Oklahoma State University Athletics
Mike Gundy & Blayze Fallis
Mike Gundy Media Day 2017
August 05, 2017 | Cowboy Football
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy and selected Cowboy players met with the media today following OSU's annual Fan Day and discussed a variety of topics as the Cowboys head into the 2017 season. Some of their comments:
Mike Gundy
On his impression after the first week of practice:
"We've had two good days. A couple of days ago the defense took it to the offense pretty good and then today the offense made some pretty good plays. That's one of the things I've said about being a head coach that is the most challenging things for me to is trying to decide what I want to see in practice. There's a lot of enthusiasm right now, and it's a very competitive environment. That continues to increase each year as you have more success and bring more competitive players in. We're pleased with where we're at. We haven't answered any of the questions yet that we need to answer over the next two weeks. That takes a little bit of time since we just got into pads. I like where we are at this point though."
On naming a backup quarterback:
"With Taylor Cornelius and Keondre Wudtee, I'm waiting for one of those guys to say 'I'm the guy.' I'm hoping that we can accomplish that over the next 10 days. Both of them have made plays at times and both have made mistakes at other times, but once we get into practice No. 16 or No. 18, there's only a limited number of reps as we all know. At that point, we'll have to say that one guy is going to get the majority of the reps and the other will play with the threes, where there aren't as many reps."
On the benefit to most position battles being for backup spots this season:
"We had the one offensive line position that we feel like we have three guys that we're comfortable with. Aaron (Cochran), our transfer, is a guy we feel comfortable with and then Shane Richards and Dylan Galloway both are playing well. We feel pretty good about that spot. Other than that, it's just taking some time to sort out the other spots like the running backs. I feel better about our corners right now than I did when we started. I'm seeing guys that are very competitive and their success right now with the youth at that spot will be dependent on our pass rush and our ability to get to the quarterback so that we don't leave those guys out there for a long period of time."
On whether he likes to see the offense or defense succeed against the other in practice:
"I was mentioning it to someone the other day, but for forever I was so zoned in on the offense that I would get upset if they weren't doing well. And then about six to eight years ago I realized that I would prefer that the defense do better. I've always felt like we could scheme our offense to be able to find ways to score but on the defensive side, the speed and talent part of it is so important. It's nice when we go through a practice and the defense can just kind of shut our guys down. It makes us feel a little better, but it has been back and forth so far and I'm pleased with that side of practice."
On the experience of the offensive line:
"There's no substitute for experience. We've talked about Shane Richards and Dylan Galloway, but Aaron Cochran has played 20 games in the Pac-12 for Cal. (Brad) Lundblade has been around. (Zach) Crabtree has been around. And when we talk about experienced players, we're talking about guys that have played on the road in tough spots when it's hot and loud and everything is going against you, and they've still found ways to be successful. It helps that we have those guys who have been around. The younger guys don't quite understand what it takes in those situations yet so it helps to have those veteran guys."
On his consistent innovation off the field:
"We made adjustments this year with practice. This year, the new rule is where you have to have three hours between any physical activity or not. It was interesting to see how the different conferences and their offices read the rule. We changed the way we operated a bit with the way we thought the rule should be read, and we found out yesterday that we were correct in that manner. What that allowed us to do differently this year is reduce the time between the morning and afternoon session and cut it back. What we do is we're able to bring the players over later and get them out of here earlier so they're getting two more hours of free time, and our coaching staff is getting one more hour at night at home away from the office. That's new for us."
On where Mason Rudolph will ultimately rank among the best quarterbacks in school history:
"That's a hard question. Fortunately, we've had some really good players here at a lot of different positions. What I said earlier at Big 12 Media Days is that he'll be talked about as one of the best to ever play here. The debate could go on about who is best, and it could do so at the wide receiver position or any other spot as well. What he brings to the table, with his ability to win games and be successful, will see him go down as one of the very best to ever play here. He has been really focused and done great. He's been getting a lot of notoriety and so forth, and he has handled that really well. I like what he's doing now at practice from a leadership standpoint more than any of his other three years so I'm really excited to watch him play. He's so driven and works so hard. Oklahoma State fans and coaches will be sorry to see him go, that's for sure."
On if the defense feels any pressure to perform with so many expectations for the offense:
"I think yes and no. It's human nature for an offense or a defense to feel like they want to do their part, but I also think that they use that to their advantage because I see them at practice and when one of the corners or safeties will cover James Washington or Jalen McCleskey, they like it. Their body language is saying 'I'm doing my part,' so I think there is some truth to that."
On what he bases his preseason expectations on:
"I think that preseason polls have a lot to do with returning quarterbacks that have experience, and we're the same. When you go into the season and you don't have a quarterback that has any experience, you don't have a clue what's going to happen in most cases. So for me, what I said a second ago is exactly what I told the team. We have experience at key positions on both sides of the ball. We have an experienced quarterback, we have skill players that are potentially good enough to someday play in the NFL and we have numbers of depth that have played on both sides. So for that reason, you guys should play well this year. That's really how I believe it. I always tell them that. I say 'You guys have a lot of ground to make up here because we don't have a lot of experience,' but with these guys, they have to do all of the things that are important to get ready to play. But they know that if they prepare and do everything they can and are unselfish and committed, then my expectations of them are to play very well on Saturdays. I don't see any reasons why they shouldn't."
On the development of Taylor Cornelius since he arrived in Stillwater:
"He came in as a really big, long athlete. He runs a little better than what people think. He can throw it. The sad thing about him is we never know because you don't know how good a guy is until he gets in there and it's his team. It's just like when Mason (Rudolph) went in as a freshman, I wasn't very excited about him playing because he hadn't done anything in practice to make me think he had had success. What he was able to accomplish is pretty rare with me having done this for 20-something years. With Taylor, he does a lot of good things in practice, but he's never been in games under the fire. He's been awesome for us to walk on the program and be here with the commitment he's made. I really believe if he gets in a game and plays that he'll play pretty well."
On if the backup quarterbacks understand that they could be the next guy up:
"We stress that all the time. It doesn't take but just a second and somebody else is going to be in there playing. We all worry. I think most coaches across the country worry about the quarterback, but we have a number of positions we worry about. It's a difficult position because we could play three wideouts, six wideouts, but the quarterback position is something that you just don't play two. The year we had J.W. (Walsh), it was rare. They have to be very tuned in mentally and ready to go because they don't get a lot of practice like live game experience."
