• 2 years ago
Hawkeye player media day interviews
Transcript
00:00 So transferring here, how have you grown into that position and what have you learned from the group along the way?
00:05 I've just
00:10 Really when you're playing you kind of run the same routes and you kind of do the same things
00:14 But like the offensive system is just so different here
00:18 When it comes to routes and it comes to different schemes and stuff you do for each play. So it's kind of like
00:26 That's very hard to catch on to at first when you're coming from a totally different system
00:32 The stuff I learned from Luke is just like, man, he's just teaching me plays out of the
00:39 Playbook
00:45 And you know, he's just a great player, you know
00:50 you try to try to just take take little stuff from each other like what you do like versus this look and
00:56 And like even on the defensive side you learn different looks like when they're doing this
01:02 Yeah, I mean I didn't want to come in I knew that in order for me to earn any kind of leadership I have to
01:12 prove
01:13 My character and I have to prove that I care about this team winning
01:16 So I didn't want to come in at all and make it stay and for me just to walk
01:21 People's toes in it or anything. I wanted to make sure that I earned their respect before I said anything and thankfully
01:27 Actually right before we started the winter phase a lot of the leaders on this team that were here from the previous year
01:34 we had a player led zoom meeting of just the leaders on the team and
01:39 they were willing to invite me to that meeting and
01:43 Actually, they they asked for my feet feedback. I'm like what the conversation was when we had our first team meeting together
01:50 And I mean that was just they did definitely did not have to do that
01:54 but that just shows how welcoming this team was and
01:57 Just like the character of these guys that they're willing to do whatever it takes to win and they definitely did not have to include me
02:03 in that conversation, but they did and I think
02:06 From that meeting on I think those guys recognize
02:11 I guess my potential as a leader and but I truly appreciate those guys looking at me, especially that early on I
02:17 Don't know. I feel like
02:20 We shouldn't really look in the past last year was last year
02:24 And if people want to look at us, however, they want to look at us. It doesn't really matter to me
02:31 We just have to be focused on getting better every single day, which I know is cliche
02:37 But that's exactly what we have to do is just focus on getting better each and every single day
02:41 And I think everything else will take care of itself bettering guys you jazz and Caleb
02:46 How do you guys get along and how do you guys compliment?
02:48 I'll get along great with me being all the guys I look at them all as my little brother
02:51 I mean we all we push each other we push one another to go hard each and every day
02:56 I job on the field we all go out there compete
02:59 We all got the same goals and we all want to see each other win. So in the end, it's all love between us
03:04 How about having a new quarterback? What's that dynamic like having a new guy leading the offense?
03:09 It's real good. I mean K here. Yeah, I love a leader already. You come in and get an offense rolling
03:16 I mean, he makes everybody know they they job and make sure everybody do their job
03:21 I mean if he sees like he goes let it be known and I like how he come today every day ready to work
03:27 What's the feel like for you this camp compared to where you were last year at this time?
03:32 I just
03:34 I'm way more confident what I was I just feel like that now that like I understand how the game is and how the game
03:41 Goes and there it's just like here when you come out of practice
03:45 It's just like just sit here and do your thing because you know, you know what to do
03:47 So I just feel more confident to plays and Brian and especially my running back coach because he's the one that got me here
03:53 So I just just real connections and love with them just bonding even more. I love that
03:58 Would you learn about yourself as a player last year that you saw and Phil maybe this offseason that you're like
04:04 I got to be better there
04:06 Really myself pass blocking getting a lot of receiving catches is because in the NFL
04:11 They like when Brian Beck is more around like catching the ball blocking running not just running the ball
04:18 Just like I want I want to be all around back
04:20 So that's why I need to work on Moses just me pass blocking and me knowing I got to do and me catching
04:27 What's the vibe like with a new starting quarterback? I love came in he came in here leader automatically
04:34 So to go over this leadership and serious about winning. I mean when you think back on the last two years
04:39 What is that like and how do you I guess process that to be a positive?
