Louisville QB Pierce Clarkson on Fall Camp (8/16/23)
Transcript
00:00 First of all, you had to be disappointed in spring not having the injury.
00:05 How do you feel like you've come back and how has the camp been?
00:08 I feel like camp has been going good for me.
00:11 Just everyday thing, day by day, I take it.
00:14 And everyday just keep improving.
00:16 For myself, I'm my first real rep to the college level.
00:20 Just going through practices every day since I did this this spring.
00:23 But I've been feeling good and better out there every day I've been out there.
00:26 Just knowing the knowledge I need to have, knowing the playbook,
00:30 knowing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing, knowing where the ball is supposed to be.
00:33 I've been feeling a lot more comfortable out there since the time I first got out there.
00:37 What was spring like? Obviously it was hectic, difficult, not being out there.
00:41 But not being on the field, what were you able to do to keep progressing yourself?
00:45 I just had to stay locked in mentally since I physically couldn't be out there with the team everyday working with them.
00:51 It was more of a mental battle.
00:53 I had to sit in my playbook at home, I had to watch, practice extra hard to see what they were doing.
00:58 Watch film, cut ups, just to get that extra knowledge that I was missing out on
01:03 and the actual reps I was missing out on everyday that they were getting.
01:06 Speaking of which, how much of a head start did you get when it came to digesting the playbook
01:10 and learning the plays considering that was the only thing you could do in the spring?
01:13 I mean, since I got here in January, I think I've been in the playbook since the time I got here.
01:19 I've been in it everyday since, it's just been a day to day thing like I said.
01:24 Just keep building that knowledge and the more I know, the better I'll do out on the field
01:27 and the better I'll do with my opportunity.
01:30 What's the biggest adjustment from high school football to now?
01:34 Is it the speed of the game or the complexity of the defenses?
01:37 I would say just the mental side, it definitely grows a lot more.
01:40 It takes the next step from the high school level.
01:42 In high school I did get a good taste, but definitely the college level,
01:46 it's definitely a lot more than I know mentally, so definitely that.
01:50 Also the speed of the course, the size of the people are different,
01:53 but I've really had a lot of fun out there and it's just been a great experience.
01:57 Pierce's whole recruiting thing was kind of wild for me.
02:00 You committed then to change the coach and all that.
02:03 That first meeting with Cooke-Brown, you go back and what sold you on,
02:08 "Okay, this is still the right decision for me to move forward and come there."
02:13 Is that what you've seen with him now that you've been here for seven months?
02:17 Yeah, I think with Coach Brown and the coaching change last minute,
02:20 it just took a lot of trust and a lot of belief in his work.
02:24 He was the person and the coach that he could develop me
02:27 and be the best person I needed in my future.
02:30 I believe that he is that.
02:32 The first time I met him in person, I think he actually flew out to my game in California,
02:37 my state game.
02:38 That was the time I first met him.
02:40 I think our relationship really just kind of hit it off.
02:43 After that, I came out here again on a business and it was kind of a done deal.
02:47 I was my guy.
02:49 I grew out the trust and I wanted to be developed by him
02:52 because that was who I wanted to work for.
02:54 You're so much better than I was off of.
02:56 I have a lot with the fly bill and doing different things with different people.
02:58 Obviously, you had with Coach JP and the t-shirt line.
03:01 I guess what's that like in creating this brand but also balancing
03:04 getting adjusted to the college life?
03:07 For me, it's really been all fun.
03:09 It's been a day to day experience for me just because college is new to me.
03:14 Having a brand that is doing something special is pretty big for me.
03:20 It's a cool experience to be able to network with different people at the university
03:24 and be able to meet other people outside of the football field
03:26 or outside of the football facility and just be able to work with them
03:30 through fly bill has been a great opportunity.
03:32 Here's for you.
03:33 You talked about how you progressed and how you're pleased with how you've progressed thus far.
03:38 How would you assess yourself and how you've done on a day-to-day basis?
03:42 For me, I'd definitely say I'm really proud of myself.
03:45 I'm probably my biggest critic just because I have high expectations for myself
03:49 every time I step on the field, every day when I wake up.
03:52 For sure, there's little things that of course I get picked at myself
03:56 but I need to do that better.
03:58 They won't say something that is not popping up that is a mistake on the field.
04:02 I know I'm into a mistake or I know a mistake when I see it.
04:06 I know I can do better.
04:08 I'm definitely a little nitpicky about myself and for sure trying to perfect my craft.
04:12 That's what I've done.
04:13 Pierce, for you, what have you seen from the quarterback room
04:16 and what have you learned from guys like Plummer and all that
04:18 that just kind of helped you out this fall camp?
04:21 Honestly, Jack's been great for me just being able to have him in sort of a mentor way
04:25 just because he's had so much experience.
04:28 He's been in the playbook before.
04:30 He's played at the high level.
04:32 He's played against the highest level teams.
04:34 He's been all over the planet.
04:36 It's been a really great experience since January since I came here
04:39 being able to learn from him, pick his brain on certain topics,
04:42 kind of see how he thinks and see how he works on the field, see how he leads,
04:46 and just learn little things from him and see what I could apply to my game
04:49 and if not take it to the next level.
04:51 Knowing that Lamar and Teddy Richwater and Jeff and Brian and Brenton and Ramon
04:56 and all these guys played here, did that Louis quarterback tradition play
04:59 into your interest in coming here?
05:02 Yeah, definitely the history of quarterbacks is something that's really special
05:05 at the University of Louisville.
05:07 But when it came down to my decision time, I definitely knew that it was going to be--
05:12 it was going to have to be a decision that was best for me, the future that I wanted,
05:16 and I definitely think it just matched up with Louisville and Coach Baum,
05:20 and now we're here, so good to work.