Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Cowboy Football Media Day Quotes
August 03, 2019 | Cowboy Football
Head Coach Mike Gundy
Opening Statement:
"We had our first shoulder pad practice today, which was exciting that we could actually practice. It's always enjoyable to get out there and let the guys play real football. We had a long practice and the effort is good. The enthusiasm is good, which is typical for this time of year. We need to maintain. Guy are excited about being out there. There aren't really any changes personnel wise. Everything is going good. As I said a few days ago, I really like our staff. I like how they're coming together as a group and working. We've got a long way to go. This is a somewhat unusual season from the standpoint that we have some really experienced players at some key positions and we have players who don't have any experience at all in key positions. I had somebody ask me yesterday what I'm most looking forward to. I'm looking forward to the first game to kind of see what happens with our plans and schemes and concepts and what we think gives us the best chance for success."
On Having Mike Defee at Practice
"It was really beneficial. I'm concerned about the new targeting rule more so this year than ever. So, we had (Mike Defee) come in and spend time with the team first this morning for 30 minutes and then our staff for a couple of hours this afternoon. He's really a class guy. He's very knowledgeable and easy to work with. He comes out and watches practice and it's interesting. He comes right out and gets into watching things that he would watch in a game and he's actually going over and correcting some things with the players. He's trying to help everybody and the coaches in this league have a great relationship with him. I thought it was a good move for us to get him in here today."
On Changes in Spencer Sanders in the Past Year:
"His ability to function in our system is better than it was a year ago. We still haven't done enough in pads, but just executing our offense and running a system at such a high speed like we do at our tempo, he's already better. He's got a long way to go in areas that we all know that quarterbacks need to adjust and, unfortunately, a lot of times at that position you really only learn from mistakes. He's better at just the structure and organizing our system and getting everybody up there and if they're lined up wrong, making sure that the clock isn't going to expire on him for the delay of game and functioning in a really fast pace. That's where he's improved to this point."
On Chuba Hubbard's Role:
"Chuba looks really good. For me, or personally as a coach, you're always really careful to step out there, but he's about as pretty as they get. He's about 208-210 pounds, and I don't know how fast he is, but he's really fast. He's very determined. He's very intelligent. He understands. When we lost Justice (Hill) last year, it was difficult for us because we lost a great player. As I said earlier though, it benefitted us because (Chuba) had to play in some really key games. I'm also excited about watching him play. He's really just kind of scratched the surface with his body and what he can do and what he can bring to the table. The area he has improved as much as any is just his leadership, his willingness to work extremely hard. One thing I noticed in practice yesterday and I didn't say anything about it. I just kind of watched it again today and it reminded me of guys back when I practice. When he takes the ball in practice from the 40-yard line when we're in a tag period when we're not tackling, he runs all the way to the goal line every time, and I haven't seen that in years. That's encouraging. Now when we get back to how many steps a day he takes at practice, that could be a little bit of an issue, but I would rather back him off than have to kick him into the fight. We're really excited about him at this point."
On LD Brown and a Third Option:
"LD has done really well. He has come a long way. He's a really good example of years of maturity. If those guys stay healthy through camp, they'll be a good package. Dez (Jackson) is behind LD. Deondrick (Glass) is further behind. (Jahmyl) Jeter looks really good. I don't know if you all have seen him. He was a little bit heavy at this time last year, got up around 227 pounds. I think he's closer to 215 now. He's slim and starting to mature a little bit. I'm comfortable with all those guys carrying the ball. Behind Chuba, right now we don't know, but those guys we have behind him, at this point I'm comfortable. Ball security is very important. That's one thing we don't know yet because they haven't been out in the game and been hit when they're tired. That'll be important. If you want to carry the ball or touch the ball in this offense, you have to take care of the ball. They have a skill set. They just need some reps and to continue to work hard, but I feel comfortable at that position."