04:45 I think it's just growing up as a person more than anything like just
04:48 Thinking about practice in a different manner. I know a lot of guys in the room are thinking about it a different way, too
04:52 That's definitely helped us progress so fast
04:56 I mean just the way you think about things and the way you attack things and like
05:00 The biggest thing I'm working on right now is getting like a more of a clear pre-snap plan
05:07 So I'm just working on going down to my checklist for every snap like snap count play. There's a line I'm setting
05:12 That kind of stuff. So that's what I'm working on right now
05:15 So I just whenever I get a break after that. I just need to take my break to go back see my mom
05:20 Definitely a mama's boy. And if you guys read all my interviews, I'm always a mama's boy my interview
05:25 So whenever I get a break, I like to get back to my mom, you know
05:28 I could eat dinner my mom sit on the couch watch criminal minds of my mom. Sorry that so
05:33 Connor was saying that you guys don't really need to talk about getting better. You know, you need to be better
05:40 Is that is that kind of the approach? Yeah, you just know you need to be better than last year
05:45 Yeah, no, I couldn't have said it better than he did, you know
05:47 I think a lot of us understand, you know
05:49 What last year meant for us and good and bad ways and at the same time where we're going to this year and what goals?
05:54 We want to achieve this year. So yeah, just like Connor said it's not really we don't sit there and just talk about it
05:59 And you know, oh we were this we were that or we weren't this and we weren't that you know
06:04 It's more of just what are we right now? And what can we be in the future and just going out of each and every day?
06:08 I mean, I don't really feel like we have anything to prove. We're definitely gonna be special and that's no no doubt about that
06:20 I know for a fact we're gonna be making plays
06:22 And I know what people are saying out there, but we don't really we're not listening to that
06:26 We're just gonna you know strive to be our best selves. So what what's this been like?
06:31 Really just trying to soak in everything and
06:35 How do you feel like just in terms of picking things up and the speed of the game where you at in that regard
06:45 Yeah, I mean, it's a process
06:49 It's just not how it works it's a little different than high school ball
06:52 I mean high school I had to do a seat ball get ball really and stuff here. It's a little different
06:57 So it's a learning process, but I'm figuring it out
07:00 How have you been mentally just kind of your mood and stuff going through something like this six year?
07:05 You don't have another year as you just said. Yeah
07:08 It was challenging at first, but I told them I deleted social media
07:13 So like that's been probably the best thing I've ever done. I honestly I I feel pretty good right now
07:19 I know and that I have the support of my coaches and teammates has also played a large part
07:24 So I'm just thankful for them for having my back throughout this whole process
07:27 Actually, you know the way we run our defense, you know, we have a lot of eyes on the quarterback
07:32 So so that definitely plays into that being able to to see what the quarterback is doing in the backfield
07:39 We're also knowing where where our man is
07:42 And just being able to anticipate different things
07:46 You know that that also goes back to the point for back in high school as well
07:49 So it's it's fun
07:52 What's uh, do you soak up the fact that you're an in-state kid and you get a chance to what you know
08:01 Run out of that tunnel in front of 70,000 on Saturdays. I'm super cool
08:04 I really like black tie every time I ran out of it
08:06 So I don't really like remember every time but it's really cool experience
08:10 Like when you get to the sideline just Kinnick's always roaring. So it's super cool to see every game
08:14 What's this like for your family getting a chance to be close to you?
08:17 I know you had a chance to go a lot of different places, but you found a home close to home
08:22 Yeah, it's really huge
08:23 I'm on my family be here tomorrow for kids day and really just opportunity to come to every game is super big for me just to
08:29 See them on the sideline look up there and just know they're all support
08:32 As a DB a lot of people don't think how much a lot people understand how much how important it is to read the entire
08:41 offense
08:42 You can get a key from the offensive line and make help you out of my support
08:45 But this receiver has his foot up. He's going here
08:48 Maybe he's leaning there quarterback looking this way, you know, just trying to get as many answers as I can to the test
08:54 Oh, I mean, it's really hard to kind of reflect just because you know, I'm still in the middle of it, you know
09:01 I'm focused on building my legacy for not just myself, but the D line
09:07 So, you know obviously what I've done in the past it happened, but right now