On if he looks for schemes and plays while watching games on TV and if he encourages assistants to do so:
"I watch games at home sometimes until I go to sleep. I was kind of joking with myself because I keep an old notebook and a pen by my chair, and if I see a play I like I'll stop it and draw it up. I keep about six plays on a Saturday night if we don't have a night game, and it frustrates my boys because they want to watch the game and I'm running it back. It takes a little bit to get all the positions and get everything right, then by the time you run it through it's probably already popped up on their phone who won or lost. I don't encourage the assistants to do that, but I think they do the same thing. I haven't seen any drawings they brought in, but I tear mine out and bring it in on Sunday morning."
On if Rob Glass had any specific goals for certain players:
"Since Rob has been here, I don't know if we have had anything not accomplished. He's always been able to get what he needed from our players. With Aaron Cochran, we asked him to lose about 20 pounds, and he came back about 30 pounds lighter. He maybe even lost another 10 while he was here. Most of our players are in a position where we need them to gain mass so they're lucky and can take in all the calories they want. Every once in a while he'll give somebody a diet that he wants them to stay on because he wants them to be a little lighter based on the style of play we have, but for the most part, he's had them under control before they ever got to that point."
On how he's seen Ramon Richards improve in his new role at safety and how Adrian Baker is meshing:
"Ramon gets a little better every day. I noticed today he was moving at the safety position and jumped up and knocked a ball down. He's always been a quick learner, but I think he's quicker in the middle of the field where he is now. How much he's helping the young guys at the corner spot, I don't know. Most of the communication he has now is with the safeties, but knowing Ramon, he's probably involved somewhat with them, I would guess. Adrian seems to be meshing pretty well with those guys. It looks like he's comfortable practicing, and he gets a little better every day."
On Marcell Ateman before and after injury:
"Physically, he looks really good like always has. He's running around and making plays. I think that the change with him that's noticeable is he lost football for a year and so he knows what it's like to not have it, and he realized how much he liked the game and he was excited to get back. I think that was the biggest change for him is that when you have something taken away you're like, 'Man, I had it pretty good,' and I think he recognized that side of football."
On contracts and office structure:
"My first goal was to make sure that we got everybody taken care of outside of the coaches. The coaches have always been taken care of. There were a number of people that play a significant role in our success that I felt loyal to and needed to make sure they were taken care of, and we were able to accomplish that. Then obviously with the assistants and I wanted to put something in place personally for me that would essentially be good for Oklahoma State and be good for me for a long time, and Coach Holder and I were able to come to an agreement and the president and board of regents agreed and we were able to get that aside. Essentially the way it's set up is we don't really have to have any more discussions about it. We've taken that part out of it, and I think that's what's best based on the relationship between me and the university, that that's best for the long term and we go with it from that point moving forward."
On the approach to being a "good football team" and how to handle that:
"Each team is different. I hope that I improve each year in how I handle the chemistry of the team. Believe it or not, a lot of what I do is thinking. Like my 12-year-old tells me, 'All you do is sit at your desk. Every time I walk in you're just sitting there. You don't do anything.' And I say, 'Well I'm thinking. I'm thinking about what to do.' And he says, ' Well you don't do anything in practice either. You just go up in that tower. You don't talk to anybody either.' So believe it or not, I think that we've gotten pretty good at feeling and handling the temperament of our team. The very best thing we can do is be honest with them. Years ago in our coach talk you would come in and you'd get them in a room and you'd say, 'Listen, you're not that good. Everybody's telling you you're good. You're not that good. You're average.' So if I were them I'd walk out thinking, 'We're pretty good. Why's he telling us that?' They are pretty good. How good? I don't know, but they're pretty good. It's up to them. They've handled that fairly well and the one message I've given them, right or wrong, is that there will be a lot going on when you're ranked really high preseason. I told them all the stuff that's gone on with me and the marketing and all that, that stuff only works when you're winning. If my hair is long, and we're losing it's not near as fun. People are gonna say, 'Cut your hair' all the time. It's all based on their success, and I think they understand that side of the game.'
On playing on Friday nights/competing with high school football:
"The conference and their affiliation with television, there's a certain number of games that they like us to play on either a Thursday or Friday night. I don't think it's mandatory, but it's strongly suggested. We play on Labor Day Weekend, and in order to get what we think would be a great home crowd based on an in-state opponent, we thought by playing on Thursday it would be really good. When that happened we follow up with two road trips. The science behind putting 75 guys on an airplane and traveling halfway across the country and playing a game and then coming back and then doing it again the next week is that, whether we like it or not, it can fatigue them and it can be a little bit of a factor. So we said why not get a Thursday night game and a Friday night game to facilitate the conference in a year when you can play a game, get an extra day off, travel and play a game, come back, get an extra day off and then travel again. It really worked out, and it should exclude us for a number of years from not being in a Friday game. I wanna play Saturday games. I wanna play eight games at home. I wanna play at 2 o'clock. That's what I would like to do. I think that's what college football is, but the television pays the money and we have to do what's best. This was a good year for us to facilitate that with what the conference asks us to do every so often. The Friday worked out well for us based on the two road games and then if they bring it up in a year or two I can say, 'We just played on Friday night.' So you kinda kill two birds with one stone. I told Bowlsby we did it for him.'
On running backs/freshmen:
"I like what Ja'Ron (Wilson) is doing. LD (Brown) is getting better. (Jeff) Carr is still there. He's better than what he was. There will be a small role for him at times, and I like the freshmen. I see promise there. We have not seen enough to say it yet, who will be that guy. We've been in pads for two days so it's still really early. I've seen glimpses of both those young guys making plays. I've liked the guys we've had here. I think Carr has been here long enough that we understand what his role is. I like the progress that Ja'Ron has made. I like the improvement that LD has made. LD has been a pretty good runner, and at times he's been successful. He needs to take care of the ball and prove to us he can take care of the ball. We're not there yet, but I like what we're working with."
On sleep study and offseason appearances/hype
"Well first, the sleep study has been out there a little while, and we looked into it and we felt like it was something that in early studies has proven it has been fairly effective. So we've gotten into that now. Then, you know it's interesting, when I had the team together to start a week ago or whenever we did, I asked them some general questions, and they still live in their own little world. They're so busy with offseason training and summer school and their metabolics working out on their own and whatever they have in their whole life that I'm sure they have an idea of some of the stuff that I do, but you'd be surprised that they probably don't pay a whole lot of attention to it. The people outside that aren't around us every day, they don't get to be involved like our guys do. So they're a little more in tune to it. Zach Sinor, his Heisman campaign was awesome. It was one of the neatest things because that's his personality. He doesn't have to be somebody he's not in order to do that so it worked out well for him. And I think our players understand that some of the stuff that I do and/or they do, if it comes naturally. But there's been so much of it for whatever reason that I think a lot of them just kind of roll with the punches and same old, same old with them."
