Press Conference (Taylor Decker)3 Elite Edition September 2

0:00Heisen lows and you know it seems like we're on an upswing right now and I'm gonna get to see it through and I can't be happier about that. Very early in your career, I don't remember my first press conference you talked about how you wanted this to be here forever home. Essentially you want to be here in Tyra. It doesn't mean that you've only got three years left but it just puts you another step closer to realizing that goal. Like do you do appreciate how rare and kind of unbelievable that is in this league and it's to stay in one place for the Patrick IV right? Just three, three. Patrick, maybe just to see that that kind of consistency ability to stick. I mean I don't know if I'll be able to fully appreciate it's on done because like when you're in the thick of it and you're in the day to day it's kind of hard to have that you know outside looking in perspective on on your career and longevity. So I feel like I think I can appreciate it but yeah just from

1:06a day to day perspective it's hard to do and I think one thing that's huge is like you just have to continue to add value you know as you get older there's gonna be an influx of new players every single year that are gunning for your job or guys that you are playing against and that's something that I've really tried to strive to keep myself at a level where I can maintain my level of play if not get better and I think I think I'm in my prime I think I still I still think I am and I think I'll be able to play as long as I want to knock on wood barring any freak accidents. So I just you know I want to be here I want to be a part of this team and you know when you when you when you want to and you have passion to add value that makes it a little easier to get up and do the workouts in the offseason you know whether you're 22 or going to be 31. So yeah I mean it's definitely special. They have always had this work as a reputation of rewarding the players you see

2:08this offseason St. Brown go off you know a name now yourself. What does what does you say about the organization that you know you feel like it's changing the reputation a little bit we're warning guys. Well first and foremost those three guys absolutely deserving of every penny they got incredible and you know me being in the room with Penae every single day like I was you know ecstatic for him and of course the other guys but Penae is he's my line he's my guy. I think it speaks to a good culture that's been built and it's not built on sand it's genuine it's real. You bring certain guys in because of what they can add not just as players but as people and like I said it's it's a genuine thing that the that the staff is looking for and it's not oh we're just gonna bring this guy in and then get rid of him and try to find something cheaper. I just think it

3:10speaks to the culture. We find guys that fit we find guys that represent what we're about not only are they phenomenal players but they represent us they represent the city and to be able to keep a core group of guys around I feel like more and more in the NFL you guys guys coming in and out and it's hard to develop kind of some cohesiveness and especially us on the offensive line we got to play together for a long time now and that's valuable I mean it's that's big time and then you think even the quarterback position where his drops are how he moves in the pocket things like that and then Jared and his familiarity with with Saint I think it speaks to they want to win but we want to win this is what we're here to do we're here to win so we're gonna keep our guys they can help us win yeah Express your desire to stay what didn't sound like anything was imminent can you just take us through how this came together from your perspective

4:11so I bring I've been going back and forth a little bit for probably about a year and a half now with the organization because I knew like I want to be here there was no no questions for me like this is the place I want to be I want to stay here and then there's just a lot of moving parts I'm not the only person in this organization I'm not the only guy that wants a contract extension and then I think coming off two surgeries I think they probably wanted to see how I was moving around a little bit and then in OTAs I actually went up and I had a conversation with Dan I was like where are we at you know I hear things from my agent and you know from our our salary cat people and they're talking and I'm getting it kind of second-hand information I want to hear it like tell me where we're at just so I know I just want the information so it's communicated well and pretty much what he told me was to it to you what happened and I just basically had to had to stay patient and for me it was never going to

5:12be hold out of training camp oh if it comes to the season we're not going to play games like that that's just not me I'm going to show up and I'm going to play because that's what I do and that's what I'm here to do so I think it was pretty seamless I just talked to Charlie and Disney upstairs they said it was super smooth I think it happened in a day which was pretty much all my my second one happened and my third one happened as well pretty quickly so I think there's I think there's value in just showing up and and going to work and I think the team knows that I'm not going to change if just because I'm not getting what I want when I want it and then ultimately we both got what we wanted so for me was just I got the information that I wanted from Dan and when we communicated man-to-man and it was very amicable and since that conversation I felt like it was promising that it would happen I didn't know when exactly I

6:14had a ballpark idea and then it all worked out you know I showed up to camp I went and played and the agents and the salary kept people do their thing and now you know moving forward I can just focus on playing football going through camp day to day I don't have to have any of that hanging over my head and it's pretty good feeling Taylor all I'm doing a really thankless job it's not here what does it mean to play for a team that the values that side of the day and what did you first sense that from Brad and him you know there's there's a couple times every single camp where Dan will come into the offensive line room and he'll say I need to see it today and I've never had a head coach come in our room and say say something like that and he would pop in every now and

7:16then just say like today I need to see it from you guys not that we're not out there working hard every single day but he's like my eyes are on you guys today and it seems like a lot of those times they're kind of some ballbuster practices that are they're gonna be kind of a grind it out and that's what offensive line is and I think you see it with the way they draft they draft guys in the trenches and even dating back to before they were hired this organ is it I was drafted Graham was drafted Joe'd always drafted in my class Frank was like we were drafting lineman we were trying to build this team the right way and we had some pieces and then Brad and Dan just continued to build on that and I think it's paying dividends and I can't speak enough to you know going back to the culture fit of the quality of people that they bring in and how when you get along I don't know just people's play flourishes even more and

8:17that's another big reason like this is where I wanted to be like I had pretty much no interest in going to any other team I wanted to be here and a big factor of that is the guys that I get to play with and I want to continue to play with them because they're important to me and I think you know the offensive and defensive line based on how the drafts have gone and based on the quality of player that they've brought in I mean you can see that it's definitely of importance to the organization kind of along the same lines given where the roster is given the success of the teams to add recently is there something extra validating about getting your first contract extension under this specific regime yeah 100% not that I didn't think that they wanted me here because if they if they didn't want me here I wouldn't be here but I had gotten my second contract from a from you know a previous regime basically it's not like I never felt like I was like one in here but it's just like that

9:20little extra hey we want you here and we want you to continue to add value because we were a young team and I'm not getting any younger but I still think I can play and I think I can play for as long as I want and that's kind of kept me young and I feel like that's kept me motivated to kind of have that edge but yeah I mean it's just that that little extra where just kind of reconfirmed so I mean when Dan was hired he called me that same day so it's not an instance of oh I'm not one at here they just kind of doubled down with this contract we we love you we respect you we want you here we think you can play we think you can continue to add value and let's get this thing going thanks guys okay so you get the photo of you don't want to go more yeah there's a what's made him what makes him such a

10:21I think he's got a low center gravity he's athletic so it's tough to power him and then he's he's athletic and after Runde by and if he gets his hands he kind of is able to replace him Runde by somebody like Leonard he's got such a good high motor that does that you see that kind of carry over to the to the rest of the room when you're playing next to the guy that's given that kind of effort yeah I think our effort was pretty darn good against the Jets even from first play on sometimes it takes a little a little time early in the season because game speed is different and that game wind is different but I think we're flying around and and Floyd's no exception Karen held the ball to less amount at least amount than any quarterback in the late last week 2.33 seconds for any as a past pressure who wants to get those sacks I mean there's obviously a positive that comes with that from the

11:23overall defense they had me yeah I mean it's it's tough we kind of expected it though and then they pulled them late which was kind of surprising but I think we're we're causing some pressure we weren't on the field much and then you're going three and out and he's getting the ball out so it gets a little tough just keep your mind in it but there was some ops at the end there and we're just gonna I mean games it's good football it's nine or football if that's the type of games we have when we don't have a lot of ups but we have to go get them at the end so we have to keep our mind in it we're out of saying the other night that he came to miss an old camp he was he said I can't believe how laser focused everybody was nobody was doing no joke on a round everybody was serious he was really impressed did you have you had that feeling all along through camp and did you feel that going into the game yeah it's funny because when I came in last year I was talking to Trent about how it's like high fives and hugs right when

12:26you walk in and then everybody's like I we've been here we're working and then I got it's work it's football and that's just how it is here and that's why we were able to have a good team you're in and you're out Nick what kind of pride do you take in the fact that you were beating the jet so bad they took out Aaron Rogers like I said we're not patting ourselves in the back it's one game and we don't know how good we are yet we don't know how good other teams are so we just have to keep getting better you were at a backward ball rush like you had last year that was a failed move but I'll take it I got a little pressure yeah he was just asking me about some of my past worst plans and and I was just elaborating and we're kind of going back and forth as far as road and fire is Minnesota's got a pretty unique band that you enjoy playing there

13:26in Minnesota stadiums it's a long flight and it's field turf but it is one of the cooler environments I can't lie about that thanks Nick you get on the roll and that began the game defenses more sound and those guys are more stiff as this far as giving up yards and as the game the game goes it's like okay guys are starting up so just keep running but you can't see it especially right now what do you see from Indiana's defensive front that's the strength of their teams yeah undefeated team right now I think more so sound and you know those guys are super disciplined they like they want to give up in the yard so that's our job we got there we talked to Trey last week about just kind of how fresh he felt how about you obviously have you have he worked with the last couple years but yeah man I think right now you know I felt the best ever but like especially mentally and physically feel great just having a great group of guys around me to go out there and try to go win it also you know having Trey around as well he's been such a cent to this team and you know just supporting each other throughout this whole year and just trying to

14:29go win it all which I'm good you expect the offensive line to pick up where it left off obviously losing Seth is a huge blow and so what if you notice like today from the a spree to cover that group yeah I don't know there's anything out of the ordinary you know whoever steps in those guys are going to execute so I don't have any doubts of anybody I don't know how for the line I know there's a guy you know they're going and it's good and play their best so what was it about a high-state staff that may be correlated between what you were going into with Alabama that you felt you could transition over here I felt like there was a really good quarterback development coach day pretty good like Westboro you know the quarterbacks they've had just the past five years shown the kind of great numbers and I've just really done things the right way and I've won this offense because by him because my coach Kelly you know making just a line I had pretty much contact with them they weren't really I didn't really know that stuff really one of the things

15:32that coach says is that you don't like to have your hands held and that process now you played up a need a lot of time what is it about you to drive you want that much I'd say you know in high school I had a coach that you know he was giving you a lot of responsibility and I hear you know a lot of a lot of responsibility on me make make-concar on me and so I just you know I want to be the best for that you can be and take take the need to feel a few things the right way and just do things in a way I love Washington Hillboro you know he makes adjustments in line he's a really good decision maker I like Justin Herbert and I charge his fans I watch him play on some of those guys you know just you know the decision makers who make things you know I would say I'm a little bit more quiet from working on the focus side you know I'm just trying to give you the more the out there if

16:36that's my stepway quiet confidence actually I think I've only been here once and it's all Samsung I love it really good pro jokes and to be a friend to all my difference I think I visited maybe freshman or sophomore year. Yeah, just for the camper and visit, just to see the facilities. It was really good to have a lot of fun. I know it was only a PBA's, but being in the Alabama program, especially as they prepared for ballpoint upfront, what did you take away from that short period of time in the course? Yeah, it was really good with the coach of recent, Kirsten, and they were coaching players hard, and I saw the work that takes to get to the playoffs, and I was just sitting here to see the older guys putting in the work, and throughout the winter, you know, seeing our older guys all the leaders putting in the work, and then showing the half of things. How much of a relationship did you have with air, obviously? Coming in, he had been committed, you come in, you're both freshmen.

17:38What was it like before, and what's your relationship like? We didn't have much relationship prior. We mentioned it when we were 11. I knew each other a little bit, and then come in here, you know, the quarterback room, everyone here is really close, so we're all pushing each other to be better. We're all taking push points from each other trying to get better. The coach said that this is what he tried to make for a team that might have survived. I was expecting it to be a team that would have survived. I would say we were caught by surprise, you know, come back from the game, and there was a little bit of high experience because of the team that came to the tournament, and it was kind of hard to find. How did you feel when that happened? These are the coaches that played for us, and you were just signed with Kirsten, and he was a person that I had to try those all back. There was definitely a lot of emotions, but I like that maybe, and they helped me through it, and they made the right decision. I'm not here, and I'm like, I'm feeling a little bit more, but I'm not taking it. I'm not taking it. I'm not taking it. I have a true question. What do you think is the best way to get this? I'm not sure.

18:38You know, I can't really explain how that had out of me. I'm just really trying to develop them. Take the coach's push for Coach Day, and I've been going to Michaelisburg, and then take the coach's push for Coach Kelly, and I just want to develop them, run the offense, and then they want it, and then take their coach's push and then try to put it on Melio. If you look at your skills, they say Coach Kelly is a capable, and they're trying to develop them. But what do you think? What about your game, and your game training, and what do you think is the best of the ball? I think that I can be a really good decision-maker for the offense, and someone who's the absolute American trust. It's a great game. It's a great game. Is that? I'm actually doing it. I think it's kind of a lot of things. I was always around football, but my bow's a quarterback at Cannes. So he used it quarterback-knit, and I was at high school, and I was at the top of his pitch, so I've always been around football, and then I just been at high level, and I think this is high school, and really just having a lot of money. Who do you want more?

19:39Who's your favorite Tayden? Tagger. Who's your favorite Tayden? Tagger. What are you saying? That's a face smile. How often does it hit me? I'm a half-a-half. Why are you sprinting? You're just different like you do. And he's certainly making a case to get on the field this fall. So I think it's been a really good spring for CJ. Whenever you have a good day, you've got to follow it up by another good day. You know, I'm kind of stacked days, and I think that's what a pro does. always you want to be a pro you got to keep stacking and that's the expectation. And I think you know he's had some really good days and then he's had some days where you're like you're trying to push him a little bit but I think I think CJ where he is now compared to where he was last fall is he's a lot better football player. We've heard a lot of good things about a lot of business here. So I was here going down the gate hours out there. Are you envisioning right now that you want this to be a five six person operation?

20:41Yeah well I think Coach Daze talked about it a lot right? It's gonna be a long season and so I think we need to have I've always been of the opinion if you have two guys you have two guys and you ride with them right? If you have six you have six and I have to blessing. So I'd say right now we're probably at five that I would feel confident rotating out there on the field and look I'm old school right? So I come from the era I used to yell at Luke Pickle with you taking out. Oh I get so mad. I get some it'd be 42 whatever against young style state. I'd be so upset coming out of the game but seeing how violent this game is from this perspective. Now you have to say hey okay not only within games can we keep guys fresh right? But can we do that so that when you get to the last two games in a season that act that are the big ones right the ones that you're judged off of when you get to the game are we healthier? And I think that's it's kind of a both a both hands right? So I feel confident with five guys and that's going to be a week to week.

21:43You know what I mean by these guys know I think honestly who start should be week to week if you display during the week of practice that you're locked in and somebody else has a bad mental week well I can't reward you with starting if you have six mental errors during the week you know what I mean just because you started last week so I think it's got to be that iron sharpens iron constant competition through the whole fall. That's something I'm going to do. I'm going to play kind of a game that he just alluded to but is that part of which one has to drive you then was it was a driving event that you just assumed that was kind of the case when you played anyway. I always felt when I was here that they were trying to outrofruit me which is the reality right? Yep. Which is why it prepares you so well for the National Football League that's why Ohio State prepares you so well for the league because now it's like they're trying to outjaph you so I use that as fuel but I also thought firsthand you know like there was a season where it was John Kerr, Marcus Freeman, certain guys rotating week to week and so I thought like should if it happened to them it could happen to me so I just tried to be a certain way in practice like I tell the guys all the time you have to control the things that

22:46take no talent you have to eliminate all loves like if you if you loaf on the field you're a traitor like you should just go play for the team like that can't you can't be coaching effort and then you can't have mental errors because if you have a mental error then you can't trust you so those are the two things I always as a player was like all right you're not going to catch me loaf and you're definitely not going to catch me not knowing what I'm supposed to do I might get beat and that's that's inevitable it's football everyone got scholarship right but those two things you control everything you think. What's the next step you're going to be doing this season? I think it's just the end you know we haven't we haven't done like any of my series you know me so we know you can tackle and all that but I think it's just the repetitive grind of a football game from in the box the constant and he's been he's been willing so far you know what I mean as far as his hand placement has been good even more on the strike he's tough so it should continue into to have him challenged to there's plays right now where he's seeing it from the first time from the will backer so the next time he sees it

23:47maybe throw catch tackle is that the intersection you know what I mean because he's seen it from that perspective everything he's seen before this has been from top down off the shelf right so now it's dropping back that'll drive in so he's made great progress and I'm really happy with how son he's done James looking at recruiting it seems like it's really well for you obviously you can't talk about specific recruits but just overall how do you feel like that's going and are you enjoying your food? I am I am enjoying I think it's it's fun to build relationships and get to know so many different types of kids you know Ohio State presents opportunity right and so many different ways you're not gonna get developed better anywhere else in the country you have the largest fan base largest alumni it may be this opportunity everywhere right so you try to just export like explain your passion for the school that did so much for you you know especially being an out-of-state kid not being from Ohio and then realizing how much Ohio State changed my life

24:51and so now you communicate that to other young kids who kind of see it and try to tell them the vision like where you can get to and I think the fun thing for me is that most of the kids I'm recruiting are way more athletic than I ever was so it's like I tell them if I can the only way I survived in the NFL eight years was the fact that I had football intelligence like I knew where I was going you know what I mean I knew where I was fitting and so now if I can impart that information on kids who are extremely athletic when I you're now you got something special you know I mean how much of you guys have already talked about long season and I think you're gonna have to have depth that's just a reality right it's a longer season there's more games and there's no excuse that a place like here like if you're all I'm playing with a maybe a guy who was third or fourth I don't matter you know like you got to be ready to go so I think depth is it's crucial at all the position because injuries are gonna happen there's part of football you know you never want to

25:54wish it upon anyone and you're and you're certainly not but it's just you can't be naive to think that you're just gonna have every single starter healthy for the whole season you talked about your mentality as a player and then you're recruiting different players than you were how do you how do you marry that when they made that same mentality that you needed but you want them to have well you you figure that out when you get to know them and there are certainly some kids that you start to recruit to where you see like you know it Ohio State might be too big you might be too big for them you know what I mean and so it's not for everybody you have to want to come in and compete against the best and realize if you have to win every single game to be the best in the world of what you do that's the expectation that Ohio State and that's certainly not for everyone and that's okay but you have to through the process kind of find out who has that mentality who really craves football you know like who craves football versus a lot of the other fluff that kind of comes with it who craves ball because when they crave football then the other stuff will

26:55take care of itself right and we'll just keep getting better and better and better if they want to be the best yeah that's I mean that's I think that's your job as recruiters you got to figure out what's the mindset of the kid and are they are they serious about football and you have to talk to the people that are around them and you got to figure out how to coaches you just got to try to figure out like who loves ball and the NFL they do the same thing right now they're attending the massive about the money and they're saying okay we're gonna get this person money as a change their motivation or they still love ball so now it means and college with the same thing like who who actually wants to be the best or who just likes the attention that comes with playing football. James I've already talked about him but he's a little bit of the elevation from our bell from end of class and obviously missing time last year with the injury but where he's at now versus the expectation that he had to move his brain. Our bells I mean show a lot of progress you know most most importantly you know mentally with the playbook and everything I think our bell

27:57last year there was a couple things right because of injuries on the D-line and camp you know he moved the end for a little bit then we brought him off the ball and then he had an injury and he kind of missed some time he wasn't an early mid-year you know so he comes in right in the summer and so he missed some reps there so the see where he's at right now is extremely impressive and for a guy of that size and that much power and his ability to run he's a he's a special athlete and so our bell is had a good spring he's got to continue to dive into the playbook and got to continue to to learn all the little things and as you go right like week one week two you start seeing new schemes new schemes things build and it becomes kind of a lot he's just got to continue to comb through it all because athletically you know he's one of the most gifted guys that we have in the room. No I think I think it still comes down for the most part like NIL certainly an aspect for some

28:58for some it could be the most important thing it's always a factor but I think you still just need to find out who are the kids that love football and they want to be developed and it's about the relationship to an extent like a relationship gets you to the final stretch for some kids and I might be the thing that pushes them over the top I mean I don't know like every kid is so different right I try to view it as you're just building relationships and are you going to get a young man to trust you to develop them and to not only the player that they want to be but the person that they want to be in the future can you convince mom and dad that you're the right person to to do that you know what I mean so I think one of the things that is helpful is my playing experience I think you know when you've played and you've done it and the drills that you're doing you know that they work you're not going to waste your time on stuff that doesn't work and then the fact that you know I am blessed to be at my alma mater you know if there's no there's no sense of trying to leave here you know and you have the question I get a ton is what do you see yourself for five years I'm like where I'm sitting my alma mater you know my my kids love it in Columbus

30:04obviously I love Ohio State so I think those are things that can kind of be in the band. Okay but I'm not even working with you know I'll pick off and put teams as well as what's that looks like for you and try to get involved with that thing. Yeah it's awesome maybe I love it because it gives you an opportunity to coach the the whole team you know what I mean like special teams in a spot where the whole team probably minus the quarterbacks right is is all in one team room in one meeting room so you get to actually directly impact other positions and just your own and I think it also gives it gives a little bit of urgency to your own room like when you're in there every single time you better be making an impact on punts if you're aligned back to you better be making an impact on kick return or on kick off kick off return punt return all those things you better be making an impact right because your coach is in there all the time so it's been nice and and there's a lot of stuff that I think our coaches have done to kind of push that that sense of team when you're in special teams that we every position matters. I'm curious if someone has been a VNFL what do you think what VNFL is doing to pick off now

31:07and even if it could be good for college. I mean the thing that states it takes away like the surprise on side you know what I mean but all these rules are changing so much for the safety of the game and I mean I think it's only a matter of time before it triples down it seems like everything triples down so we'll see as of right now we'll we'll keep things going the way they are. All right James thank you. Yep thanks guys. Yeah I think when you go to a game like this one of the most important thing is to avoid distractions so I'm letting you know my wife handle that right now which is a lot but yeah the number one thing for us right now is focusing on this game and so I said that to our team that we have to avoid all distractions right now we have a lot of family a lot of friends a lot of people who certainly want to come to the game and obviously those things need to get taken care of

32:08but ultimately we have to do our job they're all there to see us and that's what we're going to focus on so no it's it's an opportunity obviously to be on stage and finish our mission but we have to make sure we avoid all distractions. It just makes me realize I've grown up a lot since then. You know again I feel like our guys are men we have 145 guys on a team right now which is you know when you when you hear it it just kind of blows you away you have that many guys and everybody's job on the team and that includes coaches and staff is not to be a distraction

33:12to the other player as they prepare but also just in general you know avoiding distractions for the for yourself in terms of your your focus and so when you know the question right there about tickets and in all the different things or some of the stuff that you know the stories that are written you know talking about you know previous years or previous games or things that make that has nothing to do with what's going on in this game and just being focused on this game and how we execute and that's been a message without overdoing it but our guys understand what the message is and I believe they're locked in.