On Naming a Quarterback:
"We might not. We might play two. If you were at practice today, you would say play two. They're both pretty good. I know people say sometimes, 'If you can't name one, you don't have any,' and I don't see that as the situation here. I would tell you. You guys can go back on my track record in naming quarterbacks. I don't wait any longer than I have to because I don't want to mess with it. I think it helps our team to know who our quarterback is. It certainly helps us as coaches from a reps standpoint. We're through the first padded practice, and as of now we play two."
On the Two Quarterbacks Competing:
"We've asked them to compete and prepare and be good leaders and develop a working relationship. Sean (Gleeson) is an interesting person. He's a really nice guy and all that, but he's got a little bit of a dog fight in him. He wants those guys to really compete and I was unaware of that. I just listen to him when he's coaching. It's his job. It's his position. He has to do whatever he thinks is best to get the most out of those two guys. I will say this. They're both quality young men. They're handling it the right way. They're competing, they're being supportive and the team is helping them. When you talk about quarterbacks, you're essentially affecting everyone on the team. They're doing very well and I'm not saying we're going to play two. I'm saying as of today, that's what would happen. We have however many days until we play a game, so it could change. They're both working hard. It's not disruptive to the team. That's something I look for and the guys are handling it really well. This is not a (Mason) Rudolph or J.W. (Walsh) situation. Their skill sets are both very similar."
On Israel Antwine:
"He goes about his business. Yes sir, no sir. Very respectful. I don't even remember, somebody told us during recruiting about [his autism] but I would have never known and even the eight months that he's been here with us, I don't ever notice it. You can go up to him, talk to him, carry on a conversation and he's just like everyone else. It's kind of nice because he doesn't really talk a whole lot. We have a lot of those guys who do talk a lot and he just goes about his business. I personally don't think it affects his everyday life at all."
Expectations for Calvin Bundage:
"Bundage is in a mental practice stage right now, he strained his back about a month ago, so we've cut back quite a bit what he does in practice. He needs to be a mature player, which would be opposite of the conversation that we had with the defensive line. We know what Calvin can do. We know where he comes from. We know what his strengths are. He's aggressive, he likes to hit, so he needs to lead us in those areas. We need 50 good plays a game from him. He's experienced. He's been out there. He's developed, so he needs to be a player we can rely on based on his experience. He should be fine with the pace we've put him at in a couple weeks. We could put him out there now and do it, but he's a veteran guy. If you watch him play, he's not a guy you worry about hitting. He could not practice and he's still going to hit. For some guys, you have to get them out there every day just because violence is not a part of their lives. He really has no issues with hitting. I think you could make him non-contact just a couple days before the game and he'd be fine. So, with him, we don't really worry about that, but I'd like for him to be full speed for conditioning, if not anything else, two weeks out."
Thoughts on Having Two Veteran Corners:
"I have noticed just in the first three days we throw a lot because we can't hit because we don't have shoulder pads on. I will say that when you're guarding good receivers in this league and you're asked to play in man coverage to be in good proximity and battle for the ball and to a certain extent it's really all you can ask for, because they have the advantage. They know where they're going and you don't. You need pressure to get to the quarterback and a couple other of things to happen. You might win your share of battles, but you take a really good corner and a really good wideout and they go head-to-head, one-on-one this wideout ought to win seven to three. I see our guys in the last few days in proximity more and in their coverages better than they have in the last few years and because of experience I guess."
Reaction to Bundage's Decision to Sign with Oklahoma State:
"I felt pretty good about him coming here. He does have siblings that have gone away to school, so I had a little bit of a concern there I knew he was really close with his mom. His mom worked a lot and I thought at some point he would like to stay close to home based on her, but I've been wrong a lot in recruiting."
Thoughts on Calvin Bundage:
"He doesn't talk much. Calvin listens and he's one of those young men that sometimes you think that he's not listening to you because you don't get much of a response out of him, but he is. He listens. They've all been told about their discipline and reasons that we put ourselves in bad situations last year. Not only him, all of them."