"On 'was' for the Sinor campaign"
"I'm sure he's not (done). He's marketing himself. I mentioned it in a special teams meeting. We had a punt meeting the other day, and we were going over protection and I told them now you're trying to protect for a Heisman candidate, you guys got to do a better job than that. And he (Sinor) stood up and said, 'Yeah, that's right.' So he was ready for it then."
On Mason Rudolph's personality and the impact it has on the team
"He's changed considerably over the last couple years. What he did to get the team's respect was early in his career, he played when he was hurt and when he was really injured. And at the quarterback position, the players respect that. So he got them on his side then when he would play injured and then he's done it since then. He's had a couple pretty significant injuries, and he's played beyond the injury. He is very — at some point other than making twitter videos in the summer at lakes, you see him do some stuff at the lake or whatever — but other than that he's pretty straight lined. You don't hear a lot. He's very driven like I had mentioned earlier. He understands what he wants our team to accomplish and he knows what he wants to accomplish, and it's hard to really get him off of that. So we're fortunate that we have a guy who can stay focused and lead the team."
On if there are qualities from being a college quarterback that helped him transition into being a head coach
"I'm always going to say that guys that are quarterbacks could or have the best chance to be whether it's a head football coach or in charge because they're in charge of the team. Some of that is just you hear people say he's a natural born leader or you know leaders are developed. I don't know if that's true one way or the other, but I know that a guy like Mason that's done this for so long, that's what he's used to. He's used to being in the lime light, he's used to people saying you do good when we do good and when we do bad he does bad. A lot of that is the same characteristics of being a head coach so I would agree with what you're saying. I think there is an advantage there at that position in order to be a head coach some day."
On OSU's kicking game
"Well, we like Zach Sinor, he's really doing good. We lost (Ben) Grogan so we've got two guys that are working in at PAT and field goal. We restructured a little bit of our protection so we actually lost a couple of days because we had a few kicks blocked. We were working on doing a couple of things different protection wise. We're pretty good at that now, we're better. They've had a couple really good days of kicks and they're coming along, but that'll be an interesting part of our game this year because we've been used to Ben coming out there and being pretty successful. Kickoffs I feel good about. Punts I feel good. PAT, field goal, don't know yet because we don't have any experience at that position. Those guys are new, we'll find out."
On if this season feels similar to 2011
"I don't think there's any question that we have more confidence now than we ever had and that kind of stems success in anything that you do. People that have success in certain things, they develop more confidence and you run with it. I think the one interesting part of this team over the past few months is, not that they expected people to say you're going to be good, but honestly I think they've gotten used to that. Where four or five years ago, I can't remember what it was, maybe four years ago, when we went to the Big 12 media days we were preseason picked to win the conference. How many years ago was that, I don't know, but that was the talk. Now, people think we're supposed to have a good team, and there's a lot of conversation about it and our players don't really concern themselves with it. I think at some point they kind of gotten used to it, which is good. I mean I said this years ago, in order to develop and build tradition in football at a big school, it takes a long time. I said that I hope that whenever I'm done coaching here that we develop Oklahoma State here to where people consider it a traditional football school. I think we're on our way to doing that. We have a lot of work, but I don't think the players are so caught up with themselves to think that people said that they're going to have a good team. My guess is that you should have a good team. I mean I don't know what's going to happen. You know it's interesting, I was at the (ESPN) car wash, and I was walking behind or in the same room as Coach (Bill) Snyder and somebody said 'Coach what do you think about the season?' and he said 'I don't know, I'm 78, and they're 18, I have no idea how it will turn out.' So I'm close to, I can say I'm 50 and they're 18, not nearly anything he said, but to a certain point, he's right. These guys I don't think they have stars in their eyes about what people think about their team this year. The good thing is, the other thing I said years ago, is that we want to consistently break the top 25 and then we become a top 20 school. Well if you get ranked up where we are now, if you play good, you're going to be there in the end. So it doesn't really matter, to a certain extent. A lot of those teams will play games and get knocked out and if we don't play well, we'll be one of those teams. But you're in a position that if you play well, you're going to work your way up."
Quarterback Mason Rudolph
On team expectations:
"I think we know we can be better than last year, and that's the goal every year. Any time you got a group of guys like we do on both sides of the ball, it's fun for me. It's fun for the team. It's the best team chemistry I've ever been a part of thus far in my career. Guys are eager to hang out with each other off the field. We're just a big group of friends, and we just happen to play football too."
On addressing expectations:
"What we address is tomorrow morning's practice and how fired up we need to get for tomorrow morning."
On his thoughts heading into his senior year:
"With the success we've had up until this point, and not being able to get over the hump yet, I think it's similar to my high school situation. My sophomore year we weren't very good, my junior year we made it to the state championship and lost. My senior year we went undefeated and won (the state championship). I think the steps I've taken personally in just making strides in the offseason – I'm looking forward to this season. We've had a great summer and a great offseason."
On his legacy:
"I just want to bring the best out of my teammates, be a great teammate and push those guys every day. That's all I can do. I got one more season and one more chapter to go. I think I've put myself in a good situation as far as preparation goes."
Wide Receiver James Washington
On how he's seen the offense improve:
"Over the camps, I've seen more leadership than last year. That goes from two-year guys to four-year guys, and just a bunch of leadership from just about everyone. We have more of a bond this year. Our offense and defense is closer than ever, and I really think that is what brought us closer and will make us better in the long run."
On Justice Hill:
"He does more of his leadership by leading by example. During workouts, he's always giving 110 percent. I don't know if you saw the video of him squatting 565 pounds – the kid is only 195 pounds – so that's ridiculous. He's showing younger guys, 'Look, I can do this, so you can too if you just work hard.'"
On his expectations for this season:
"We talk about team goals. We want to win the Big 12 Championship, but it's not going to happen if we don't take things day-by-day. We have to work on individual things and work on team skills."
On Marcell Ateman changing from his injury recovery:
"He's more hungry. Each and every day he talks about how he can't wait to get back on the field. He's ridiculous right now. Each and every day all he talks about is the first game. For someone who is as big of a playmaker as him, I can understand that. He's really come a long ways since then."