34:12Well I know that we we need everybody so you know former players you know people who are going to be at the game and having a great presence in Mercedes-Benz stadium and being allowed yeah we'll need them so we're playing for them you know people who are back home in their living rooms whether it's back in Ohio or you know in another country or across the country you know just said in great energy our guys feel all that so you know we're playing for everybody who's pulling to be a buck I we're playing for Buck I nation for sure we're also playing you know for each other and for this team and and that's it I'm not going to get too far into that right now but but that's it yeah yeah he's like family he is you know being the first really commit and guy who

35:18recruited the other guys especially on defense but also on offense he just he was a leader from the jump and being a buck I meant even more to him growing up in Columbus and Pickering, Tinoe Highell his family of just great people and this is a guy who overcame some things you know he just didn't come in this freshman year and dominate leaving three years and going to the NFL to be a first round draft pick I mean this this is a guy who again I say it all the time you know where's a hard hat to work every day brings his lunchpale to work and has the respect of his team teammates and you're seeing his play do is talking talking this year so I know he wants to play at his best this this game being a captain you know again you know in in August having his teammates vote him in was a big deal for him it was an emotional moment and and you know winning some of these games has really built him more and more confidence in knowing that this is what he wants you know he wants to win a national championship more than anything and that I think represents our

36:21entire team I just think that this this year with with the 12 team playoff it's just been a little bit different and there's a lot everyone has their own story and there's a lot of great teams out there and um you know a lot of things come into play when you make a run like this injuries and just different things so um you know we'll look at it at the end of the year and figure out you know the adjustments that need to be made I think internally but I also think that you know we all need to look at you know how this is playing and what this means you know playing 16 games um I think it's a great learning opportunity to see what that what that's going to look like moving forward um but I know it's been exciting for college football and for their fans

37:28yeah I think they do a great job on offense coach Dembrox done a great job wherever he's been Riley Leonard's an excellent leader Jeremiah Love is one of the most talented backs we've gone against and they have a very good offense align um the heavens is really good at tight end they have multiple tight ends receivers are our weapons so you know they're gonna they're gonna challenge us in a lot of different areas and so we have to play big 10 football you know that's what it's gonna look like and you know every play matters when you play any game like this and certainly against this team it'll be the same way yeah I think we built we say this in in all the time is that you know when you have momentum you gotta keep it when you don't you gotta go get it and you know we didn't have momentum at the end of the season we had to create our own momentum um and then we started to build some momentum

38:33and now now we have to keep it um but I think the the ability for our guys to sustain throughout the season has been significant here and now it now it's gotta be the best it's gotta ramp up and again the goal is to play our best game and to finish the mission but you know we talked early in the season about building a foundation for down the road and just like anything else you you build the foundation of a building um when storms come it has to with with with stand those storms but now we gotta finish we gotta finish what we started and that's it um I think again there'll be time to reflect on some of those things after the game right now we're just gonna continue to look at Monday night and play in our best game you know it's been it's it's it's been enjoyable to be able to you know it started off with the home game against Tennessee and then went on the road to the Rose Bowl to LA that was an experience and then um you know so went through that and and then went down to Texas and um you know played

39:39Texas in Texas which um was very much like a road game and and so now we're into Atlanta and we have a lot of guys on our team from the Atlanta area um from the southeast so for a lot of these guys it's like coming home so so that's exciting um but it's it's allowed you know our our families in team to kind of be on a road together for the last you know month um but we we just like we're I kind of say like we're like train rats we just come to work and and you know figure out what the next mission is to get back to work that way you know that's generally what it is and um every once in a while you gotta come up for air and realize that you know it it has been a great run um and but now we gotta finish it and so you know every once in a while you take a step back but then you get refocused on what matters and um but to your point it's it's it's about everybody you know and certainly it all starts with the players and what they do and um I I think the you know our energy has continued to grow I think you know we talk about like the mental fatigue I just don't see that with our guys I think there's it's only increased the energy's increased the focus is increased

40:39I think our team is fresh right now you know I think you know if you had to we could continue to play for a few more weeks but but that just shows you the the experience the maturity the depth that we have and I think that's all important but but we're not gonna play anymore we got one more left and it's gotta be our best so see that again yeah yeah we have we have and um you know excellent football players with um you know just um great focus on family and um you know just you and you can see how important relationships matter and um you know when you when you have an opportunity to recruit families and get into their homes you gotta feel for what that's like at home and and you can certainly see how how you know

41:43in the Haitian community family matters relationships matter so that when you bring somebody into your family and the football family you know they grab onto the culture and and it's been a huge asset to our team so say it one more time yeah yeah oh I got you oh yeah we're kind of I guess that that transition has been happening the last few years but you can see obviously this year it's really um accelerated and the thing that's hit me is that you know we're we're in the middle to late January we're still playing and you know some teams are you know starting spring ball on another week or so you know and so it's just very very different

42:48I think it's all things that we have to learn from when we assess what's going on but it's been hard to take a step back and look at anything because you know you know you you'll have a short period of time to get back and win the next game and like every single ounce of your energy has to be to go win the next game and then you wake up and you realize you're on to the next one and so we're not there right now but I know after the season you gotta wake up what just happened you know um and then we'll try to assess it the best we can and make it better I know there's a lot of things that we can do um to make this all better and and I know institutionally we'll we'll continue to make those adjustments like you said and um do things the way we've done before but also adjust but also you know I think in college football we need to look and see how we can make this even better as it's gone on because every year it has gotten better and I think it's great right now but man when you think about the potential and what it can be for the players and these teams uh it's pretty extraordinary oh yeah that's it that's it that's it and our strength coach Mick Morati really um you know symbolizes kind

43:55of what that means you know he has this old school work ethic you know because the line's still the line and the cone's still the cone you still gotta have your foot behind a line you still gotta run through the cone plus two but there's so many other things now there's sport science there's GPS there's a longer season and so having to be able to adapt with those times is important and I think it's the same way with our program and how we run things and the tradition uh is not going to change your Ohio State and that's one of the reasons why these guys come here and it's one of the things we sell and recruit it you know is that um you know just over a hundred years of football and the great teams and players that have come before and what the expectation and you know uh we have an obligation to be the best in a world at what we do and that's the expectation whether you're a player or coach and we own that we we absolutely embrace that and and um but then also adjusting with the times and now we have a new playoff system in place so um but all that being said here we are a couple more days before the game and we've got a chance to finish our our season and finish the mission and then again cement ourselves in the history

44:56of Ohio State football as the 19th to win an national championship and and the third in over 50 years a lot of good teams along the way and that's been a message to our guys and it's not about how you start it's how you finish try not to get too much into those nostalgic thoughts because um it's just it's a distraction and there when you're in a game like this it's easy to easy to get distracted players and coaches so what matters is what we do on Monday night how we execute how hard we play and that's it and then after the game I think there's a great opportunity to sit back and think about um all those types of things but um yeah there's a lot that um I could probably go into if we're able to sit back and talk

45:58about what Monday night means but but ultimately we have to we have to go win the game and that's it right now so uh 48 hours out I know a lot of people want to talk about different things we're just going to focus on executing at a high high level everybody doing their job and find a way to win the game in the fourth quarter and that's it you know I think um you know in life you know you have to um you know work through tough times and it's how you respond to those tough times and and that's it and and that's been the message all along to our players and um it's not always how how things happen in your life it's how you

46:59respond and I think our guys have learned a lot about that and I again I said this before I think there's some great stories to be told about you know what went on behind behind closed doors and um you know some of the things that were said and you know the personal challenges that we we had for each other and um you know collectively the story but the only way that gets told is if a banner gets put up a nobody that's it and and that's the that's the sobering reality of this game that nobody cares about what you go through and and you got to win that final one to finish the mission and so that's it for our guys and um you know as much as some of these these wins have been great wins for us you know to me you know it's about winning this final game and so um all that being said I think our guys have learned a lot about life over the last month I think um it's been a tight group we we've seen the good the bad and the ugly and it's a special group of guys that care a lot about each other and that are going to go on to be very very successful moving forward because they're strong uh they're loyal um and and they're they're very mature um you're going to see

48:06you know 10 20 30 years down the road these guys make an unbelievable impact not only on their families but in the community and in the game of football yeah it's it's uh it's football and you know I said my wife all the time like that's we signed up for it and you know it's the highest of highs and the lowest of lows this game will take you to knees and and give you some of the greatest experiences in the world and um that's it you know not a lot of people get to experience those those highs and lows and you have to manage the tough times and you got to enjoy the good ones and that's it and um you know the more you're in this game the more you're going to realize that and that's it and um those are opportunities to show strength and and that's it so you know we're counting on that to make a difference on one a night yeah you got it

49:17yeah that's it and set a great example for the younger groups one of the good things about having 145 guys on the roster is some of these new freshmen and and and transfers that are coming in get to see what it's supposed to look like get the C great leadership if this wasn't the case they wouldn't get able to have an opportunity to see what you know a mecca buka's like will Howard traviant Henderson lathe and ransom uh thenzel Burke you to go through the list Cody Simon I mean these you know tiley Williams you know what does it look like how do they prepare not only for one week but but several weeks and um and these these guys are they're men they are and the way that they go about their business not only they love be in Ohio State Buckais but they love their teammates all those things matter um and so again they want to play their best game here and and finish themselves and cement themselves so that you know when they come back they can see that banner up there and you have a big ol ring to show for it so that's it you know we'll get back to the hotel here get back to work get to these meetings and focus on what matters right now

50:25yeah hard to put in the words what a mecca's meant to this team or to me or to my family or to Ohio state it started when he first got here he had a different look in his eye he's extremely competitive no jobs too small for mecca uh he's selfless uh he's really made it unbelievable strides in his life but also just in his faith and you know he speaks people listen he's very well thought out we sit down and have a conversation with a mecca buka you're gonna walk away extremely impressed and um but then when you talk about his play on the field uh he's made a lot of great plays he's been very clutch he's been very consistent and this is a guy I know who wants to finish his career out with a great game one at night okay

51:33okay I think when you're when you're starting out this season and you're putting a roster together you have to start from this game and move back um and and I think when when that happens you you have to build a team and I think now the big 10 has allowed us to do that with with the addition of some different styles of play on the west coast um and then certainly the the traditional big 10 play it's a combination of being able to get big and strong and heavy and stop the run and run the football when it matters but also being a spread out game where you can be in a little bit of a track meet and have the skill to play with anybody in the country and I think that's the combination that you need to have and um and that's the goal every year to do that you know when when you when you need to go get that yard you get that yard and when it's time to get that stop you get to get that stop but also having the skill to be able to run with everybody in the country and that's that's how we start and then as the season goes on we look to identify the

52:37areas where we have to um you know get better or whatever that might be but um but I think it all starts in the offseason with our offseason program and what McMorratti does and um I think our our offseason program when and I know it now because when I see players come from other teams that's you get great feedback you know you get you know guys who come in from different programs and say you know talk to me about what your program is compared to our program off season during the season all that it really gives me confidence no one were doing the right things I think every year you learn and I think you know to be to be you know to be honest I think you know every year I learn and grow and figure out what needs to be done to get it fixed and identify the issues and be honest and call it out for what it is and get it fixed and get it

53:39addressed and that's what leaders do and um you know they look out in the horizon see what's coming because the soldiers are fighting right in front of you and that's what they are and so what's coming down the road and then obviously what what areas need to get addressed and get fixed and that always starts with you know who's in the right seats you know players coaches and staff making sure that's organized and then building it from there and so every learn every year you grow to try to get better um and then you know identify it the next year and move on from there and keep growing and and we all have to continue to learn and I think you know I've done that as well yeah yeah Caleb is mature beyond his years is a tremendous player but he brings a work ethic um that's tremendous he and Nathan ran some both um in the way that they bring energy to practice

54:40every day and they let their play do the speak do the talking for him but but they're great leaders um during the recruiting process I went all the way down to the wire it's been told before and we were right there at the end and you know I wished him good luck and understood I mean coach Saven is a unbelievable coach and certainly has success speaks for itself but also just as a defensive backs coach and I totally understood and was pulling for him in his freshman year you can tell my my family and my wife and kids we were all pulling for him because he was just such a unique talent and great person and great family and then when when coach retired and you know he was in the portal it was an opportunity to reconnect with him and I think he had great relations with players and it's been it's been great to see him this year really flourish within our culture and you're seeing the best version of him now well it's going to be a great environment we know that um great crowds on both sides so it'll be

55:43electric um and you know different than uh in the past where you kind of had these you know bowl game and then a final game we we you know these playoff environments now or or something that you know we become accustomed to and so we need to focus on what really matters in the execution and find a way to win the game in the fourth quarter that's it um you know this is a team that continues to come at you so we know it's going to take four four quarters it went all the way down in the last play last time we played them and you know we have to be prepared for that but um but that's it um great environment um you know and and you know we it's good to get over there today to have practice just to kind of see it again feel it again and um I know our guys will be ready all good okay thanks one more question here then yeah I think he's built confidence as an offense alignman throughout his career and especially

56:46this year and uh he's become a leader for us up front and we'll need him to be at his best in this game as well thanks yeah yeah I I mentioned this before that um you know this is about these players in this game and it's all going to be about who executes well during the game that's it and I think our guys understand that and feel that um know there'll be a lot of conversation which is great it's exciting for the fans to talk about um but we know what really matters and that's what our focus is on is executing at the highest level we possibly can that thanks yes I feel like it's being a part of a a bunch of moving parts that have to work together

57:49the offense has to do their own thing but the defense everybody has their own responsibility and when everybody can do their own responsibility everybody's gonna make plays and everybody's gonna be able to succeed so I just feel like being a part of that and trying to help myself and help my team be better in terms of that that's a that's a big thing for me a lot about how to see the game um pre snap and during the play a lot about going into the game in terms of how you watch film how you study what things to see from the other team everything like that that's that's what he teaches uh very intelligent for sure um he sees a lot and he has an answer for everything in terms of what teams can bring him so I just feel like him

58:52the different ways that he plays differences that will allow me to develop in different ways very instinctual player um very athletic being able to make plays all over the field being able to see plays before they happen I think I understand it more I mean I definitely can't understand it from a Ohio State perspective because I haven't played and then I haven't been to that so I can't really speak on how they feel but I'm definitely hungry to be myself so

1:00:07he was the same person he was a very genuine when I was getting recruited in high school and he was very genuine when I talked to him two weeks ago so just being able to understand that he's about the people that he works with and he's very he believes in the people that he's around and he believes in the people that he believes in so just knowing that and knowing what he stands for that means a lot how recruiting us there was I say I got like 102 calls in one day so just uh well not in one day probably seven or eight hours but um just being able to minimize what my mind was going through that was that was a big thing for me and being able to make a sound decision off of what I knew

1:01:18pretty much you have to go silent you have to be able to control your circle in terms of getting your opinions from people that you trust and people that you know you can count on so that was the biggest thing for me just being able to understand what the people around me were thinking and how I wanted to go about it um at the end of the day I love playing football and that's what I'm here to do I'm not here to make money or do anything like that I know there's a lot of opportunities here in terms of the city of Columbus but at the end of the day I'm here to help this team win football games and I'm here to do my best and try to develop uh I'm playing a cold throughout my life so it's not I mean Georgia's different but I mean I

1:02:21have had some cold experiences so that's not a really big thing for me you just want to add to that? um it was a scus but it wasn't it's not something that was a deal breaker or anything for me so I wasn't that wasn't the biggest um the biggest yes or no for me the same expectations that I've had my whole life the same expectations that we had at Bama to win games and dominate every game and go win a championship I would never heard a lot of bad basketball games and some culture there was some I don't know if you're thinking of a company so there's similarities in the approach to how they go about and kind of what it is that they go to this building just in a couple of different things where you just kind of have a family training and a relationship

1:03:23it's all about the work it's all about the process it's all about doing everything daily to push yourself to be where we need to be at the end of the ride oh I would say the day of or day like before the decision it was pretty much just sitting on FaceTime with him and my uncle just talking about what was going to go into the decision and seeing their input on what they had to say about things I would say I'm a pretty respectful person and I respect the people that reached out to me even if I really wasn't trying to look at their school so I'd probably say like 80 of them I feel like you have to have some sort of idea but people have an idea where they're going to go

1:04:25doing recruitment too so I wouldn't say it's that big of a difference but you definitely have to have more of a singular mindset on a few places very calm very um I like to chill out not not a lot to do just hang out with my people and hang out with my friends hang out with my family just be around people it was uh it was a highlight for me for sure just being uh being named at and going relation with Sean Alexander he's a great person in learning about him it was it was definitely an honor for me I feel like more than just late than the Sunday can compliment each other um a lot of people in the

1:05:29secondary can work together to be cohesive and be a brotherhood so but late than and sunny they welcomed me and I appreciate them for that so I think us working together we can we can do some real damage I would say as a collective the whole season you can see the growth you can see the growth from the beginning of season to the end but I would say miss to be state or type of a them you probably the best too hey are you the pilot who used to this? oh I can't say that this this regarded decide I can't really say that definitely as a high school not as rushed I would say

1:06:41I would say I'm elated that being able to watch film and determine what are the keys to look at each play um being able to determine which guys I need to change up my techniques for being able to determine what I'm looking at in terms of before to play and what my teammates need to look at before to play I would say I'm I'm elated that and being able to make those differences each week are a big thing for me there's a lot of similarities coach blue runs a great program and I love everything that he did for me there and those guys that worked there like coach you get you Jay so I'm appreciative of how they worked and they did great things there coach make does a great job here so I can't really

1:07:45say one's better than the other but coach make he's he's a very intense person oh I love the city I love being around here I love the feel of the town so just being a part of is it's a great thing for me I expect us to be one of the best I expect us to excel and be better than they were last year I expect us to be elite excuse me I saw it but honestly it was about me making my own decision me making the decision I was best for myself so I mean I'm glad they made that decision for themselves but it was it was for me oh I appreciated it says when I

1:08:51got recruited to be able so just the relationship I have with him is great but at the end of the day it was about for me making my own decision genuine person he's very very corny and funny but I say I love that guy he's he helped me be able to adjust easier to Bama so I really appreciate it yeah probably like two weeks yeah very strong will you can see the intensity that he goes about his business with very focused person just being able to learn about the new guys being able to have relationships with each of them because that was I mean at the end of the day

1:09:53messing with people is really just about your ability to understand people and grow relationship with a person so I would just say being genuine and learning about each person I'm a very focused person so whatever I choose to focus on that's what it is so if I'm home if I'm reading a book watching TV watching YouTube read my bible anything I mean I would say I'm focused on whatever I'm doing love to watch Buddha Baker he's a very elite player love to watch Mika Fitzpatrick but I like to watch players that played in the past like Ed Reed Brian Dawkins Ronnie lot those players have shaped a

1:10:55lot of my game I would say I do my thing I would say my game is a lot similar to him I feel like you take you take pieces from everybody's game so like even me watching Charles Woodson like just seeing how he plays I mean in the NFL he played a very different type of game which I really liked how he plays so just learning about that and seeing how he played was a big thing I talked to him probably a couple of days before I committed

1:12:05during recruitment I talked to him a lot for sure and we had a great relationship how's the other good relationship with Malik Hartford and Jordan Hancock so those guys I talked to those guys a little bit before I committed so they're good people I feel like they wanted to win so it wasn't really a surprise to me I feel like if they made that decision that they made that decision because it was the best for themselves Caleb thank you very much folks thank you very much hey he's been figuring stuff out he's starting to understand stuff understand what's going on and yeah you can see he's starting to have more confidence as he goes I don't really I don't get too much say I'm not that important but I'm just happy to see he's doing well yeah he's an amazing athlete we got a lot of guys that should have been on there but

1:13:07yeah he's a crazy athlete you can go look at the numbers but is what it is I guess I mean I think he's the kind of guy he can do no basically anything on the field whatever you want whenever you want so I mean he could be one of the top defensive players in the country honestly so we'll see all girls um oh even he's a freshman he was 64 to 30 so I mean he's I used to 44 but he's a little bigger but uh yeah I just think the biggest thing I noticed now is just how confident he is like he knows what he's doing he knows going on things like stuff like that so I think that's the biggest biggest difference probably towards like the middle to the end of the last year he started figuring stuff out and then took a huge jump in the spring um so yeah he's just he's been doing a really good job so I'm excited for him yeah it pains awesome um I think

1:14:16our linebacker room we got a lot of great players pain's one of them um he's smart he's reliable he's great football player um it's a one of the probably one of the better tackles on our team he just has a great understanding of the defense for him to be so young um I think his knowledge of the game is like that of like some who's a senior junior has been playing for two three four years so he's gonna help us a lot this year what does it mean to see a guy like that is you know trying to establish a role and you get some more playing time what does it mean to see him get an eye on but it's awesome uh I always want people to have a voter for him to get it because I mean he works hard he does things right um no he says the right things his teammates he knows how to encourage and things like that so he's a high character guy so I wasn't really surprised when he got it but uh it's it's awesome we got a good we got a good room I'm really excited about our LP room I think we got such a talented room that we can beat and uh you always stay on your toes you never relax um so I think he pushes us to keep you keep getting better um you know we have days come we come out here you know maybe I make a bunch of plays the next day our bell is making a

1:15:20bunch of plays that it's paying and that's some days it's all three of us so uh just always pushing each other and competing you know I think that iron sharpens iron and uh I think you kind of see that across the board with our entire defense yeah it feels a little weird the four years definitely flew by but you know excited for his last year and uh said to leave my mark um I was familiar with I think basically all of them I didn't know like all the history on all the like where they played the NFL but I've heard all their names I don't think there's any of them on that they really know about honestly yeah yeah I mean like he'd like Riley Petty John from Texas like what does he know about like he doesn't know where any great grinch or gratties like he doesn't know that he doesn't know he's a Hall of Famer and stuff like that or pepper Johnson stuff like that so it's cool I think Coach Lauren Wright does a good job of uh teaching us about

1:16:23the tradition and the excellence that's came through our state you know he has this going there sing the fight song we're singing Buckeye swag stuff like that just making sure we know everything what it means to be a Buckeye he told my dad or the brother yeah he knows a little about he's got the he had the chance to meet with you know we actually watched film with another day so it was pretty funny but yeah Riley's great I'd say yeah I'd say improvement I say confidence you can see they got nasty that's told you know they got they got no chip on their shoulder something the Peru and got the guys up front but make a lot of plays so I'm excited for them you know obviously the night night night games are a different atmosphere I will say for players

1:17:23like you get up you get up you go you get over with quick you don't have the weight around all day sometimes I can suck but there's nothing like a night game in the shoe I will say that you know everyone members we play Tennessee that night game was just electric or I remember being a freshman where we're all black and we played Wisconsin like stuff like those atmospheres are there's nothing really like it let's them open up and do you know whatever they want to do and this fall camp I've gotten to do a lot of different things and we're all playing different spots and stuff and just real excited for the season it is pretty it makes mine a little bit easier because I know like he'll take you know he's got this guy covered he's got this guy they just they get to do all the all the fun stuff which sometimes it's a little boring for me but you know if they're making plays and I'm doing my job in a day that's what's best for the defense but vice versa like I've gotten to make some plays and stuff like that it's just we compliment each other well and they're they're massive

1:18:24human beings so they know how to get downhill and so it's just it's fun learning and competing with them every day they're to you know really good linebackers so I'm I'm always trying to do my best to do better than them same same with them and me I mean I just start off with competing with the other two guys I feel like I've I've made a statement on who I am and how I fit this defense and I'm just trying to build off that and you know keep playing and you know my goal is to you know be better than the other two guys and not let any of the younger guys be better than me and their their goals the exact same thing and it just builds competition and we're just like getting better every day and there's obviously some stuff you know we've all messed up and stuff but we're getting better every day and just learning it's pretty exciting yeah we're gonna have a lot of family members there a lot of people will be there I'm pretty excited got all my buddies back home all texting me every day so