Quarterback Spencer Sanders
On how he got through injury and adversity in his career:
"My family and the man above. I wouldn't be able to do anything without Him. I'm grateful that He put that tragedy in my life. It showed me that I can overcome adversity. I am glad I went through it, and I moved on from it. You have to look at it like this is just another step up the hill in your life. You have to take it one step at a time."
On how sitting out last year helped him:
"I feel like last year really humbled me, and really matured me very well. I am happy that I sat and learned a lot and grew up as a person. I was a young boy last year. I can tell you that I am a young man now. Last year showed me that there is more to football than just football. It's building relationships, it's leadership, it's communication and connections. It showed me that there is life outside of football, and a whole other life inside football."
On his mindset going into the season:
"I want everybody to do great, and I want this whole team to do great. Whether I'm out there or Dru (Brown) is out there, I just want to see this team be great. I want this team to go to a national championship and do the best we can."
On what he learned from Taylor Cornelius :
"He has very good poise. You cannot make him mad. He has one heck of an arm. He could really throw it. He's so smart too. He always had an explanation for why he had done something. He was always watching film. He was always doing something to get better. I really enjoyed watching him because there was never a time he was clueless as to why he threw it here, or why he threw it at all."
Quarterback Dru Brown
On last year:
"I think it was a blessing in disguise. You come here and you want to play, but at the same time you have another year under your belt to improve, and not to just improve mentally and physically. You get more comfortable around the guys, and they see your brand, who you are as a person, so that is extremely important to me, and I am glad I had the opportunity for that last year."
On his improvement in practice:
"It is just the constant evolution of learning. I have been playing for a while now. The defense slows down and you know where to go with the ball consistently. I think that is one of the most important things for a quarterback. From when I first got here to now, it has been about getting comfortable with the offense and seeing everything slow down."
On when you have to get comfortable with the offensive system:
"Any time you learn a new system and you are not experienced in it. We had similar concepts at Hawaii. The philosophy and base was extremely different. When you come here and try to learn a new system it always is going to seem really fast. Any time you can get experience in fall ball or the summer it all slows down."
Running Back Chuba Hubbard
On what he is looking forward to this season:
"I'm looking forward to bouncing back from last season. Obviously last season didn't go as planned. I'm really looking forward to being on the field with these guys."
On taking on a leadership role:
"Being one of the older guys, me and LD (Brown), I try to do my best to help the guys because I know what it was like to be in their shoes."
Cowboy Back Jelani Woods
On learning from the offensive line:
"We have certain periods during practice where we go with them and learn and just soak up all the information. Coach (McEndoo) is a really good coach at blocking techniques and how to clean things up. Every day we improve on our blocking and catching."
On how exciting it is to spend time with the offense heading into this season:
"It's really exciting. Like I said, at the end of the day, we have a great group of guys. We gel and we learn from each other, and that's the best thing you can ask for."
On how the vibe of this fall camp is different from last year:
"This year is more exciting, and it's more aggressive. Each day we look forward to getting back on the practice field so we can compete against each other; offense attacking the defense and defense attacking the offense."
Safety Malcolm Rodriguez
On if he feels like he's taken on a leadership role:
"Well we all talk back there, but some of us lead by example, and I kind of talk every now and then, but I definitely try to lead by example."
On how his experience will help him:
"You definitely just have to be on your game and do your best."
On if he and his teammates feel ready as a unit:
"We're all excited back there, and we're just ready to get out there for the first game."
Cornerback Rodarius Williams
On being one of the older guys and having the DBs be talked highly about going into the season:
"I feel kind of old, and it's great that people are looking at us, but we just have to live up to it. There's no pressure. We just have to play our game."
On dealing with the high expectations for him and AJ Green:
"We're just getting better every day in practice. We're competing every day and we're working on things that we sometimes mess up on and trying to break those bad habits so we can have those things fixed going into the season."
