um, I feel like, you know, um, when I see JK Dobbins, when I see, um, James people, I see similarities to both of their games. I feel like they play the same. And so, appreciate you all. Yeah.

29:07Oh, I got coming in last year, I knew the role. So I just tacked every day, really the same way. This is taking advantage area. Physically, very different. Are you weight wise, body wise on that from the year? Um, I think I got a lot bigger. I'm like 240, you know, like 244 right now. Last year, I played at like 236, 237. What does it feel like at 244? I feel like almost a different machine out there. Yeah, like, what does it, what does it feel like to be running around out there? Like you are, but with more, uh, more bad. I just feel like I'm like, like, like more downhill, like stronger, like I'm taking all blocks better. It's bigger. Is it don't think, uh, maybe that's not the correct term,

30:08but to think you're going to be playing much more than you did even last year and you played quite a bit last year instead of what you have to get straight in your head about being on the field that much more. Is it got to get ready to just play 30 more snaps? So, but are you, are you, how would you describe how much you're looking forward to it from an 8 stand point? Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I'm ready for it. My, I'm ready for it. The Texas opener, it's a rematch and so to speak, but it's not really two different teams compared to the last time you all played and stuff, but how is that enhanced, uh, this camp for you and this team, getting ready for, like, we're an opener of that magnitude? Yeah, with an opener like that, we've been, um, we've been emphasizing it a lot. We know we got coming. So we know we got to do, we've been prepared for it. I already just probably worked today to play right now. Here has to play right now. Um, I think Riley ready to play right now. He, he advanced freshman, like he ended here in the book. He stood in, like, he advanced and his measurements was crazy, like he saw like, saw like, saw like, too. Or, like, you said, you're ready. Like, you know, you're ready.

31:09What was that process, like, during last season? Could you feel yourself becoming more and more ready? So whatever the team needed from you? Yeah, because that's pretty much what my role was, which is whenever I was needed, I had to step up. So I feel like that's what built me into me being able to say I'm ready for this year. When you say ready, is it more a physical thing? Is it a mental thing? When I say ready, I think it's pretty much like everything physically, mentally, mostly. I think I'm there. What difference is that feeling this year than last year? That's the most possible thing that happened in the past. Oh, I asked that one more time. How different is that responsibility? That's just the most possible thing to call that. If it was last year, you knew you were a homemaker. Oh, I feel like it's a, uh, it's a way bigger responsibility with me having to step up this year. But I kind of go about it the same way. Like last year, I was intentional with everything I did. I feel like this year is going to be the same thing. It's probably a little bit more.

32:15And what work? Uh, I say, describe like, now I say, like when you think of me, you would think of like a like a bullet, like a silver bullet. I don't really, but I'm always on the ball. That's how I like to play a thing. No, I ain't got to be my nickname, but I'm not saying that. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You want a body? Yeah, it's like,