Watch Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Troy Everett meet the press after practice on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.
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00:00 How did you compare this game to the one you played last year?
00:03 Oh, they were good.
00:04 Ab State was usually the loudest game we went to, but it was always the home games.
00:08 It was kind of hit or miss, but that game was definitely my first true win.
00:13 Because even when we played A&M, it was loud, but it wasn't like that.
00:17 Really?
00:18 Oh yeah.
00:19 I think they're closer and it's in a bowl, so everything's down.
00:22 As soon as that team gets loud...
00:24 I bet.
00:25 At that end, it seemed like it was super loud.
00:27 Just a tad.
00:29 Talk about that D-line you faced on Saturday.
00:31 I got here a little late.
00:33 How do you think you guys handled that?
00:35 I think pretty good.
00:36 They were a great D-line.
00:37 I'm not going to take anything away from them.
00:39 I think there were some things that we did that we could do better, obviously,
00:43 from the whole group, all three phases of the ball.
00:46 But I think offensive-wise, we had our moments.
00:49 But I think we handled ourselves pretty well.
00:51 It was a good D-line.
00:55 What do you think was so tough about getting the run game going early on,
00:58 especially that first half?
01:00 I think it was just a matter of we just went out there
01:04 and I don't know if we--I think there was some finish.
01:06 I think O-line, we were doing great.
01:08 We all strained.
01:10 I just think there was some stuff that we just got to correct in the film room
01:13 that comes with it.
01:15 What's the degree of difficulty in what you're doing?
01:17 Practicing a lot thinner and then having to go play guard in a game every week?
01:21 It's great for me because I get to learn both positions.
01:24 Still learning, coming in, still kind of the new guy, learn everything.
01:27 So it's still fun.
01:29 But it definitely has its moments where sometimes it can be a challenge,
01:32 other times it's very fun.
01:34 I like to look at it more as an opportunity though.
01:36 What was that night like for you, SMU,
01:38 where you did the first time just jump in the mid-game at guard?
01:42 Did things move kind of fast?
01:44 Kind of.
01:45 It was like go in, shoot, you know, you just feel it out.
01:48 At the end of the day, it's just ball.
01:50 So you just go out there, you do what you're coached to do,
01:53 use your technique.
01:55 I'm trying to get better with my technique, but, you know, it was fun.
01:58 It was a great opportunity and it was exciting.
02:01 What do you feel like is maybe the top gift for you guys
02:04 to clean it up or improve it?
02:07 Just getting more comfortable for me.
02:09 I think I get out there and I'm trying to do too much.
02:12 I just need to do my job and trust around me and trust the coaching, which I do.
02:17 It's hard to break some habits I've had in the past.
02:21 Those like center's habits because center's kind of got to do a whole lot
02:24 when you move around.
02:25 I'm not saying you don't have more to do at guard.
02:27 Oh, yeah.
02:28 It's just a lot of technique stuff that I was used to, but I'm breaking it now.
02:32 Sometimes you'll get your revert back to something in your head.
02:35 You'll think where you were in the past, but you can't look back in the past
02:38 anymore.
02:39 You just got to move on.
02:40 It's fun.
02:41 It's a fun challenge.
02:42 Do you find that you lose technique when you get too late?
02:45 For me, I think my technique, whenever I think too much,
02:48 I think my technique is good, but then I think my game slows down.
02:51 So I think I just need to let loose and go play.
02:54 Go out there and remember, like I already said, it's just ball.
02:57 Is that something that's coming in the final inch?
02:59 Are you realizing that, or is there somebody else, like a teammate or coach,
03:03 that's saying, "Okay, just let it go"?
03:06 I mean, the whole staff here has been amazing.
03:09 There's resources everywhere.
03:11 There's been some people I've talked to just going, "Let's talk about anything
03:16 else other than ball sometimes."
03:17 But no, it's mainly coming from me.
03:19 I just watch on film and I go, "Oh, my gosh, I should have done that."
03:22 I just think way too much about it.
03:24 But I'm getting better at it.
03:26 That was more of a fall camp issue that I had.