Wide Receiver Marcell Ateman
On the depth at wide receiver:
"It's going to help me out because I know my teammates. Every receiver has worked hard and they're going to do their job. I know each and every single one of them is going to make plays."
On his injury:
"I've never had an injury or anything that has set me back from this game. That was probably the hardest thing I've gone through."
On coming back:
"It's a blessing from God. I really feel that way. I had something taken away from me, but I have another chance. I have another opportunity. It's just a great feeling to know I can be back out here."
Safety Tre Flowers
On facing the offense in practice:
"They're going to compete. We got the best receivers, so that's going to be fun. We're going to get better every day."
On how practice has gone:
"It's been a lot of competing. We're a good team, so we're trying to push each other every day."
On the competitive nature of the team:
"It's a good situation to be around. We always try to one-up each other. It's just going out there and performing for my teammates and my brothers."
Wide Receiver Jalen McCleskey
On the offseason:
"I've just been getting in the film room and meeting with Coach Dunn. I'm trying to improve on some things I might have had trouble with last year. I've been getting with the other receivers and we all would go throw with Mason (Rudolph). We worked on getting our timing down and things like that. I've been getting in the weight room with Coach Glass and getting back in football shape."
On being considered an upperclassman and having experience at the collegiate level:
"The game has really slowed down. I can really focus on more technique rather than going over the plays and stuff like that. I'm able to move my game forward and not have to worry about what plays or what signals that I need to learn."
On being less nervous on game day:
"I kind of know what to expect. I know if I and the other receivers do certain things, then we'll be just fine. We just have to stay focused and do what we've learned and been taught to do."
On what he's looking forward to this season:
"I can't wait to get back in BPS with all the fans. This is a really talented team and I can't wait to get on the field with them and play that first game."
Linebacker Justin Phillips
On whether he achieved his offseason goals:
"Yeah, I was just really trying to focus on maintaining a good weight and increasing my speed just so I could be out there running around and making plays everywhere."
On how Coach Glass helped him get faster in the offseason:
"He said, 'Come see me.' I'm in there every other day working out with him. He does a good job with helping everybody to reach their goals in whatever they want to do."
On getting faster by doing more than only running sprints:
"It goes along with your diet and what you eat. Also, rest. We're doing a big thing now on how rest affects your body and how you train."
On whether new rest hours have benefited him on the field:
"It actually has. They gave me a little thing that tracks my sleep, so I feel like I can put a lot more energy into it. So now, I make sure I get my rest."
Safety Ramon Richards
On what he does for fun:
"I hang with guys like Bryce Brown and my little brother. … I meditate a lot. I wouldn't really call it fun, but I enjoy it. That's about it."
On how his teammates react to his open personality:
"It's different. A lot of guys they see me and they don't expect it, but when they get to know me, no one on the team can say I've been a negative or confrontational guy. So I think that's it."
On being an example for the younger players:
"It's crazy. When I first got here, I had guys like Kevin Peterson and Jordan Sterns and Tre Flowers. They mentored me through the process of being at Oklahoma State. I just be myself and if guys gravitate toward me, I help them the same way I'd want guys to help me if I was in there position."
On how he got into football:
"My dad. We used to live in these apartments back in San Antonio and we would go to the parking lot and we would throw the football back and forth for hours and hours. He worked overnight, so I know he was tired. He didn't mind doing that for me and that's when I began to love the game."
Running Back Justice Hill
On a moment that sticks out in his mind from last year:
"The Baylor game. It was my first time really getting a lot of carries. I was able to learn early on the things I needed to work on."
On the offseason:
"I was working out and going full speed. It's been fun being able to get back out there, but it was bad watching the guys going through workouts and going through the spring and not being out there. I just want to be back out there."
On how he sets goals:
"I just set goals high. You can never sell yourself short. I like to go out there and set goals high for myself."
On the offensive expectations:
"The sky is the limit. We're going to go out there and play hard every week and it should be a great season."
On the younger running backs:
"Everybody is going out there and competing. Each and every day they come out and work hard. Whether it's in the weight room, film work or making sure they study every day. All those things are going to contribute. Each one of them has the opportunity to go out there and make plays and we'll see how it turns out."
Offensive Lineman Zachary Crabtree
On his nutrition to help him play stronger:
"I've bought into it. I've made some gains in areas that I needed to. Anything to give me the edge, and anything to give myself an advantage on my opponent. It's been going on for a couple of years now, and I guess now I've become honed in a lot more. I've become more educated. We have a fantastic nutritionist on strength staff, and just having those resources to ask questions has helped a lot."
On whether he noticed a difference in his nutritional gains:
"Absolutely. My body just feels better, and I've had better Bod Pod results. We do that at the end of every offseason. We've had results. Reading about different athletes at higher levels, how they've done it and how it's helped give them an edge. I just bought in and went for it."
On his nutritional buy-in:
"I'm big in my meal preps. I eat a lot of grilled chicken and a lot of vegetables trying to make sure I stay clean. I'll eat desserts though. I can't pass up on desserts. More than anything, it's not completely taking out desserts, but making sure grilled chicken instead of fried, and vegetables instead of fries. It's stuff like that to make sure I make those positive gains."
On personal health and team nutrition:
"It helped me to become a better player. In return, I want to be able to help this team in any way I can, and I think that was a great way to do it. Just anything to give us the edge, and just selling out any time we play a game. I want to help this team to accomplish what our goals are."
Linebacker Chad Whitener
On high-potent offenses:
"We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of minutes against some high-potent offenses, and we have a high-potent offense as well. Going against these guys and doing what we do all the time just gets us ready to take on everything. We're ready to go."
On his mental strength this year compared to his first year:
"I feel more mentally prepared this year because there's a lot that goes into it, especially more than you would think coming from high school. You think football is the biggest thing, but coming up here you have so much more to worry about. I'm much more mentally prepared for everything this year."
Defensive Lineman Jarrell Owens
On how he's gotten better during his time at OSU:
"I feel like I've grown a lot since my freshman year both mentally and physically, and I feel like I've come a long ways."
On the offensive line:
"They come out each and every practice and practice hard since I've been here. They always come out and have an edge to them."
On the best defensive lineman on the team:
"We all have different aspects we bring to the game, and we're all real unique."
On the backup quarterbacks:
"I think any of them can step up and play. They come out and practice hard each and every day, so it doesn't matter."
