Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: Bruce Waterfield
Gundy, Cowboys Meet With Media After Practice No. 10
August 09, 2017 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State football team wrapped up its 10th practice of fall camp Wednesday morning, practicing for approximately two hours in full pads at the Sherman E. Smith Center.
After the workout on the field, Coach Gundy and selected Cowboy players met with media to discuss practice thus far. Some of their comments:
Coach Mike Gundy
On defensive analyst Bill Clay:
"He was our guest speaker today and I asked him if he could name all of the places he's coached since starting in 1963 and he said there was no chance. The players started laughing and he mentioned that he has been a defensive coordinator at seven Division I programs and an offensive coordinator once at Mississippi State and that they were really good on offense. We had a good practice today though. We're in the most difficult part of preseason - practices No. 10 and No. 11 all the way up through about No. 18. It was a padded practice and a long practice. It was very competitive on both sides and the guys are doing a great job and their attitudes are great. We've got a long ways to go, but we've made great strides in the past two weeks. I like where we're at right now and we're going to keep moving forward."
On his thoughts about the way OSU handles preseason practices:
"It's clearly the better way. Science proves it. We used to concern ourselves with whether it was hot enough or not, but dehydration, fluid loss and the soft tissue damage that comes with dehydration - those numbers were through the roof when you are out on the field for a hot practice. You start burning up and losing fluid and you can't get it back in your body, much less the mental impact that the heat has on you. We're thrilled with the weather right now. These guys are getting a lot of work and we've held our weights. We're at, in most cases, less than 1.5 percent of body weight lost, so we're in great shape."
On being featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and being predicted to qualify for the College Football Playoff:
"I think it's another example of the marketing that this team has provided to this university. The players have done it and I did not visit with them about it today because I'm guessing they don't know. For Oklahoma State to be one of four covers nationally, and for them to think enough about our football program and our players to put them on the cover, is a big deal, so we're very proud of that. There's a lot of hard work and effort that has gone into it. Our guys should take pride in that, as well as the guys that have been here over the last 12 years. They're a part of this. It has been a long process for us to get to the point where people across the country are saying that they respect Oklahoma State football. We've got a long ways to go. I've said that. We're another eight or 10 years away from establishing what I would call tradition. The sort of national exposure and tradition. I would certainly say that we've made some great strides and the people that have been involved with this run should be extremely proud."
On what he tells the team to help manage expectations:
"I haven't had to tell them anything. (Mason) Rudolph, Tre Flowers, Zach Sinor, (Chris) Lacy and those others guys have taken control. It has been beautiful for me. The easiest thing for me to do is to just watch these guys function on a daily basis and that's essentially what I'm doing. I'm just staying out of the way. As my 12 year old says all the time, I don't do anything at practice and I just stand there. When I just stand there and don't have to get involved, that means things are going well."
On the benefit of the team leaders also being the most productive players:
"When we have good teams, when we're very competitive, we're winning a lot a football games and graduating players like we have, it's those guys that take care of themselves that lead the program forward off the field. When those guys that lead your program off the field are also your best players, and your best practice players, essentially I could leave for a week and it would still take care of itself. That's how it has always been. They have to be great practice players in order to get respect off the field."
Quarterback Mason Rudolph
On having an offensive line that he's familiar with:
"It's great, especially having my center with me for four years. Brad (Lundblade) is tremendous and very knowledgeable. He can see safety rotation and all the different looks that we get from our defense and other defenses. Having Marcus Keyes, Larry Williams, Shane Richards and Zach Crabtree coming in every once in a while and giving depth to that line has been great."
On how Aaron Cochran has been playing:
"Aaron is doing good. He came in a little heavy but he's done a great job this summer working out, cutting weight and getting stronger in the weight room. Coach Glass has done a great job with him. He's very smart. He went to Cal, so he's played college football for three years, so he picked up on our offense relatively quickly."
On being on the Sports Illustrated cover and the team being picked to be a College Football Playoff team:
"I haven't seen it yet, but it's pretty cool to be recognized as one of the teams that people have confidence in, but like I've said before, none of that stuff matters preseason wise. I think it'll add to the collective chemistry that this team feels and has day to day at practice. It just gives us an extra boost, not that we pay attention to that stuff, but it's inevitable to hear about it. It's cool, but it's a team deal."
