Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Annual Media Day
August 02, 2014 | Cowboy Football
Aug. 2, 2014
STILLWATER, Okla. – The Oklahoma State football team held its annual media day inside Gallagher-Iba Arena Saturday afternoon. Their comments:
Cornerback Kevin Peterson
On his role
“I'm just trying to be more of a mentor to guys. The team philosophy is 'You play for the man next to you'. You can't be selfish and think so much about yourself. So you just really try to make everyone around you better.”
On the challenge of the Big 12
“I'm definitely looking forward to it. In the scheme that Coach Spencer has set up for us, we press a lot. We play press man a lot so there's a challenge every week. Whether it's in practice or against Baylor or OU or anybody, we love the challenge. That's what we live for. That's how you get to the next level.”
On the loss last year's starters
“We have some young guys that are going to have to step up and play this year. We lose guys every year; it's just unfortunate that we lost a lot of guys this year. We have to rebuild and get our guys rolling and able to play fast.”
On his goals for this season
“Big 12 champion is always a big goal. We expect to win it. With the way that the defense and offense is set up, we expect to score a lot of points and to win.”
On the pre-season Big 12 ranking
“You just don't listen to the hype. You can be ranked No. 1 or 10th, you really just want to do the best you can and show people that you're here to play and that your program is like everyone else's. When you get on the field anyone can win.”
Defensive End Emmanuel Ogbah
On his season goals
“My goal going into this season is to be All-Big 12 and hopefully an All-American.”
On pre-season Big 12 rankings
“I really don't pay attention to the polls, or whatever. We're just worried about beating Florida State right now.”
On the defensive line
“We don't have pads on right now, so we haven't really gotten a chance to work with the offensive linemen, but once we get pads on, we'll look better.”
On the loss of defensive starters
“I actually thought camp would be slow, but it's moving pretty good. The young guys are catching up and keeping up with their stuff, so it's making the transition a little bit better.”
Receiver Marcell Ateman
On the receivers
“Everybody in our unit, from the ones to the fours, you can see the talent and you can see that each one of us can go. There's no limit to any one of our receivers and our unit is strong, so we're going to surprise a lot of people in the country.”
On camp competition
“We challenge each other every day. We challenge each other in catches, dropped passes, all that just makes our unit better. When you challenge each other, you make the next person better. When you push each other it makes everyone grow.”
On J.W Walsh
“He's grown tremendously. He worked with us for timing during the summer and making sure our routes are precise. He's a hard worker. He's probably the hardest worker I've ever seen. He finishes first in everything and that just shows his leadership and it's going to show in the game.”
On Walsh's work ethic
“Every Friday we have stadiums. I've never seen him not finish first. Stadiums is the big thing we do on Fridays, we're like, 'Aw, we have stadiums,' but J-Dubs takes it upon himself to finish first every time. It just amazes me how he beats everyone.”
On the offense
“At the end of the year we looked back at how we played and how we're going to progress and how we're going to make ourselves better. So, playing fast is one of our main things that we do and this year we're going to try to up that.”
On his play in the offense
“Coming from spring I had some things to work on and coming into this fall, I'm just going to try to do what I can just to make my team and our unit better.”
Linebacker Demarcus Sherod
On coming back from injury
"I feel pretty good. I feel like I've been getting better since my injury. I've been rehabbing and getting my legs strong. I feel pretty good so far."
On how the team is looking this far into practice
"We're getting better at combining and progressing as a family. We're working through what we have to work through. We need to just focus on us and take it one day at a time."
On preparing for Florida State
"Right now we're just working on understanding and knowing the plays. We have a bunch of young guys so we're working on understanding the defense and the plays so that they know their assignments. That's what we're focusing on now."
On the front seven
"The front seven is looking pretty good. We've still got some things to work on, but we're getting better every day and taking it one day at a time."
Receiver Blake Webb
On his thoughts after the first couple of days of practice
"The weather's been great. The offense is looking good and the defense is also looking good. We're very excited for the season."