Mike Gundy
On his impression after the first week of practice:
"We've had two good days. A couple of days ago the defense took it to the offense pretty good and then today the offense made some pretty good plays. That's one of the things I've said about being a head coach that is the most challenging things for me to is trying to decide what I want to see in practice. There's a lot of enthusiasm right now, and it's a very competitive environment. That continues to increase each year as you have more success and bring more competitive players in. We're pleased with where we're at. We haven't answered any of the questions yet that we need to answer over the next two weeks. That takes a little bit of time since we just got into pads. I like where we are at this point though."
On naming a backup quarterback:
"With Taylor Cornelius and Keondre Wudtee, I'm waiting for one of those guys to say 'I'm the guy.' I'm hoping that we can accomplish that over the next 10 days. Both of them have made plays at times and both have made mistakes at other times, but once we get into practice No. 16 or No. 18, there's only a limited number of reps as we all know. At that point, we'll have to say that one guy is going to get the majority of the reps and the other will play with the threes, where there aren't as many reps."
On the benefit to most position battles being for backup spots this season:
"We had the one offensive line position that we feel like we have three guys that we're comfortable with. Aaron (Cochran), our transfer, is a guy we feel comfortable with and then Shane Richards and Dylan Galloway both are playing well. We feel pretty good about that spot. Other than that, it's just taking some time to sort out the other spots like the running backs. I feel better about our corners right now than I did when we started. I'm seeing guys that are very competitive and their success right now with the youth at that spot will be dependent on our pass rush and our ability to get to the quarterback so that we don't leave those guys out there for a long period of time."
On whether he likes to see the offense or defense succeed against the other in practice:
"I was mentioning it to someone the other day, but for forever I was so zoned in on the offense that I would get upset if they weren't doing well. And then about six to eight years ago I realized that I would prefer that the defense do better. I've always felt like we could scheme our offense to be able to find ways to score but on the defensive side, the speed and talent part of it is so important. It's nice when we go through a practice and the defense can just kind of shut our guys down. It makes us feel a little better, but it has been back and forth so far and I'm pleased with that side of practice."
On the experience of the offensive line:
"There's no substitute for experience. We've talked about Shane Richards and Dylan Galloway, but Aaron Cochran has played 20 games in the Pac-12 for Cal. (Brad) Lundblade has been around. (Zach) Crabtree has been around. And when we talk about experienced players, we're talking about guys that have played on the road in tough spots when it's hot and loud and everything is going against you, and they've still found ways to be successful. It helps that we have those guys who have been around. The younger guys don't quite understand what it takes in those situations yet so it helps to have those veteran guys."
On his consistent innovation off the field:
"We made adjustments this year with practice. This year, the new rule is where you have to have three hours between any physical activity or not. It was interesting to see how the different conferences and their offices read the rule. We changed the way we operated a bit with the way we thought the rule should be read, and we found out yesterday that we were correct in that manner. What that allowed us to do differently this year is reduce the time between the morning and afternoon session and cut it back. What we do is we're able to bring the players over later and get them out of here earlier so they're getting two more hours of free time, and our coaching staff is getting one more hour at night at home away from the office. That's new for us."
On where Mason Rudolph will ultimately rank among the best quarterbacks in school history:
"That's a hard question. Fortunately, we've had some really good players here at a lot of different positions. What I said earlier at Big 12 Media Days is that he'll be talked about as one of the best to ever play here. The debate could go on about who is best, and it could do so at the wide receiver position or any other spot as well. What he brings to the table, with his ability to win games and be successful, will see him go down as one of the very best to ever play here. He has been really focused and done great. He's been getting a lot of notoriety and so forth, and he has handled that really well. I like what he's doing now at practice from a leadership standpoint more than any of his other three years so I'm really excited to watch him play. He's so driven and works so hard. Oklahoma State fans and coaches will be sorry to see him go, that's for sure."
On if the defense feels any pressure to perform with so many expectations for the offense:
"I think yes and no. It's human nature for an offense or a defense to feel like they want to do their part, but I also think that they use that to their advantage because I see them at practice and when one of the corners or safeties will cover James Washington or Jalen McCleskey, they like it. Their body language is saying 'I'm doing my part,' so I think there is some truth to that."
On what he bases his preseason expectations on:
"I think that preseason polls have a lot to do with returning quarterbacks that have experience, and we're the same. When you go into the season and you don't have a quarterback that has any experience, you don't have a clue what's going to happen in most cases. So for me, what I said a second ago is exactly what I told the team. We have experience at key positions on both sides of the ball. We have an experienced quarterback, we have skill players that are potentially good enough to someday play in the NFL and we have numbers of depth that have played on both sides. So for that reason, you guys should play well this year. That's really how I believe it. I always tell them that. I say 'You guys have a lot of ground to make up here because we don't have a lot of experience,' but with these guys, they have to do all of the things that are important to get ready to play. But they know that if they prepare and do everything they can and are unselfish and committed, then my expectations of them are to play very well on Saturdays. I don't see any reasons why they shouldn't."
On the development of Taylor Cornelius since he arrived in Stillwater:
"He came in as a really big, long athlete. He runs a little better than what people think. He can throw it. The sad thing about him is we never know because you don't know how good a guy is until he gets in there and it's his team. It's just like when Mason (Rudolph) went in as a freshman, I wasn't very excited about him playing because he hadn't done anything in practice to make me think he had had success. What he was able to accomplish is pretty rare with me having done this for 20-something years. With Taylor, he does a lot of good things in practice, but he's never been in games under the fire. He's been awesome for us to walk on the program and be here with the commitment he's made. I really believe if he gets in a game and plays that he'll play pretty well."
On if the backup quarterbacks understand that they could be the next guy up:
"We stress that all the time. It doesn't take but just a second and somebody else is going to be in there playing. We all worry. I think most coaches across the country worry about the quarterback, but we have a number of positions we worry about. It's a difficult position because we could play three wideouts, six wideouts, but the quarterback position is something that you just don't play two. The year we had J.W. (Walsh), it was rare. They have to be very tuned in mentally and ready to go because they don't get a lot of practice like live game experience."
On if he looks for schemes and plays while watching games on TV and if he encourages assistants to do so:
"I watch games at home sometimes until I go to sleep. I was kind of joking with myself because I keep an old notebook and a pen by my chair, and if I see a play I like I'll stop it and draw it up. I keep about six plays on a Saturday night if we don't have a night game, and it frustrates my boys because they want to watch the game and I'm running it back. It takes a little bit to get all the positions and get everything right, then by the time you run it through it's probably already popped up on their phone who won or lost. I don't encourage the assistants to do that, but I think they do the same thing. I haven't seen any drawings they brought in, but I tear mine out and bring it in on Sunday morning."