On how the Sports Illustrated cover is good for the program:
"It's good anytime we get some national attention, which we have lately, so it's good for us and good for the program."
Safety Tre Flowers
On how camp has been so far and if he's ready to play:
"It's been great. There's been a lot of competing going on. I'm looking forward to the first game."
On transitioning to his new position:
"I feel like there were a couple of changes at the beginning of course, but I'm just getting the flow of it, and I'm getting in the rhythm of playing football again for camp."
On the differences of his new position:
"Jordan Sterns made a lot more tackles than me, I mean not that many but still, it's much more physical."
On stepping up now that Jordan Sterns is gone and what he brought to the table:
"I go back and watch his body position a lot and how he did what he did. He was so good, and I just try to mimic him and put my own little twist on things."
Wide Receiver Dillon Stoner
On if he was worried about coming back into the rotation after his injury since his position is so deep:
"I mean you definitely think that. You have a lot going through your head at that time, but all you can do is all you can do, and that's the mindset that I had. With that, you have to play with a chip on your shoulder, and that's what I try to do."
On being back in the rotation and how it makes him feel knowing he's one of those guys:
"I mean it's a huge positive. We have so much talent at the wide receiver position and to be included in the rotation is huge. I couldn't be more excited, and I'm just going to try and fit in whatever role I have to help this team win."
On how much he leaned from Marcell Ateman last year since they were both injured:
"Even before the injury, we got close running routes together, and he taught me a lot. When the injury did happen, we became close, and he took me under his wing because we went through that together, even though he got cleared before I did. Marcell is a great guy on and off the field, and I'm just excited to see what this year has in store for him."
Defensive Tackle DeQuinton Osborne
On if he thinks he's one of the fastest tackles in the nation:
"Well I like to think that I'm pretty fast, but as far as guarding tight ends, I don't know because I've never really tried. If they asked me to then there's no doubt I would try to do it."
On what he's seen in the defensive ends:
"I've seen a lot of great production. We're going to be pretty solid from the defensive end standpoint. I feel very good about it. I feel like they're making strides to get better and better every day."
On people doubting the defensive line after losing key players from last season:
"I don't really have any thoughts about it. I just try to come out here and give it all I got whenever I'm on the field. What other people say about us losing or gaining guys doesn't really concern me. I'm just concerned with the guys that we have and us getting better each day."
After the workout on the field, Coach Gundy and selected Cowboy players met with media to discuss practice thus far. Some of their comments:
Coach Mike Gundy
On defensive analyst Bill Clay:
"He was our guest speaker today and I asked him if he could name all of the places he's coached since starting in 1963 and he said there was no chance. The players started laughing and he mentioned that he has been a defensive coordinator at seven Division I programs and an offensive coordinator once at Mississippi State and that they were really good on offense. We had a good practice today though. We're in the most difficult part of preseason - practices No. 10 and No. 11 all the way up through about No. 18. It was a padded practice and a long practice. It was very competitive on both sides and the guys are doing a great job and their attitudes are great. We've got a long ways to go, but we've made great strides in the past two weeks. I like where we're at right now and we're going to keep moving forward."
On his thoughts about the way OSU handles preseason practices:
"It's clearly the better way. Science proves it. We used to concern ourselves with whether it was hot enough or not, but dehydration, fluid loss and the soft tissue damage that comes with dehydration - those numbers were through the roof when you are out on the field for a hot practice. You start burning up and losing fluid and you can't get it back in your body, much less the mental impact that the heat has on you. We're thrilled with the weather right now. These guys are getting a lot of work and we've held our weights. We're at, in most cases, less than 1.5 percent of body weight lost, so we're in great shape."
On being featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and being predicted to qualify for the College Football Playoff:
"I think it's another example of the marketing that this team has provided to this university. The players have done it and I did not visit with them about it today because I'm guessing they don't know. For Oklahoma State to be one of four covers nationally, and for them to think enough about our football program and our players to put them on the cover, is a big deal, so we're very proud of that. There's a lot of hard work and effort that has gone into it. Our guys should take pride in that, as well as the guys that have been here over the last 12 years. They're a part of this. It has been a long process for us to get to the point where people across the country are saying that they respect Oklahoma State football. We've got a long ways to go. I've said that. We're another eight or 10 years away from establishing what I would call tradition. The sort of national exposure and tradition. I would certainly say that we've made some great strides and the people that have been involved with this run should be extremely proud."