On being a veteran and helping the younger guys:
"It's letting them know this isn't high school ball and just bringing them along for the ride. We're helping those guys be confident. Starting fall camp so young, you can lose confidence in this game fast, so the guys that go out there and get beat, we tell them to move on to the next play. In my experience, I started out rough with James Washington and Marcell Ateman and those big, physical wide receivers coming out of high school, so I know how it is coming out of high school and going against phenomenal guys. You lose confidence, so me and AJ just try to keep everyone in the room confident."
On being in a conference that is so offense heavy and how they want to attack that:
"It starts at practice. Our goals are set high in the DB room and for the season. We want to limit passes and make plays on the ball."
On how he wants to make an impact this year:
"I want to leave every game knowing that I was consistent because the past two seasons I wasn't consistent, and now me and AJ are really working on that."
Wide Receiver Tylan Wallace
On what he's excited for this season:
"We have a young team, so I'm really just excited to see how this season goes and how good we're going to be."
On his favorite thing about fall camp:
"How much time I get to spend with my teammates. It's hard practicing all day every day, but going through it with your teammates makes it easier and creates a stronger bond between us."
On what he's worked on personally during this past offseason and summer:
"Honestly, staying more focused and not getting as tired. Last year I had some drops, and I felt like I wasn't really focused, so that's definitely something I'm working on."
On feeling pressure from all the hype:
"There's always a little pressure, but definitely going to try and repeat some of the things from last year, but I don't think too much about it and just go out there and stay calm and play the game I know how to play."
Safety Jarrick Bernard
On what he's most excited for this season:
"I am most excited for all of the games. It's my second year and I feel like we're going to have a better year as a team. I feel like we're more confident, we trust each other more and we're just ready to go."
On what he's been working on during the offseason:
"I've been working on a lot of things, mostly leadership. I started last year so I feel like I can lead my team better this year and be a better teammate. I've also worked on character."
Defensive Lineman Mike Scott
On if it lights a fire that OSU is under the radar:
They're putting us down. Just because we lost some great guys, which we did. Coach recruited some great guys. We're young, but they're cold. It's the best team that I've ever been a part of. I can go on all day talking about each and every one of them."
On what he's learned from his years in college:
"I've learned what a great coach is. Here we got two great (defensive line) coaches. They give it to you straightforward. They genuinely care what we do as a team. Of course they care for the individuals, but mostly they care for what they do on the field. They give us feedback. They always ask questions. Coach G Rich has be in the league and why not listen to someone who's been on that level … Being around these coaches, Coach Clements and Coach Greg Richmond, it's great having two of them."
Safety Kolby Harvell-Peel
On what he's seen from the younger players:
"Everybody as a whole is just working to get better. Some guys that didn't get as many snaps last year are starting to get more through fall camp now. I think as a whole we're all just gelling and we're starting to come together in our positions."
On if he feels like any young players will play well:
"Last year even if you weren't a starter, we always rotated guys in. We know that even if you're not the number one guy, you're definitely going to get playing time. I wasn't always the number one guy but I was always out there on the field. I think that's encouraging guys and I think that makes guys work harder when they come into practice."
Wide Receiver Dillon Stoner
On how he feels about the team during camp:
"Camp's always an interesting time. I mean, it's a learning curve for the younger guys. Older guys are just kind of getting back into the groove of things. It's been really good so far, but it's still very early."
On the leadership between the quarterbacks:
"Both of them are very similar style quarterbacks. They can extend plays. ... I think they're both really good friends and it's been fun to see them go at it the past few days."
On how they prepared over the summer for camp:
"Really the only time we have off is right after school, and we come right back up here early June. It's not that big of an adjustment getting back into practice because we're familiar with each other. We've been doing it pretty much all of summer. Pretty much the thing that is new to us is putting on helmets and shoulder pads and that's an easy adjustment."
