Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: OSU Athletics
Gundy, Cowboys Meet with Media Following Fifth Practice of Fall Camp
August 06, 2019 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State football team held its fifth practice of 2019 fall camp Tuesday, practicing in full pads for the first time this season at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center.
Coach Mike Gundy and several other Cowboys talked with media after practice to discuss the first day. Some of their comments:
Coach Mike Gundy
On practice:
"A good day today, a really competitive day. We challenged our team and pushed them really hard, and they battled back. We saw a lot of teamwork. We did some last game situations with two-minute offense and two-minute defense. The guys are working hard. It was about as even as it could get today. The defense had success up front. The offense had success, so for a head coach that's a good thing."
On challenging the team:
"It's just part of it. We're still early in camp. We need to stress them. It's hot today. Today was a good day to stress them and push their limits to see if we can get them disciplined, get them lined up and see how tough they are. It's all just a part of the process at this time."
On the defense:
"They performed well on defense. A couple of times quarterbacks got away on a scramble. I'd like to see them with a little better proximity, but overall they were pretty productive."
On leadership among the defense:
"I think we're getting a lot from Malcolm (Rodriguez) and A.J. (Green) and Amen (Ogbongbemiga). Those guys are stepping up and leading a little bit. It's still early. A week from now they'll be fatigued and sore. They're going to go through a lot with their bodies over the next week, so it'll really start to show up at that time."
On how to measure discipline:
"We look at the things that hurt us last year. We were out of position. We missed assignments on both sides of the ball; penalties; 15-yard penalties. Those things really hurt our football team last year, and we're stressing improvement in those areas. We're not there yet. We've got a long ways to go, but it's better now than it was at the end of the year last year."
On transitioning with offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson:
"Sean (Gleeson) is doing good. He's very high-energy. He loves to get into practice and all that. He's excited about football. At some point he'll settle down a little bit. I really feel comfortable with his knowledge and understanding our tempo, the way we play and what we're trying to accomplish with our schemes."
On offensive line coach Charlie Dickey's transition:
"He's doing really well. I'm thrilled that we have him. He's a veteran guy who understands the entire aspect of coaching, and I know that he understands toughness and discipline. So I'm excited about him coaching our offensive line."
Associate Head Coach Kasey Dunn
On Patrick McKaufman:
"Patrick has definitely improved coming off that knee injury. He went all the way though spring ball with a knee brace on as a precautionary thing until he got stabilized and looked comfortable out there running. Now that he's got the brace off, he looks faster, quicker, better. I was a little bit worried in the spring, but I think that brace inhibited him from getting out there and showing what he could really do. He's much closer now to where he was last year when he got hurt. He was playing really well. He would've played for us last year; would have made a difference for us, then suffered that knee injury. It's great to have him back out there. He's a good kid. He's trying hard. He's making plays. He has great ball skills."
On the receivers' similarities to Marcell Ateman:
"That's what we would like to have at that position, that 6'5" bailout guy for the quarterback. You know, crunch time, fourth down and one; third down and one, where we're going to throw up a fade or something like that. We need someone to go rip it out of the sky, and most corners if they're over six foot, they're tall. Well these guys are 6'5" plus the added wingspan, and all of them can jump. We feel like we should get about a foot on just about every corner we play. That gives us an advantage in those situations."
On Jordan McCray:
"He is very smart, and he has been around a little bit. He has played against major college football teams and has two years of game day experience as a starter, and it shows. He is certainly a guy who learns quickly and knows what to do. He's fearless out there playing. He's not a rookie by any stretch. He doesn't act like one. He doesn't play like one. He has done a great job. It has been nice, and it has been a real benefit to us and a pleasure to have on our team. He's a great fit. I can't say enough good things about him, and that's from everybody in the organization. Everybody really likes Jordan McCray, and he's bringing a lot of good things to the table."
Safety Kolby Harvell-Peel
On being vocal on the field:
"Me personally, I try to be the one that is screaming, yelling and trying to be vocal. Today specifically, I think we had great energy."
On Coach Gundy's D.A.T. drills:
"When Coach Gundy calls for the D.A.T. (discipline and toughness) drill it gets everybody's energy up. Coming into the season the big thing Coach Gundy was preaching was discipline and toughness. Whether it is in the middle of practice or the end of practice you have to be ready. If it is in the middle of practice you have to have the discipline enough to line up, and if it's at the end of practice you have to be tough enough to be able to suck it up if you are tired, and be able to go out there and fly around."
Wide Receiver Patrick McKaufman
On the team's receiving depth:
"We call ourselves the dream team. We have C.J. (Moore) who has the speed and is a really quick guy. (Jordan) McCray is in between. He is quick, but also a really big guy. It is great. We learn things from each other every day. It is a great competition to have because it makes everyone better."
On past OSU players having success at the next level:
"It is really encouraging to know that even if you don't get invited to the draft, you still have a chance. It just takes work ethic. That is what it is all about."
Offensive Lineman Johnny Wilson
On his leadership:
"Being the starting center you kind of roll with it. You are kind of the leader anyways. I have to go out there and lead the offensive line, and the guys out there with me have to trust me. It is a position thing. You get thrown into it."
On this being his last season
"I am loving it. I am having fun. I am just out here in my last year trying to do my thing. I got nominated for an award, so I am just trying to prove that I deserve it."
Safety Malcolm Rodriguez
On today's practice:
"We did good. We put a couple of new installs in yesterday, so it was good to go out there and see how it looked. I feel like we looked alright."