On if Rob Glass had any specific goals for certain players:
"Since Rob has been here, I don't know if we have had anything not accomplished. He's always been able to get what he needed from our players. With Aaron Cochran, we asked him to lose about 20 pounds, and he came back about 30 pounds lighter. He maybe even lost another 10 while he was here. Most of our players are in a position where we need them to gain mass so they're lucky and can take in all the calories they want. Every once in a while he'll give somebody a diet that he wants them to stay on because he wants them to be a little lighter based on the style of play we have, but for the most part, he's had them under control before they ever got to that point."
On how he's seen Ramon Richards improve in his new role at safety and how Adrian Baker is meshing:
"Ramon gets a little better every day. I noticed today he was moving at the safety position and jumped up and knocked a ball down. He's always been a quick learner, but I think he's quicker in the middle of the field where he is now. How much he's helping the young guys at the corner spot, I don't know. Most of the communication he has now is with the safeties, but knowing Ramon, he's probably involved somewhat with them, I would guess. Adrian seems to be meshing pretty well with those guys. It looks like he's comfortable practicing, and he gets a little better every day."
On Marcell Ateman before and after injury:
"Physically, he looks really good like always has. He's running around and making plays. I think that the change with him that's noticeable is he lost football for a year and so he knows what it's like to not have it, and he realized how much he liked the game and he was excited to get back. I think that was the biggest change for him is that when you have something taken away you're like, 'Man, I had it pretty good,' and I think he recognized that side of football."
On contracts and office structure:
"My first goal was to make sure that we got everybody taken care of outside of the coaches. The coaches have always been taken care of. There were a number of people that play a significant role in our success that I felt loyal to and needed to make sure they were taken care of, and we were able to accomplish that. Then obviously with the assistants and I wanted to put something in place personally for me that would essentially be good for Oklahoma State and be good for me for a long time, and Coach Holder and I were able to come to an agreement and the president and board of regents agreed and we were able to get that aside. Essentially the way it's set up is we don't really have to have any more discussions about it. We've taken that part out of it, and I think that's what's best based on the relationship between me and the university, that that's best for the long term and we go with it from that point moving forward."
On the approach to being a "good football team" and how to handle that:
"Each team is different. I hope that I improve each year in how I handle the chemistry of the team. Believe it or not, a lot of what I do is thinking. Like my 12-year-old tells me, 'All you do is sit at your desk. Every time I walk in you're just sitting there. You don't do anything.' And I say, 'Well I'm thinking. I'm thinking about what to do.' And he says, ' Well you don't do anything in practice either. You just go up in that tower. You don't talk to anybody either.' So believe it or not, I think that we've gotten pretty good at feeling and handling the temperament of our team. The very best thing we can do is be honest with them. Years ago in our coach talk you would come in and you'd get them in a room and you'd say, 'Listen, you're not that good. Everybody's telling you you're good. You're not that good. You're average.' So if I were them I'd walk out thinking, 'We're pretty good. Why's he telling us that?' They are pretty good. How good? I don't know, but they're pretty good. It's up to them. They've handled that fairly well and the one message I've given them, right or wrong, is that there will be a lot going on when you're ranked really high preseason. I told them all the stuff that's gone on with me and the marketing and all that, that stuff only works when you're winning. If my hair is long, and we're losing it's not near as fun. People are gonna say, 'Cut your hair' all the time. It's all based on their success, and I think they understand that side of the game.'
On playing on Friday nights/competing with high school football:
"The conference and their affiliation with television, there's a certain number of games that they like us to play on either a Thursday or Friday night. I don't think it's mandatory, but it's strongly suggested. We play on Labor Day Weekend, and in order to get what we think would be a great home crowd based on an in-state opponent, we thought by playing on Thursday it would be really good. When that happened we follow up with two road trips. The science behind putting 75 guys on an airplane and traveling halfway across the country and playing a game and then coming back and then doing it again the next week is that, whether we like it or not, it can fatigue them and it can be a little bit of a factor. So we said why not get a Thursday night game and a Friday night game to facilitate the conference in a year when you can play a game, get an extra day off, travel and play a game, come back, get an extra day off and then travel again. It really worked out, and it should exclude us for a number of years from not being in a Friday game. I wanna play Saturday games. I wanna play eight games at home. I wanna play at 2 o'clock. That's what I would like to do. I think that's what college football is, but the television pays the money and we have to do what's best. This was a good year for us to facilitate that with what the conference asks us to do every so often. The Friday worked out well for us based on the two road games and then if they bring it up in a year or two I can say, 'We just played on Friday night.' So you kinda kill two birds with one stone. I told Bowlsby we did it for him.'
On running backs/freshmen:
"I like what Ja'Ron (Wilson) is doing. LD (Brown) is getting better. (Jeff) Carr is still there. He's better than what he was. There will be a small role for him at times, and I like the freshmen. I see promise there. We have not seen enough to say it yet, who will be that guy. We've been in pads for two days so it's still really early. I've seen glimpses of both those young guys making plays. I've liked the guys we've had here. I think Carr has been here long enough that we understand what his role is. I like the progress that Ja'Ron has made. I like the improvement that LD has made. LD has been a pretty good runner, and at times he's been successful. He needs to take care of the ball and prove to us he can take care of the ball. We're not there yet, but I like what we're working with."
On sleep study and offseason appearances/hype
"Well first, the sleep study has been out there a little while, and we looked into it and we felt like it was something that in early studies has proven it has been fairly effective. So we've gotten into that now. Then, you know it's interesting, when I had the team together to start a week ago or whenever we did, I asked them some general questions, and they still live in their own little world. They're so busy with offseason training and summer school and their metabolics working out on their own and whatever they have in their whole life that I'm sure they have an idea of some of the stuff that I do, but you'd be surprised that they probably don't pay a whole lot of attention to it. The people outside that aren't around us every day, they don't get to be involved like our guys do. So they're a little more in tune to it. Zach Sinor, his Heisman campaign was awesome. It was one of the neatest things because that's his personality. He doesn't have to be somebody he's not in order to do that so it worked out well for him. And I think our players understand that some of the stuff that I do and/or they do, if it comes naturally. But there's been so much of it for whatever reason that I think a lot of them just kind of roll with the punches and same old, same old with them."
