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00:00 last year, but how are you guys prioritizing your mental health with everything that's
00:04 going on with starting the new season and everything you've been through?
00:07 >> Yeah, that was one of the biggest things we focused on this offseason.
00:09 We're making sure everybody has a clear headspace going into every day.
00:13 I think that's just one of the biggest things to have a, which is a clean program.
00:16 You want guys with a bright and prep mindset and all that stuff.
00:19 So we were all these different guys that program who came in.
00:23 We have Molly who we were working with, and
00:27 a few other people that we were working with just to strengthen our minds and
00:31 make sure we're attacking every day with the right mindset.
00:33 >> Right, good luck to you.
00:35 >> How beneficial was just the time you had with receivers, just you and
00:42 your receivers?
00:44 What in your mind came out of that and what do you think you got out of it and
00:48 they got out of it?
00:50 >> Referring back to break?
00:51 >> Yeah. >> Yeah, yeah.
00:53 >> I think it was just more of a, we weren't like, all right, we need to do this.
00:57 Like every single day kind of schedule, but it was more of a bonding kind of thing.
01:01 They came to my home, my dad was cooking good food for them.
01:05 And so we were treating them right.
01:06 We took them out to DC.
01:07 And so aside of all the football and training and lifting and all that stuff,
01:11 we made sure that we were just bonding and getting to know each other more and
01:15 just experiencing new things with each other.
01:17 >> You said your father coached you, but what did he make of your relationship?
01:21 >> I think my dad, first night we started off with some jerk chicken wings and
01:26 I think some other rice and stuff like that.
01:28 And then second night we had some nice steaks for him and spaghetti and
01:31 all that stuff.
01:32 So we fed him well.
01:33 >> Coming to y'all.
01:34 >> When Peyton went into the portal, I guess, what was your reaction to that?
01:39 Peyton was just talking about you guys.
01:41 But did you see that coming and how did you kind of respond to that?
01:45 >> No, I didn't see it coming.
01:46 Peyton's a good friend of mine.
01:48 We still stay in contact and we were golfing and stuff like that.
01:51 But yeah, I mean, it's hard to explain my emotions on why he left or
01:58 whatever like that, but I supported him and I sent him a text, called him,
02:03 congratulated him, and he chose a school and stuff like that.
02:06 And yeah, I'm happy for him, hopefully he does well.
02:08 >> Aside from that, did you see it as this is my opportunity?
02:12 >> I think I saw it as my opportunity to compete for
02:18 the spot whether he was here or not.
02:20 That's just kind of how I took it.
02:23 Him leaving didn't really change anything or change my mindset at all.
02:25 I think it's just a better opportunity for me and Peyton and Sam and
02:30 Drew to get in there and compete.
02:32 >> In his time here, Mel has never announced his starting quarterback until
02:36 game time, game one.
02:38 Are you approaching this, is that the way it is, right until game time?
02:43 >> Yeah, I think you have to.
02:44 I think you have to put your head down and work.
02:47 Nothing's given to you, you have to earn everything you get.
02:49 So that's my mindset.
02:52 But at the same time, you have to have the leadership of, if I am the starter,
02:55 if I'm gonna be the starter, I gotta have the right mindset and
02:58 kept in practice and stuff like that.
02:59 So there's many ways to approach this competition.
03:04 Just focusing on me and what I need to do with the team, stuff like that.
03:08 I just gotta take care of myself.
03:10 >> A quarterback, by nature, has to be a leader.
03:13 >> For sure.
03:14 >> Are you working on that already and
03:15 trying to be a leader on this team in practice and away from the field?
03:19 >> Yeah, of course, I'm trying to get better at leading them every single day.
03:23 And I think that's one thing Peyton did well.
03:24 And some things I can take away from his game is leadership.
03:27 And if I could do some of the things he did and
03:30 take bits and pieces from other people around me.
03:32 Like Terry Mosley, he's a great leader on his team.
03:34 And just taking bits and pieces from each other,
03:37 I think it's gonna help better ourselves.
03:39 >> I know you've been here all summer, but
03:40 how was day one, your first official practice this morning,
03:43 different than any other day?
03:45 >> I thought it was great.
03:46 Just the vibe, the intensity of everything.
03:49 What the coaches are telling us, how we feel as players.
03:53 Everything's looking good in the right direction.
03:56 And I think this team is very hungry.
03:58 And you can tell after this first day, we're practicing.
04:00 We're flying around out there.
04:02 It is day one install stuff, but we're treating it like it's the most important
04:06 thing, so that's very important for this team.
04:08 >> Last week, or Mel's talked a lot about the vibe feeling different.
04:11 Last week, some of the guys were saying it feels there's more connectedness this
04:16 year.
04:17 Did you feel like something was missing from that last year?
04:20 Was there a point where you're like, hey, we need to become a tighter team?
04:23 Cuz maybe it wasn't there before.
04:25 Did you sense any of that at all?
04:26 And do you feel like the vibe is different?
04:29 >> Yeah, I mean, I think it's hard to say one reason why we were five and
04:33 seven last year.
04:33 I think it's just, it's hard to pick one thing of why.
04:36 But I think one of the biggest things we found out is we need to be just closer as
04:40 a group, not saying that we weren't close last year.