On his leadership role on defense:
"I was kind of the oldest one last year. This year I really am the oldest one back there, so I have to step into that leadership."
Coach Mike Gundy and several other Cowboys talked with media after practice to discuss the first day. Some of their comments:
Coach Mike Gundy
On practice:
"A good day today, a really competitive day. We challenged our team and pushed them really hard, and they battled back. We saw a lot of teamwork. We did some last game situations with two-minute offense and two-minute defense. The guys are working hard. It was about as even as it could get today. The defense had success up front. The offense had success, so for a head coach that's a good thing."
On challenging the team:
"It's just part of it. We're still early in camp. We need to stress them. It's hot today. Today was a good day to stress them and push their limits to see if we can get them disciplined, get them lined up and see how tough they are. It's all just a part of the process at this time."
On the defense:
"They performed well on defense. A couple of times quarterbacks got away on a scramble. I'd like to see them with a little better proximity, but overall they were pretty productive."
On leadership among the defense:
"I think we're getting a lot from Malcolm (Rodriguez) and A.J. (Green) and Amen (Ogbongbemiga). Those guys are stepping up and leading a little bit. It's still early. A week from now they'll be fatigued and sore. They're going to go through a lot with their bodies over the next week, so it'll really start to show up at that time."
On how to measure discipline:
"We look at the things that hurt us last year. We were out of position. We missed assignments on both sides of the ball; penalties; 15-yard penalties. Those things really hurt our football team last year, and we're stressing improvement in those areas. We're not there yet. We've got a long ways to go, but it's better now than it was at the end of the year last year."
On transitioning with offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson:
"Sean (Gleeson) is doing good. He's very high-energy. He loves to get into practice and all that. He's excited about football. At some point he'll settle down a little bit. I really feel comfortable with his knowledge and understanding our tempo, the way we play and what we're trying to accomplish with our schemes."
On offensive line coach Charlie Dickey's transition:
"He's doing really well. I'm thrilled that we have him. He's a veteran guy who understands the entire aspect of coaching, and I know that he understands toughness and discipline. So I'm excited about him coaching our offensive line."
Associate Head Coach Kasey Dunn
On Patrick McKaufman:
"Patrick has definitely improved coming off that knee injury. He went all the way though spring ball with a knee brace on as a precautionary thing until he got stabilized and looked comfortable out there running. Now that he's got the brace off, he looks faster, quicker, better. I was a little bit worried in the spring, but I think that brace inhibited him from getting out there and showing what he could really do. He's much closer now to where he was last year when he got hurt. He was playing really well. He would've played for us last year; would have made a difference for us, then suffered that knee injury. It's great to have him back out there. He's a good kid. He's trying hard. He's making plays. He has great ball skills."
On the receivers' similarities to Marcell Ateman:
"That's what we would like to have at that position, that 6'5" bailout guy for the quarterback. You know, crunch time, fourth down and one; third down and one, where we're going to throw up a fade or something like that. We need someone to go rip it out of the sky, and most corners if they're over six foot, they're tall. Well these guys are 6'5" plus the added wingspan, and all of them can jump. We feel like we should get about a foot on just about every corner we play. That gives us an advantage in those situations."
On Jordan McCray:
"He is very smart, and he has been around a little bit. He has played against major college football teams and has two years of game day experience as a starter, and it shows. He is certainly a guy who learns quickly and knows what to do. He's fearless out there playing. He's not a rookie by any stretch. He doesn't act like one. He doesn't play like one. He has done a great job. It has been nice, and it has been a real benefit to us and a pleasure to have on our team. He's a great fit. I can't say enough good things about him, and that's from everybody in the organization. Everybody really likes Jordan McCray, and he's bringing a lot of good things to the table."
Safety Kolby Harvell-Peel
On being vocal on the field:
"Me personally, I try to be the one that is screaming, yelling and trying to be vocal. Today specifically, I think we had great energy."
On Coach Gundy's D.A.T. drills:
"When Coach Gundy calls for the D.A.T. (discipline and toughness) drill it gets everybody's energy up. Coming into the season the big thing Coach Gundy was preaching was discipline and toughness. Whether it is in the middle of practice or the end of practice you have to be ready. If it is in the middle of practice you have to have the discipline enough to line up, and if it's at the end of practice you have to be tough enough to be able to suck it up if you are tired, and be able to go out there and fly around."
Wide Receiver Patrick McKaufman
On the team's receiving depth:
"We call ourselves the dream team. We have C.J. (Moore) who has the speed and is a really quick guy. (Jordan) McCray is in between. He is quick, but also a really big guy. It is great. We learn things from each other every day. It is a great competition to have because it makes everyone better."
On past OSU players having success at the next level:
"It is really encouraging to know that even if you don't get invited to the draft, you still have a chance. It just takes work ethic. That is what it is all about."
Offensive Lineman Johnny Wilson
On his leadership:
"Being the starting center you kind of roll with it. You are kind of the leader anyways. I have to go out there and lead the offensive line, and the guys out there with me have to trust me. It is a position thing. You get thrown into it."
On this being his last season
"I am loving it. I am having fun. I am just out here in my last year trying to do my thing. I got nominated for an award, so I am just trying to prove that I deserve it."
Safety Malcolm Rodriguez
On today's practice:
"We did good. We put a couple of new installs in yesterday, so it was good to go out there and see how it looked. I feel like we looked alright."
On his leadership role on defense:
"I was kind of the oldest one last year. This year I really am the oldest one back there, so I have to step into that leadership."
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