1:19:26yeah we're pretty pumped some of them are I got like some of my closest friends go to Texas so it's but they're going for a house they don't worry so yeah it's been a lot of horns down emojis recently but yeah it's they're excited he's really stepped up as our like leader of the defense I mean he's you know being in his room I really get to see how he operates every day like he doesn't take a single rep off he's he's not just like the most vocal leader but he's also like he leads by example like he is the he is one of the biggest fastest strongest dudes we have but he's also the hardest working dude we have like he's he's never skipping out on recovery you know watching film literally everything he's you know he he represents what a buck I football player should be and just learning from him every day I just it's it's helped me a ton just everything I mean he's pretty he's pretty athletic he knows what

1:20:29he's doing too he's he's he's a savvy football player and so it's good having him and the locker right next to me and us just talking ball every day and you know how he could have done this better and I could have done this better it's just making each other better and we're we're having fun out there and flying around I mean it's it's awesome having him because like he unders he really does understand it I would say he understands it more than most guys like he was a captain and all American here and you know like the stuff even he's doing today like every day he'll show some sort of you know every single we're going through camp every day and he's going he's posted a picture of every all American linebacker we've had and we got to learn about him like not just the brotherhood we have here but the past brotherhood so we learn new new all American linebacker every week and we got to learn what he did for the buck eyes and what he did in the league and stuff like that and so

1:21:33I think it's helped a lot and then you know he's having the young guys learn the fight song and pop quiz and them and stuff so it's great we're having a lot of fun in the linebacker I it helps a ton because heat I mean like when you walk in the linebacker room you just like when I walked in I was like man this brotherhood is you know real like and I have older guys helping me when I got here because we had a we had a pretty old team last year and they brought me in and I and I came in on a boot and you know I didn't know how I was going to go and they were they were all cheering me on even though like I was hurt in the weight weight room I'm getting cheered on and competitions and stuff like that and guys like they know your name and you know really it's it's it's helped a lot and so I think like this this past year has really helped me you know bring in the young guys and you know help with them and stuff like that we're super tight as a linebacker unit and so it's it's been great this week's all American this week's

1:22:36all American we we had today was pepper Johnson so number 98 it was a he's a he was a baller so we've had we've had one every day like we've had different guys so we had spielman yesterday so it's just someone new every day and it's it's fun because you get here yeah Lauren I says a lot of stories about them which which is some funny stories too he hasn't he hasn't posted his yet no eventually I think you will so we'll see I think I mean I think all of them they're just there's so like there's so many that have come through here and I think it helps like there's a standard like if you play linebacker here like the gold should be the best linebacker unit in the country across the board and have the best linebackers and so I think that's really set a standard for us yeah 100% I mean it it validates a lot of stuff he says and I think uh that's one of the

1:23:43main reasons I I liked him so much is that he's not only our personal relationship is great but like he knows everything about the game and I'm learning so much every single day and like you can't you can't find a coach who doesn't know more about linebacker than he does and he's been through every situation he knows you know when the offense does this play what's you know what's what's hard for the linebacker on that play and he understands it and you know finds ways to help us you know get through those plays and stuff like that it meant a lot I was I feel like it was one of my biggest accomplishments and you know in my life up to now obviously I think that goal one day is to be a captain here but I feel like you know being an iron buck I have a big big offseason getting bigger and stronger I think you just meant a lot because our teammates vote on it too and so just knowing that like every day when we do those one-on-one competitions and leading guys people are noticing that I was giving everything I had so it meant a lot to have coach make and all them

1:24:44choose me to be an iron buck I yeah I mean I think right right off the bat right when the last season ended you know my goal was to be be a starter an iron buck I and just taking steps every day and we read a book chaplored care water and it's a lot about living in the present and so I think that's helped helped all of us a ton is like what can we do today to be our very best and so I think that's that's what's helped me a lot and I mean I still got a long way to go so I mean we still got to play Texas yeah I mean my parents have instilled a you know strong work ethic at me and you know not backing down for many situations and stuff like that and so I think just going in you know leading and giving everything I got every day is just you know how it happened I guess say and trying to get better and yeah it's pretty much it really good it was a great accomplishment definitely a good thing but I'm still

1:25:51more focused now on playing gave better and still competing just on on Saturday you know I mean did you feel a little special on Saturday because there were a couple of spectacular catches mixed in and all of that what was it like to have that show it uh does good to make places a great feeling to make plays and it's just a work that I put in and just looking forward to continue to do that how much does it inspire you to see what Jeremiah did last year in the sea but a freshman can come in and make a future back right away oh it knows that I can't do it anybody can do it it's just putting the work in and knowing that it's possible a lot of guys from New Jersey come in here and have a lot of success at Ohio State how do you feel like you know playing in New Jersey is also prepared for the physical performance day good it's good competition definitely in that league that I played in at Burton catheter we had a lot of competition good work and yeah a lot of kids people from Jersey here as well and they they're really good as well what inspired you when you see what guys

1:26:52yeah yeah it's good knowing that people from Jersey were either are also doing really good so it's a great day before much you got the chance to be able to be the state of the first person to give a look what you want to say about it um I'm going to say just to be able to play in front of a lot of people more people and just just play and get better really the four months you've been here in the chancellor and behind Jeremiah what's something you've maybe picked up on from him uh I'll say just the way like the consistency that he has and just consistently really everybody has here and that's like the expectation here is to have great consistency I just do a one-play but every play Jeremiah said you already have that work that I asked people to obligate and kind of think you're in the risk way and sharing the work up with the df as well as you do right here you said you already have it you feel like you have the same as the moment up it is yeah I feel like I have a really good work uh worth I think but I mean you always want to add something always to try to get better and I feel like that's the main goal of the day

1:27:55we're sharing it going into spring to establish yourself or you know what I mean did you have sort of a goal in mind of spring in terms of making your name though oh well for me really my goal was just like tunnel head down work and just let my work ethic and my play just happens super I end up I almost said that you were one of the artist workers on the team how much does it mean to have that photo confidence from him and Jeremiah and I think oh good and the work ethic is really just the mindset I came in with that's just like I want to get better and I that's from the start I want to just keep that going through where do you got there since break right to start um personally everything but I would say routes and be able to move a little bit better what's your thing man what are the questions for quitsy guys what are you and still here what got me

1:28:57I would say it started really as a kid and then going into bergen that was kind of also the standard there and then of course it's a standard here of course so it's just been through that growing and that's that's really what it came from is there an expectation of being that kind of guy here now in this room in this wide or seagull room almost everyone you guys you know yeah walked in a room where everybody's working right I mean what's that room like yes yes definitely high expectation hard work everybody's competing against each other not just the defense anybody so it's a real competition real room and you really are competing as everybody there it's real work last week we recruited absolute how different is it no way you're hearing that reputations from guys have been in here from online as well oh yeah you think you you got a carbonate you sort of eat with it was not easy and kind of finding a place what to do you're learning it had become your own quitsy is it fair to

1:30:00be asking you questions about your freshman year and also mentioning Jeremiah Smith's freshman year considering like is it fair to you for us to mention the senior is freshman year when we're talking to you like those are expectations that nobody should have well I don't really take anything personal I mean expectations I'm just trying to exceed all expectations still play hard and we still work hard let the change for that thank you Quincy thank you very much thank you okay that maybe can tell you about what to expect from my yeah yeah my one came in as a the June and but man he's really done a good job of learning the offense learning when I won you know what we want I would say that he's a lot of pride in his work he does not like having MAs almost to the point where he tries to justify himself on why he did things like violent you know he breathed but I appreciate that edge I really do you know he's jumping in I'm trying to take reps he's really doing a good job you know and I think right now he's just chasing building a body of work

1:31:03to justify where he's at right that's the hardest part about coming to June what body of work if you really you know develop their proven to your peers your coaches to really justify what you want to accomplish right you guys know that so that's what he's chasing right now he's trying to stack days and just show and you know develop his identity as a full player here at the last game how do you do that without putting too much because you're here behind because he wasn't here but also this is like a hard room to play catch up and just giving out the competitive it is how do you walk him through that coach him through that making sure he's running his own race and not worried about well I'd say probably every every snap you take is worth three right I mean if you do something great it's worth three if you do something bad it's worth three you know it's not one minus is three minuses so I'm not saying that's perfect but that's probably a decent way look at it and again at the end of the day guys I mean your peers know your teammates know and frankly I just asked them you know and and so he's chasing he's chasing the group that's why he's here that's why

1:32:05they're all here it to be in this kind of room and hold themselves to high expectations but you know the expectation of receiving what I want that can't be an expectation and so you know that's every athlete's challenge but the work being put and it's good we're just looking on working on stacking days right now what do you see from right end of tight ends that say one time man of witness sign is a tight end it's working with your group house wider see what do you see from hand what do you like about that you know I think that with one you know it doesn't matter if it's him or anybody I mean we're all trying to learn football at a high level you're competing with your peers to stand out that I learn things quicker or I you know I make more plays wherever those are you're trying you're always competing with your peers initially and then obviously the whole room and then nationally you get the idea right so you know what's competing with all the other guys Mary you know Dorian and and my line and you know so JJ everything he's got to have start you

1:33:08know I think that got strong hands the bigger body guy you got to make sure he's not you know getting you know a tight end body right he's a skilled athlete he's definitely you know got some skills he's working on his footwork and his mechanics and a lot of boxes he's working to check and again I think he's been doing that and attacking that with purpose each day you know so but you see your flash here and there we're just looking for consistency right and that's just listen all these guys and uh you know he kind of fixed that board Brian when you do this spring on the brand day it gives me a lot of this angle what did you see from him that still stood out to make you guys think that he can be a legit contributor for the for the same as you yeah I mean uh we made decision to get him healthy uh with his foot uh this past spring so we missed a lot of spring but I would say the way he carried himself and the way he was a leader and then I would say once he was back uh you know Mick coach Mick does a lot of things to great guys and give feedback to whole guys accountable so um he was a guy that you know impressed his teammates who was summer

1:34:14he was a guy that was all gold he was a guy that the leaders wanted to vote him on the leadership counselor so he earned all that without even playing football so how did he stand out it was everything of the non-talented shoes everything off the field he stood out in and uh you know he's I continue bringing that day in and out but that was probably what he did to the summer to you know get back on track and stay on track Brian the other day I took Kelly rave to about what you bring to the table in the meetings etc but work those meetings like right now when you guys are done fabbing with this looks like a pretty nice collection of talent yeah which way to go etc how I would say it's a combination of um getting skill you know getting scheme installed all right not trying to scheme against your defense but getting the install uh the foundation built for the offense to build on top of right you once you get to the season the things you want to do you don't

1:35:14want to be the first time they heard it and so it's a combination of scheme you know against your defense first you know so you still want to compete we have a lot of competition right on a call so you want to have plays that work versus defense but you also want to build a great foundation on the install to where you know you can let it grow from there in a week one week two week three so it's a fine line now as athletes we're trying to build their foundation uh skill wise right I mean the skills they will need to execute the plays where there be leverage based whether be mechanic based you know there's always a fine line of dabling in both yeah that's what I'm going to say because you are player at the highest level is is there only so much you can put in a player's head you're still one upside I mean I think that I think that uh you have to challenge that I think you have to try to push that bar and make it really hard and and in camp season and spring season uh to elevate that uncomfortable level to make sure that the capacity level it

1:36:15continues to grow but I think you're very mindful of that in the fall uh making sure it all makes sense and then we always say you know a drop in the bucket seems insignificant which again enough drops that bucket's going to overfill so you don't want to take those for granted uh but obviously this time of year whether it be physically or mentally you're always trying to raise the bar and push that uncomfortable level so they can grow thank you I can get one more what's the easiest thing for infreshment to pick up one when it gets here it's the hardest thing develop of the wine receiver I think it's I don't think it's just receiver I think it's uh no you know private receiver I would say that it's the detail in which we operate and the amount of things that go into a simple line on a paper you know it always make that joke you thought it was just running a curl round huh yeah so like that's probably part of it and then based on the program they've come from how they

1:37:17were raised all of those things again we're trying to bring in the right type of guys but most these guys think they're working hard at the high school level they have no idea until they get here so the amount of strain and recovery I would say the lifestyle of being a neat athlete it's just something it's really really hard to learn so that off the field that and then the amount of detail that goes into the simplest play on paper are both right with two arms next thank you thanks bro there's high state back you know whether it's physicality like what are the first things that come to mind when you think of you know how to get rid of speed of power yes on and uh try to get it yeah is that something that I mean you feel like you have to you know work hours that's something that you're like yeah that's the kind of back I am I'm just going to be I think that's the kind of back I am but you got what what are kind of a few of those things they're like yeah I need to work on like go to the courses in a few months or so I'll just have a day make sure I keep all the details boss period what the coach like tell you that he likes

1:38:19about your game is a part of the school of tackles you speak what is he like I think that you like my backpack feel and maybe like that I'm like what's kind of your main I mean obviously as an insta-kin committed to this class what's your pitch now to other recruits be like this is why you should join Ohio State 20s major this is a real family atmosphere yeah everybody get them all everybody talk to everybody what you say what you get any tools to learn to learn to do that's funny do you think that your voice down can hear his perspective just the way that he really knows nothing I think I can be speeded and hard yeah yeah who are the main guys that you're talking to right now to join us I'm really talking to everybody

1:39:21the politicalist of your own in that part of the community and you guys any want to join the class anybody at the top here I'm sorry if you already asked this but coming up here as a recruit as a committee I'm here what what did you want to show today what did you want to get out of this experience oh it wasn't up in the show nothing I just wanted to do some work in with those a lot of how did you feel like that went obviously he's still relatively new here but he seems to bring a little bit of a different energy than then some of these camps in the past I feel like it went good yeah do you sense that energy I mean when you're out with him it's yeah I feel his intention he's different than other guys though right I mean kind of how did would you explain his coaching than some of the other running back coach you'd be up for a different path this is intense intense like go go go did you talk to coach Lachon when he was a little with him I did okay so when when didn't he did I didn't work and get him off here um hey brother around like after season like not so far just okay so I mean is it was he kind

1:40:21of the same guy that he is now I mean so just just in the new you guys obviously I added Isaiah to the class and there's no secret they would like to add another one what are your thoughts on being in a class with three different run and acts like that I have no problem being with that what do you like about Isaiah I don't know Isaiah you know not I say you know about him you just damn down the person oh okay when you committed we were some of the guys that we should actually not really couple long backers taking on you might have just it's a desire that can be a digger for people you know I think I fell into that no younger age but super glad that's not okay I watched the last episode of Landry on the plane I've downloaded it's a

1:41:25correction but I don't know that this is why I'm seeing some life over I'm not how he handles it it's a good show for me it seems to be coming on the come up with all this mineral rights I'm excited to see how I think I'm going to do it oh I'm not a good job I'm surprised honestly you seem like you know what you do with your hair it was cool this year so you put your body on the salary you just wind it all just vomiting a paper or I don't know what to talk about that this year have a meeting or something yeah well I mean first off I think I'd be doing this service to to my teammates

1:42:30you know me even think about what's right front of us isn't over yet and that's another thing I got to tell me so much grew is just being present in every single moment that I'm in you know not looking too far ahead because I'm tripping what's right in front of me so again I just that's too so I'm a shouldn't of thinking to meet you for being thinking about what's next to me you're really at least aware that there's a lot of speculation out there that people are going to throw huge numbers at you to go and pull all the decisions I mean right now I'm just not worried about all that stuff I mean people can say all they want to say but you know I'm just focused on focus on Friday nervous I still get nervous for sure but I just don't think I think I knew I got to help just understanding that that moment whatever moment it is that I'm

1:43:30nervous about it doesn't define who I am as a person and it doesn't define who I am and God's eyes and understanding and knowing that has just kind of put like this force field of peace around me that I think he allows me to be able to be called in certain situations but it doesn't that's not good um I mean I just love the game so much and if you don't get nervous or a little bit of the word but this I don't think you you have that same love I mean I've got butterflies since you know going into football again since I was you know five six years old so I don't know what that feels like I didn't oh no I just you know football just doesn't mean as much as it did to me back then I want it to always mean that much I've been told but I just wanted to get like more experience under my belt so I can

1:44:39know bring younger guys with me because I've been almost a second man up behind you and tie what have you seen in the veterans right? Well as a workhorse he he goes stay quiet you go and work hard and that's all I love about him he focuses he don't really talk much he's going to get the job done do a job right rarely has any mistakes what would be a successful season a national championship 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 it's like that mindset different it seems like you guys expect the national championship every year this year even more so you guys have all come back for this as have all decided like enough as amount of is that is to keep feeling different or is there not really any difference it's just the same word it's definitely a difference everyone working harder um we noticed our last run

1:45:41like we most of us don't have any years after this so we got to go go bigger going home then we're not trying to go home finished big we 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 I mean you you were right there something goes a little different you guys could have been one night camp 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 that's kind of coach makes of saying you know nobody cares just work harder like those you know one plate Georgia is the same thing last last play you know they went on the win the 90s 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 uh of course is you know it's frustrating but you can't change the outcome you can't really dwell on it you

1:46:42just got to you know come back and work harder do things better than you did last year and hopefully the outcome will change yeah definitely I mean that's how that's what growing up is basically in college I thought French me I was working as 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 yeah what do you need it to be to be your best 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 get the shape you I think I think we I definitely can lie as I was just you know we got to get the young guys

1:47:45that come along with us we can't play 50 snaps again that's just too much on our bodies uh just everybody like online D line we got to get those younger guys to play you know get that pieces on the D line and the online and everywhere else so we can last that long run I don't know if any of us were really expected to play that next time yeah I did unless we were like winning by like a lot uh I thought like there are no mom's you know I can go sit down or something but we're playing them big games like you know in order to enjoy 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 get the job done what stands out about Kaden McDonald's you got the team you got a little second oh yeah definitely K-Mac is a K-Mac animal y'all you haven't really seen yet but in practice he shows all the time he's just he's just he's growing right now he has a work ethic 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 listen to six three you're three twenty seven he's three twenty six

1:48:50yeah he's I kind of look at him like my my junior but you know K-Mac he's gonna be a great player he's got to develop more and getting to playbook so really a lot on you older guys there's that large group of young guys and then there's the seniors in the back is that part of your task for this year to bring those guys yeah definitely we got to be leaders um like I say 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 contribute like make plays tackle sex yeah I definitely some big dudes and they all work hard I'm really seeing much it's only day two I'm not a bad one but throughout the workouts they've been working hard you know they they're determined and it looks like they're ready to work it feels like there's a lot of great defense is that you have big athletic defensive tactics

1:49:56who can eat up space but also move you know right there is that is that an inquire maybe for great defense to have guys like you that have some fault but also a great feature I think that is definitely I think if you look at the last couple of national championship winners are like seem on North they you know they got two that uh detaco two athletic detacles look at Georgia two athletic detacles so I think that's definitely neat if you want to go on that big run and beat those big teams if you think about that they won't defied by the defense attackers like what's Georgia Jordan Davis and Jill Carter let's miss again it's Chris Jenkins so a couple more questions you might as well as 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 uh I think they're starting to develop to develop more and more of these like freakiest detacles yeah like in the combines just now you see in like those guys they're moving four to four seven eights and things like that so

1:50:59we'll see and when you think it when you think about those freakish athletic defensive tactics how do you think you fit into that mold 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 I watch it come on I watch it do do the drills I have tape here you like you're looking like my film so I think I'm up there with all those I mean as many as I can have I think I have more than that but I think he said it on me I think they're counting some of them and some of them were like just listed so but I think we work on drove matching the hand I think that's uh goes big and uh what we do is a D line you know just affecting the quarterback is anyway you can it's just great for the defense you know just that little

1:52:01thing you cover in 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 you know that's one of the things that you've maybe worked on the most you could bring your time here because there are a few guys that I've seen like oh that pass through the back of the game and we don't have to ask this trial I think I just have like a like like a eye for the ball kind of I kind of just look at the quarterback and just I see him I load up I just try to get in his ways and sometimes he just throws it to me I don't know how your advantage is if you like to be a high state quarterbacks get I mean they get frustrated by you know we're a team you know we're just getting better I should lot of a lot of different backs man and just learn and grow for them I don't really have a top three but I'll give you I'll give you one I would say say quan Gibbs and I like McCaffrey auto he was injured this year I like McCaffrey

1:53:10best back in this drive I lead out of the yard that's y'all that's y'all decision playing with well Howard when I'm going to remember most we're a Howard man he's just such a great lead such a great leader man it's just like in moments where you know usually a lot of players they fold man he was just always calm and relaxed man he just the leader that he was man that's one thing I'm gonna remember about him yeah he's shoot he's gonna be really good man he's um Coach Lock I think he got the transfer in as well from West Virginia just that one two punch with them both as well they're gonna 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 in as a player and so man yeah definitely Ohio State you know that running back room is in gray hands yeah um coach coach hard line man he's full of energy man and he's

1:54:16creative as well you know I'm just learning from him as well you know I'm trying to run more outside the backfield was being able to learn from coach hard line and so he's definitely creative at what he's he does and he brings a lot of energy to the team as well and so I think they'll do really good just intensity man then since he got the playoffs um 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 it's every every game and then 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 I'll I'll talk to a lot of players um 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

1:55:21yeah I know I took a couple days off after the um national championship and then shoot right after that I'm writing right in sample Florida and I'm right to it and so um yeah I think while trained I trained at your birth performance um I think it's called the House of Athlete or the compound now um they did they did a good job man it just um bringing us in and the way they went about training us man they were they did a really good job I mean that's what you need to do the bucket near you know I haven't temple a temple nice this is nice it's a nice city man really nice uh the 40 to broad and avert so you've been uh raises an awesome locker at least me here at the charity of like when you've got a linebacker so you can get a figure that you and you can get ready to square them off yeah uh yeah no man uh it's really all about technique and then it's about mine said it's well and so um I say you know it's for the love of my brother it's for the love of will highway it's for the love of the receivers who I got on the perimeter just making sure you know um first

1:56:23of all my quarterback doesn't get sacked um and I I told will I think it was before the first game I was like I got your brother it's uh I said man I'm not gonna let you get hit you know um and so um I don't know if I don't know if I gave up a sack I'm not sure that um but I know if I did I haven't given up too many and so man it's for the love of my brother's though man making sure the ball get in their hands you know the guys on the outside and making sure they get fed in my game uh 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 uh it's really just continuing 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 I feel like I did a good job of that my senior and so I just want to continue to build on that yes I did yes I did

1:57:23I did me with um new Orleans as well um I never got that comparison actually um I know I'm a Camera shoe yeah man I'm a Camera great great back man um 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 be moving like he's smooth yeah um inside zone from stack being able to hit that thing downhill and I'll say the next one it's probably just an option route out of the backfield you know and man and man coverage you're getting on that linebacker and so yeah I say the man the biggest thing is the way that he carries himself man in the way that man um he approaches the game he comes in with the mindset you know he's going to work every

1:58:24single week you know every practice you know he's working hard you know um even shoot I don't know every good I think he had it every game was a good game for him man and so but still man he always has the mentality the 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 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 is this um not 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 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

