Sam Jackson V - pre-Auburn
Sam Jackson V talks about his friendship with Auburn quarterback and former high school teammate Payton Thorne
Transcript
00:00 >> Good morning, Sam, how you doing?
00:02 >> I'm doing well, how are you?
00:05 >> I'm okay, so are you gonna be playing on Saturday night?
00:08 >> [LAUGH] I think that's a game time decision, I'm expecting to play.
00:13 We've all been repping, it's the same thing as last week, so
00:17 I think that's a game time decision for the coaches.
00:20 >> So your injury is okay?
00:22 >> Yes. >> If we could go to one single
00:23 question here, first time around as always, and
00:26 then we'll come back and entertain follow ups.
00:28 So we'll go to Matt Moreno next.
00:31 >> Before the injury, before you went down, how did you feel like you played and
00:35 how do you feel like it was getting back out there on the field?
00:38 >> I was pretty excited just to go out there with my team.
00:42 I talked to them before the game, and I told them I was pretty honored to go out
00:44 there and play and be a part of Cal football and get to play with my teammates.
00:49 But I felt like I was playing pretty decent when I first got in,
00:54 because that was my first college start.
00:59 I told my teammates, I'm extremely nervous, like I've been telling the media too.
01:01 I was extremely nervous, but there was no doubt in my mind that I was gonna go out
01:04 there and play well, and my team was gonna play well also.
01:07 >> Okay, we'll go to Joe Kennedy.
01:08 Joe, if you could give us your affiliation, that'd be great.
01:12 >> Yeah, Joe Kennedy with Naperville Community Television.
01:15 So Sam, good talking with you right now.
01:18 I mean, coming up this week, I'm not sure a lot of you guys know, but coming up,
01:22 Sam, you're playing up against Peyton Thorne,
01:24 former teammate of yours, one of your very best friends at Naperville Central.
01:28 Could you just talk me through what this game means for you and
01:31 what you're kind of feeling like going up against one of your good buddies this
01:34 weekend?
01:34 >> It's actually pretty crazy just because, as you all know,
01:40 Jaden Reed and Peyton also went to the same high school, and
01:45 they ended up playing with each other in college.
01:46 So just for me to be able to play against one of my best friends,
01:50 who I came from high school with, is pretty honestly kind of crazy to me.
01:53 But he kind of called me at the end of when he was making his decision to go
01:59 somewhere, and Auburn was one of the places.
02:02 Obviously, he didn't tell me before he did it, but once he did, I was like, wow,
02:06 we play Auburn, we too.
02:08 So I had that game marked as soon as he transferred, to be honest.
02:11 And it's actually just pretty crazy to me to even think about it.
02:15 We've been talking some, I think it's gonna be pretty exciting just for
02:19 those back home who watched us play high school together.
02:23 >> Okay, we'll go to Nathan King from Auburn's 24/7 Sports.
02:27 >> Hey, Sam, another question about Peyton.
02:31 For those of us who don't know, kind of walk us through when he left at
02:35 quarterback there, and then you took over that position at Naperville.
02:37 Just maybe how he mentored you in that switch,
02:42 and kind of what y'all's relationship was like back then.
02:47 >> We had a really good relationship.
02:48 I ended up transferring from Bolingbroke High School my freshman year.
02:53 And obviously Peyton was the guy at Naperville Central, and
02:56 I'm honestly a team player.
02:58 So I just wanted to go out there and get some experience.
03:00 So I ended up playing receiver.
03:02 I had a pretty decent year, but me and Peyton kind of became friends the summer
03:08 of going into my sophomore year.
03:09 And after every single game, I would go spend the night at his house every Friday
03:14 night, and we would just talk ball all the time.
03:16 Always throw the ball around and things like that.
03:18 So we had a really great relationship, and we're still pretty close to this day.
03:22 I mean, I haven't seen him in a minute, obviously,
03:25 because we're on the same kind of schedule.
03:26 So we don't really have that much time to see each other.
03:28 But the relationship we have is kind of special,
03:34 just because he's been one of those guys who's always been there for me.
03:37 And somebody I can call, and I'm pretty sure he feels the same way about me.