On what he tells the team to help manage expectations:
"I haven't had to tell them anything. (Mason) Rudolph, Tre Flowers, Zach Sinor, (Chris) Lacy and those others guys have taken control. It has been beautiful for me. The easiest thing for me to do is to just watch these guys function on a daily basis and that's essentially what I'm doing. I'm just staying out of the way. As my 12 year old says all the time, I don't do anything at practice and I just stand there. When I just stand there and don't have to get involved, that means things are going well."
On the benefit of the team leaders also being the most productive players:
"When we have good teams, when we're very competitive, we're winning a lot a football games and graduating players like we have, it's those guys that take care of themselves that lead the program forward off the field. When those guys that lead your program off the field are also your best players, and your best practice players, essentially I could leave for a week and it would still take care of itself. That's how it has always been. They have to be great practice players in order to get respect off the field."
Quarterback Mason Rudolph
On having an offensive line that he's familiar with:
"It's great, especially having my center with me for four years. Brad (Lundblade) is tremendous and very knowledgeable. He can see safety rotation and all the different looks that we get from our defense and other defenses. Having Marcus Keyes, Larry Williams, Shane Richards and Zach Crabtree coming in every once in a while and giving depth to that line has been great."
On how Aaron Cochran has been playing:
"Aaron is doing good. He came in a little heavy but he's done a great job this summer working out, cutting weight and getting stronger in the weight room. Coach Glass has done a great job with him. He's very smart. He went to Cal, so he's played college football for three years, so he picked up on our offense relatively quickly."
On being on the Sports Illustrated cover and the team being picked to be a College Football Playoff team:
"I haven't seen it yet, but it's pretty cool to be recognized as one of the teams that people have confidence in, but like I've said before, none of that stuff matters preseason wise. I think it'll add to the collective chemistry that this team feels and has day to day at practice. It just gives us an extra boost, not that we pay attention to that stuff, but it's inevitable to hear about it. It's cool, but it's a team deal."
On how the Sports Illustrated cover is good for the program:
"It's good anytime we get some national attention, which we have lately, so it's good for us and good for the program."
Safety Tre Flowers
On how camp has been so far and if he's ready to play:
"It's been great. There's been a lot of competing going on. I'm looking forward to the first game."
On transitioning to his new position:
"I feel like there were a couple of changes at the beginning of course, but I'm just getting the flow of it, and I'm getting in the rhythm of playing football again for camp."
On the differences of his new position:
"Jordan Sterns made a lot more tackles than me, I mean not that many but still, it's much more physical."
On stepping up now that Jordan Sterns is gone and what he brought to the table:
"I go back and watch his body position a lot and how he did what he did. He was so good, and I just try to mimic him and put my own little twist on things."
Wide Receiver Dillon Stoner
On if he was worried about coming back into the rotation after his injury since his position is so deep:
"I mean you definitely think that. You have a lot going through your head at that time, but all you can do is all you can do, and that's the mindset that I had. With that, you have to play with a chip on your shoulder, and that's what I try to do."
On being back in the rotation and how it makes him feel knowing he's one of those guys:
"I mean it's a huge positive. We have so much talent at the wide receiver position and to be included in the rotation is huge. I couldn't be more excited, and I'm just going to try and fit in whatever role I have to help this team win."
On how much he leaned from Marcell Ateman last year since they were both injured:
"Even before the injury, we got close running routes together, and he taught me a lot. When the injury did happen, we became close, and he took me under his wing because we went through that together, even though he got cleared before I did. Marcell is a great guy on and off the field, and I'm just excited to see what this year has in store for him."
Defensive Tackle DeQuinton Osborne
On if he thinks he's one of the fastest tackles in the nation:
"Well I like to think that I'm pretty fast, but as far as guarding tight ends, I don't know because I've never really tried. If they asked me to then there's no doubt I would try to do it."
On what he's seen in the defensive ends:
"I've seen a lot of great production. We're going to be pretty solid from the defensive end standpoint. I feel very good about it. I feel like they're making strides to get better and better every day."
On people doubting the defensive line after losing key players from last season:
"I don't really have any thoughts about it. I just try to come out here and give it all I got whenever I'm on the field. What other people say about us losing or gaining guys doesn't really concern me. I'm just concerned with the guys that we have and us getting better each day."
Players Mentioned
WR
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OL
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S
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OL
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DT
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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
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OL
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