On preparing for Florida State
"I've watched film on them. They're a great team and so are we. They're the No. 1 team in the nation, preseason. It's always fun to play someone like that."
On the goals the team has this season
"For the team, we always want to win a Big 12 Championship. We would love to make the College Football Playoff. That would be cool. Our biggest goal is to come together as a team and play the best that we possibly can."
On young players he's seen step up so far in practice
"James Washington looks good. There are a couple freshman defensive backs that have caught my eye. Josh Mabin, a linebacker, looks good. Mason Rudolph also looks good at quarterback."
On the receivers
"We look great. We have a lot of depth. This could be a special group of receivers and I'm excited to see what we do."
Defensive End Sam Wren
On his thoughts after the first couple of days of practice
"We've got a ways to go, but things are slowly being put into motion and progressing like we wanted to. We just have to stay focused and stick to the game plan that the coaches have for us. Perfection is the key, so that's what we're shooting for."
On younger players he's noticed step up so far
"We don't really have pads, so we'll have to take it a step further, but as camp goes on, we'll figure out who the playmakers are. As far as what I've seen, with technique and things like that, Vincent Taylor, Eric Davis. Those guys are really coming along. Vili Leveni is really stepping up."
On how the team stacks up in the Big 12 this season
"We're the underdogs. That's what we want. We don't really pay attention to all the talk, even when we were hyped up last year. We don't pay attention to that. We just go out, play and put the ball down on the turf."
On the defensive line unit
“We have guys with a lot of experience. We have a lot of guys that played last year in Jimmy (Bean) and James (Castleman). They're true leaders on our defensive line. They're the ones that keep us in line. Myself, I also step up and have to lead to make sure that the guys understand their assignments and their technique. I really feel good about our defensive line. I think we're going to step up to the challenge."
Receiver Brandon Shepherd
On players he's noticed performing well
"Right now, all the receivers are looking good. The young freshmen are looking good at receiver as well."
On preparing for Florida State
"They're a good team. We're ready to go out there, play them and see what we got. It will be a really good test to see where we're at this season and how hard we worked in the offseason."
On his thoughts after the first couple of days of practice
"We're just getting better every day. Everybody is striving to do the right things and get better every day, so I'm expecting big things later on in practices 15, 16 and 17."
Cornerback Ashton Lampkin
On people on the outside underestimating the team
"It's definitely motivation knowing that people doubt us. That's not even in sports. That's in life too. When people doubt you, you feel like you've got to prove those people wrong and that's what we want to do."
On his thoughts after the first couple of days of practice
"It's been pretty good. Everybody's out there getting after it. Our defensive and offensive linemen haven't really been able to get into it too much since we haven't put on pads yet. As far as our secondary, receivers and linebackers, everybody's been going pretty fast and it's going pretty good."
On getting a chance to step up at the cornerback position this season
"That's something that I've been looking forward to since my freshman year, so I'm ready for the challenge."
On preparing for Florida State
“They've got some pretty good guys returning. This is a pretty exciting game. We're looking forward to going out and strapping it up, playing our game and taking it day by day.”
On how he expects the team to stack up in the Big 12
“We don't really get into all that. We just play our game and go against those teams every week. That's what we're looking forward to. Winning games. That's what we're out here trying to do.”
Kicker Ben Grogan
On his preparation for the season
“I've worked a lot in the weight room. Coach Glass has got me on a kicking workout. It's helped me build a lot of strength during the offseason and I've gotten a lot better.”
On his second year of camp
“I guess I feel a lot more prepared this year just because I've had a lot more time to work with the guys during the offseason. I was here longer. Last summer I was here for only four weeks before the season started so I didn't really have much time to prepare. I didn't have the whole offseason with Coach Glass before, as well, so I definitely feel better prepared this year.”
Offensive Lineman Devin Davis
On this upcoming season
"Well, I feel pretty good about it. We've got a lot of new people coming in and they've been adjusting pretty good."