1:59:26behind 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 you 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 I might just really love their mentality especially um Q as well you know I talked about Will Howard his leadership but Quincham 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 as soon as you know it you know he that running through somebody still forming somebody and she was just gaining a 10

2:00:27and so yeah man I think it's 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 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 Quincham you know I want to look at this game is 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 gonna be a great but he's gonna be a great quarterback man he's so so accurate and so um he's definitely man I know Coach Dez definitely going to get him right just you know um continue to grow as a leader continue to grow as a player and so he's going he's gonna be really good for high state uh he's that 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

2:01:27feel like that's something that they're definitely going to um ask him Julian San as well it's to be that vocal leader and lead the um and lead the offense and lead the team shoot 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 none um a lot but man his career here you watch his highlights is is great I remember um before I recruit before I committee 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

2:04:17you well I got coming in last round new row so I just attacked Eric did really the same way it's taking advantage very well physically how different are you weight wise body wise on that from your uh I think I got a lot bigger I'm like 240 you know like 244 right now last year I played it like 236 to 37 so yeah what does it feel like a 244 or belly feel like almost a different machine out there yeah like what does it feel like to be running around out there like you are but with more and uh more back I just feel like I'm like like like like more downhill like stronger like I'm taking old blocks better it's bigger yeah is it daunting uh maybe that's not the correct term but 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 what do you have to get straight in your head about being on the field that much more this is got to get ready to just play 30 more snaps so but are you are you how would you

2:05:22describe how much you're looking forward to it from an 8th end yeah I'm looking forward to it I'm ready for it my I'm ready for it it's a rematch but it's not really two different teams compared the last time you all played and stuff how does that enhance this camp for you and this team getting ready for the where an opener of that magnitude yeah with an opener like that we've been um with the emphasizing in a lot we know we got coming so we know we got to do we've got to prepare for it already this is probably what I think Riley ready to play right now he he advanced freshman like he in the he in the book he stood in like he advanced and his measurements crazy like he saw like saw like so I told you said you're ready what was that process like during last season could you feel yourself becoming more and more ready yeah because that's pretty much what my role was just 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

2:06:27I say ready I think it's pretty much like everything physically mentally mostly I think I'm there oh I still want one time 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 attention over everything I did I feel like this year it's gonna be the same thing it's probably a little bit more it won't work I say describe like now I say like when you think of me you're thinking like a like a bully like a silver bullet I don't really a bully I'm always on the ball that's how I like to play and think

2:07:29you know I ain't got to be my nickname but oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah um think it fit me because I don't know I just like the defense I feel like we got like you say we got a lot of freedom man we moving around a lot a lot of the terms is like no I don't know I don't really not answer that that's okay does it you get to go on your instincts a little bit more maybe that's not so thinking of too much I don't even know if I say that because there's a lot of thinking going on but it's like I just like it's defense I like how it's pretty different I like what you got going on uh now I want to much sad I was kind of like happy for you yeah that's what you want no that's my dog I'm gonna say yeah kind of missing a little bit but yeah

2:08:32I'm happy for you though thank you go ahead one last but coach days talked a lot about the guys who played some last year but maybe weren't the starters and the hunger for that wasn't maybe your national championship you guys will win your own yeah how much do you feel that as a guy who certainly contributed last year but will be in this bigger role and I want some of your classmates yeah I do feel like um yeah I do feel like I did win a nattie last year but like you said my role wasn't same as how's gonna be this year so yeah I definitely want to go get another one experienced that like feeling maybe on the field a lot more place great oh well thank you very much so they've been using you you know that almost at safety row stuff how much is it grown uh that you can put your finger on yeah I was growing immensely I mean uh Caleb he makes a lot of checks latin makes a lot of checks uh I listen to them whatever they need if I need to cover somebody out I'll go cover anybody if they need me to uh do run support I'll do run support and it's really uh what Caleb does what we do and latin it just goes back to the

2:09:36coach G's preparation um and everyone's preparation to give us more flexibility and doesn't matter who's in those positions and we can all play every position whether it's covering somebody you're running running and tackling yeah did you feel like that was the case before the Oregon game you're showing up Sammie is it something's been added uh it just you know rely on a little bit more go ahead yeah it did I've probably been a broska game uh me getting more safety reps and we had a five week to prepare so I really learned the playbook a lot more even though I knew the playbook I learned a lot more it amounted like in debt you know so uh really just after the Oregon game it helped me a lot to go back to safety go go to nickel and everywhere do you guys had a lot of issues of giving up big plays in a passing game of the first game against Oregon what do you feel like you guys need to do better this time around just to make sure that doesn't happen uh just the same same mindset we got to challenge these receivers um you know every dog has their day maybe some people didn't have their day that that game but um

2:10:40we'll look out there and hopefully change the narrative and we still play with the same confidence same technique and yeah Bill Rebinois plumbers this batch and Denzel obviously had a tough game and that one what have you seen from him and how he's responded do you get a sense of from him how he's for this rematch oh yeah he's super stoked for this rematch um his preparation has been very good um he's always been preparing you know it didn't go the way he wanted to go that game but he just always had had his confidence and we're going to see a big game out of him this week and you know I know you guys wanted to play them in anapolis but the fact that you get to play them at the Rose Bowl I mean get a second chance and people have said you don't get that very often how determined are you guys to take advantage of it well we're super super determined uh we watch film I mean we've lost a lot of film the first time we play them now we've got another six games that they played up film to watch and it's just they've grown a lot as a team same as us

2:11:41we've grown a lot we're not the same team we were when we played them week one or weeks six or whatever but now we're out there and going to play fast physical and everything like that all right Jordan we're going to jump to the to assume a question here from Joey Kaufman Columbus this batch oh my bad not to Joey Cameron T. Robinson the athletic hey Jordan um you've moved around a lot in the second day I knew in your career and now kind of getting some many more safety reps what is it like at this point when when Walt or or Coach knows comes to you and asks you do something else and just how much can you lean on the experiences you've had moving around when you're trying to learn something new in the middle of season means a lot we always talk about this is if it's being on selfish whether that's making plays or not making plays or doing your job so another person can make plays that's kind of what we pride ourselves on and it's just fun me moving around different positions uh I'm always up for a new challenge and a lot of people in the country can't do that I just hold myself to that standard where

2:12:46I can play any position and excel at it okay uh anybody else needs a question let me know but otherwise we can go to Austin more of the podcast Jordan when you were talking about watching film Oregon which one do you think is more valuable to you watching that against yourself you know seven games ago even if you've changed or the ensuing six games for Oregon which one do you put more stock in kind of both for me uh I kind of watch what I did things I did well things I didn't do too well against them and their team is saying that life this game has changed some players have been out uh those those stretch of games so uh I really watched the past game we played and I know they're gonna go back to some of the stuff that they liked of course and different games like Penn State maybe Illinois they run a lot of men so just watching watching stuff like that every game matters so yeah Jordan thank you very much thank you really playing as much so I just wanted to get like

2:13:48more experience under my belt so I can know bring younger guys with me because I've been through one of those younger guys we're seeing it out here it's the first time I've heard all of those years listen what have you seen from well because I should have real forgot about it because he now he's running you know almost a second man up behind you and tie what have you seen from well as a workhorse he he goes stay quiet you're gonna work hard and that's what I love about he focuses he don't really talk much he's gonna get a job done do a job right really has any mistakes what would be a successful season uh the national championship ring win all the games we don't want to lose anything uh we got a mindset that we can't be beat and we just gotta go show it you guys expect the national championship this year even more so you guys all come back for this you guys have all decided like a numbers and that's it's keep feeling different or is there not really any difference it's just the same work oh it's definitely a difference everyone

2:14:49working harder um we noticed our last run like we most of us don't have any years after this so we got to go go bigger going home and we're not trying to go home finished big we 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 I mean you you were right there something goes a little different you guys could have been one that came 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 uh we just like work harder that's that's kind of coach makes uh saying you know nobody cares just work harder like those you know one plate Georgia is the same thing uh 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 the last two national title? uh of course as you know it's frustrating but you can't change the

2:15:49outcome you can't really dwell on it you just gotta you know come back and work harder do things better than you did last year and hopefully the outcome will change. Is that as you get older you can't learn I thought I was working hard and you always find out there's a little more you could have been doing? Yeah definitely I mean that's how that's what growing up is basically in college and I thought freshman year I was working as hard as I could but now look back at it I really wasn't working hard at all compared to what I'm doing now so just to learn anything. 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 gotta run harder in shape. I think I think I definitely can last I was just you know we got to get the young guys to come

2:16:57along with us we can't play 50 snaps a game that's just too much on our bodies uh just everybody like online D-line we got to get those younger guys to play you know get that pieces on the D-line and O-line and everywhere else so we can last that long. Ah yeah I did unless we were like winning by like a lot I thought like there are no some moments you know I can go sit down or something but we're playing them big games like you know Notre Dame 2 and North those kind of games 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 K-dame Don on this you got the key guess in a second? 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 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 you're both listening to six three

2:17:59you're three 27 he's three 26. Yeah he's I kind of look at him like my my junior but you know K-Mac he's going to be a great player he's just got to develop more and get into playbook. So really a lot on you older guys there's that large group of young guys and then there's the senior in your back as part of your task for this year to bring those guys. 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 burn all season so they can play and not just play they want to like contribute like make plays tackles sex. Yeah they're definitely some big dudes and they all work hard I've only seen much it's only day two and I'm not a paso on but throughout the workouts they've been working hard you know they they're determined and it looks like they're ready to work with me. How important this is feels like there's a lot of great defenses that you have big

2:19:05athletic defense attacks so you can eat up space but also move you know right there is that because I have an inquire that maybe for a great defense to have guys like you that have some balls but also a great secret. I think that is definitely I think if you look at the last couple of national championship winners like team up north they didn't know they got two good detacles two athletic detacles look at Georgia two athletic detacles so I think that's definitely me if you want to go on that big one that beat those big teams. If you think about this they won't defied by the defense attack. It's like what's Georgia's Jordan Davis and Daniel Carter and let's miss again it's Chris Jenkins. Tell us more questions. You know this one is like how I mean you understand it because you play it but I feel like sometimes 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. Yeah. In the combine just now you see in like those guys they're moving four to four seven eights

2:20:08and things like that so we'll see. And when you think about this freakish attack how do you think you fit into that mold of that kind of player you watch that and say yeah that's me. 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 the drills. I have tape here you like you're looking like my film so I think I'm up there. I mean as many as I can have I think I have more than that but I think they're counseling I think they're counseling them and some of them are like just listed so but I think we work on drills matching the hand I think that's goes big and what we do is a D line you know just affecting the quarter of that is anyway you can it's just great for the

2:21:11defense 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 let's something that you really really have to work on. I think I just have like a like a eye for the ball comment I kind of just look at the quarterback and just I see him I load up I just try to get his ways and sometimes he's a little bit more than I do. I mean they get frustrated by you know we're a team you know we're just getting better. I've got a lot of different backs man they just learn to grow for them. You got to pick your top three backs and you got to fill right now. I don't really have a top three but I'll give you I'll give you one I would say Kwan Gibbs and I like McCaffrey auto he was injured this year I like McCaffrey.

2:22:17Best back in this draft I lead out of the yard that's y'all that's y'all decision. Playing well Howard when I'm going to remember most. We're a Howard man he's just such a great lead such a great leader man it's just like in moments where you know usually a lot of players they 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 Lock 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 in as a player and so man yeah definitely Ohio State you know that running back room is in great hands.

2:23:17Yeah coach Coach Hartlein man he's full of energy man and he's creative as well you know I'm just learning from him as well you know I'm trying to run more outside the back field was being able to learn from coach Hartlein and so he's definitely creative at what he does and he brings a lot of energy to the team as well and so I think that do really good. Just intensity man then since he got 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 then 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 I'll talk to a lot of players before then and they

2:24:17told 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 days off after the national championship and then shoot right after that I'm right in right in sample Florida and I'm right to it and so yeah I think while trained I trained at your birth performance I think it's called the House of Athlete or the compound now they did a good job man it just bringing us in and the way they went about training us man they did a really good job the bucket near you know I haven't. Tampa nice it's a nice city man really nice. The 40 to broad and avert. Yeah yeah no man it's really all about technique and then it's about mindset as well and so

2:25:27I say you know it's for the love of my brother it's for the love of will highway 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 I told will I think it was before the first game I was like I got your brother it's I said man I'm not going to let you get hit you know and so I don't know if 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 brother's though man making sure the ball get in their hands you know the guys on the outside and making sure they get fed 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 it's 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 I feel like I did a good job of that my senior 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

2:26:40that comparison actually I know I'm a Camarro sure yeah man I've come here 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 like he's smooth yeah inside zone from stack being able to hit that thing downhill and I'll say the next one it's 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 the man the biggest thing is the way that he carries himself man in the way that man 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 even shoot it I don't know every good I think he had it every game was a good game for him man and so but

2:27:45still man he always has the mentality the 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 is this not have something to lean on now you know I remember before I met him you know going through those adversity I had nothing 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 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 when you're behind the scenes and you're going through things that people don't know about he gives you he gives you that peace and comfort you know even in those moments man where it's so hard that you can't you can't explain it's like

2:28:48man 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 expect the future those other individuals to come from being around power and man eight those guys have such a great mentality man I just really love their mentality especially Q as well you know I talked about will Howard his leadership but Quinch on 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 stiff arm and somebody and shoot it's a game to 10 it's uh yeah man I think it's just like he's just gifted man to be honest he's just gifted

2:29:52you know he's he's a big back you know he's strong and so you know he's he's able to do he's able to do those things and so 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 Quinch on you know I want to look at this game 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 gonna be a great but he's gonna be a great quarterback man he's so so accurate and so um he's definitely man I know Coach Dez definitely going to get him right just you know um continue to grow as a leader continue to grow as a player and so he's going to he's going to be really good for our state uh he's that 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 him Julian San as well it's to be that vocal leader and lead the um and lead the offense and lead the team right next right shoot man he has he has a build like JK Dobbins and um I kind of see them you know similar

2:30:56similarities 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 none 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 I'll be going

2:33:13you all I got coming in last shot new to roll so I just attack every day really the same way it's a very physically physically different are you weight wise body wise on that from the year ago oh I think I got a lot bigger I'm like 240 you know like 244 right now last shot I played it like 236 to 37 what does it feel like a 244 or a value you feel like almost a different machine out there yeah like what does it what does it feel like be run around out there like you are with more more back I just feel like I'm like like like more downhill like stronger like I'm taking all blocks better it's bigger yeah is it daunting uh maybe that's not

2:34:14the correct term but to think you're going to be playing much more than you did even last year and you played quite a bit last year and stuff what do you have to get straight in your head about being on the field that much more this is gotta get ready to just play 30 more snaps so how would you describe how much you're looking forward to it from an 8th day of the year yeah I'm looking forward to it I'm ready for it my I'm ready for it. The text is open it's a rematch so to speak but it's not really two different teams compared to the last time you all played and stuff but how's that enhanced 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 gotta do we've been prepared for it I don't know if it is probably what to do I think Riley ready to play right now he he advanced freshman like he ended he in the book he stood in like he advanced and as measurable as crazy like he saw like the saw line too. I said you're ready. What was that process like during last season could

2:35:18you feel yourself becoming more and more ready for whatever the team needed from you. Yeah because that's pretty much what my role was just 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 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 asked a little more time. How different is that responsibility? I feel like 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. For somebody who's some reason, I'm saying you should help me to do that.

2:36:21It won't work. How's anybody worked your watch? 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 like I'm really a bullet. I'm always on the ball. That's how I like to play and think. I don't think I'm going to be my nickname but oh yeah. I think it fit me because I just like the difference. I feel like we got like you said we got a lot of freedom and we're moving around a lot a lot of the terms just like no I don't know I don't really not answer that. That's okay does it? You can go on your instincts a little bit more baby and it's not so thinking of too much. I don't even know if I say that because there's a lot of

2:37:22thinking going on but it's like I just like it's different I like how different it is I like what you got going on. What was it sad when CJ left the ring? No I wanted to much sad I was kind of like happy fun. That's what you want. No that's my dog. I'm not missing a little bit but yeah I'm happy fun though. I don't think you go ahead one last question. Coach Daze talked a lot about the guys who played some last year but maybe weren't the starters and the hunger for that wasn't maybe your national championship you guys will win your own. How much do you feel that is a guy who certainly contributed last year but will be in this bigger role and along with some of your classmates? Yeah I do feel like um yeah I do feel like I did win a national championship but like you said my role wasn't same as how's going to be this year so yeah I definitely want to go get another one experienced that like feeling maybe on the field a lot more place. Great. Oh Bell thank you very much. I mean I can answer my feed and I'm just going to use it to you right now sometimes sometimes like

2:38:24basketball. I want to be on that just like defend but you know I got to stay in the stage going to be some boss. Exactly. Yeah that's a very question I mean I don't think I feel like these two can answer that for the beer right now I think KK and Hero can answer that. Well I don't know what I don't know what to say about that. What do you guys think? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I go guys every day you know this man is strong. Ready? I'm talking about like you get the basketball here like you know you can just do a thing so I mean he would have his really fine just to hold on straight to his hand and he got the grip. He doesn't get up on the plane like you said he's going to go in and watch the film just doing an interesting thing and then you can see the hundred feet of my foot. I'm like this man. You know if he was following me I'm going to be like you sound like a coach man. He's not like a coach. I'm just going to tell you something for this change your mind about maybe like the idea of tackle versus

2:39:29garbage because obviously his offensive predilelectuals were like yeah the offensive line play will gain as you can apart from me settling in the garden. I want to say maybe I don't know but I mean when I for sure you got the job I was really excited because I'm one of those guys who's the tempo I can run with the tempo you know I mean I'm I'm playing basketball all life in set up football and I feel like just the fast pace off and so we're running really fits the guys we have right now I'm really excited for that. I know you can throw a football like 65 yards but can you kick a football 75 yards and blink a good question. No. I actually have a question. Lincoln what's your question? How is your um your roommate at community? He's a blessing man I can't complain he's a great guy. His name's Lincoln. Keen Holt's Oh he's cleaner. I think we're both really clean that's why we kind of pick each other's rumours because we're very clean and we don't like our words really messy.

2:40:31Well it's true though it's the truth it broke pretty clean so. Luke are you still a cross-training at TACO? Some or if you just been all guard this break? Oh so far I've been all guard um I really don't know like I said I'm taking it practice I practice I could end up being a back attack but I could not but you know I'm just really focused in on this past practice and the next one we've filmed. Yeah oh that mean a lot um you know you put a lot of work in to play here and it's been a dream just being in the high okay it is I'm from a high-o'-kits perspective it's I mean that's the biggest wish possible I would have I would say that's it'd be pretty cool. What was it like just last year at first game getting on the field for the first time? It didn't like this is gonna be a weird answer but it feel like I was playing a game yet if that makes sense I hit. I was pretty locked in I felt like just no anxiousness and no stress and nothing really I just went in that first game was like shoot out in here now it's time to roll you know it didn't really hit me I was like it didn't even hit me after but I'm on it like what'd you feel there and if like getting out there at Indiana I was just like honestly

2:41:33I don't know I felt less nervous I didn't ice go in that makes no sense um a lot I mean I'm learning from Josh Ann Austin I think prior to one of my biggest role models here is my bigger big brother my first game in here. So I'm a padeer I don't know I think this is a video okay yeah no yeah yeah so yeah padeer and Austin those are my guys man I'm even miles to I mean all three of them that's those are my roommates and they're progressing every day as well and I'm excited to see where they where they can get to I'm excited to play the field with them. Oh yeah you know it's been really helpful you know just keep in my mind just settled and straightforward on the next play. What is the biggest step? It's a great question um like I said I mean I just need to say consistent in my word I think that's the biggest thing for me is just ain't consistent and worry about the next play. So you got it from the guy you were in the play?

2:42:33Yeah wow that's weird yeah that's mean I guess they didn't want to get my nerves up but like I was ready I mean I did I took most of the ones reps off camp and I mean I was already helped pretty much it yeah I wasn't really nervous to start the game. What was his advice to you yeah he said you got it you mean you're going against high league and high every day and practice I mean it's not different. Almost different are you now though two weeks into the two starts into the game as a as a player you know having having that under your belt? Um yeah I'm more confident I know what's going on I can see like I can see what's going on with the defense I know what's going on I know what's coming I mean I understand them the game's a lot better than what it was like. Which adds up to what? Fast and start me etc. Yeah you playing with that dust from our line? I mean if we get out early it's get the defense change in place it's changing their defense start fast I mean they're trying to get the call in the play but you start fast I'm not going back and you watch us a lot of times.

2:43:34Yeah of course Dave's pretty much said though you deserve the play man you know let's come along and fast but would you expect this week in terms of your role? Where they need me if it's left right wherever it's I didn't go in I go in and go to do the front of me. How do I play in terms of? Um I'm talking back to high school days but I should back in high school it was really random ball luck really and doing passes but it was fun change you got my made my feet better I would say. So how confident you feel like you could play there if you need? If they want me there I guess I'll play there. I mean they need me they need me. Also in the illness that swept through the office of the line room a lot of times the coaches and players have said like I was still relying for the groom you know getting you experience among others. What was that like for you and double dipping playing some tag or playing some guard the same practice? Um it was based like a group effort like for me new we had guys out and we just had to go pack

2:44:34practice um all five guys there's wherever they were playing we just got to go. How much of that accelerate your development like that time with the ones you were actually doing? They really said it did um I was jumped in there I didn't really know when we get like one or two practices with practices but like after those I was like I was good. You know my confidence grew um yeah. It seemed like there was sort of a settling in process for you and the Akron game maybe play got better if the game went on it and really need to especially in the ground game things seem to take on. But was there a moment when it clicked on the field for you like was there nerves and then a time of settling in I guess how taking you through kind of that first game mentally? Yeah um first game obviously you can have nerves for your first time starter but then like after the first couple of plays meaning you have nerves naturally so that's the first complete I was good I was just rolling. Also there's a weird meaning for first time a striker player I was saying it was also the first start.