Opening Statement:
"We had our first shoulder pad practice today, which was exciting that we could actually practice. It's always enjoyable to get out there and let the guys play real football. We had a long practice and the effort is good. The enthusiasm is good, which is typical for this time of year. We need to maintain. Guy are excited about being out there. There aren't really any changes personnel wise. Everything is going good. As I said a few days ago, I really like our staff. I like how they're coming together as a group and working. We've got a long way to go. This is a somewhat unusual season from the standpoint that we have some really experienced players at some key positions and we have players who don't have any experience at all in key positions. I had somebody ask me yesterday what I'm most looking forward to. I'm looking forward to the first game to kind of see what happens with our plans and schemes and concepts and what we think gives us the best chance for success."
On Having Mike Defee at Practice
"It was really beneficial. I'm concerned about the new targeting rule more so this year than ever. So, we had (Mike Defee) come in and spend time with the team first this morning for 30 minutes and then our staff for a couple of hours this afternoon. He's really a class guy. He's very knowledgeable and easy to work with. He comes out and watches practice and it's interesting. He comes right out and gets into watching things that he would watch in a game and he's actually going over and correcting some things with the players. He's trying to help everybody and the coaches in this league have a great relationship with him. I thought it was a good move for us to get him in here today."
On Changes in Spencer Sanders in the Past Year:
"His ability to function in our system is better than it was a year ago. We still haven't done enough in pads, but just executing our offense and running a system at such a high speed like we do at our tempo, he's already better. He's got a long way to go in areas that we all know that quarterbacks need to adjust and, unfortunately, a lot of times at that position you really only learn from mistakes. He's better at just the structure and organizing our system and getting everybody up there and if they're lined up wrong, making sure that the clock isn't going to expire on him for the delay of game and functioning in a really fast pace. That's where he's improved to this point."
On Chuba Hubbard's Role:
"Chuba looks really good. For me, or personally as a coach, you're always really careful to step out there, but he's about as pretty as they get. He's about 208-210 pounds, and I don't know how fast he is, but he's really fast. He's very determined. He's very intelligent. He understands. When we lost Justice (Hill) last year, it was difficult for us because we lost a great player. As I said earlier though, it benefitted us because (Chuba) had to play in some really key games. I'm also excited about watching him play. He's really just kind of scratched the surface with his body and what he can do and what he can bring to the table. The area he has improved as much as any is just his leadership, his willingness to work extremely hard. One thing I noticed in practice yesterday and I didn't say anything about it. I just kind of watched it again today and it reminded me of guys back when I practice. When he takes the ball in practice from the 40-yard line when we're in a tag period when we're not tackling, he runs all the way to the goal line every time, and I haven't seen that in years. That's encouraging. Now when we get back to how many steps a day he takes at practice, that could be a little bit of an issue, but I would rather back him off than have to kick him into the fight. We're really excited about him at this point."
On LD Brown and a Third Option:
"LD has done really well. He has come a long way. He's a really good example of years of maturity. If those guys stay healthy through camp, they'll be a good package. Dez (Jackson) is behind LD. Deondrick (Glass) is further behind. (Jahmyl) Jeter looks really good. I don't know if you all have seen him. He was a little bit heavy at this time last year, got up around 227 pounds. I think he's closer to 215 now. He's slim and starting to mature a little bit. I'm comfortable with all those guys carrying the ball. Behind Chuba, right now we don't know, but those guys we have behind him, at this point I'm comfortable. Ball security is very important. That's one thing we don't know yet because they haven't been out in the game and been hit when they're tired. That'll be important. If you want to carry the ball or touch the ball in this offense, you have to take care of the ball. They have a skill set. They just need some reps and to continue to work hard, but I feel comfortable at that position."
On Naming a Quarterback:
"We might not. We might play two. If you were at practice today, you would say play two. They're both pretty good. I know people say sometimes, 'If you can't name one, you don't have any,' and I don't see that as the situation here. I would tell you. You guys can go back on my track record in naming quarterbacks. I don't wait any longer than I have to because I don't want to mess with it. I think it helps our team to know who our quarterback is. It certainly helps us as coaches from a reps standpoint. We're through the first padded practice, and as of now we play two."