"On 'was' for the Sinor campaign"
"I'm sure he's not (done). He's marketing himself. I mentioned it in a special teams meeting. We had a punt meeting the other day, and we were going over protection and I told them now you're trying to protect for a Heisman candidate, you guys got to do a better job than that. And he (Sinor) stood up and said, 'Yeah, that's right.' So he was ready for it then."
On Mason Rudolph's personality and the impact it has on the team
"He's changed considerably over the last couple years. What he did to get the team's respect was early in his career, he played when he was hurt and when he was really injured. And at the quarterback position, the players respect that. So he got them on his side then when he would play injured and then he's done it since then. He's had a couple pretty significant injuries, and he's played beyond the injury. He is very — at some point other than making twitter videos in the summer at lakes, you see him do some stuff at the lake or whatever — but other than that he's pretty straight lined. You don't hear a lot. He's very driven like I had mentioned earlier. He understands what he wants our team to accomplish and he knows what he wants to accomplish, and it's hard to really get him off of that. So we're fortunate that we have a guy who can stay focused and lead the team."
On if there are qualities from being a college quarterback that helped him transition into being a head coach
"I'm always going to say that guys that are quarterbacks could or have the best chance to be whether it's a head football coach or in charge because they're in charge of the team. Some of that is just you hear people say he's a natural born leader or you know leaders are developed. I don't know if that's true one way or the other, but I know that a guy like Mason that's done this for so long, that's what he's used to. He's used to being in the lime light, he's used to people saying you do good when we do good and when we do bad he does bad. A lot of that is the same characteristics of being a head coach so I would agree with what you're saying. I think there is an advantage there at that position in order to be a head coach some day."
On OSU's kicking game
"Well, we like Zach Sinor, he's really doing good. We lost (Ben) Grogan so we've got two guys that are working in at PAT and field goal. We restructured a little bit of our protection so we actually lost a couple of days because we had a few kicks blocked. We were working on doing a couple of things different protection wise. We're pretty good at that now, we're better. They've had a couple really good days of kicks and they're coming along, but that'll be an interesting part of our game this year because we've been used to Ben coming out there and being pretty successful. Kickoffs I feel good about. Punts I feel good. PAT, field goal, don't know yet because we don't have any experience at that position. Those guys are new, we'll find out."
On if this season feels similar to 2011
"I don't think there's any question that we have more confidence now than we ever had and that kind of stems success in anything that you do. People that have success in certain things, they develop more confidence and you run with it. I think the one interesting part of this team over the past few months is, not that they expected people to say you're going to be good, but honestly I think they've gotten used to that. Where four or five years ago, I can't remember what it was, maybe four years ago, when we went to the Big 12 media days we were preseason picked to win the conference. How many years ago was that, I don't know, but that was the talk. Now, people think we're supposed to have a good team, and there's a lot of conversation about it and our players don't really concern themselves with it. I think at some point they kind of gotten used to it, which is good. I mean I said this years ago, in order to develop and build tradition in football at a big school, it takes a long time. I said that I hope that whenever I'm done coaching here that we develop Oklahoma State here to where people consider it a traditional football school. I think we're on our way to doing that. We have a lot of work, but I don't think the players are so caught up with themselves to think that people said that they're going to have a good team. My guess is that you should have a good team. I mean I don't know what's going to happen. You know it's interesting, I was at the (ESPN) car wash, and I was walking behind or in the same room as Coach (Bill) Snyder and somebody said 'Coach what do you think about the season?' and he said 'I don't know, I'm 78, and they're 18, I have no idea how it will turn out.' So I'm close to, I can say I'm 50 and they're 18, not nearly anything he said, but to a certain point, he's right. These guys I don't think they have stars in their eyes about what people think about their team this year. The good thing is, the other thing I said years ago, is that we want to consistently break the top 25 and then we become a top 20 school. Well if you get ranked up where we are now, if you play good, you're going to be there in the end. So it doesn't really matter, to a certain extent. A lot of those teams will play games and get knocked out and if we don't play well, we'll be one of those teams. But you're in a position that if you play well, you're going to work your way up."
Quarterback Mason Rudolph
On team expectations:
"I think we know we can be better than last year, and that's the goal every year. Any time you got a group of guys like we do on both sides of the ball, it's fun for me. It's fun for the team. It's the best team chemistry I've ever been a part of thus far in my career. Guys are eager to hang out with each other off the field. We're just a big group of friends, and we just happen to play football too."
On addressing expectations:
"What we address is tomorrow morning's practice and how fired up we need to get for tomorrow morning."
On his thoughts heading into his senior year:
"With the success we've had up until this point, and not being able to get over the hump yet, I think it's similar to my high school situation. My sophomore year we weren't very good, my junior year we made it to the state championship and lost. My senior year we went undefeated and won (the state championship). I think the steps I've taken personally in just making strides in the offseason – I'm looking forward to this season. We've had a great summer and a great offseason."
On his legacy:
"I just want to bring the best out of my teammates, be a great teammate and push those guys every day. That's all I can do. I got one more season and one more chapter to go. I think I've put myself in a good situation as far as preparation goes."
Wide Receiver James Washington
On how he's seen the offense improve:
"Over the camps, I've seen more leadership than last year. That goes from two-year guys to four-year guys, and just a bunch of leadership from just about everyone. We have more of a bond this year. Our offense and defense is closer than ever, and I really think that is what brought us closer and will make us better in the long run."
On Justice Hill:
"He does more of his leadership by leading by example. During workouts, he's always giving 110 percent. I don't know if you saw the video of him squatting 565 pounds – the kid is only 195 pounds – so that's ridiculous. He's showing younger guys, 'Look, I can do this, so you can too if you just work hard.'"
On his expectations for this season:
"We talk about team goals. We want to win the Big 12 Championship, but it's not going to happen if we don't take things day-by-day. We have to work on individual things and work on team skills."
On Marcell Ateman changing from his injury recovery:
"He's more hungry. Each and every day he talks about how he can't wait to get back on the field. He's ridiculous right now. Each and every day all he talks about is the first game. For someone who is as big of a playmaker as him, I can understand that. He's really come a long ways since then."
Wide Receiver Marcell Ateman
On the depth at wide receiver:
"It's going to help me out because I know my teammates. Every receiver has worked hard and they're going to do their job. I know each and every single one of them is going to make plays."