2:45:35Yeah um you yeah it's but like I prepared well um and camp and practice all week and I was I was ready um yeah I have two multi-year starters that is the only thing that I did a lot I mean I couldn't ask them hey what we got here but then I was prepared well I mean I was telling Jimmy and says like hey what are the blocks we're doing. I'll be emotional excited it was just as a guy from Ohio what does it mean to start a beginning? Um it was always my dream to come here and play and start and having that like mean I just got to keep going keep building those days and go to games and keep building. What a much younger Austin though you do it? You people from you with that? Uh no not I don't think even I told him like when I asked him yeah younger self even committed and I wouldn't believe that now I have a couple of starts to me yeah awesome has this

2:46:36happened faster than you I guess you're technically a sophomore who plays a richer question? No I knew that year two I was going to see you some playing time now starting week one year two I didn't see that but like I was ready in spring ball like I knew I was going I was going to play some stuff but what does it mean to you to it's not only get the opportunities to play but it's like you play well enough now coaching staff trust you to be able to get them about there whatever the situation was like that earned that so early on the year two um I guess it shows like my preparation my hard work and just everything I put into this and I just finally show up on a field there are moments the top season in the end of the spring and you can't really realize that you could play at this high level with the ones you know if you knew you did yeah uh the definitely was in a training camp I mean black and highly can tie every day like it feels it feels a lot of confidence and doing it well and not like getting

2:47:42balled or anything so there's defense attack wasn't that I was about to do the most thing? hero in Jason Moore and Taiwan all those guys me pretty much anyone on the deepened line gets your face all the time so and came back as well so yeah yeah we also we've heard a lot of them I would work like the pal about the stability and the great thing in the line how much can he help you he helped me a quite a lot and I'm proud that he's our starting center not someone else's but um I mean he's like the captain of the line he's another voice on the line with guys like Josh Fryer and Josh Simmons Donning Tiger that means another voice and not a captain of the look ways of having the men are with this much experience help me a lot he can tell you like before the play was going on like how to block someone like what you need to do and like helps a lot Tiger talking about how calm he is how much does that benefit you have a guy who's kind of been there and so it makes us

2:48:48more calm like especially me and Tay as a first star so like we were up here with with Seth like he brought us down I mean we were like fine like our emotions weren't high we settled in is that like something he tells you is that something you pick up on by how he's acting how do you kind of move sense what he's trying to do by how he's acting and what I mean him when we're on the side of him both Josh Donning like he was telling that's like hey we're cool like we got it but it's pretty much like everyone old cool group how much do that as a first time starter how much did the end that mean a lot that was my first time ever using high pads we didn't use the high pads in high school but I mean you can just like try to remember the defense you can just come on on silent bring them we'll play and get help but really not probably the first or second we'll back after the I thought we'd say oh seven awesome thank you very much it seems like training part is a part of but it's not a

2:49:51whole thing they're getting bigger and stronger yeah it's like the culture part of the part of the mentality how much of the effect is that in a part of your change it's it's also it's a lot and I mean it's and I feel like you can't be able to transform your body like I like I have with like people here come and do that without having that mentality part with it it's like we always talk about competitions here and our our culture is fight so we're always here to compete and I feel like that is just that's what gets you in this mindset when you talk about that transformation you just give us a little sense maybe with numbers or body fat or like what you do in the weight group how big is that transformation definitely I don't have really specific numbers but I just like it's more just like I can just I feel like feeling when I'm playing like I remember how I felt the play when I just got here and now I know how how it feels to play like like like just today like it feels physically different on my body it's like it's just it's

2:50:56I'm getting used to it makes sense I can't imagine feeling like that uh patia also said about you that you are just a completely different guy from last year do you hear the word just get it down yeah do you feel like you weren't at that place mentally I think I was but I think I had some uh I would say like kind of like confidence issues like I was just but you know I mean I work past it and uh I know I can I know who I am and I know I can be here so you know so if you have confidence issues how do you get through it is it yourself it's your teammates there's someone in the family that makes you believe that you can do it um I know I can do it it's not like that's those are in those are all it's on the past now did the past the play time in the very obvious opportunity guys had to step up the deal with the other business that helped you cranking over that confidence issue there because it's now a demo and so your opportunity

2:52:00so kind of it's just like um just I mean it's just just being here like I feel like being here every day working with the guys every day it's just like you know you become this person that you might not have like you might not have like felt like you were before that but like coming here working every day stacking these days like like you know I mean I just feel like I I realized who I am and I know what I can do now I knew I knew I could play here I mean it's just it was like the like I just I don't know how to explain I just like I've always known I could play here it's just I'm just

2:53:00like let's go like I'm ready like I'm ready to attack with our guys the group to help you to figure that out for sure I think KJ was a big influence tie Hamilton tie league they all they all helped me a bunch last year kind of just pushing through you know all right well 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 one of those younger guys we're seeing what have you seen from well this kind of question we all forgot about it because he's heard now he's running you know almost a second man up behind you and you and tie what have you seen uh well as a workhorse he he gonna stay quiet you gonna work hard and that's all I love about him he focuses he don't really talk much he's going to get a job done do a job right rarely has any mistakes what would be a successful season uh the national championship I ring when all the games we

2:54:01don't want to lose anything uh we got a mindset that we can't be beat and we just gotta go show it seems like you guys expect the national championship every year this year even more so you guys have all come back for this you guys have all decided like that is a lot of good because that is you can feel the difference or is there not really any difference it's just the same work it's definitely a difference everyone working harder um we noticed our last run like we most of us don't have any years after this so we got to go go bigger going home and we're not trying to go home finished big we 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 I mean you you were right there something goes a little different you guys could have been one that came 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 uh we just like work harder that's that's kind of coach makes uh saying you know nobody cares just work harder

2:55:05like those you know we'll play Georgia the same thing yeah 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 fun how frustrating is that you're that close against the last two national title uh of course as you know it's frustrating but you can't change the outcome you can't really dwell on uh 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 as that is you get older you kind of learn and I thought I was working harder than you always find out there's a little more yeah definitely I mean that's how that's what growing up is basically in college and I thought fresh me 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

2:56:06funny but I mean that's all on me I just got to run harder get the shape I think I think I definitely can last I was just you know we got to get the young guys to come along with as we can't play 50 stamps a game that's just too much on our bodies uh just everybody like online D-line we got to get those younger guys to play you know get debt pieces on the D-line and online and everywhere else so we can last that long run oh yeah I did unless we were like winning by like a line uh I thought like there are no moments you know I can go sit down or something but we're playing them big games like you know Notre Dame too or North those kind of games of course I want to be because I know I can contribute

2:57:07and I won't want to put that on anyone else when I know I need to jump in. What stands out about Tade and McDonald is he got the key? I mean you guys can just suck again. 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 it all the time he's just he's growing right now he has to work at the teachers has to get you know in the playbook things like that you guys are about the exact same size you're both listening six three you're three 27 he's three 26 yeah he's I kind of look at him like my my junior but you know K-Mac he's gonna be a great player he's got to develop more and get into playbook. So really a lot on you older guys there's that large group of young guys and then there's the 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 um like I say 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 I just play they want to like contribute like make plays tackles sex. It seems like these guys get places

2:58:13each one of the first kind of class is a big refrigerator. Do those guys kind of does it kind of while you know someone first? Yeah they're definitely some big dudes um and they all work hard I'm really seeing much it's only a day two when I'm passing on but throughout the workouts they don't work hard you know they they're determined. I can say that and it looks like they're ready to work with me. I'm going to score this though it feels like there's a lot of great defenses that you have big athletic defensive tactics you can eat up space but also move you know right through this that is that requirement maybe for great defense to have guys like you that have some fault but also a great team. I think that is definitely I think if you look at the last couple of national championship winners are like team of Northe you know they got two good uh detaco two athletic detacles look at Georgia two athletic detacles so I think that's definitely needed if you want to go on that big run and beat those big teams. You think about this they don't define why the defense is actors like what's Georgia?

2:59:14Jordan Davis and James Carter what's Michigan is Chris Jenkins. Tell us more questions. What is it like how? I mean you understand this 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 uh I think they're starting to develop to develop more and more of these like freaky detacles yeah like in the combine just now you see in like those guys they're moving four to four seven eights and things like that so we'll see and when you think when you think about this freakish how do you think you fit into that old of that kind of player? Will you watch that and say yeah that's me? Oh 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 the combine I watch it do the drills I have Tate here you like you're looking my my film so I think I'm up there with all those I'm totally gonna be you become like a artist and it comes in the bad end passes the figure wags have your things when you're going

3:00:14it's a prank practice you're not doing it as much a weapon or the weapon that's not the reason I do work on that do you have like a goal one mind? I don't I don't remember how many you had last year but you haven't got a goal one last good five how many do you want to have this? I mean as many as I can have I think I have more than that but I think maybe the council I think maybe the councilman and some of them were like just listed so but I think we work on drove matching the hand I think that's uh goes big and uh what we do is a deal on you know just affecting the quarterback is anyway you can it's just great for the defense you know it's 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 you to do that with what you do and that's one of the things that you've maybe worked on the most you could bring your time here because there are a few guys that I've seen like oh that past week takes a good we don't have to ask for this trial I think I just have like a like a eye for the ball kind of I kind of just look at the quarterback and just I see him I load up I just try to get in his ways and sometimes he just throws it to me

3:01:17how many are you telling you to do it to the Ohio State quarterbacks? I mean they get frustrated by you know we're team you know we're just getting better I should lot a lot of different backs man they just learn to grow for them I don't really have a top three but I'll give you I'll give you one I would say say quan Gibbs and I like McCaffrey auto he was injured this year I like McCaffrey best back in this draft I'll lead out of the yard that's y'all that's y'all decision playing well Howard when I'm going to remember most we're a Howard man he's just such a great lead such a great leader man it's just like in moments where you know usually a lot of players they fold man he was just always calm and relaxed man he just the leader that he was man that's one thing I'm gonna remember about him

3:02:23yeah he's shoot he's gonna be really good man he's um Coach Lock I think he got the transfer in as well from West Virginia just that one two punch with them both as well they're gonna 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 in as a player and so man yeah definitely Ohio State you know that running back room is in great hands yeah um coach coach hard line man he's full of energy man and he's creative as well you know I'm just learning from him as well you know I'm trying to run more outside the backfield was being able to learn from coach hard line and so he's definitely creative at what he's he does and he brings a lot of energy to the team as well and so I think they'll do really good just intensity man and since he got the playoffs um every game man it's like the

3:03:26intensity 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 intensity it keeps getting higher and higher 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 um 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 days off after the um national championship and then shoot right after that I'm right in right in Tampa Florida and I'm right to it and so um yeah I think while I trained I trained at your birth performance um I think it's called the House of Athlete or the compound now um they did they did a good job man they're just bringing us in and the way they went about training us man they were they did a really good job

3:04:28and you know what you mean the bucket in the airs know I haven't Tampa Tampa nice this nice it's a nice city man really nice uh the 40 to broad and avert train you've been uh raises an awesome locker and these big tier of mentality of like when you've got a linebacker so you can just have bigger than you when you're in ready to score a ball. Yeah uh yeah no man uh it's really all about technique and then it's about mine said as well and so um I say you know it's for the love of my brother it's for the love of will highway it's for the love of the receivers who I got on the perimeter just making sure you know um first of all my quarterback doesn't get sacked um and I I told will I think it was before the first game I was like I got your brother it's uh I said man I'm not gonna let you get hit you know um and so um I don't know if I don't know if I gave up a sack I'm not sure that um but I know if I did I haven't given up too many and so man it's for the love of my brother's though man making sure the ball get in their hands you know the guys on

3:05:30the 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 in my game uh 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 uh it's really just continuing 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 I feel like I did a good job of that my senior and so I just want to continue to build on that yes I did yes I did I did me with um New Orleans as well um I never got that comparison actually um I know I have a Camera shoe yeah man I have a Camera great great back man um just what he does and knows 101 matchups he's dangerous man and he's so smooth he's so smooth as well I'm not going like he's smooth yeah um inside zone from stack being able to hit that thing downhill and I say

3:06:39the next one it's 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 the man the biggest thing is the way that he carries himself man in 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 I don't know every good I think he had every game was a good game for him man and so but still man he always has the mentality the 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 so you look like a lot of people are stuck in you know some injuries man a lot of ups and downs man it's just how you respond to adversity and I feel like that's

3:07:45something that God has definitely helped me to do better is this um not 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 being able to lean on him you know he gives you in those moments where it's tough you know where it's slow 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 you 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

3:08:45man those guys have such a great mentality man I might just really love their mentality especially um Q as well you know I talked about Will Howard his leadership but Quencia 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 as soon as you know it you know he that running through somebody still farming somebody and she was just gaining a 10 and so shoot I think yeah man I think it's 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 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 Quencia you know I want to look at this game is 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

3:09:47Julian San oh yeah he's gonna be a great but he's gonna be a great quarterback man he's so so accurate and so um he's definitely man I know Coach Dez 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 he's gonna be really good for our state uh he's uh 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 him Julian San as well it's to be that vocal leader and lead the and lead the offense and lead the team right next round shoot 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 none um a lot but man his career here you watch his highlights is is great I remember um before I recruit before I committee here I remember watching JK Dobbins highlights like every every um one of his years here like four or five times and so man

3:10:50he 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 I appreciate you all y'all y'all be going

3:12:45so all I got coming in last round of the row so I just tacked every day really the same way thank you very well thank you very much thank you very much thank you very much thank you very much thank you um I think I got a lot bigger I'm like 240 you know like 240 for right now last year I played at like 236 to 37 what does it feel like a 240 for our value you feel like almost a different machine out there yeah yeah what does it feel like we run around out there like you are with more more back I just feel like I'm like like like more downhill like stronger like I'm taking all blocks better it's bigger yeah is it daunting uh maybe that's not the correct term but to think

3:13:49you're going to be playing much more than you did even last year and you played quite a bit last year instead what do you have to get straight in your head about being on the field that much more this is going 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 8th and a half yeah I'm looking forward to it I'm ready for it I'm ready for it I'm ready for it the Texas opener it's a rematch and so to say but it's not really two different teams compared to the last time y'all played and stuff but how has that enhanced this camp for you and this team getting ready for the where an opener of that magnitude yeah with an opener like that we've been we've been emphasizing in a lot and we know we got coming so we know we got to do we've been prepared for it I think Riley ready to play right now he he advanced freshman like he ended he in the book he stood in like he advanced and his measurements was crazy like he saw like the saw line to you said you're ready what was that process like during last season could

3:14:51you feel yourself becoming more and more ready the team needed for you yeah because that's pretty much what my role was just 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 a different is that feeling this year's analyze oh oh um I feel like it's 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 it's gonna be the same thing it's probably a little bit more

3:15:52yeah it won't work how's anybody worked you watch you uh I say describe like now I say like when you think of me you would think of like a like a bully like a silver bullet but I'm really a bully I'm always on the ball that's how I like to play a thing no I ain't ain't gotta be my nickname but so I'm saying that the oh yeah um think it fit me because I don't know I just like the defense I feel like we got like you said we got a lot of freedom and we're moving around a lot a lot of the terms is like no I don't know I don't really know how to answer that that's okay does it you get to go on your instincts a little bit more baby and it's not so thinking of too much I don't even know if I say that because there's a

3:16:55lot of thinking going on but it's like I just like it's defense I like country defense I like what you got going on now I wanted to say that I was kind of like happy for you that's my dog don't say it kind of missing a little bit but yeah I'm happy for you all right well don't thank you go ahead one last but coach days talked a lot about the guys who played some last year but maybe weren't the starters and the hunger for that wasn't maybe your national championship you guys will win your own yeah how much do you feel that as a guy who certainly contributed last year but will be in this bigger role and along with some of your your classmates yeah I do feel like um yeah I do feel like I did win a nati last year but like you say my role wasn't same as how's my beaters here so yeah I definitely want to want to go get another one experienced that like feeling maybe on the field a lot more place you need to offense compared to NFL especially with the way he uses receivers how do you anticipate

3:18:00your role changing it how do you view the offense from a receiver perspective specific yeah um I mean I think he likes to really push the ball down the field um he likes to be balanced he likes to uh give different looks to a difference you know we're gonna uh not to try to get too much into it but you know we're gonna use some motion move some guys around and things of that nature I think for myself I feel comfortable playing any of the positions that is that is asked whether it's the slot the outside positions and um unique part about our offense is I don't think necessarily you play the X or the Z because the pit on the formation of the hash you can be the opposite you could you can be the X but then you're to the field now you're the Z so you've got to really learn uh the entire concept and know where you're out in the field which I think makes everybody smarter players because you don't pigeonhole yourself I just play X you know I'm only know this position like you get in two minutes you're the Z now you got to know what to do you may have the clear out route or you may have the backside dig like you got to know uh what you're doing so I think he doesn't just say like we're gonna do this offense he's really trying to create an

3:19:04offense that it's our personnel really well that that field boundary thing yeah that's the thing in college but it seems like it's more unique to clip is that is that something you're used to seeing with other offenses you've been in yeah definitely I mean I think if if I'm on the left hash like technically um I'm the X you know I'm in the boundary but if we're on the right hash I'm still on the left side I'm really the Z in the concept because I'm to the field I'm to the strength of the tight end so um I've been in offenses like it's similar like that before and um you know I just think he he one thing I think that's really stood out as the compliments of our routes that we have so far I feel like we have a chance to really run similar stems but there's different routes off those stems and things like that which I think for receiver like myself who uh you get you know a really good look at DBs and they study your film they study your splits like having routes that look the same but break off a different different angles is extremely important because it feels like you have some versatility in your bag to go out with versus like you got this hitch again you're back

3:20:07side like that's all you got you know what I mean so um yeah he's just been a really good person to work with and he's been really communicative with the leaders and how we want this offense to look like in some of the ideas that we may have as well so it's it's been a really uh cool transition you talk about the transitions you've heard offense in three years probably your fourth and six years yeah how do you not kind of build up some barriers yeah man I gotta do this again right um I think you know human nature is is always um a factor in whatever you do in life but I think I try to make a conscious choice of coming in with a new year mentality each and every year and I think it's easy because we've had so many changes and um it's been great working with Marcus and Jaden and Jeff and Sam all of everybody like it's it's been great with working with all the quarterbacks and um I just have a mentality of not really being complacent like I try to really focus on the things

3:21:09that I I can come back better at this year and I've been working my my butt off to do that so um I think the easy thing and when I was younger you're like dang like you just want that consistency you know what I mean like you want that um something you could depend on but like life isn't life isn't always like that so um I've been reinvigorated because of just the energy that DQ brings in to our building each and every day and and the coaches as well like it's fun competing you know what I mean and sometimes I could get lost in the grind but um I think the reason why you make it here at this level is because you you fall in love with the competition of it and I think the competition breathes the success because um that is really where you the iron truly sharpens iron so you know other guys are going to make plays but when you get excited to go in there and and know that um the next day we're going to go right back after the defense so um for myself I'm just looking forward to continue to grow with the quarterbacks that we have um I'm

3:22:10a year six now which is extreme blessing and um leader one of the leaders in our room and I just try to take the bull by the horns with that and so uh that's really been my focus and uh you know I'm excited for another year to us it's looked like you're being more vocal on the sideline to help young guys definitely something you decided this offseason or uh I think that's uh been a part of my maturation process as a leader um I've always seen myself as somebody that was a uh a leader by example um but from coaches and other teammates I've had over the years um guys like to hear what I have to say for whatever reason sometimes you know and I think the biggest thing where I've tried to figure out where I fit in with my vocal leadership is I never wanted to be like a dictator you know I mean I never wanted to tell guys what to do or or be a yellow or things like that like when I say something I wanted to have power I wanted to have meaning and I hope you know the guys would feel the same way if they were to ask them that question um because I want to see all these guys when man like it's it's hard to make it in this league and staying a career

3:23:13and so anyway I could help the receivers the DBs I'm talking to some alignment Johnny who's who's rehabbing his foot you know what I mean like everybody has a role and everybody has a different story and path and so if I could share what I've been through my testimony to help them or do things that kind of slow down the process I'm gonna try to do that because um we need everybody from the rookies to the ten year vets to to make this thing work so um more so I I try to speak to what I what I know and and really those honest conversations that I try to have with guys where they know I'm coming from a good place and I think I'm not the type of guy where I'm just going to want talking at them like if they see something like I could take a coaching point from Luke McCaffrey I could take a coaching point from Deami from Jahan from uh Marcus from anybody you know like I think that's what makes you a great player when you can really uh be coachable from anybody and not take it from a personal standpoint hi I'm good um going back to what you were saying about

3:24:16Cliff and how was he as a teacher in teaching all this yeah I mean I think he does a really great job of making things simple first and foremost he doesn't over coach and I think that's the trust that he has in our group and his and his coaches our position coaches to um fill in the detail so we'll have an install meeting and um it'll be a good amount of time but then our position coaches will have time and we'll make it specific to that position and so um then we'll come in and have a walkthrough um and then after that we'll have another walkthrough and so I don't think there's been a time where I've come out here and I'm kind of worried about what I got you know I mean and when you get into certain offices there could be so many details where you could be overwhelmed and I think then it forces it kind of separates guys in a sense that like one guy may study more than another guy but when you have these these sessions that we have where we're having an installs in the morning we're having two walkthroughs and then we're coming on the field and doing it like I think you notice a lot of guys are playing a lot faster and more confident because he's keeping it simple but also he's very particular in in what he's expecting but it's not a lot so um there's

3:25:24not a pressure of to get it right but at the same time um you know it's expected of you and and you know you're going to have the tools given to you to be successful out there on the field and this offseason just the totality of change from front office players coaches the turf field I mean what what does that been like for you just to see what's going on? It's been fun um you know I think from uh Mr. Harris and the entire ownership group down to Adam Peters down to DQ down to Jada who he drafted and bringing in Marcus and Jeff and all those guys and down to leaders we have on our team I think it was extremely specific on the way they tried to build this thing going into this year um first we're having the right people bringing in leaders bringing in guys who love to compete first thing that DQ said when he came here was and his first meeting like if you love to compete this is going to be the place for you and I love it you know I mean I love bags and and going at it with the DBs every day like the little mundane stuff can seem a little boring but that's I think that was the the where you make the gains

3:26:25during the offseason where you're really focused on I'm hey like I'm a I'mma give all I got for this day and I'mma get better and then I'mma I'mma learn from the film and come back tomorrow and ready to do it again and he also understands like the the benefits of having breaks like he's giving us breaks we've had you know weeks off here in the other week and compose ourselves but then come back and give it all we got you know what I mean and when you got a coach that understands the physicality of an entire season where you guys do need breaks by the same time we're going to get after it uh it makes it fun as a leader because you can take that to your room and be like yo we got these we got this week you know I mean that's extremely important but you know we have this little break coming up um where you're going to get your your mind and your body and your soul right so um coming into this season I'm I'm really optimistic of what we can be this year and I think it started with the foundation that uh the ownership group and the entire staff has built and now it's on myself as a leader to continue to hone that in into the locker room but I think it's great because we have so many great leaders from all across the league uh who have one and

3:27:29hey we got Bobby Wagner in there you know I mean I asked a hall of famer so like you know being able to have kind of guys like that that you can lean on that can sometimes take over that leadership role where it doesn't fall on one person I think it's uh uh extremely refreshing and knowing that everybody's on the same page and the message is the same um allows you to go out there with confidence and always expect to know you Terry you seem to spend many of your off seasons learning about things beyond football hobbies what happy did you do anything this all season so far to hobbies or increase your knowledge of this the world around you uh let's go question um play a lot of golf as that they just keeps my competitive juices flowing um uh plan in the wedding that's going well and uh man I've just been grinding like honestly you know I mean I've been hungry uh this all season like uh I started working out you know pretty early and uh you start to see guys like coming back

3:28:30and it's just fun to like to be here and compete and feel like everybody's on the same page you know what I mean like and so for me I'm a grind every off season but just this one just feels like it's the start of something you know new and special and the foundation of is extremely important to be a part of that to have a hand in that um you know it's it's an honor you know and I put a lot of expectation on myself to come out here and and be the guy that I know I'm capable of and also like taking the next step and uh being somebody that our quarterbacks that can trust and believe in so this all season was pretty simple for me um it was just really about you know working and and grinding and getting better he talked about Jayden before and so far I know we haven't seen everything but in terms of his his arm strength the throws he's making anything surprising so far about the types of his ability in that regard definitely uh I think after the second or third crosser that he threw I started telling receivers like hey you gotta get your head around you know

