DB's Coach Patrick Surtain Sr. discusses fall camp and the growth from his position group
Transcript
00:00 >> What's up, what's up, what's up?
00:01 >> [INAUDIBLE]
00:04 >> I don't need the hook.
00:05 >> No, it doesn't fit.
00:07 >> [INAUDIBLE]
00:09 >> I know, I need like a warning tag on it.
00:12 >> [INAUDIBLE]
00:19 >> Get this far, and I'm excited already for your guys, we're kind of progressing.
00:24 >> Man, it's been good.
00:25 Obviously, we had a real good spring.
00:29 All the guys came in, tails off in the summer.
00:32 And just repeated that fall camp.
00:36 We have a lot of guys making plays.
00:38 A lot of guys, they've done command to play the football for us.
00:43 So that's always good.
00:43 The strength is always in numbers if we have a bunch of guys.
00:46 I feel good about that.
00:48 >> Can you talk a little bit about Conrad?
00:50 He looks totally comfortable.
00:51 He was here asking questions yesterday to the coaches that were here.
00:55 Came in the summer, but seems to be picking things up.
00:57 What progress have you seen from him throughout the summer and now to the fall?
00:59 >> Man, he's a tremendous athlete.
01:02 Obviously, a true freshman coming in June,
01:06 with a limited amount of preparation time.
01:09 Sometimes it gets hard for him.
01:13 He's swimming, but he's coming to ask some questions.
01:15 He wants to learn, he wants to be great.
01:17 That's the kind of players you want.
01:19 Like I said, he has A1 athleticism.
01:22 He's made a bunch of plays on the field.
01:24 He's gonna continue to get better once he really learns what to do.
01:27 >> [INAUDIBLE]
01:33 >> Yeah, man, it's already been really,
01:34 really good.
01:35 I know he had a good time through freshman year.
01:38 And he battled injuries early on in the spring, but he's 100% now.
01:44 He's confident.
01:46 He's making plays.
01:46 He's a smart kid, a real spiritual kid.
01:49 He loves football.
01:50 So we're looking for him to have a big time here for us this year.
01:54 >> They say too much, but they say it all.
01:56 I'm just gonna listen to Wayne.
01:57 I embrace it, but I always support him.
02:00 It all comes from my heart.
02:01 He's a big man.
02:03 >> Yeah, we always wanted the best guys to go against each other.
02:06 And today, he got a bunch of key on.
02:09 Other days, he got Johnny.
02:10 Some other days, he may get some other receivers.
02:13 But whichever side they're on, whichever receiver's up, that's who we go against.
02:17 >> 101, we all look at 101.
02:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:26 >> It's been good.
02:27 I know yesterday we had four or five turnovers.
02:30 Today we had a few.
02:31 So that's always a big emphasis.
02:34 I always feel, since my days playing a team who was a turnover margin,
02:39 usually wins 85% of their game.
02:42 And that was a big emphasis coming to this year.
02:43 We only get six interceptions last year.
02:46 Getting our hand on the ball, punching at the ball, stripping at the ball,
02:49 every play, I think so far it's been pretty good.
02:52 >> What's the biggest emphasis, you do the same things over and
02:55 over again in certain drills.
02:57 How do you work out when they don't have any?
02:59 >> Just getting your level of hands to the ball.
03:01 Good things happen to you.
03:02 You get a lot of hands to the ball, getting your head around and playing football.
03:06 A lot of guys, when the ball's in the air, they panic when they're playing football.
03:10 I think the guys are doing a better job getting their heads around and
03:13 finding the football to make the play.
03:15 >> I always feel like there's a key to this right here.
03:17 You're serving like Keon, Destin, Winston, and Rob.
03:20 How does that all make you?
03:23 >> Man, it's the old adage, the iron sharpens iron.
03:25 So obviously, you got guys like Johnny and Keon and Destin.
03:31 Tron, when he's back, Darion, Winston, we have a bunch of guys that can make plays
03:36 over there.
03:36 Doospan, it's only gonna make us better.
03:39 And it works both ways.
03:41 We got some pretty good DBs back there.
03:44 We're doing Jarrion, AZ, Trail, Greedy, Shy, Keem, the young guys.
03:50 So we have a pretty formidable group.
03:52 And when you go against that competition every day, it makes everyone better.
03:56 >> Is that a message when you have so many veterans, guys?
03:59 You got some young guys, so a message to give them?
04:01 Like, look, you're not doing your things better.
04:03 You're losing every day in practice.
04:05 >> Yeah, we have a great mix of guys.
04:07 Like you said, we have a lot of guys in the DB realm who's played a lot of
04:11 football, but we also have like six true freshmen who hasn't played a college snap.
04:16 So it's a fine mix right there.
04:18 But I constantly tell those guys, this may be the best receiving
04:23 you will be facing all day.
04:25 So if you go up and compete against them, not saying that it'd be easy on Saturday,
04:30 but you have an understanding of what you'll be going against.
04:33 >> You mentioned the six true freshmen.
04:35 I've laid them on the floor in camp.
04:36 >> They've been good.
04:38 Obviously, Darius and KJ, they've been here since January.
04:44 And with the new guys coming in at Conrad, and Joseph,
04:49 Jibril, even young guy Donny, who's gonna get a chance.
04:54 Those guys have been good.
04:56 Obviously, the adjustment you gotta make coming from high school to college,
04:59 there's an adjustment period there.
05:00 But like I said, we have a good room where the older guys are kind of taking
05:04 the younger guys under their wing.
05:06 They're asking the right questions.
05:08 They're coming out and competing and they're making plays.
05:09 That's all you can ask.