03:41 So I feel like that relationship is pretty special.
03:46 >> Okay, we'll go to Jake Curtis from Cal Sports Report.
03:49 >> Yes, Sam, I believe your injury came on a running play.
03:53 Have the coaches told you at all about being careful as far as scrambling to get
03:58 down and stuff like that?
03:59 >> It was a run play.
04:02 I was trying to actually just gain a couple yards and get out of bounds.
04:10 Because in those type of situations, you don't wanna slide into,
04:14 like it was so many people in one spot, you don't wanna slide there.
04:18 It's kinda hard for you to protect yourself when you're running into a crowd
04:22 of people.
04:23 So I mean, obviously, the injury is kinda unfortunate, but
04:26 it comes with the game of football.
04:28 >> Okay, guys, is there anybody else with a first round question for Sam?
04:33 If so, let me know now, otherwise, we'll start the second round,
04:37 where we'll entertain follow-ups.
04:39 >> What question?
04:42 >> Go ahead, AP.
04:44 >> Okay. >> First round.
04:45 >> Yeah, I had a question.
04:47 Can you hear me, Sam, can you hear me?
04:49 >> Yes, we can, go ahead.
04:50 >> Perfect, hey, Sam, have you had a chance to review the film,
04:53 the defense with Auburn, and what have you seen?
04:56 >> Auburn's, they're pretty good.
05:01 I mean, their defense is pretty solid.
05:04 We just watched a lot of tape.
05:05 I mean, they're pretty much, they're kinda aggressive.
05:08 They don't really play a lot of man or anything like that.
05:10 So I think there'll be a few opportunities, but we're just,
05:15 we're just, we honestly still kinda game planning just to see what we really like
05:18 against this defense, because this defensive coordinator, I'm pretty sure,
05:22 was at Baylor, and I played Baylor my first two years.
05:26 And Spaff has played the same defensive coordinator, so
05:29 there's some things that we have dialed up for them, for sure.
05:31 >> Okay, we're gonna get started with the second round.
05:36 We'll go to Joe Kennedy from Naperville.
05:39 >> Yes, Sam, so I was talking to Peyton yesterday, and I know Coach Stein,
05:43 Kofi Hughes are going out of the game.
05:45 But Peyton mentioned to me, he tried to reach out to you, but
05:48 you kinda left him with no message back.
05:50 Any reason, and maybe why you're not talking with Peyton this week?
05:53 >> It's game week.
05:56 I mean, we're best friends, but we're kinda like, it's not a rival game,
06:01 but because this is the first time we're playing Auburn.
06:04 But I don't think there should be any communication between me and you.
06:08 But we're both quarterbacks, I'm pretty sure.
06:12 There'll definitely be love after the game, there's love regardless.
06:15 But once it gets to that point, it's game time, it's time to roll, so.
06:19 >> Awesome.
06:21 >> Okay, we'll go to Jeff Farrato.
06:23 Go ahead, Jeff.
06:24 >> So Sam, this pretty much rules out you guys spending the night together on
06:28 Friday, huh?
06:29 >> Yes, it definitely does.
06:30 I mean, I don't know.
06:32 [LAUGH] I know what the outcome will be.
06:34 I know he thinks he knows what the outcome will be too.
06:37 But I'm pretty sure after this,
06:38 it'll be some quietness with the communication for sure.
06:44 >> So when you watch tape of them, it seems like when they get teams in passing
06:48 situations, third and longs, they sort of come at you from all different directions.
06:53 Is that what you're seeing, and how do you deal with that?
06:55 >> Yeah, they kind of have a lot of one-off blitzes, and it's kinda funky,
07:00 to be honest.
07:00 But I'm pretty sure we're prepared for, like I said, Spaff has played this
07:03 defensive quarter before.
07:04 I've played against his defense before, so I kinda know.
07:09 Spaff is pretty big on coaching us up on those things, and
07:14 the scouts are giving us great looks in practice.
07:16 So I'm pretty sure we're prepared for that.
07:18 [BLANK_AUDIO]
07:21 >> Okay, we'll go back to Thomas Dunn from Rankford, California.
07:25 >> Good morning, Sam.