3:29:31I mean because again each quarterback throws the ball differently and sees the field differently so sometimes on crossers a lot of quarterbacks may like to see you cross the ball and get into that open zone over there if it's man flattened off they like to see you get open for him he has a really good anticipation over the middle of the field where he can make those throws and give you a chance to catch and run and uh he he's really accountable too like we had a play today where he felt like he missed me and you know it's not a big deal at all you know I mean him and I could talk through those things and there's been a play that I've talked to him about I could do a better job but again like that open that open form of communication from a rookie I think is is very rare and I think it speaks to the confidence he knows who he is but he's also not afraid to say when he's wrong and he knows he needs room to improve but his touch on the deep balls is amazing um you know I love getting extra reps with practice after practice with him we're just catching the topping of a deep ball as big for me you know I mean I get to track the ball over my shoulder and as big for him to be able to uh get used to dropping the ball in the bucket but he just naturally has an ability to

3:30:33throw the ball he sees the windows really well and now uh he's just you know continue to get adjusted to the speed in the past rush I think he's uh these reps that he's getting are unbelievable during 11 on 11 because he's getting to feel pain and allen and d a and Cleveland Farrow like we got some dogs up there who are gonna come after him you know what I mean and we got some great guys up front who are gonna protect them and so these reps I feel like are even better than just seven on seven and seven on seven I think he could do in the sleep to be fair like he throws the ball really well but uh when you get this 11 on 11 two-minute drill you're putting them in game like situations and I'm looking them in his eye I'm like we play a real ball now like we we we playing you know I mean and uh you just see no no uh anxiousness in his game and his demeanor which is extremely exciting and and then you know he's extremely lighthearted and he's always smiling so he's joking with lime and d line he's just cool with everybody and like I said like for a rookie quarterback to come in like that where guys are gravitating to him and he's not afraid to be who he is uh that's dope I think he has a bright future for himself the tough losses the tough seasons can weigh on a player

3:31:40sure you're entering the prime of your career Jay kind of mentioned it last year all he cares about is winning he wants to win now is there a sense of urgency you obviously always want to win yeah knowing that you know you're you're getting to the prime your career like you want to win now yeah I think that's a fair question I think um you know you start to evaluate when you I'm in year six and you know it's how fast it goes and um I try not to put the cart before the horse were looking too far ahead by at the same time uh you do want to win you want to be a part of a winning culture and have a chance to win the Super Bowl and in the playoffs and all those things like that's why we we do this uh personally and uh I'm just excited with being a part of a organization in a environment where now like everybody's on the same page in the in the in the message is uniform and it speaks from the top down and uh it reflects the guys that they're bringing in you know all the guys that they brought in are guys who are hungry who are competitors who uh not only fighting for spots but we're going to help us win games and when you're around an environment like that like

3:32:44that that makes you excited makes you hopeful and um you know you don't know how it's going to turn out until we start playing games but um the foundation is extremely important and I think this offseason we've really done a great job of building that they have and then when a coach queen guy here building with this team so I feel like we're going to be going into this offseason really knowing we all got to do individually to become ready for camp but the the message is clear to come back to camp ready to compete and uh and and be ready to win thanks Daryl. Appreciate you guys. You 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 to one of those younger guys we're seeing it out here it's the first time it's heard all year long. What have you seen from well because

3:33:44I kind of felt like my husband we all forgot about it because he was heard now he's run in you know almost a second man up on you and tied. What have you seen from the coach? Uh well as a workhorse he he goes stay quiet he's going to work hard and that's what I love about him he focuses he don't really talk much he's going to get a job done do a job right really has any mistakes. What would be a successful season? A national championship? A ring? When all the games we don't want to lose anything uh we got a mindset that we can't be beat and we just got to go show it so that mindset different seems like you guys expect the national championship every year this year even more so you guys have all come back for this you guys have all decided like that that's a lot of things that you can feel the difference or is it not really any difference it's just the same for us. It's definitely a difference everyone working harder um we noticed our last run like we most of us don't have any years after this so we got to go go bigger going home then we're not trying to go home. Finish big. We know what you guys think

3:34:46are 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 I mean you you were right there something goes a little different you guys could have been one that came against them. Does that tell you anything about like that pay 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 uh we just like work harder this this kind of coach makes uh 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. Uh of course it's you know it's frustrating but you can't change the outcome you can't really dwell on uh 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. Is that as you get older you

3:35:46kind of learn I thought I was working hard and you always find out there's a little more you could have been doing. Yeah definitely I mean that's how that's what growing up is basically in college and 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. You know for stamina is a 16 year in the end so like what do you need it to be to be your best? 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. Yeah the shape. You know what I think I think I definitely can last I was just you know we got to get the young guys that come along with us we can't play 50 snaps again that's just too much on our bodies uh

3:36:46just everybody like online D-line we got to get those younger guys to play you know get that pieces on the D-line and the online and everywhere else so we can last that long. I don't know if any of us were expected to play that next time. Oh yeah I did unless we were like winning by like a lot uh I thought like there are no small ms you know I can go sit down or something but we're playing them big games like you know Notre Dame too or North those kind of games 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 Taden McDonald and because he got it you 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 just he's growing right now he has a work ethic he just has to get you know in the playbook and things like that. We got to talk about the exact same size. Listen you're both listening six three you're three twenty seven he's three twenty six. Yeah he's I kind of look at him like my junior but you know K-Mac he's going to be a great player

3:37:51he's got to develop more and get into playbook. It's really a lot on you older guy there's that large group of young guys and they make the seniors in your back is that part of your task for this year to bring those guys. Yeah definitely we got to be leaders like I say we've 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 tackle sex. Yeah they're definitely some big dudes and they all work hard I'm really seeing much as only a day to when I'm passing on but throughout the workouts they've been working hard you know they they're determined. I can say that and it looks like they're ready to work.

3:39:01Some of the balls but also a great feeling. I think that is definitely I think if you look at the last couple of national championship winners like see my North Indian and they got two good detacled two athletic detacles look at Georgia two athletic detacles so I think that's definitely neat if you want to go on that big run and beat those big teams. What's Georgia? Jordan Davis and Daniel Carter and let's miss you again. First Jenkins. Tell them more questions. You understand what 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 more and more of these like freaky detacles. Yeah like in the combine just now you see in like those guys they're moving four to four seven eights and things like that so we'll see. And when you think about those freaky shackles how do you think you fit into that mold of that kind of player? You watch that and say yeah that's me.

3:40:04Yeah 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 I watch it come on I watch it do do do do do do I have a tape here you like to look at my film so I think I'm up there with all the time. I think you become like an artist who comes to batting out the passes. I think your legs can be clean. When you're going spring practice you're not doing much a weapon or the weapon. Do you have like a gold one? I don't remember how many that last year. You have gold lines? How many of you have? I mean many of us can have I think I have more than that but I think they're counseling. I think they're counseling 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 just affecting the quarter thing 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 players.

3:41:18I think I just have like a like a eye for the ball comment. I kind of just look at the quarter back and just I see him like load up I just try to get in his ways and sometimes he's just throws a thing. I mean they get frustrated but you know we're a team you know we're just getting better. I should lot a lot of different backs man they just learn to grow for them. You got to pick your top three backs and you got to go right now. I don't really have a top three but I'll give you I'll give you one. I would say say quan Gibbs and I like McCaffrey. Although he was injured this year I like McCaffrey. Best back in this draft I'll lead that up the yard that's y'all that's y'all decision. Playing well Howard what I'm going to remember most. We're Howard man he's just such a great leader. Such a great leader man it's just like

3:42:22in moments where you know usually a lot of players they fold man he was just always calm and relax 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 um coach lock 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 in as a player and so man yeah definitely Ohio State you know that running back room is in gray hands yeah coach coach hard line man he's full of energy man and he's creative as well you know I'm just learning from him as well you know I'm trying to run more outside the backfield was being able to learn from coach hard line and so he's definitely creative at what he does and he brings a lot of energy to the team as well and so I think they'll do really good

3:43:29that's what we want to say to him just intensity man then sensitivity out of playoffs um every game and it's like the intensity got you know higher and higher and so you know being able I know in the lead it's it's the same thing even if it's not the playoffs just every every game and then sensitivity 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 um 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 days off after the um national championship and then shoot right after that I'm right in right in Tampa Florida and I'm right to it and so um yeah I think while I trained I trained at um Yo Merth performance um I think it's called the house of

3:44:32athlete or the compound now um they did they did a good job man it just um bringing us in and the the way they went about training us man they were they did a really good job the bucking near no I haven't Tampa Tampa nice this is nice this is a nice city man really nice yeah uh the 40 to broad and avert yeah yeah nah man uh it's really all about technique and then it's about mine said as well and so um I say you know it's for the love of my brother it's for the love of will highway it's for the love of the receivers who I got on the perimeter just making sure you know um first of all my quarterback doesn't get sacked um and I I told will I think it was before the first game I was like I got your brother it's uh I said man I'm not gonna let you get hit you know um and so um I don't know if I don't know if I gave up a sack I'm not sure that um but I know if I did I

3:45:36haven't given up too many and so man it's for the love of my brother's though man making sure that the ball get in their hands you know the guys on the outside and making sure they get fed in my game uh 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 uh it's 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 I feel like I did a good job at that my senior year and so I just want to continue to build on that yes I did yes I did I did me with um New Orleans as well um I never got that comparison actually um I know I know Camera sure yeah man I have a Camera great great back man um 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

3:46:37like 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 and man and man coverage you're getting on that linebacker and so yeah I say the man the biggest thing is the way that he carries himself man in 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 I don't know every good I think he had a every game was a good game for him man and so but still man he always has the mentality the 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

3:47:37player man he really is man 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 is this um now 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 being able to lean on him you know he gives you in those moments where it's tough you know where it's slow 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 you can't explain it's like man I'm going through this but like how am I still feel with this internal joy you know how do I have so much peace in this situation and so that's

3:48:39something that only Jesus Christ can give you and so you know the back of the front of me is the power of judge and experience which aspect to each of those other individuals who run to the model of the game from being around power to him um man eight 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 power his leadership but Quinch Dom 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 that running through somebody step on somebody and shoot it's a game to 10 it's uh yeah man I think it's 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

3:49:42able 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 Quinch Dom you know I want to look at this game is 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 gonna be a great but he's gonna be a great quarterback man he's so so accurate and so um he's definitely man I know Coach Dez 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 he's going to be really good for high state uh he's that 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 Julian San as well it's to be that vocal leader and lead the um and lead to offense and lead to steam sure 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 I feel like

3:50:46he's not talked about his know um a lot but man his career here you watch his highlights is is great I remember um before I recruit before I committee 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 so I appreciate you all you have

3:52:58so all I got coming in last round new year so I just attacked every day really the same way thanks to the band very rare physically how different are you weight wise body wise on that oh I think I got a lot bigger I'm like 240 you know like 244 right now last year I played it like 236 to 37 what does it feel like a 244 or a belt you feel like almost a different machine out there yeah what's it what does it feel like to be running around out there like you are but with more more back I just feel like I'm like like like like more downhill like stronger like I'm taking all the bloods better it's a big no you see don't think uh maybe that's not the correct term but

3:54:01to think you're going to be playing much more than you did even last year and you played quite a bit last year instead what do you have to get straight in your head about being on the field that much more this is gotta 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 8th standpoint yeah I'm looking forward to it I'm ready for it my I'm ready for it it's a rematch so it's not really two different teams compared to the last time y'all played and stuff but how's that enhanced this camp for you and this team getting ready for they were 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 prepared for it I think Riley ready to play right now he he advanced freshman like he in the he in the book he studying like he advanced and his measurements is crazy like he saw like the saw line too or like you said you're ready I don't know you're ready what was that process like during last

3:55:03season could you feel yourself becoming more and more ready yeah because that's pretty much what my role was just 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 oh I asked that one more time how different is that response bill um I feel like it's 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 it's gonna be the same thing it's probably a little bit more

3:56:06it won't work 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 I don't really a bullet 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 oh yeah yeah um think it fit me because I don't know I just like the defense I feel like we got like you say we got a lot of freedom and we're moving around a lot a lot of the times just like no I don't know I don't really not answer that thinking of too much I don't even know if I say that because there's a lot of thinking going on but

3:57:08it's like I just like it's deep I like how it's pretty deep because I like what you got going on uh now I want to much sad I was kind of like happy for you yeah that's what you want no no that's my dog I'm gonna say yeah kind of missing a little bit but yeah I'm happy for you go ahead one last but coach days talked a lot about the guys who played some last year but maybe weren't the starters and the hunger for you know that wasn't maybe your national championship you guys will win your own how much do you feel that as a guy who certainly contributed last year but will be in this bigger role and a lot of some of your classmates yeah I do feel like um yeah I do feel like I did win in that elation but like you said my role wasn't same as how's my beaters here so yeah I definitely want to want to go get another one experienced that like feeling maybe on the field a lot more place that's it oh Bill thank you very much so I feel like I kind of have a lot of meters on the D line and at the D

3:58:10in position so we kind of all kind of just count off the children and those um we're competitive we love it we're all competitive people we all love to fish each other and I feel like the springing the best side of all this I feel like we're all just kind of bouncing off each other we see what one person does and we kind of better than the archable box and we all kind of just kind of build one great thing one okay do you ever go on last year and you got to get the shot at the full back and and uh did they approach you that idea and two coach them I mean how did that come about because you're a jack saw your sloppy okay it gets touched down um so I definitely did it in high school I was pulled back and a little bit tied in so I feel like they kind of saw what I could do there in coach Wilson honestly you left watching it too before you left and uh feel like you playing that seat in coach day's head and uh in coach day I kind of just went for it

3:59:10and uh tried to do the best I could to do it. Does that get genuine now? I mean really do you need anything to screen? New playbook I did not know you uh I've gotten that far. So you have good things? How tough is that? But yeah look at that. Um I like to think myself as a football player I can really play any position on the field you need me to just give me a weaker two to learn it and kind of perfect it and uh try to do my best for you. Kid Jack you the same thing. Oh yeah. Don't want that. Graphically that's what. Kid is talking to Coach Johnson on Tuesday about some of the conversations and sort of saw you got out to have some conversations after the JT and Jack decided to come back. Just got to went into those and perspective and out of that help you really get the right mindset against many of these things. Um definitely kind of seeing it all the way through. I feel like the people kind of just see what happened and they don't know everything that goes into it how long the season is now. What you got to do to prepare for and what to happen and all that time from here to to then. So uh I feel like we definitely just coached in me kind of connected and we kind of just talks

4:00:11man-to-man and uh he kind of just sent it straight to me and I feel like we kind of both are pretty honest and we know we're making it yada. Making each other better every day and we got the four best D-ins, five best D-ins honestly and we're college football and we're going to be one of the best D-rimes in college football. How do you feel like the better player today at any more of your games here? Well I feel like I've taken big steps in my roles of just being responsible and being more of a leader and kind of stepping up and taking a step to kind of get out there more on the team and kind of bring people in and I feel like I'm kind of helping out more. Are you right here in the way that you're possibly seeing the TKFC? That sound? I mean it sounds bizarre but I mean the season goes by so fast already so when you're kind of like week 10 and you're like wow it's already week 10 so now it's kind of gives you more time to kind of enjoy it and kind of save it because I'm already here for a feeling of freshness for a sliced crazy. But you don't want to spend all your power in the first month of the year right? Oh yeah. There is that pace yourself that, but I mean there's a mindset that I did in that season.

4:01:14Yeah definitely definitely going to have that the mental stability that hand all those weeks and all those practice. How much has Larry talked to you guys about the game? Last question right here. He hasn't had to talk about it. We know about it. We've seen it every day. We watched the film. We see them all working together. We know what it could be. We know what it could become. So we know we're right at the same, we're at the right place at the right time and God wanted us to be here and he knew we wanted us all to come together and kind of play together and be able to bounce off and just perfect our craft together and I feel like we all are just great individuals and when we come together it's something special. We 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 work. One of those younger guys we're seeing it's the first time he's heard all these years. What have you seen from Lowe? Because I actually have real forgot about it because he was heard and now he's running you know almost a second man out behind you and Ty. What have you seen him doing?

4:02:16Well 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 going to give the job done do a job right. He rarely has any mistakes. What would be a successful season? A national championship? I'm running when all the games we don't want to lose anything. We got a mindset that we can't be beat. Yeah we just got to go show it. I'm saying you have mindset different. 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 an offensive one. Because that is you can feel the difference or it's not really any difference. It's just the same. 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 go bigger going home then we're not trying to go home. Finish big. We 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.

4:03:16You 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. Because 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 one plate Georgia is the same thing. Last play you know they went on the win in 90s. 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 nights of our title career? 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. As soon as you get older you kind of learn. I thought that was working hard and 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.

4:04:17I thought French me I was working as 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. What do you need it to be to be your best? Uh 85. 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. Get the shape. It's the idea of a potential. I think I think I definitely can lie. I was just you know we got to get the young guys that come along with us. We can't play 50 snaps of game. There's just too much on our bodies. Uh just everybody's like online. We got to get those younger guys to play you know get that pieces on the D line and the online and everywhere else so we can last that long.

4:05:20Speaking of life playing on the snap. If you like playing on the snap to game I see your good. I don't know if any of us were really expected to play that next time. 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 we're playing them big games like you know Notre Dame too or North those kind of games. Uh 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 Tade and McDonald is he got a kick and you guys in a second? Oh yeah definitely. K-Mack is a K-Mack's animal. Y'all you haven't really seen it yet but in practice he shows all the time. He's just he's growing right now. He has to work ethic. He just has to get you know in the playbook and things like that. You guys are about the exact same size. Listen you're both listening to 6th grade. You're 327 and he's 326. Yeah he's I kind of look at him like my junior but you know K-Mack he's going to be a great player. He's got to develop more and get into playbook. So really a lot on you older guys there's that large group of young guys and then there's

4:06:21the seniors in your back. Is that part of your task for this year to bring those guys along as well? Yeah definitely we got to be leaders. Um 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. They're in the offseason so they can play and not just play they want to like contribute like make plays tackle with sex. The first one class is bigger. Uh the those guys kind of that doesn't kind of allow you to solve the first. Yeah they're definitely some big dudes um and they all work hard. I've only seen much of some of the day too when I'm passing on but throughout the workouts they've been working hard you know they they're determined to have to say that. And it looks like they're ready to work with me.

4:07:27I think that is definitely I think if you look at the last uh a couple of national championship winners uh like seem on North they didn't know they got two good uh detacled two athletic detacles. Look at Georgia two athletic detacles so I think that's definitely need if you want to go on that big run and beat those big teams. Okay if you think about this if there was defied by the defense attackers like what's Georgia's Jordan Davis and Janet Carter and let's miss again it's Chris Jenkins. Couple more questions for you guys. 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 uh I think they're starting to develop to develop more and more of these like freakiest detacles. Yeah like in the combine just now you see in like those guys they're moving four to four seven eights and things like that so we'll see. And when you think it when you think about this freakish athletic defense attack on how do you think you fit into that mold of that kind of player. You watch that and say yeah that's me. Yeah definitely I think I'm top notch when it comes to detacles but I don't want to

4:08:30you know get a big head but you know I watch it come on I watch it do the drills. I have a tape here you like you're looking like my film so I think I'm up there with all those times. Do you become like a artist or a company bad guy who passes the figure legs have your thoughts? I mean you're going to bring practice you're not doing that much or 11 or 11. How do you work on that? Do you have like a goal where you're going? I don't remember how many I've lied to you but you have a goal where I swear to you. I mean as many as I can have I think I have more than that but I think he said it on the side. I think I mean it counts 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 deal on you know just affecting the quarterback is anyway you can it's just great for the defense you know just that little thing you cover it is I 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. That's one of the things that you maybe worked on the most.

4:09:32I think I just have like a like a I really like a really good thing. I think I just have like a like a I 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 in his. I mean they get frustrated but you know we're a team you know we're just getting back. I think we're going to have a lot of a lot of different backsman and just learn and grow for them. You got to pick your top three backs and you have a goal right now. I don't really have a top three but I'll give you I'll give you one I would say say Juan Gibbs and I like McCaffrey auto he was injured this year I like McCaffrey. Best back in this draft I'll lead out of the yard that's y'all that's y'all decision.