03:28 So it's getting a lot better now.
03:30 What's the biggest challenge for you guys as a group going forward, you think?
03:33 Biggest challenge?
03:35 I think just staying, making sure that we all stay and we all see the goals ahead.
03:39 You can't get too high, can't get too low.
03:41 You got to remember that every single day you're going to learn something new.
03:44 It's not always going to be perfect.
03:46 And once you remember that, you keep learning, keep getting better.
03:49 I think you won't be fully complete.
03:51 I mean, people can say it.
03:52 In my opinion, you're never going to be the full, complete team until you're closer
03:56 to the end because you're learning new things every single day.
03:59 It doesn't matter who you go against.
04:01 What's the biggest difference when you go to the field in summer break?
04:05 Really, the biggest difference?
04:08 I wouldn't say there's much of a difference.
04:10 It's just I got to go in there and then it's just a little bit of technique.
04:13 Technique switches up about that.
04:15 So once you transition your mind, it's all good.
04:18 Does it make a difference left or right?
04:19 No, sir.
04:21 I think if you learn one, you learn all.
04:23 That's why I enjoy learning center because you learn all the positions around you.
04:26 So I feel like in my mind, I try to make myself more valuable by learning all those.
04:30 Had you played center like all your career in terms of high school and so on?
04:35 In high school, I played guard, but we ran the ball.
04:37 We never passed.
04:39 So completely different story there.
04:41 I got to like two weeks before I moved into AAP.
04:43 The other line coach texted me and said start snapping.
04:45 So from there on, I played center.
04:47 And then right before I left Appalachian, I played guard in the spring there.
04:52 So when Bill recruited you, what did he talk to you about?
04:54 Pretty much the same.
04:56 Play some guard, play some center.
04:57 Kind of what I figured.
04:58 I always had to come in just-- and my goal was when I came in, I wanted to learn center
05:02 because once you learn center, you learn guard.
05:04 Then once you learn guard, you learn tackle.
05:06 And I was just trying to pick it up as quick as I could.
05:08 So in my mind, you learn center, you learn them all quick.
05:13 What was that transition like going from a run-only offense that you ran in high school
05:19 to what y'all were doing at App State and how much you were doing there?
05:22 A lot of staying after and having to adjust.
05:25 It was great, though, because you got coaches and guys there that were experienced.
05:30 That's always been my thing.
05:31 I love talking to the older guys.
05:33 I love like Ray, McKay, Tyler, Walter.
05:35 It don't matter who you are.
05:36 All those guys-- I stay after to talk to the D-linemen.
05:39 If you have information, I want to know.
05:42 I'm trying to learn as much as I can.
05:43 So if I'm going against you on defense and you hit me with a move, I'm going to ask,
05:47 "What did you do right here?"
05:49 I'm trying to learn as much as I can.
05:50 So I've always been one that I'm never too-- I don't care who you are.
05:54 I'm going to ask a question on what happens.
05:56 Are you like that in all areas of your life?
05:58 Oh, yeah, absolutely.
06:00 It don't matter what it is.
06:01 Unless I'm with my dad, then that's a different story.
06:03 You're not asking him.
06:05 I'm not asking him, of course.
06:06 But, yeah, I just like to ask questions.
06:08 I get other people-- because, you know, your brain's-- you know as much as you know.
06:12 Other people may know more, so you might as well just take their knowledge and learn from it.
06:16 You talked about learning how to snap.
06:18 You talked about your new role playing guard technique versus being fast versus thinking too much.
06:23 How much thinking goes on when you're learning how to snap and all that?
06:26 Don't think about the snap.
06:27 And whenever you're playing center, don't think about the snap
06:29 because that's the first thing that will happen with a bad snap.
06:31 Just get up there, grip it, and rip it.
06:32 That's what I learned.
06:33 So there's parallels then between what you're doing now and that.
06:36 You're just holding that ball, and you just got to get the ball back there, and don't think about anything else.
06:41 It's the easiest thing to do.
06:44 What are some of the things you're interested in outside of football?
06:47 Outside of football?