On what the team needs to work on for the game against Florida State
"It's just a lot of young people. I just think we need to get everybody on the same page. We've been working on a lot of different things that help us to really get better as a team, because there is a lot of new faces since we lost so many people last season."
On practice starting up
"It's been going pretty good. We're two days into it so far, so it's been going pretty good."
Receiver Jhajuan Seales
On the chemistry between quarterbacks and receivers
“The chemistry with all the quarterbacks is great. We hang out with all those guys really well and so getting with them and getting to know them really well really helps with getting on the field.”
On the progress of J.W. Walsh
“J.W. is great person and a great leader. Also, Daxx Garman and Mason Rudolph are all great leaders who know how to construct the offense and really work around us.”
On how practice has been
“We've just been in helmets and shorts so it's really been great. It's going to really be something to look forward to when we get in the pads, get after our defense and start hitting more. It feels great to be back on the field.”
On his goals for the team
"We want to play great. We want to be the best team on the field and be a fast-moving offense and defense."
On the competition of the Big 12
"I think we're going to match up really well. I mean people underestimate us so we're going to go out there and show them what we can do."
Defensive Tackle James Castleman
On the youth of the team
"Actually, this year all our young guys came in like they already knew what they were doing. They came in like we were already good friends so it was really easy getting to know a lot of the new guys and all the young guys. It was kind of awkward for me because I'm not used to that. Usually when the young guys come in they're quiet. They'll ask questions here and there, but the ones that came in this year were joking and messing around with us in the locker room. They will still ask questions, but they knew how to have fun with it. The chemistry is great."
On Kevin Peterson's leadership
"I feel like what sets him apart from everyone else is not only is he a vocal leader, but he sets an example. So, you know, 'You gotta do this, you gotta do that,' and it's good when you tell someone 'You gotta do this,' and you do it as well."
On the defense of the Big 12 catching up to a fast-paced offense
"Yes. I think it's starting to. We do it in practice all the time. Most of the teams we played this past year, their offenses were crazy fast so I feel like they're slowly starting to catch up."
On what it's like being the underdog
"I feel like it's a true motivator because what underdog do you know that doesn't like to prove someone wrong? I love the fact that they make up underdogs all the time. I've been like that ever since I've been here. They always either talk bad about the team or about the defense. So I love being the underdog because I love proving someone wrong."
Defensive End Jimmy Bean
On practice
"Practice has been pretty good. Just taking it day by day and enjoying it. It's pretty fun out there. I'm excited to be back on the field. I'm excited just to be able to play with my teammates."
On the competition of the Big 12
"I think it's going to be a good year. Every team has competition. We're just going to go out every week and play our butts off."
On the chemistry of the defensive line
"The defensive line has great chemistry. A lot of people think we're just a young team, but everybody already knows everybody, has fun with everybody and I feel like our team chemistry is really getting close."
Receiver David Glidden
On J.W. Walsh and the quarterbacks
"I think all of them are doing a good job. They're great kids and he is a great friend of mine and we've been roommates, but they're all out there competing every day and I mean, they all look great. I don't think it's an adjustment for the receivers when quarterbacks change. We practice with them all every day. We're catching balls from them all every day and we just go out there and we run our route and we've got to be in the right place and hopefully they can count on us to be in the right place."
On the season starting
"I'm excited. We start off with a bang with national champs and a Heisman Trophy winner; couldn't really ask for a better set up than that. Practice is great. Guys are flying around. The talent is out the roof. It's the first couple of days and guys are always really excited the first couple of days, so we'll see if we can keep it up all the way through."
On playing Florida State
"We've got to prepare. We've got to stay focused. I'm not trying to knock anything or anyone, but we're not going out and playing Savannah State the first game. It's the defending national champions and they've got a load of talent, so we've got to respect them and respect every opponent you play, really. It really depends on how you prepare and we hope our guys are up to the task."