07:26 You talked about how you and Coach Spaff are helping to bring the game plan
07:29 together and how the scouts have been helping you out.
07:31 But just on a personal level,
07:32 how much do you feel like your athleticism will help you out against a pretty
07:35 athletic Auburn defense?
07:36 >> Even though Peyton is the starter at Auburn,
07:42 they still have the, I'm pretty sure he's the backup, Robbie Ashford,
07:46 who's actually pretty athletic too.
07:48 And we kinda have the same skill set, so I'm sure they've given some,
07:51 try to, they've gotten him to give them some looks.
07:54 So they'll probably be prepared for it, but with my ability,
07:59 you can know what I'm doing and it's still gonna be hard to stop, I believe.
08:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:05 >> Okay, guys, anybody with a final question for Sam?
08:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:11 We'll go back to Jeff Verada, go ahead, Jeff.
08:14 >> So getting back to sort of what they do defensively, Sam,
08:17 how important is it that your offensive line plays as well as it did last Saturday?
08:22 And that you guys are, again, able to establish a run game to sort of
08:26 keep the sticks in your favor?
08:28 >> I think it's pretty important that our O-line plays great every game,
08:33 play to the best of their ability just to open up the run game so
08:36 they can open up the pass game.
08:37 With Auburn, you never know what you're gonna get.
08:41 It could be a shootout, it might not be a shootout.
08:44 So I just think we need to play great offensively no matter what our defense is.
08:49 But I'm pretty sure our defense will give us the ball back with no problem.
08:53 So I'm not really, I wanna say I'm not worried, but
08:57 I'm pretty much just focused on what we have going on offensively,
09:00 just so we can put our defense in the best situation and
09:03 they put us in the best situations.
09:05 >> You imagine they've seen anybody quite like Jade Knott?
09:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]
09:11 >> Personally, I don't think so.
09:13 I mean, I think Artis is amazing.
09:16 I'm pretty sure you guys know that too.
09:18 I mean, his freshman year, he works for 800, 900 yards, I believe,
09:23 if I'm not off, but he's pretty good, and I'm sure everybody knows that.
09:29 >> Thank you.
09:32 >> Can we go to Thomas Dunn from Redford, California?
09:34 >> Sam, Coach Fabb was in here yesterday and
09:37 he was pretty less than thrilled about the practice from yesterday.
09:41 How do you feel like you guys bounced back today and
09:43 where do you guys need to go in order to be ready for Saturday?
09:46 >> I mean, I believe that all teams have one of those practices.
09:52 It's just all about the bounce back.
09:53 I think we bounced back pretty well today, actually.
09:56 We corrected a few things.
09:58 It was just the momentum, not the momentum, but
10:01 the tempo of things needed to be up a little more.
10:04 I mean, coming off a game, traveling from North Texas, which is three,
10:08 four hour flight, I mean, it's kinda hard, but that comes with the game.
10:13 I mean, we knew we were gonna be traveling there since January.
10:17 I mean, since spring, fall, summer, we knew we were gonna be going there.
10:21 So we were prepared for it, but it was just one of those days that we had and
10:25 we just had to bounce back, which we did.
10:27 So I feel pretty confident about where we're going so far.
10:31 >> Okay, time for maybe just a couple more.
10:33 We'll go to Matt Moreno from Rivals.
10:36 >> You worked with Brian Driscoll quite a bit during the spring.
10:38 He wins Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week this week.
10:41 What can you say about just what he brings to the team,
10:43 what he adds to the offensive line, especially if he has to be center again
10:46 this week?
10:47 >> He stepped right up to the plate.
10:50 I think Brian Driscoll is a great player.
10:52 I know he wasn't expecting Sando to go down, nobody was.
10:56 And for him to step up and fulfill the needs there was pretty amazing,
11:02 because Sando is a great player.
11:03 He's pretty tough.
11:04 And obviously, he was out with an injury in the North Texas game, and
11:09 Brian Driscoll stepped up and he did exactly what he needed to do.
11:12 >> Okay, anybody with the last question?
11:15 Okay, thank you guys.
11:18 Thanks, Sam.
11:21 Yeah.