On the Two Quarterbacks Competing:
"We've asked them to compete and prepare and be good leaders and develop a working relationship. Sean (Gleeson) is an interesting person. He's a really nice guy and all that, but he's got a little bit of a dog fight in him. He wants those guys to really compete and I was unaware of that. I just listen to him when he's coaching. It's his job. It's his position. He has to do whatever he thinks is best to get the most out of those two guys. I will say this. They're both quality young men. They're handling it the right way. They're competing, they're being supportive and the team is helping them. When you talk about quarterbacks, you're essentially affecting everyone on the team. They're doing very well and I'm not saying we're going to play two. I'm saying as of today, that's what would happen. We have however many days until we play a game, so it could change. They're both working hard. It's not disruptive to the team. That's something I look for and the guys are handling it really well. This is not a (Mason) Rudolph or J.W. (Walsh) situation. Their skill sets are both very similar."
On Israel Antwine:
"He goes about his business. Yes sir, no sir. Very respectful. I don't even remember, somebody told us during recruiting about [his autism] but I would have never known and even the eight months that he's been here with us, I don't ever notice it. You can go up to him, talk to him, carry on a conversation and he's just like everyone else. It's kind of nice because he doesn't really talk a whole lot. We have a lot of those guys who do talk a lot and he just goes about his business. I personally don't think it affects his everyday life at all."
Expectations for Calvin Bundage:
"Bundage is in a mental practice stage right now, he strained his back about a month ago, so we've cut back quite a bit what he does in practice. He needs to be a mature player, which would be opposite of the conversation that we had with the defensive line. We know what Calvin can do. We know where he comes from. We know what his strengths are. He's aggressive, he likes to hit, so he needs to lead us in those areas. We need 50 good plays a game from him. He's experienced. He's been out there. He's developed, so he needs to be a player we can rely on based on his experience. He should be fine with the pace we've put him at in a couple weeks. We could put him out there now and do it, but he's a veteran guy. If you watch him play, he's not a guy you worry about hitting. He could not practice and he's still going to hit. For some guys, you have to get them out there every day just because violence is not a part of their lives. He really has no issues with hitting. I think you could make him non-contact just a couple days before the game and he'd be fine. So, with him, we don't really worry about that, but I'd like for him to be full speed for conditioning, if not anything else, two weeks out."
Thoughts on Having Two Veteran Corners:
"I have noticed just in the first three days we throw a lot because we can't hit because we don't have shoulder pads on. I will say that when you're guarding good receivers in this league and you're asked to play in man coverage to be in good proximity and battle for the ball and to a certain extent it's really all you can ask for, because they have the advantage. They know where they're going and you don't. You need pressure to get to the quarterback and a couple other of things to happen. You might win your share of battles, but you take a really good corner and a really good wideout and they go head-to-head, one-on-one this wideout ought to win seven to three. I see our guys in the last few days in proximity more and in their coverages better than they have in the last few years and because of experience I guess."
Reaction to Bundage's Decision to Sign with Oklahoma State:
"I felt pretty good about him coming here. He does have siblings that have gone away to school, so I had a little bit of a concern there I knew he was really close with his mom. His mom worked a lot and I thought at some point he would like to stay close to home based on her, but I've been wrong a lot in recruiting."
Thoughts on Calvin Bundage:
"He doesn't talk much. Calvin listens and he's one of those young men that sometimes you think that he's not listening to you because you don't get much of a response out of him, but he is. He listens. They've all been told about their discipline and reasons that we put ourselves in bad situations last year. Not only him, all of them."