4:10:33Playing well Howard what I'm going to remember most. We're Howard man he's just such a great lead such a great leader man it's just like in moments where you know usually a lot of players they 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 shoot he's going to be really good man he's on Coastal like 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 in as a player and so man yeah definitely Ohio State you know that running back from his in gray hand yeah coach coach hard line man he's full of energy man and he's

4:11:35creative as well you know I'm just learning from him as well you know I'm trying to run more outside the backfield was being able to learn from coach hard line and so he's definitely creative at what he does and he brings a lot of energy to the team as well and so I think that would do really good just intensity man then since he got a playoffs every game and 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 it's every every game and then since he keeps getting higher and higher and so yeah you just I know you've 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 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 days off after the

4:12:42national championship and then shoot right after that I'm right in right in Tampa Florida and I'm right to it and so yeah I think while trained I trained at your morph performance I think it's called the House of Athlete or the compound now they did a good job man it just bringing us in and the way they went about training us man they did a really good job the bucket years know I haven't temple a temple nice this nice it's a nice city man really nice the 40 to broad and avert 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 highway 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 I told will I think it was before the first game

4:13:47I was like I got your brother it's I said man I'm not gonna let you get hit you know and so I don't know if 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 brother's though man making sure that the ball getting their hands you know the guys on the outside and making sure they get fed 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 it's really just continuing 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 I feel like I did a good job of that my senior and so I just want to continue to build on that yes I did yes I did I did me with New Orleans as well I never got that comparison actually I know I know

4:14:49I'm a Camera sure yeah man I would come here great great back man just what he does and knows 101 matchups he's dangerous man and he's so smooth he's so smooth as well I'm not going like he's smooth yeah inside zone from stack being able to hit that dang downhill and I say the next one it's 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 in the way that man 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 even shoot I don't know every good I think he had every game was a good

4:15:51game for him man and so but still man he always has the mentality the 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 you know you look like someone you're like see you're like start getting you know it's good trees 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 is this I'm not 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 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 when you're behind the scenes and you're going through things that people don't know about he gives you he gives you that peace and comfort you know even in those moments man where it's so hard that you can't you can't explain it's

4:16:55like 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 eight those guys have such a great mentality man I might just really love their mentality especially um Q as well you know I talked about Will Howard his leadership but Quinch I'm 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 as soon as you know it you know he that running through somebody still farming somebody and she just gained a 10 it's uh shoot I think yeah man I think it's just like he's just gifted man to be honest he's just gifted

4:18:00you know he's he's a big back you know he's strong and so you know he's he's able to do he's able to do those things and so 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 Quinch on you know I want to look at this game is 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 gonna be a great but he's gonna be a great quarterback man he's so so accurate and so um he's definitely man I know Coach Dez definitely going to get him right just you know um continue to grow as a leader continue to grow as a player and so he's going he's gonna be really good for high state uh he's uh 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 him Julian San as well it's to be that vocal leader and lead the and lead the offense and lead the team you have to ask your next try shoot man he has he has a build like JK Dobbins and um I kind of see them you know similar

4:19:04similarities 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 none um a lot but man his career here you watch his highlights is is great I remember um before I recruit before I committee 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 I'll be going

4:21:20yeah well I got coming in last round new row so I just tacked Eric did really the same way thanks to the band very rep physically how different are you weight wise body wise on that from the year ago oh I think I got a lot bigger I'm like 240 you know like 244 right now last year I played it like 236 to 37 what does it feel like a 244 or better you feel like almost a different machine out there yeah like what does it feel like to be running around out there like you are but with more uh more back I just feel like I'm like like like more downhill like stronger like I'm taking all blocks better it's a big knee is it don't think uh maybe that's not

4:22:22the correct term but 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 do you have to get straight in your head about being on the field that much more this is gotta 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 8cm yeah I'm looking forward to it I'm ready for it my I'm ready for it the text is open it's a rematch so to speak but it's not really two different teams comparing the ones time you all played and stuff how does that enhance this camp for you and this team getting ready for like we're an opener of that magnitude yeah we're an opener like that we've been um we've been emphasizing it a lot we know we got coming so we know we gotta do we've been prepared for it already this is probably what I think Riley ready to play right now he he advanced freshman like he in the he in the book he stood in like he advanced and his measurements crazy like he saw like saw like so what was that process like during last season could you feel yourself

4:23:28becoming more and more ready yeah because that's pretty much what my role was just 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 a different is that you know it's your damn last year that's the one more time how difficult is that I feel like it's 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 attention over to anything I did I feel like this year it's gonna be the same thing it's probably a little bit more

4:24:29it won't work 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 I don't really know what it's on the ball that's how I like to play a thing no I ain't got to be my nickname but oh yeah yeah yeah it's like um think it fit me because I don't know I just like the defense I feel like we got like you say we got a lot of freedom and we're moving around a lot a lot of the terms is like no I don't know I don't really not answer that that's okay does it you can go on your instincts a little bit more baby it's not so thinking of too much I don't even know if I say that because there's a lot

4:25:30of thinking going on but it's like I just like it's different I like how different it's different I like what you got going on now I want to much sad I was kind of like happy for you like yeah that's what you want no no that's my dog I'm gonna say yeah kind of missing a little bit I'm happy for you though I don't think go ahead one last but coach days talked a lot about the guys who played some last year but maybe weren't the starters and the hunger for that wasn't maybe your national championship you guys will win your own how much do you feel that is a guy who certainly contributed last year but will be in this bigger role and along with some of your your classmates yeah I do feel like um yeah I do feel like I did win the nati last year but like you said my role wasn't same as how's my beaters year so yeah I definitely want to go get another one experienced that like feeling maybe on the field a lot more place yeah championship and

4:26:30you know before and everything like that and also need your your teeth knocked in you know first game and you know can't have that happen because then you know really doesn't mean anything and so just the constant mindset to continually get better but on the forefront of my mind and for front of anyone here you can ask yeah yeah I know we uh we look at the class sets every now and then I can be like oh man they're gone they're gone but uh no it's been it's been good I mean the guys here are still here I'm as I've definitely kind of bonded together pretty good so yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah I mean uh you know Marv came in the other days like that class went 21 best class ever and like yeah sure okay you know I can't really can't really even you know just sitting to that you know I don't have much left but um uh yeah I mean to do what we

4:27:30can and do what we can for this team has been really important for all of us and I think us now realizing where the veterans you know like with all guys not just been um kind of strange at least to begin with you know because you go from um all those guys you like Donnie and Josh and those guys and all of sudden it's Sunday we have a team meeting after the um like the celebration the shoe and all of a sudden the next day that it's gone and you know it's it's just very different so I think us being able to step up as you know leaders and as um as vets to help bring out you know along the team our units and um this program has been really important. What I do overall give my questions just to try um but then he was your honest one but for first year Luke said that Jake is better than us so far he didn't contain to yeah somebody who went through that would have been impressed by it with Jake no it could have been doing really well I mean I could go and he goes to work um he's extremely athletic

4:28:30extremely flexible um you know he's a young kid obviously he's a lot of a lot of development a lot of he's a little adversity at all of us do um but I think he's going through that right now but he's been um coming out on the better end of it so far and um excited to see what he can do because he's very impressive at this young stage yeah extremely excited I mean um trying to just build that culture back up again you know like what we had last year uh I we're trying to do a little stuff here in there and I know I think we're going to Rayres of barbecue I think tomorrow uh so shout out Rayres but um but yeah just trying to uh get that brotherhood back get that you know that oblock uh spirit back uh sure it's coming soon um hopefully um but uh just to kind of get those uh not those same faces but those same kind of mindsets back and our our group is important right now and it's it's been fun to meet new guys from different backgrounds and stuff like that

4:29:35and try to figure out how to you know build that and mend that together it's been pretty cool now as you are one of the most experienced veterans on this team how much do you feel like you have the B.O leader for the students here yeah for sure I mean I think that comes um I don't it's obviously I don't feel like it's natural to anyone to immediately step up and that's something I've been working on every day and talking to God about um but I have to understand that and that's something I want to continue to work on I want to be able to um be a guy that people can fall back on and like coach just saying before like we're gonna have highs in those but the great players the ones being set our clocks to and I kind of want that's my goal uh is to be one of those people that you can do that um and I think for especially a very new set of eyes um in the Woody um not only coaches but players um I think it's very important to kind of keep that steady um mindset and I think for me learning how to be leader has been important just uh not be too hard on myself but also not let myself kind of slack off in some departments to try to

4:30:36keep um steady just your story itself though is testament of what it means to like for perseverance is tough too though right car so I mean you know that's uh that's gonna have to stand up from somebody to say that right I mean just yeah what do you what do you think you've shown more than anything else in every car yeah I mean I've been blessed you know I've you know I've been blessed with a lot of adversity I think that's definitely made me better on the back end and um you know coach so coach day always talks about it and you don't you know great leaders aren't you know they can show it but you know a lot of people can show a lot a lot of people can just talk about it um but to be about it is important and I think um to be now I've went through a lot of that adversity I went through a lot of that stuff and um my testament you know has been um written in an interesting way but I think for me to take that next step is really important for not only for this team but for myself personally yeah uh he's been doing great I mean he came in um big freaking strong uh he's

4:31:36fun to be in the weight room with uh he's uh he's kind of quiet look like that's kind of my first impression on but he's actually pretty funny dude he he and his dad come over and they kind of joke around and he's so he he's been doing a great job or he's been doing a great job um for his size he has like freaky athletic feet like I watch him do the ladders and I was I fell out of massive over round and those things you know doing the little itch shuffle but I mean he he's he was killing it and so he's been doing a great job I can't wait to see um how it kind of continues to develop um throughout this summer and uh throughout this fall camp first thing I mean he uh he stepped up piggy yeah yeah everyone refers to this piggy is his username one time nice everyone's speed anyway um you know pig's been doing great he uh he's been able to step up and kind of bring around along those younger guys um you know everyone's kind of trying to figure out their their new roles and I think he's been uh he's been doing a lot of things big body guy that he can't survive can run between the tacos his feet are quick and then once you think for a big

4:32:42guy that really good feet you get balanced so that's what makes him good that's what I saw him right now I don't know I don't know many with that type of background but when he's a high school we see they try to play as an aspect but when you look in the portal for running actually we want to try to recruit running backs does it matter to you if you have two different styles running backs maybe one guy can do certain things better one guy can do certain things other is it you'll just say the best running back you can fight you can do you want to have different yeah I want different styles you're going to talk to the same guy you know take the same guy you know take guys with different students uh whether they're big guys small guys class catchers in between the type of runners I don't know you know I don't want to take the same but all different different different different backs

4:33:48I have my own opinion on the side of the way they're coming to risk I had drawing James out of the world and I he's my risk on running show y'all runs a freshman in probably way the two 10 or 12 five which is not very big but they didn't get any deal with him and some guys you got the most are sticking about his own and you play with a lot of aggression down here running so that could be CJ that could be James or what could be the freshman go Jackson you know there's this new blue has no one to give an answer but that's that's where I'm going over it you don't have to be six two no just because you're being there I'll make you pop we need to get obviously you don't freshman running back you with that bow and I's there here but what do you need to see from a freshman to feel comfortable with that in the first thing with it on the ball well it would they do they know small detail take care of the ball the second thing will be how good they know

4:34:50pass for them because it's the hardest thing for high school because they're not the biggest year in high school you have to understand the pass but by all their falls on me so like they say on the main person in my mind so that's why I need to see first everything yes I will understand to read you feel comfortable with with go and guys there where they're at or at least you know where their time lives yeah I think they're gonna find I'd say I tell all the young guys he's a marathon out of sport the first day first you've been an earner spot on special teams know you earn spot on special teams then you earn the right to be a workout I'll be so they'll get that down the field so I think they're training the right moves first practice like it wasn't there it's something to build off for them I've just seen some of the younger guys in your room develop thinking about like

4:35:53etcher-cusen is coming in this year seeing him working with you guys Joshua Macon's how's he coming home I feel like they're definitely picking up quick I mean I was in the next shoes one time and I had Zach Harrison and Javonte and Tyler Friadell in front of me so I feel I'm just trying to be kind of one of those peers that they work for me and kind of just give them the steps to get there and I feel like they're definitely picking up quick and they're definitely going to be one of the great Russian basketball um I feel like all the camps I've definitely got my big coursework and I love that side I ask Coach Jay for it I love getting more reps because I just like protecting my craft so some people may not need it some other people needed but I mean it's like he has made it up to me it's always just kind of getting my little details perfectly like my steps

4:36:57my footing kind of just perfecting my toolbox and what we call it my craft and just trying to be a it's like a whenever every player is what kind of difference yeah um definitely just getting stronger faster everything all the above but uh one of my big things is being leader and kind of just not trying to look still look up to Jack and JT and kind of have my own kind of leadership and be able to bring people into so I feel like kind of have a lot of leaders on the D-line and we had the D-Intosition so we kind of all kind of just counts off a chill and hope um they're competitive and we love it we all competitive people we all live to fish each other and that's the way to bring the best side of all this feel like we're all just kind of bouncing off each other to see what one person does and be kind of better than the archival box and we all

4:37:58kind of just kind of build one great thing. Hey you probably last year you got to get the shot it uh with full back and the day of coach you without out there and two coach you have a good club back because you're a good judge actually you're a sloppy good touch guy uh so I definitely did it in high school I was full back and a little bit of tied in so I feel like it kind of saw what I could do there in coach Wilson honestly he loved watching it too before he loved and uh he felt like he planned that seed and coach day's head and uh coach day kind of just went for it and uh tried to do the best I could to do it. Is that continuing now? um new playbook I did not know you got that far. Yeah yeah yeah. And how tough is that? Yeah look at that. Um I like to think myself as a football player I can really play any position on the field you need me to just give me a weaker tube to learn it and kind of perfect it and uh try to do my best for you. Kid Jack you just same thing. Oh yeah. Don't want that. With your athletes that's why. He was just talking to coach Johnson on Tuesday about some of the conversations he sort of

4:39:01sought you and about outtaps and conversations after the JT and Jack decided to come out just what kind of way into those you're expecting and out of that help you maybe get the right mindset against what you need to expect. Um definitely kind of seeing it all the way through. I feel like people kind of just see what happened and they don't know everything that goes into it how long the season is now. What you got to do to prepare for and what happened in all that time from here to to then. So uh I feel like we definitely just coached in me kind of connected and we kind of just talks about the man on man and uh he kind of just sent it straight to me and I feel like you kind of both are pretty honest and we know we're making it. We're making each other better every day and we got the 4 best Dn's, 5 best Dn's honestly and then college football and we're going to be one of the best D lines in college football. How do you feel like a better player today than you were in this season? Um I feel like I've taken big steps in my roles of just being responsible and being more of a leader and kind of stepping up and taking a step to kind of get out there more on the team and kind of bring people in and I feel like I'm kind of helping out more.

4:40:10I mean it sounds bizarre but I mean the season goes by so fast already so when you're kind of like week 10 and you're like wow it's already week 10 so now it's kind of getting more time to kind of enjoy it and kind of save for it because you've been in your career for like and freshman's place for each crazy. Would you know what's been on your cow there in the first month, a year right there? Oh yeah there is that pace yourself there. I mean there is a mindset that I didn't know the season. Yeah definitely definitely going to have that the mental stability to hand to all those weeks and all those practices. How much has Larry talked to you guys about the last question right here? The 2016, 2017, 2004 and the 2015, $2.5 dollars in the same year. Just how much does he talk to about that? I mean he doesn't have to talk about it. We know about it. We've seen it every day. We watch the film. You see them all working together. We know what it could be. We know what could become. So we know we're right at the same, we're at the right place at the right time and God wanted us to be here and he knew we wanted us all to come together and kind of play together and be able to bounce off and just perfect our craft together and I feel like we all are just great individuals and we come together at something special.

4:41:11Great. How did your expectations like this feed up with how do you feel when you got to this point of guess? I feel like I made the plays that came to me and that's where the awkward one control had more opportunities as years progressed and been in spots to be here on the ball. But the expectation was to come here and contribute to the team and try to help find a way to push the team to win games at high level and to be better than they were actually and for me to play better than I was last year. So really just coming to try to grow with myself and with the team. So that was my big goal and I feel like I've done a good job and the team has done a good job progressing through the year and getting better. So yeah, that's all I can say about that. We're here at the right time. May the other time, Rob? Yeah, I'm going to stay here right now. Does this feel like like a different season? What does it feel like for you going into the playoffs? You know, you know, you don't get the goal you wanted necessarily to make your mistakes,

4:42:13but here you are, right? I mean, what is that sense that you have right now? It's different, right? It's like the regular season. I mean, everybody wants to say it's a new season in terms of because if everybody's 0-0 right now, when you keep going, if you lose, you're done. So I mean, but generally, that's how you could play every game. You know, they play every game like it's your last game. So for me, I don't think it's really any difference because you have to go play at a high level every game that can't be based at home. This is a player game. You know, so you have to go play every game like this is the same thing. So I would say in terms of that, no, you just have to play the game. Play the game like that. What feels difficult is defense right now going into this. No, y'all feel even more timey work, you know, that by tied and we close together, what was it? I mean, what was your sense of the brotherhood, so to speak, of the defense? I feel like we progressed throughout this season. We had to make a change after game 6 because we lost and we didn't play well again.

4:43:18I feel like we'd go up from that and go into a better place. Over these past two weeks, off just realizing, okay, these are the things that we messed up throughout the year. These are what we need to fix. These are what this team is trying to exploit on us. So just really going back to everything, seeing what can do better for this kind of game. Let's go for questions. Tell me you heard me, fuck a hell. How does the Tennessee's whites with your receivers impact you as a subject? I feel like it makes the game more and more and more game. It makes you receive it in your DBs at the play of second game and the guys up front. And it makes it, truthfully, like those guys have to do their job and these guys have to do your job. You got to be able to stop the run with the people they've had from the run fit and you have to be able to stop the pass with the people they have out there. So that's what they do and they do it. They really leave the room. So it's going to be tough to go in. And finally, question. Joy-Cop and Columbus Dispatch. The Coach Moles were talking about the speed at which there are few guys here at the call-in

4:44:22and the play. And this is built for 10-go-vans of the kind of facts that you think the play-time has. And the player kind of manages it and they get to use the speed at the call-in. It allows you to be your clean senator. And I said earlier just a ability to see the formation, see what keys that you have before the play. Have knowledge of your job and not really thinking. Being able to play and not make during the games is a really big thing. Whenever you can get the call, they're faster and play at a high level and play without a bug. That's a really good thing for your team. Appreciate you. So I definitely didn't in high school. I was pulled back and a little bit tired. So I feel like it kind of saw what I could do there in Coach Wilson. Honestly, he loved watching it too. He loved it. And I feel like he playing that seed in Coach Day's head and Coach Day kind of just went for it. And I tried to do the best I could to do it. Is that the chin ring now? Do you need anything in the screen now?

4:45:23New play, but I do not know yet. We haven't got that far. Do you have anything? How tough was that to you? You're looking back on it. I like to think myself as a football player. I can really play any position on the field you need me to. Just give me a weaker two to learn it and kind of perfect it. And I'll try to do my best for you. Can you check me the same thing? Oh yeah. But what? Graphically, that's why. Can you just talk into Coach Johnson on Tuesday about some of the conversations and sort of start using out-to-hounds and conversations after JT and Jack decided to come back? Just a little bit of wind into those moments. I expect to do it. And how did that help you maybe get the right mindset? I guess we did it this way. Um, definitely kind of seeing it all the way through. I feel like people kind of just see what happened and they don't know everything that goes into it. How long the season is now. What you got to do to prepare for and what could happen in all that time from here to to then. So I feel like we definitely just coached in me kind of connected. And we kind of just talks man-to-man and he kind of just sent straight to me. And I feel like we kind of both are going on.

4:46:23Let's listen. We know we're making it. Yeah, don't. We're making each other better every day. We got the four best Dn's. Five best Dn's honestly. And then college football. And we're going to be one of the best Dn's in college football. But you feel like the better player today anymore again this year. Well, I feel like I've taken big steps in my rules of just being responsible and being more of a leader. And kind of stepping up and taking a step to kind of get out there more on the team. And kind of bring people in and feel like we're kind of helping out more. How do you recommend a pass to the team? The TKFC. Is that sound? The G. I mean, it sounds bizarre, but I mean, the season goes by so fast already. So when you're kind of like week 10 in, you're like, wow, it's already week 10. So now it's kind of getting more time to kind of enjoy it and kind of save it. Because you've come already here for like, refreshments, like, free. But you don't want to spend all your time here in the first month of the year, right? Oh yeah. There is a, not pace yourself that. But I mean, there's a mindset. I think that the season has. Yeah, definitely. Definitely going to have the mental stability to handle all those weeks and all those practices.

4:47:27How much is Larry talking, guys? Not like that. Last question right here. The TKFC 2017 4 and the FF 2.5. It's all in so much. How much is he talking about that? I mean, he doesn't have to talk about it. We know about it. We've seen it every day. We watched the film. We see them all working together. We know what it could be. We know what we could become. So we know we're right in the same, at the right place at the right time. And God wanted us to be here. And he knew we wanted us all to come together and kind of play together and be able to bounce off and just perfect our craft together. And I feel like we all are just great individuals. And we come together at something special. Great. You get like good coaches who believe in you. And they give you the tools to go out there and just play with confidence. And you know how they're doubting those stuff. Like you got your teammates who got your back. Like my first play when I got up there to the seat. Like when the ZL, the IGB and your main. Like, first thing they say is like, no worry, just go out there and play with confidence. You know, you know the tools. It's usual tools. It was go out there and make a play. And we're about to play coming to you. You know, we're just so time and so job. You just do it. And then like, send one coach to one. Like he gives me. He puts me to position like at the drills we put in the work you put in.

4:48:29The one on one. So, so just go out there and just perform at the highest level. How much better are you right now than maybe last month? A four-spirit record. I mean, I got way better just because I've transitioned a little bit to the inside. Nicholas Fawcow. I'm like, now I'm actually trying to like catch, catch technique. And it's been often preversed. It's not always press at the line. So it's like not maybe to like move my feet, move my hands. Like see, like what I got to do just like just a case. I got to go back in corner. I can I'll plan off now. I'm very confident out there. Do you think that was a natural fit for you or have you had to kind of convince yourself to transition to that? I mean, I feel like it's natural for me because I feel like me, individually, I'm a fast learner. A fast learner. Like coaches help us like learn fast. And like, like, because they're always honest about the technique and stuff. So you like you play down like you pick up all the things. And then like when we get out here, they coach us to like the technique. So we used to go out there and play like fast fun. And it would like, like, reversatility. You're able to go out there and just compete. Is that where you kind of stuck the spring or do you get kind of melted?

4:49:30Uh, so I'm really been stuck there this spring a little bit. But like whenever you get into like other things, I just bounce out there every once in a while. Just like have just have fun. See if I still got it every once in a while. So it's as good as go out there to compete at most spots. You mentioned the technique. What technique, you know, tips and things. If you had to pick up and learn from what you're from, you can get inside. I mean, it's always like, he always comes up. Preaches the ass. He hands like see it. You see it. Move your feet and then get your hands on the man. So it's like when you get like, when you out there, you able to like process like the way the receiver comes off the ball, looking at the hips and seeing like the way he move. And like, you're able to pick up like the row constant. You can get out of that like so it's being like, under coach walls, I mean, like as a player and just like him breaking out football to you like one on one. It's like very beneficial. What was the hardest part of making that transition from outside that sense? I really say like the corner you got to cover two, you cover three, you cover one, it's easy. But then you got nickel.

4:50:30Now, so many responsibilities you got to see like the row concepts. You got to be able to process like diagnosed rows faster than what you got to do in that corner. And just be able to like everything's quid like a transition. You got to like, you got to move fast. It's like game recognition. Where do you think maybe from the most since you got it? And how did you got to run? I definitely say, I definitely say, hasn't because how you get to like college, it's a little bit different. High school, we don't got to worry about things like that. When I want you to get to college in school like this, like your recognition of plays and like your loyal jobs, the way like the coverage as far as you play, I understand all your teammates are plus if you have them feel. Because I think it's easy. What have your product been? It's very talented. He's a great dude. He's a humble guy. A great teammate. He's very supportive. He's like a guy that you don't want to wrong. Because you can feed off your energy. Because you can see like we make a play. He's like, he like IGB. He's like IGB two-pointer. So he's like, when you get off there with guys like that,

4:51:32with good energy, it makes you play a little bit harder. And it's like, when you make a play, he's out there. And he's helping you. He's being out there with him. He's a good player. One of those guys, plus questions. And four kids. Come to Ohio State obviously over the last few years. So there's probably three of them now. What is it about one build that gets you through any play at Ohio State? It's a big question. I know. The question. Let me just ask a quick question. Because we have so many kids come out of Glebville and just play at Gleb's elite school. And they like, like, tracks a big part of it. Because I mean, like, after you know, Glebville, everybody got a run track. Like it's made it through. You don't really get a choice. Can you ever do this, like, get out here and like, know how to compete. And then like, G, like, getting builds that mental toughness into you. So I was like, have you like, I've heard now you got to be mentally tough. Because I'm like, life is not going to be easy. So it's like being out here, being able to compete. And when you down, just pick yourself back up. I mean, that's what he is down to me. And that's what he is down to. I don't know. Yes, why? Did he, how would you describe the mentality

4:52:33of the defense right now? Getting this opportunity for a rebound to the board in? Yeah. Hungry. Thank you. I mean, we know how the last time when, you know, we had a chip on our shoulder. I mean, we were riding high before that game. And we took that loss. And we came back how to make a couple changes. But I think we understand what, you know, everything's at stake right now. You know, just fighting to where another house stage is for next year. And that's what's on stake. And just to be able to represent this state and this team. I mean, we understand what's on the line. And, you know, we're just hungry and blessed that we get this opportunity playing the Rose Bowl. Right behind your Adam King, WBNS. What do you remember most about walking off the field in Eugene? What was kind of all your minds in that moment? I mean, there is a, I don't think anybody imagine it. Imagine us losing. You know, I didn't. That's for sure. And I think after that, it was kind of head deep. But I understand it that man, we still, there's still a lot of ball left to be played.