06:48 I love listening to music, going outside.
06:50 My roommate at the house over the weekend, he built this little outside little shade area.
06:55 So we got some lights out there.
06:56 We're going to get a projector.
06:57 Kind of sat there.
06:58 I like hanging out.
06:59 Not a big going out kind of guy.
07:01 Not a big going out kind of guy.
07:03 I like just sitting in, watching football, relaxing.
07:05 I love drinking coffee, so that's my biggest thing.
07:08 Where's your go-to coffee spot?
07:10 I don't spend money.
07:11 I'm cheap.
07:12 French press?
07:13 Coffee maker?
07:14 Donut shop.
07:15 I got me a big box.
07:16 I got me a Keurig in my room.
07:17 And how are you drinking?
07:19 Black or--
07:20 It depends on the day.
07:21 It depends on how I feel.
07:22 Good day, if I'm feeling like I deserve--
07:25 I earned a little treat, pour some creamer in there, maybe a little sugar.
07:29 And after that, I might just be a little creamer.
07:31 I'd be black, you don't know.
07:33 What's your favorite donut?
07:34 Favorite donut?
07:35 I'm glazed.
07:36 I'm a glazed kind of guy.
07:39 I'm very plain.
07:40 And you eat all you want since you're a lineman?
07:42 Oh, gosh.
07:43 I wish.
07:44 But like I said, I'm cheap.
07:45 So whatever they give me in there, I'm grateful for, and I'll go eat that.
07:48 How many cups of coffee?
07:50 I have a Yeti, and I put a double shot of donut shop in there.
07:54 When did you start drinking coffee?
07:56 Whenever I was younger, and I would take it from my dad whenever he'd go to the bathroom.
08:00 [LAUGHTER]
08:01 You sneak it away.
08:02 Some guys sneak their dad's whiskey, sneak their dad's coffee.
08:05 Oh, yeah.
08:06 So do you load up before a game on Java?
08:09 Not in the coffee.
08:10 I've learned-- don't do it before the game.
08:12 I do it after.
08:13 I set it for after the game.
08:14 Why?
08:15 It's my reward.
08:16 That's what I look forward to after.
08:18 What about-- I can't use your laptop.
08:20 We talked about that.
08:21 Anything.
08:22 I'm so serious.
08:23 It does not matter.
08:24 This morning, 6 in the morning, I'm coming over here for lift.
08:28 Taylor Swift was playing.
08:29 Oh, yeah.
08:30 What?
08:31 What Taylor Swift do?
08:32 I was listening to Style.
08:33 Oh, yeah.
08:34 That's a good one.
08:35 I'm trying to get more into her new stuff.
08:36 Maybe if I go see her show.
08:38 You never know.
08:39 But it goes from that to Metallica to rap.
08:42 It can go anything.
08:43 It just depends on the mood.
08:45 Shout out to my mom and dad for that one.
08:47 I heard you might be taking.
08:49 How do you feel about that?
08:50 I'm sorry?
08:51 Taylor?
08:52 You said you listen to Taylor.
08:53 I kind of broke my heart.
08:54 But it's a good man that got her, so it's good.
08:56 Travis is a great guy, so it's good.
08:58 He can have her.
08:59 I'll let him have her.
09:00 Glad it's a football player.
09:02 Oh, yeah.
09:03 Anyone else will.
09:05 Someone that can make good out of something, we're good.
09:09 Do your parents have an issue too, like with musicals?
09:13 My dad, he's an old school guy.
09:15 He don't listen to any country.
09:17 It's all rock for him.
09:19 I grew up listening to Van Halen, Metallica, all that.
09:23 All the good stuff.
09:24 Then when I'm vibing with my mom, it's all the country stuff.
09:27 Then my sister, she put me on some of the pop stuff.
09:30 So you got it from all sides.
09:32 The biggest one that I'm trying to put them on right now is Conway Twitty.
09:34 That's one of my favorites.
09:36 I love listening to Conway.
09:37 Wow, that's a pretty old band.
09:39 That's a pretty old country band.
09:41 Yes, sir.