On his injury:
"I've never had an injury or anything that has set me back from this game. That was probably the hardest thing I've gone through."
On coming back:
"It's a blessing from God. I really feel that way. I had something taken away from me, but I have another chance. I have another opportunity. It's just a great feeling to know I can be back out here."
Safety Tre Flowers
On facing the offense in practice:
"They're going to compete. We got the best receivers, so that's going to be fun. We're going to get better every day."
On how practice has gone:
"It's been a lot of competing. We're a good team, so we're trying to push each other every day."
On the competitive nature of the team:
"It's a good situation to be around. We always try to one-up each other. It's just going out there and performing for my teammates and my brothers."
Wide Receiver Jalen McCleskey
On the offseason:
"I've just been getting in the film room and meeting with Coach Dunn. I'm trying to improve on some things I might have had trouble with last year. I've been getting with the other receivers and we all would go throw with Mason (Rudolph). We worked on getting our timing down and things like that. I've been getting in the weight room with Coach Glass and getting back in football shape."
On being considered an upperclassman and having experience at the collegiate level:
"The game has really slowed down. I can really focus on more technique rather than going over the plays and stuff like that. I'm able to move my game forward and not have to worry about what plays or what signals that I need to learn."
On being less nervous on game day:
"I kind of know what to expect. I know if I and the other receivers do certain things, then we'll be just fine. We just have to stay focused and do what we've learned and been taught to do."
On what he's looking forward to this season:
"I can't wait to get back in BPS with all the fans. This is a really talented team and I can't wait to get on the field with them and play that first game."
Linebacker Justin Phillips
On whether he achieved his offseason goals:
"Yeah, I was just really trying to focus on maintaining a good weight and increasing my speed just so I could be out there running around and making plays everywhere."
On how Coach Glass helped him get faster in the offseason:
"He said, 'Come see me.' I'm in there every other day working out with him. He does a good job with helping everybody to reach their goals in whatever they want to do."
On getting faster by doing more than only running sprints:
"It goes along with your diet and what you eat. Also, rest. We're doing a big thing now on how rest affects your body and how you train."
On whether new rest hours have benefited him on the field:
"It actually has. They gave me a little thing that tracks my sleep, so I feel like I can put a lot more energy into it. So now, I make sure I get my rest."
Safety Ramon Richards
On what he does for fun:
"I hang with guys like Bryce Brown and my little brother. … I meditate a lot. I wouldn't really call it fun, but I enjoy it. That's about it."
On how his teammates react to his open personality:
"It's different. A lot of guys they see me and they don't expect it, but when they get to know me, no one on the team can say I've been a negative or confrontational guy. So I think that's it."
On being an example for the younger players:
"It's crazy. When I first got here, I had guys like Kevin Peterson and Jordan Sterns and Tre Flowers. They mentored me through the process of being at Oklahoma State. I just be myself and if guys gravitate toward me, I help them the same way I'd want guys to help me if I was in there position."
On how he got into football:
"My dad. We used to live in these apartments back in San Antonio and we would go to the parking lot and we would throw the football back and forth for hours and hours. He worked overnight, so I know he was tired. He didn't mind doing that for me and that's when I began to love the game."
Running Back Justice Hill
On a moment that sticks out in his mind from last year:
"The Baylor game. It was my first time really getting a lot of carries. I was able to learn early on the things I needed to work on."
On the offseason:
"I was working out and going full speed. It's been fun being able to get back out there, but it was bad watching the guys going through workouts and going through the spring and not being out there. I just want to be back out there."
On how he sets goals:
"I just set goals high. You can never sell yourself short. I like to go out there and set goals high for myself."
On the offensive expectations:
"The sky is the limit. We're going to go out there and play hard every week and it should be a great season."
On the younger running backs:
"Everybody is going out there and competing. Each and every day they come out and work hard. Whether it's in the weight room, film work or making sure they study every day. All those things are going to contribute. Each one of them has the opportunity to go out there and make plays and we'll see how it turns out."
Offensive Lineman Zachary Crabtree
On his nutrition to help him play stronger:
"I've bought into it. I've made some gains in areas that I needed to. Anything to give me the edge, and anything to give myself an advantage on my opponent. It's been going on for a couple of years now, and I guess now I've become honed in a lot more. I've become more educated. We have a fantastic nutritionist on strength staff, and just having those resources to ask questions has helped a lot."
On whether he noticed a difference in his nutritional gains:
"Absolutely. My body just feels better, and I've had better Bod Pod results. We do that at the end of every offseason. We've had results. Reading about different athletes at higher levels, how they've done it and how it's helped give them an edge. I just bought in and went for it."
On his nutritional buy-in:
"I'm big in my meal preps. I eat a lot of grilled chicken and a lot of vegetables trying to make sure I stay clean. I'll eat desserts though. I can't pass up on desserts. More than anything, it's not completely taking out desserts, but making sure grilled chicken instead of fried, and vegetables instead of fries. It's stuff like that to make sure I make those positive gains."
On personal health and team nutrition:
"It helped me to become a better player. In return, I want to be able to help this team in any way I can, and I think that was a great way to do it. Just anything to give us the edge, and just selling out any time we play a game. I want to help this team to accomplish what our goals are."
Linebacker Chad Whitener
On high-potent offenses:
"We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of minutes against some high-potent offenses, and we have a high-potent offense as well. Going against these guys and doing what we do all the time just gets us ready to take on everything. We're ready to go."
On his mental strength this year compared to his first year:
"I feel more mentally prepared this year because there's a lot that goes into it, especially more than you would think coming from high school. You think football is the biggest thing, but coming up here you have so much more to worry about. I'm much more mentally prepared for everything this year."
Defensive Lineman Jarrell Owens
On how he's gotten better during his time at OSU:
"I feel like I've grown a lot since my freshman year both mentally and physically, and I feel like I've come a long ways."
On the offensive line:
"They come out each and every practice and practice hard since I've been here. They always come out and have an edge to them."
On the best defensive lineman on the team:
"We all have different aspects we bring to the game, and we're all real unique."
On the backup quarterbacks:
"I think any of them can step up and play. They come out and practice hard each and every day, so it doesn't matter."
Players Mentioned
WR
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CB
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CB
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OL
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QB
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OL
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S
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OL
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RB
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WR
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DE
/ Cowboy Football
LB
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S
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OL
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QB
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P
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S
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WR
/ Cowboy Football
LB
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/ Cowboy FootballTuesday, July 07
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