04:43 But the more closer we get, just being together and stuff like that,
04:49 it can only help us.
04:50 As long as we feel comfortable with each other in the locker room,
04:54 we know everybody, we know what their goals are, what their why is, and
04:59 all that stuff is one thing we're focusing on.
05:01 Yeah, I think just coming together and being close and
05:05 being connected is one of the biggest things that can help with success.
05:09 >> Is getting that locker room back,
05:11 Mel's talked about how that's a place where people hang out and you haven't had that.
05:14 Does that really help you guys, you think, or will it?
05:16 >> Yeah, for sure.
05:17 I mean, after practice today, we tried out the new speakers and stuff.
05:20 Everybody was dancing in there.
05:21 So just little things like that can definitely go a long way.
05:25 >> How did you come out of the summer in your off-season conditioning?
05:28 And do you feel like you put on weight?
05:30 Where are you at height, weight-wise right now?
05:32 >> Yeah, I feel good with myself.
05:34 I feel strong.
05:36 I put on some lean muscle and stuff like that on my body scan.
05:41 Coach Novak did a great job with all of us.
05:44 I feel strong, I feel fast.
05:46 That's all you really want as a football player.
05:48 As long as you feel healthy, you feel good.
05:50 And the numbers don't lie and stuff like that in the weight room.
05:53 So yeah, I feel really good.
05:55 >> You've been through this now a few years.
05:57 How does the retention today compare to previous first days of ball game?
06:03 >> I think it's a different situation for me.
06:06 But I think just collectively as a group, a lot of guys,
06:09 we knew what we were doing out there.
06:11 There weren't a lot of guys that didn't know what was going on or
06:13 anything like that.
06:15 Everybody was in tune with the pace we need to practice at,
06:18 how fast we need to be on the field.
06:20 And so I thought it was a great day.
06:23 >> You talked about Trey being a leader,
06:25 kind of the more solidified guy coming back in that room.
06:28 Who else in that room have you seen that's kind of stood out to you so far?
06:31 >> In the receiver room?
06:32 >> Yeah.
06:32 >> I see Montori Foster.
06:35 He's been working hard.
06:37 He's being a little bit more vocal now.
06:39 He's showing the young guys basically the ropes on how they need to do things,
06:43 how they need to practice, how they need to run their routes.
06:46 Being very technical with everything.
06:48 And so I think that's one of the things Coach Hawk, Coach Johnson,
06:52 all of them wanna see out of Montori and some of the other receivers in there.
06:55 But just to point out one guy, probably Montori,
06:58 he's being a little bit more vocal and out there.
07:01 >> A long way to go in camp, obviously, but just what's it gonna take, you think,
07:05 for whoever it is to emerge as the guy, the quarterback,
07:08 coming out of this after 25 minutes?
07:10 >> Yeah, I think Coach Tuck says it all the time.
07:12 He just, big thing about quarterback, you have to have the confidence of the team.
07:18 And you have to execute.
07:20 It starts in practice.
07:22 Every single day is being watched.
07:23 Every single day, they're grading all of us quarterbacks.
07:28 You gotta execute at a high level.
07:29 And you gotta do the things that they're telling you to do.
07:32 And you gotta make sure you don't get outside of what they're asking you to do.
07:36 Like not doing too much.
07:37 And the last thing, just being a leader and having command of everybody on the team.
07:42 >> And then just the way the off season is winning,
07:44 the guys you're throwing to now, I'm assuming a lot of guys you got reps with
07:47 as the two last year, whether it's Tucker, or whoever, Montori,
07:50 who you're talking about, does that give you a little bit of an advantage, you think?
07:54 >> I would say it gave me an advantage, but I do have good chemistry with those guys.
07:58 And I like when I'm out there with all the receivers, I'm confident within them.
08:01 We worked really hard this off season through the winter, spring, and
08:05 the summer.
08:06 Meeting with the guys, we were on the field doing seven on sevens.
08:09 Just stuff after workouts, routes on air and stuff like that.
08:15 All those things got us to where we are now.
08:19 And we have a lot of work to do, but I feel confident in them.
08:22 >> I was gonna say,
08:22 if there's a sense of bond with this team that's formed in the spring and summer,
08:26 does that start happening now or should you be ready for the fall?
08:29 >> I think it started back in January when all the new guys got here.
08:33 We got some new guys in the summer, but the guys that were here throughout
08:37 the spring, we were doing activities.
08:40 We went putt putting, we went bowling, we had a trivia night.
08:43 So we had a lot of activities that we did just to do some team bonding kind of stuff.
08:48 But yeah, it's a great vibe around the team right now.
08:52 >> Who's the best bowler here?
08:57 >> I'm not gonna say myself.
08:59 I'm not gonna say myself.
09:00 >> You're up there a little.
09:02 >> I believe I'm up here.
09:03 >> What is your average bowling?
09:06 >> I say average probably 170, 160, sometimes 150.
09:11 But I say Malik Carlin's good at bowling, Tyrell's good at bowling,
09:16 and Tyneal Hopper's good at bowling.
09:18 >> [LAUGH]
09:20 >> What's up?
09:20 >> Thanks.
09:21 Thanks a lot.
09:22 What does this all feel like?