4:53:34I mean, you can let it sting for a little bit. But, you know, if you let it carry over too long, then, you know, there goes your whole season. But I think we did a great job of just understanding, coming together in this room right here. Not being afraid of display or hold a accountability from one another. And, you know, as that happened, we came back, we grouped, and, you know, we're just going right now. And I'm just blessed for those specific moments, you know, losing. I mean, no one wants to lose, but the testimonies and the things you're taught within those little situations speaks of all of them. After all of our letterman drawing. Hey, Jay, what did he say from King Gala the last couple of weeks that was there like a push from him and there were many conversations with him and he can see that he's playing some of his best football and things. Yeah, I mean, that's my boy. He's in the R2X club too, but, you know, Keata, I mean, every time his numbers call, he goes out there and makes the most of it. No matter where we are in the game,

4:54:37when he goes out there, he's just hungry. He wants to go make plays and, you know, we see it in practice, so it's not surprising to us. Bill Rebino, it's fun. It's this bad. Still in Gabriel's obviously very elusive and retellent and he's not very tall. How important it could be to just kind of stay in your past rush lanes and neglect a lot of balls and kind of make a difference that way? Yeah, I think it just comes on being disciplined. No one who you're playing against, like you said, Bill, he's a, he's sure, but he's very elusive. I mean, he can, he is making throws. I mean, he get out the puck, he can do everything. So I think for us, we just got to discipline him and just continue to just meet with Coach Jay, meet with the coach's nose and understand how we can just eliminate that. Yeah, one question about you and Jack. I mean, your personality seems to be a little different. You're more on the quiet side. He's not. Yeah. How about you? You've played together four years, both five-star guys. Kind of describe your relationship with him, friendship with him and just kind of how you cop on with each other. Man, that's my brother.

4:55:38Like you said, we're different, but very alike. Think outside, like you said, he's louder. I'm quiet, but you know, once we're on that field, we're like the same person. We'll do anything for this team. You know, we'll die for our players and we'll give everything we got. Room together for four years, correct? Yeah, fall camp. Every room. Yeah, sometimes go over there. So go over there. So yeah. There's the neat one who's the messy one. We have our share of days when we, when I'm neat, he's neat. Or we might both be messy, but we do a good job. Yeah, I'd probably say I would better kick the jack though. Tony Gertman, Black Eye Hell. When you're playing a team for the second time, and that was almost a season to go by now, how much of, are you at square one with the scouting preparation? How much do you take from that game? How much do you avoid taking so that you don't have any pre-existing notions of what you're going up against? That's on the offensive line. I say it's pretty 50-50. I mean, that game, like you said, it was a while ago,

4:56:39but at the same time, they elevated as a team. So did we. So we understand that they had, they made some changes for sure. You know, there's, there's a certain density we can take back from that game, but we also understand that. They went on a little run after that, and we can see that they elevated as an offense. So we just got to continue to watch those games, dissect the other games, and just continue to see what stands out and what they change from the past game. We got a couple calls on Zoom that will wrap up with, first we have Nick Hamilton from Nightcast Media. Nick? This was one to ask you basically about the synergy of this defense, and how you guys were able to not only celebrate the triumphs, but get through the adversity, be able to be this top notched defense that you are in college football today. Here, Pete, the question one more time. Yeah, no problem. One to ask you about the synergy, you are able to develop a course of the season, obviously celebrating the triumphs,

4:57:40but also getting through the adversities to where you go, are the top notched defense that you are today. Yeah, I mean, like you said, we went through a lot of trials to trials, but there's also, there's a lot of things we can take away from all the wins and losses. And from those wins, we understood that, hey, we can be the best defense of the country. And from those losses, we understand that there's still things that need to be fixed. And I think when you take all that in, at once, that comes out to the common goal or the common talk, which is, there's always learning points everywhere. And depending how we dissect those games or how we just continue to come as one and elevate, you know, we continue to just collect all those learning points and just continue to grow from them. And one final question, Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch. Joey? JT, what have you guys done better in the, especially in the Tennessee game and just late in the season, you think about turning some of the pressures that you've got on quarterbacks in the sacks

4:58:41and getting home in some of those situations? Yeah, I think it was more just understanding the defense as a whole, understanding everybody's job. The thing as the season went on, we had to understand that, you know, we have to know what's going on in the backhand. We have to know what's going on in the linebacker crew to understand what plays we have, room of freedom. And I think once we understood that and got a better understanding of everybody's job, I mean, it showed this play because, you know, everybody knows what each other's doing. It's not like the lineback is not what they're doing. The corners and B.I., they know only their job. I think we all know each other's job and we continue to ask each other questions on, you know, if they're listening how they can get to the quarterback and, you know, if I'm dropping, playing quarterbacks by I can ask Cody on how to open field tackle. So, you know, we just kind of lean on each other's understanding because, you know, like I said, like Denzel knows how to play corner-bending it, then I know how to play corner. So, you know, he has more wisdom at that position than I do. JT, thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks, man.

4:59:42You're especially the moments like that in the balltime. I'm in the way. Uh, definitely. A little bit of both. Um, obviously I just wanted the team to win. I think we got a chance to win. No, definitely towards it and to stretch that last drive. Um, how's he couple plays here? A couple calls that he made me should have gotten. But, um, I think the frustration more so it just comes from, you know, wanting to win more, anything. The team said he was a little surprised how much attention you got right away from your defense. How about you? Yeah, definitely. They always, you may be killed with more one-on-ones kind of how the game play was set up. You didn't have a lot of different covers out of cloud to my side and I just kind of had the game go. What's the process then? I'll look sometimes where, but whatever reason, just, just see that. Yeah, definitely. Um, especially in college, a lot of the game friends defensively were tick me a leg. Um, you know, they had a lot of success. Uh-huh. I'll stay honestly with them. They were running the ball and having different, um, the weapons, and kind of still get the victories. And, um, I was, yeah, you continue to do a better job doing that here.

5:00:43My last recommendation, the process, been like post-game, getting on the same page with Kyler, just, you guys exchanged text or, you guys getting the film? Yeah, film them definitely. Um, kind of asking what did I see there? Or kind of go over and play? Um, um, that's how I get him what I saw and kind of different feedback to exchange words. Mark, I get it. We're asking questions about the previous game bar. Are you the type of guy to let a game like that winger or how do you flush it? You got to move on. Got to move on. It's a long season guy. So, like 16 more of them. Hopefully, no, I can stay healthy throughout the year and, uh, just continue to build and get better each week. You guys did so much work throughout the off season to get on the same page. How different is it when you get into that regular season? Yeah, it's totally different. It's totally different. Um, you can do a lot of things, you know, in shirts and shorts and then once you go out there, put practice and get pads on. You do like the, the point practice we do with the colds, but there's nothing like actually going out there, um, and live action and really trying to get the same case. So, I think that relationship will continue to develop and look at better.

5:01:43Is that it just a matter of rubs them as much as they can? Yeah, I think definitely. Definitely. Um, like I said, I was kind of my first live action together. Um, so I can continue to give it a hand. When you're early impressions on it, you're on the field together and you're in the crisis with, with cows? Uh, yeah, but now I would say I have a death service like, no JG's call or preseason and obviously be all feel really healthy. That's kind of the best and most important thing. I was like, I got a lot of healthy even going forward. So, um, that's it. Marvin, what are your early impressions of the Rams? What do you think of the Rams? Yeah, I mean, they're a good team. They're good physical team. I got a new lot of new guys up front, I think. That's kind of where they're strong to it is. Um, kind of a little different to Buffalo, come over a little match coverage. So, I'm excited to go against it. Personally, when the bells take taking one of them, how do you feel today? Wasn't many of them. Oh, wasn't many of them. So, uh, I thought I needed to. I'm just where you think game versus just playing. You're not getting a preseason game actually. I think it was preseason. It was definitely, definitely thinking a lot out there and um,

5:02:46you know, I think I'll come with reps. I think to think and less and just going out there and playing, definitely come with reps and it's something you'll get better at. But, um, I think definitely, say I was thinking a lot out there. Is there anything you can do to bring that that's from the coverage? I think you can do the class because you're, you're going to finish that a lot out there. Yeah, I mean, you just got to team, get open for yourself, make it, your self-available. Uh, and when the ball does, go away and make it into play. Um, this, if he can just take the new weight, I mean, so other guys are, you know, having a chance to get open. So, uh, that's how kind of how I look at it. It's no longer since the senior offense. It's the best thing of course. They're kind of doing what you would call it. Is there something that comes pretty quickly in a new game or something like that? Like, lunch? Uh, hopefully sooner or later, I think. Um, I'll look at Tina C. We'll see. I don't think we're in a bad place right now at all. Obviously, I don't really think that. But, uh, just a live rep, so we'll continue to grow and show.

5:04:26Yeah, I mean, I can't say that, um, I mean, I guess the biggest thing is that, I felt like how, you used to move past, but it didn't take just the first LTAs and took training left and right once this season. And because I know what it was going to be. So, I took a lot of, you know, reps, um, just to give back to feeling, like myself, for day one LTAs. And then that whole first week, but now, like, today specifically, just changing some small things with my feet. That is it. Talking about the long coach. Got some things I'm doing. My feet to get to that, but to sell my traditional angle that I love to sit on. And I thought I felt, I thought I felt great already, but I'm okay. I felt even better now. So I need more exercise tomorrow. Now I'm getting my feet back. And I like the right side, and I'm on the left side. So I'm excited. I mean, obviously, I feel like, um, in the lead, whether I left the right,

5:05:27they're still going against premier guys. So obviously, they have high expectations for your left hand or an tackle. But, um, there's definitely, uh, like, uh, a level of energy. And like, the expectation is definitely taking the human side. Because now, connect the blind side. That's the, as a detackable, you know, so, um, so yeah, I was saying, in terms of communications, far as this, even outside of the facility, and stuff like that, like really creating that. But in tackle quarterback, you can bond even more off the field. I think has been something that's, even the cool, I mean, I got the text one day. It's a hey, I think you put it left. I was like, you know, yeah, I've been training both. I've been training both. You know, I, I asked after the season there, like, honestly, you know, we'll talk to you, so for the season, and I just got the text one. I think what happens with the free agency. Then, so I was like, you know, I had an old season right tackle. So, if I get the word, I'm going,

5:06:27I'm standing right tackle. I'll just do what I did before. I'm built on that. Plus, I was like, I might as well just train the left tackle now. As if we're going to be left tackle. And I'd rather do that than train on right tackle. We're the co-a. We're left tackle. I was like, I'm going to slitch my feet. You know what I mean? So, I'm like, let me just prepare an advance. I was like, yeah, it was kind of, you know? I think occasionally, I'm third down, there'll be a lot of twists. I was just not like, it's on on on that. It goes on. And I think that was my mindset for like the first half of a season. Like, I didn't have to go into the game with surprise. Like, oh my gosh, I did that. I tried to figure it out. Okay, like, this is, this is the type of rush. I mean, again, this is how this guy usually rushes. If I get the vibe, this is how it begins, like the rush, tackles that first year guys. You got to print your patch on. I already know what it was going to be. I already know what the every stunt. And honestly, just knowing that's kind of an advantage. So, you're not, you're not, oh, the brother's wisdom. I said, it was never aerodomal.

5:07:27But it comes out to me. I was like, three plays in a row. And two minutes, I knew that. It was in the way. I said a lot. You know what I mean? So I'm watching more. Everybody else. And he rarely, he only goes out there on occasional third down. I was like, you know, he's going to pick me. You know what I mean? Fact, it's kind of, it's also kind of an advantage in a way. But it's also exciting. Like, okay, I'm going to get the hardest look. You know, so it's a real, real rest, you know, the day. So, really, I'm, on our way to kind of process. That I was like, hey, when I tell me, let me know about, I'm just going to train it. I was training all the T.A.'s, I guess if I didn't hear anything about T.A.'s, I would come in like, so, you know what I mean? Cause just like, I'm cool with training both continue. I would have been cool with training both continually. But I feel like anybody, any position will be like, okay, like, you want to as soon as possible, give your feet, kind of, settle in, your hips,

5:08:28settle in, your hands, settle in, a second kind of that. Would it have been harder if you weren't both there, how do you? No. You know, but, they're definitely, but sometimes with the development, it's definitely a lot faster than staying on one side. But I think having that the weeks that we had to transition with the seasons over, and the bike goes fine. You know, it would, okay, I'm trying to get up, put up my car, and wait, things at a time right now. When it comes back, I'm showing you my house, I've got a house not too far from so I told him, I got that house, like, like, like a yellow side. Like, DJ, you know what I mean? So, that's doesn't, have any stock or anything. Doesn't mean anything, so, we're, we have to play on Friday, and that's really all that matters. We're going to take two more from Zoom before turning it back.

5:09:28Our first one's going to come from Stephen from Cleveland.com. Go ahead. Well, it's the fun. I'm sorry. Hey, Caleb. We've seen, you were talking about the Ohio State Office, the success that they've had. Obviously, Jeremiah has been a big part of that. What's it been like this year going against him in practice? And, you know, after doing that, does it surprise you at all to see him having his success? He's had his a freshman. No, it doesn't bring surprises. It was pretty, pretty easy to see the talent that he has and the blessings that God has put on his plate. But it's always a, it's always a challenge going against Jeremiah and the other receivers and Mecca and Karnel and practice. And even guys like Brandon and his impression Rogers, they do a great job bringing looks for the defense and create a lot of obstacles. Our final question from Zoom is going to come from Dan Hope. Go ahead, Dan. Caleb, you, Quinn had a lot of success against you guys when you played him at Alabama last year. Just what do you remember from going up against him last year and what can you learn from that game?

5:10:30Really smart quarterback knows how to operate their offense. Puzzle ball in the right places. And then, of course, our Keeson does a great job putting him in position to win. All right, back to you. Yep, thank you, Rob Aller. Columbus Dispatch. Caleb, JT and Jack, and opposite sides are they as opposite off the field as they are on in terms of personality and just the people they are? They're offices, but they also, like, one of the closest people I know, they spend a lot of time together. They've come from different sides of the country so they're different people for sure. But they're both really great people, a really great man. So I respect both of them. For that person now, how did you do that? I'm not going to do that. I'm sorry. I'm not going to do that. Well, it's going to ask the more fun. Throughout the season, we would always see you on Wednesday nights,

5:11:31you and Nathan would be some of the last people off the field. For the things that you're working on after a practice, always the same. Is it a routine? What are the things that you're hoping to get out of those extra moments after practice? It's a routine, pretty much, the keys that we need to go into the game with. And then also changes week to week based on what our jobs are going to put us into doing. So every week we go through the same things, and then we add certain things that we do for what the team that we play is going to ask us to accommodate. Bill, we've been on this club. Is this batch? Yeah, I already got one here. Oh, okay. Join the golf club is this batch? Kill them. Texas uses play action and Nathan uses play action. But what's, what do they do? Well, in those spots, what's the key thing you guys in those moments with Quinn? They do a really good job with I candy. And it creates a lot of challenges for deep ins in order to see if it's runner pass and see, um, because that's when they're going to take their shots too as well.

5:12:33So really just having great eye discipline, seeing the line and seeing what it's telling us. So that's, that's what it does. Deep right. Nick Walker, Letterman, Role. Hey, what do you guys have a pretty good game plan for Tyler Warren? What do you guys play? You guys have another Texas guy that's going to tie it in and gun her home. What are you guys going to have to do to limit him and how do you think about his game? He's a really good player. He makes a lot of plays and he has a lot of receiving yards this year. So really just do the same thing we've done all year. Just be disciplined in our responsibilities. If you're on them, you got to make a play when it comes. Right. One of the major buildings. Play them.com. When you look at their receivers, it's kind of a whole, you know, they spread ball around. It's a lot of what stands out about, you know, the weight of the table. They spread the ball around. Those are the guys. A lot of really good athletes. I play with Isaiah Bond, last year, who's a really great receiver. A lot of speed. And then all their receivers have made a lot of plays. So I mean, everybody has to be on that peasy queue as if we're going to

5:13:35stop them and have a do a really good job. Front row here. 10 May, let them grow. Yeah, Kale, you moved up here and I don't have to get to you when you moved. Basically a year ago. And stuff. It was a little bit of a leap of faith because you know, you know how many athletes are on this team, get athletes to stuff. But when did you really feel this defense come into its own? And then then past that, man, watching in the Rose Bowl, you're recognition of what was coming seem to be on point. Did it feel like that? I mean, you personally. I think the defenses played really well throughout the season. I think we've had games where we played better and games where we haven't put it all together. But I think that's how all defenses are. So I can't say there's a certain moment where I think we put it together. But was it second party question? You seem really on point against Oregon about recognizing what was what was coming. I mean, you were really active out there directing and things like that.

5:14:36Did it feel like that? I guess. I feel like as Luke said earlier, the preparation that we put in goes into that and just feeling comfortable and what we're doing, comfortable and what we're seeing with the other teams. I feel like that allows us to play fast and can me and Laketon to communicate everybody else. Do I miss anyone's questions here? Steve, how long have you been playing in sports? Yeah, Caleb, but you came to Ohio State to play for national championship and there were a lot of ups and downs throughout the season. Just to be in this position, the last four teams still live. Just you feel validated by that and did you always have faith that this is how it was going to turn out? I came to Ohio State to become a better player and to help the team be as good as it can be. Not to win a national championship. Not like that wasn't the only goal for me coming here. Really just wanted to be in the team and be with the brotherhood. But it's a great feeling being in the final four and being with the team and everything that comes with that. But it's a blessing to be here.

5:15:38And one final question, Bill Reben, what's the club that's this bad? Yeah, I did a lot of follow up when I talked to you at that time of the game. You said when they scored their first and second touchdown, you were really hot on the sidelines. What was your message to the team? And you know, that's a good offense. They're going to score against most teams. Why were you so hot? Really just because we didn't execute, which let them score. We've done that a lot, which is something we can't do in these big games and these games where it's winter go home. So we got to make the plays when they come and get our competitive excellence as Coach Dases, make the play where your number's called. Caleb, thank you very much. I feel like they're definitely picking up quick. I mean, I was in their shoes one time and I had Zach Harrison, Javante, Tyler Friedell in front of me. So I feel like I'm just trying to be one of those peers that they work for me and kind of just giving them the steps to get there. And I feel like they're definitely picking up quick and they're definitely going to be one of the great Russian players. So we got Josh and Salki as well.

5:16:38JT and Jack probably need a ton of big spirit. So maybe that's a little opportunity for you. Is there a difference in the work going to be getting through Apple Camp? They're not in the last couple. I feel like all the camps I've definitely gotten a big course word and I love that. So I asked Coach Jay for it. I love getting more reps because I just like protecting my craft. I mean, some people may not need it. Some people need it, but I mean, I'm just like he has made it. I mean, for me, it's always just kind of getting my little details perfectly, like my steps, my footing. It's kind of just perfecting my toolbox and what we call it and my craft and just trying to be a second winner every place we're trying to do. Yeah, I'm definitely just getting stronger faster, everything all the above. But one of my big things is being a leader and kind of just not trying to look still look up to Jack and JT and kind of have my own kind of leadership and be able to

5:17:41bring people into it. So I feel like I kind of have a lot of leaders on the D line and we've had the D in position. So we kind of all kind of just count off the trail and count off. It's competitive and we love it. We all competitive people, we all love to fish together. And I feel like the spring and the best side of all is we're all just kind of bouncing on each other and seeing what one person does and the kind of better than the archival box and we all kind of just kind of build one great thing. So I definitely did it in high school. I was full back and a little bit tired and so I feel like it kind of saw what I could do there in Coach Wilson honestly. He loved watching it too before he left and I feel like he planned that seed in Coach

5:18:44Day's head and Coach Day kind of just went for it and tried to do the best I could to do it. Is that continuing now? I mean, do you need anything in the spring? New play about Guaidanano and we've got that far. I like to think myself as a football player. I can really play any position on the field. You need me to just give me a weaker two to learn it and kind of perfect it and I'll try to do my best for you. Kid Jack, do the same thing. Oh yeah. And what about what? Roughly, that's what. Kid is just talking to Coach Johnson on Tuesday about some of the conversations and sort of saw you and you got out to have some conversations. I think JT and Jack decided to come back. Just got to win into those and your perspective and how did that help you really get the right mindset against community and stuff. Um, definitely kind of seeing it all the way through. I feel like people kind of just see what happened and they don't know everything that goes into it. How long the season is now. What you got to do to prepare for and what can happen in all that time from here to to then. So I feel like we definitely just coached getting me kind of connected and we kind of just talks

5:19:47man-to-man and uh, he kind of just sat straight to me and I feel like he kind of both a person. I mean, they're making it yada. Making each other better every day and we got the four best DNs, five best DNs, honestly, in the college football and we're going to be one of the best DLines in college football. What do you feel like a better player today than you were in this season? Um, I feel like I'm taking big steps in my roles of just being responsible and being more of a leader and kind of stepping up and taking a step to kind of get out there more on the team. We kind of bring people in and I feel like we're kind of helping out more. How do you reckon in around the past? So the TKFC? The TKFC? The TKFC? I mean, the sounds bizarre but I mean the season goes by so fast already. So I mean, you're kind of like week 10 and you're like wow it's already week 10. So now it's kind of, it keeps you more time to kind of enjoy it and kind of savor it because you've come already here for a freshman split, a freshman split. It's here once bitten on your cow, or the first folks month of the year, right? Oh yeah. There is that pace yourself that, with I mean, there's a mindset that I did that season.

5:20:50Yeah, definitely, definitely going to have the mental stability to hand all those weeks and all those practice. How much has Larry talked to you guys around like that? Last question right here. I mean, he doesn't have to talk about it. We know about it. We've seen it every day. We watch the film. You see them all working together. We know what it could be. We know we could become. So we know we're right at the same, we're at the right place at the right time and God wanted us to be here and we knew we wanted us all to come together and kind of play together and be able to bounce off and just perfect our craft together. And I feel like we all are just great individuals and we come together at something special. Great. We're doing it. What are the deliberations? I'm surprised it's even a conversation. Like it should always be live. Let's tell you. Tell you, tell you by football. So obviously there's a proximity to the season, which is a little reckless, I understand that. But in spring, we're here competing for jobs. I mean, if I'm a quarterback, I'm asking to be live so I can show him how I'm different than, you know,

5:21:53anyone that can't be live. You know what I mean? They're always trying to find an edge. And if you're never fully alive, I don't think you fully give guys opportunity to be who they want to be or who they can be. So that being said, you know, I will cast my vote, but that will not be my final decision on that. But I will cast my vote. I think I can handle it well. It was good for all parties involved and more we can do that better, but I'm sure that is coming to a close here very quickly. So. That would be 24. Right. Uh, uh, General Maya off the field. We saw after practice on the side of the day that the mob became to get autographs and things. When, when you're working with him on all these things you're talking about, but also dealing with the life of being one of the biggest names in college football, how do you help mentor him in that aspect? Yeah, I mean, it's a blessing to be able to be in a position where, you know, can provide insight or, uh,

5:22:53I wouldn't say recommendations, but just, you know, give perspective. Well, he chooses to receive the first perspective or not one and an eye. I mean, he always does, but which is fine. Uh, but to be in that position is really humbling. That being said, he does a really good job on his own. He doesn't need to check on too much. Uh, he's really done a great job. Again, the way he was raised and his morals and humble would always sign and taking pictures. I'm the.