Quarterback Spencer Sanders
On how he got through injury and adversity in his career:
"My family and the man above. I wouldn't be able to do anything without Him. I'm grateful that He put that tragedy in my life. It showed me that I can overcome adversity. I am glad I went through it, and I moved on from it. You have to look at it like this is just another step up the hill in your life. You have to take it one step at a time."
On how sitting out last year helped him:
"I feel like last year really humbled me, and really matured me very well. I am happy that I sat and learned a lot and grew up as a person. I was a young boy last year. I can tell you that I am a young man now. Last year showed me that there is more to football than just football. It's building relationships, it's leadership, it's communication and connections. It showed me that there is life outside of football, and a whole other life inside football."
On his mindset going into the season:
"I want everybody to do great, and I want this whole team to do great. Whether I'm out there or Dru (Brown) is out there, I just want to see this team be great. I want this team to go to a national championship and do the best we can."
On what he learned from Taylor Cornelius :
"He has very good poise. You cannot make him mad. He has one heck of an arm. He could really throw it. He's so smart too. He always had an explanation for why he had done something. He was always watching film. He was always doing something to get better. I really enjoyed watching him because there was never a time he was clueless as to why he threw it here, or why he threw it at all."
Quarterback Dru Brown
On last year:
"I think it was a blessing in disguise. You come here and you want to play, but at the same time you have another year under your belt to improve, and not to just improve mentally and physically. You get more comfortable around the guys, and they see your brand, who you are as a person, so that is extremely important to me, and I am glad I had the opportunity for that last year."
On his improvement in practice:
"It is just the constant evolution of learning. I have been playing for a while now. The defense slows down and you know where to go with the ball consistently. I think that is one of the most important things for a quarterback. From when I first got here to now, it has been about getting comfortable with the offense and seeing everything slow down."
On when you have to get comfortable with the offensive system:
"Any time you learn a new system and you are not experienced in it. We had similar concepts at Hawaii. The philosophy and base was extremely different. When you come here and try to learn a new system it always is going to seem really fast. Any time you can get experience in fall ball or the summer it all slows down."
Running Back Chuba Hubbard
On what he is looking forward to this season:
"I'm looking forward to bouncing back from last season. Obviously last season didn't go as planned. I'm really looking forward to being on the field with these guys."
On taking on a leadership role:
"Being one of the older guys, me and LD (Brown), I try to do my best to help the guys because I know what it was like to be in their shoes."
Cowboy Back Jelani Woods
On learning from the offensive line:
"We have certain periods during practice where we go with them and learn and just soak up all the information. Coach (McEndoo) is a really good coach at blocking techniques and how to clean things up. Every day we improve on our blocking and catching."
On how exciting it is to spend time with the offense heading into this season:
"It's really exciting. Like I said, at the end of the day, we have a great group of guys. We gel and we learn from each other, and that's the best thing you can ask for."
On how the vibe of this fall camp is different from last year:
"This year is more exciting, and it's more aggressive. Each day we look forward to getting back on the practice field so we can compete against each other; offense attacking the defense and defense attacking the offense."
Safety Malcolm Rodriguez
On if he feels like he's taken on a leadership role:
"Well we all talk back there, but some of us lead by example, and I kind of talk every now and then, but I definitely try to lead by example."
On how his experience will help him:
"You definitely just have to be on your game and do your best."
On if he and his teammates feel ready as a unit:
"We're all excited back there, and we're just ready to get out there for the first game."
Cornerback Rodarius Williams
On being one of the older guys and having the DBs be talked highly about going into the season:
"I feel kind of old, and it's great that people are looking at us, but we just have to live up to it. There's no pressure. We just have to play our game."
On dealing with the high expectations for him and AJ Green:
"We're just getting better every day in practice. We're competing every day and we're working on things that we sometimes mess up on and trying to break those bad habits so we can have those things fixed going into the season."