05:11 >> What do you need to see from those young guys, whether it be from now,
05:15 anyway, when they get their chance, when they're comfortable,
05:17 what do you need to see from them to practice to feel comfortable?
05:21 >> Just cutting down on the minimal mistakes.
05:23 Like I said, it's new to them.
05:26 Most of the guys in high school, they probably played cat coverage.
05:30 You got that cat, you got that cat.
05:32 But with here, we play so many different coverages and
05:37 they have to learn it all.
05:38 That's the biggest thing that keeps true freshmen from not playing,
05:41 is doing the defense.
05:42 Not saying that those guys don't know it, but when you're on the field,
05:46 the coach has to be able to trust you, that you know it better than he does.
05:50 I think those guys continue learning that when they get it, it's gonna be scary.
05:54 >> We talked to AC earlier, and I think he said the mantra he learned from me
05:56 that really helped him was, I think it was what?
05:58 This is an imperfect game played by imperfect people.
06:00 How valuable was it to the back?
06:01 For those freshmen as well, they probably dominated the high school level.
06:03 They may not be as consistent here.
06:05 >> Yeah, man, it's ball.
06:07 It's a game that some of those guys have been playing since they were five years
06:11 old, and you're gonna make mistakes.
06:14 It's the ones that know how to bounce back from those mistakes that makes
06:19 the next play.
06:20 You give up the play, you get salty, you put your head down,
06:23 this is gonna continue to happen.
06:24 But just football is an adverse game.
06:27 You're not gonna be perfect on every single play, so
06:31 as quickly as you're able to move on to the next play.
06:33 The better you'll be, the better the team will be.
06:35 >> We can, with Nazaria, we can see his physical abilities, but
06:39 what's he been like to coach and just to teach?
06:42 >> Man, he's been a sponge, a sponge.
06:44 A guy who comes out, work hard every day.
06:46 Like I said, he takes tremendous notes in the meeting.
06:49 He's a student of the game.
06:50 He stays after practice to get extra work.
06:53 He's a spiritual young man.
06:57 He's well respected.
06:59 And the sky's the limit for him.
07:02 Obviously, we have a bunch of guys back there that can play ball, but
07:05 he's really gonna help us this year.
07:07 >> And the opportunity that him and
07:09 these other guys get to go against that wide receiver forward,
07:11 like how beneficial is that for you?
07:13 >> Yeah, it's great.
07:15 You're probably not gonna face a better unit in the country.
07:19 So when Saturday comes, not saying it'll be easy, but
07:23 they'll have an idea what it is to go against the elite guys.
07:27 >> Ben Trow has played a lot of football.
07:30 Have you seen him grow at all from the spring to fall?
07:32 It seems like he's been a little more confident.
07:35 >> Yeah, just coming in from a new situation.
07:38 Obviously, he played in a totally different defense.
07:40 They were mostly off coverage and bell coverage.
07:43 Now, we're 75, 80% press coverage.
07:49 That's an adjustment, but like you said, Trow has a lot of college snaps on his
07:53 game, playing some big time games.
07:55 And he's a valuable component to our secondary unit.
07:58 And we expect big things out of him this year.
08:00 >> You saw Renardo kind of bounce around a bit traditionally early in his time,
08:03 before finally kind of settling himself in the corner last year.
08:05 What makes it seem like a reliable, solid option that play to play out?
08:09 >> Just steady.
08:10 That's what you want at the cornerback position, a steady guy.
08:13 Not a guy who's up and down.
08:15 When he's up, he's all this, but when he's down, he's really down.
08:19 Dula's just a straight line, steady guy.
08:21 He's gonna make plays, he's gonna come up and tackle.
08:24 Who's gonna be a leader in the room.
08:26 And we're expecting great things out of him this year as well.
08:29 >> The players knew who you were when you got here, but
08:33 what did you have to do to feel like to earn their trust?
08:36 >> Just had to be myself, be a no nonsense guy and
08:41 let them know that you haven't made it yet.
08:44 You still have a far way to go and coach them hard, but love them either hard.
08:49 They respected that.
08:50 They respected my periodic reward I did.
08:52 And the guys I put into the NFL, and I just had to come in and earn their trust.
08:58 And the only way I know how to do that is to be myself.
09:01 And we become a tight knit group.
09:03 We do things off the football field.
09:08 And they've taken a liking to me.
09:10 So it's a good thing.
09:12 Like I said, we have a really good group with older guys and younger guys.
09:15 And I expect big things out of my group this year.
09:18 >> You've coached high school kids and you've coached grown men in the NFL.
09:22 How do you treat college guys?
09:24 Ain't different than either of those or in terms of like-
09:27 >> It's the same thing, man.
09:29 As long as you're yourself, guys take heed to that.
09:33 I've been doing the same thing for a long time at every level.
09:36 And it's gonna continue at this level, no different.
09:39 >> I asked Coach Stevens, I have to ask you.
09:42 >> You're the one that came up with that question?
09:44 >> Would it be good quality football?
09:45 >> [LAUGH]
09:47 >> Dukes a big receiver, but I think I'd get my hands on him.
09:53 So obviously Dukes is a state legend, had a pretty good pro career.
09:59 But this is me, man.
10:00 >> [LAUGH] >> This is me, so.
10:02 And I agree with Dukes in one aspect, we gotta keep it in the red zone.
10:06 And we can't go out in the field.
10:07 The red zone, I think I'll win that back.
10:11 >> [LAUGH] >> I'm pretty sure he'll say the same
10:13 thing.
10:14 But that gives him the advantage being a big guy.
10:18 >> Big doesn't matter when you get jammed up.
10:19 >> [LAUGH] >> Trust me.
10:20 >> All right, thanks Coach.
10:22 >> Thanks Coach.