On being a veteran and helping the younger guys:
"It's letting them know this isn't high school ball and just bringing them along for the ride. We're helping those guys be confident. Starting fall camp so young, you can lose confidence in this game fast, so the guys that go out there and get beat, we tell them to move on to the next play. In my experience, I started out rough with James Washington and Marcell Ateman and those big, physical wide receivers coming out of high school, so I know how it is coming out of high school and going against phenomenal guys. You lose confidence, so me and AJ just try to keep everyone in the room confident."
On being in a conference that is so offense heavy and how they want to attack that:
"It starts at practice. Our goals are set high in the DB room and for the season. We want to limit passes and make plays on the ball."
On how he wants to make an impact this year:
"I want to leave every game knowing that I was consistent because the past two seasons I wasn't consistent, and now me and AJ are really working on that."
Wide Receiver Tylan Wallace
On what he's excited for this season:
"We have a young team, so I'm really just excited to see how this season goes and how good we're going to be."
On his favorite thing about fall camp:
"How much time I get to spend with my teammates. It's hard practicing all day every day, but going through it with your teammates makes it easier and creates a stronger bond between us."
On what he's worked on personally during this past offseason and summer:
"Honestly, staying more focused and not getting as tired. Last year I had some drops, and I felt like I wasn't really focused, so that's definitely something I'm working on."
On feeling pressure from all the hype:
"There's always a little pressure, but definitely going to try and repeat some of the things from last year, but I don't think too much about it and just go out there and stay calm and play the game I know how to play."
Safety Jarrick Bernard
On what he's most excited for this season:
"I am most excited for all of the games. It's my second year and I feel like we're going to have a better year as a team. I feel like we're more confident, we trust each other more and we're just ready to go."
On what he's been working on during the offseason:
"I've been working on a lot of things, mostly leadership. I started last year so I feel like I can lead my team better this year and be a better teammate. I've also worked on character."
Defensive Lineman Mike Scott
On if it lights a fire that OSU is under the radar:
They're putting us down. Just because we lost some great guys, which we did. Coach recruited some great guys. We're young, but they're cold. It's the best team that I've ever been a part of. I can go on all day talking about each and every one of them."
On what he's learned from his years in college:
"I've learned what a great coach is. Here we got two great (defensive line) coaches. They give it to you straightforward. They genuinely care what we do as a team. Of course they care for the individuals, but mostly they care for what they do on the field. They give us feedback. They always ask questions. Coach G Rich has be in the league and why not listen to someone who's been on that level … Being around these coaches, Coach Clements and Coach Greg Richmond, it's great having two of them."
Safety Kolby Harvell-Peel
On what he's seen from the younger players:
"Everybody as a whole is just working to get better. Some guys that didn't get as many snaps last year are starting to get more through fall camp now. I think as a whole we're all just gelling and we're starting to come together in our positions."
On if he feels like any young players will play well:
"Last year even if you weren't a starter, we always rotated guys in. We know that even if you're not the number one guy, you're definitely going to get playing time. I wasn't always the number one guy but I was always out there on the field. I think that's encouraging guys and I think that makes guys work harder when they come into practice."
Wide Receiver Dillon Stoner
On how he feels about the team during camp:
"Camp's always an interesting time. I mean, it's a learning curve for the younger guys. Older guys are just kind of getting back into the groove of things. It's been really good so far, but it's still very early."
On the leadership between the quarterbacks:
"Both of them are very similar style quarterbacks. They can extend plays. ... I think they're both really good friends and it's been fun to see them go at it the past few days."
On how they prepared over the summer for camp:
"Really the only time we have off is right after school, and we come right back up here early June. It's not that big of an adjustment getting back into practice because we're familiar with each other. We've been doing it pretty much all of summer. Pretty much the thing that is new to us is putting on helmets and shoulder pads and that's an easy adjustment."
Players Mentioned
DT
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WR
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S
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QB
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RB
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LB
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QB
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S
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RB
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S
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QB
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DE
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WR
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WR
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WR
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CB
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CW
/ Cowboy FootballTuesday, July 07
Tuesday, July 07
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
