Deacon Hill 100323

  • last year
Iowa QB Interview
Transcript
00:00 What are the things that you learned as you mature?
00:03 I think the biggest thing was I matured as a person.
00:06 You know, learning to deal with ups and downs within my career,
00:09 not trying to let that affect my life outside of middle ball.
00:12 I think there's a genuine balance between life and football.
00:15 If football's not going that well, you can find peace in life,
00:18 do other things, be with your friends.
00:21 And then on the alternative side, if things aren't going great in life,
00:24 you can find your peace in football.
00:26 So I think learning that balance and learning how to deal with both
00:29 of those two things was the biggest thing for myself.
00:32 You haven't seen too much of you.
00:34 How would you describe yourself just as a player to us, to the fans,
00:37 to everybody that doesn't know, I guess, your game necessarily?
00:42 You know, I just try and be another coach on the field for the guys.
00:46 Obviously I don't have that much experience, but I'm looking forward to Saturday
00:49 to being able to be that guy on the field for my team.
00:52 I'm a big team guy.
00:54 I want to make sure everything that evolves around the team is the most important.
00:59 So just doing my job, being able to do what I need to do to help this team
01:02 succeed is the biggest thing.
01:04 What do you kind of see on film for yourself that you're kind of working
01:07 to improve for this next game?
01:09 Just, you know, cleaning up a couple of reads, cleaning up all that stuff.
01:13 You know, we have a 24-hour rule.
01:15 Learn Sunday and then kind of move on and prepare for Purdue.
01:18 So I've been really focused on what I can do this week.
01:22 You know, last week's gone, nothing can change it.
01:25 So this week we're just really focused on Saturday.
01:27 It seemed like even in those couple of games where you came in at the end,
01:30 they were letting you throw the ball down the field, letting you rip it.
01:33 Would you describe yourself as a gunslinger, as a quarterback?
01:36 Do you like throwing it down the field?
01:38 Yeah, I think my favorite throw is the deep ball.
01:40 I think most people on the team can tell you that.
01:43 But, you know, it's just my job to get the ball to our better athletes.
01:47 I want to consider myself a better athlete on the team.
01:50 So my job is just to distribute it to our guys like Eric, Nico.
01:53 You know, those guys are athletic freaks.
01:55 So getting them the ball is the big thing.
01:56 You know, one thing that always struggles a lot of times for back-up quarterbacks
01:59 is locking in on receivers.
02:01 How do you avoid doing that?
02:02 Does that just come through repetition and experience?
02:05 Yeah, I think the biggest thing is getting reps.
02:07 You know, I've grabbed Nico, Vines, Seth, all of them.
02:09 We've gone after each practice gotten some throws in.
02:12 I think I'm throwing 30, 40 balls to Vines after every practice so far this week
02:17 and will continue to do it the rest of the week.
02:19 So I think just getting reps with each other is the biggest thing.
02:22 You know, your velocity is pretty high, probably comparable to Spencer
02:26 or his predecessors certainly.
02:28 Have you had discussions about taking a little bit off the fastball
02:32 or are you just going to throw it the way you throw it?
02:35 Yeah, I think the biggest thing is trying to adjust to each other.
02:38 You know, I think the biggest thing is throwing and catching is a two-way street.
02:42 So I think, you know, if I screw up a little, they've got to help me out.
02:45 And if, you know, I've got to help them out, obviously.
02:47 That's the bigger thing.
02:49 But, yeah, you know, we're just trying to adjust to each other.
02:53 We've got it dialed down pretty good, and so I'm excited to see how it goes.
02:56 When you look at Purdue, 17 sacks stand out.
03:00 How is that going to affect you as far as calling, helping with protections?
03:04 You know, we've got our game plan in with how we want to deal with the D-line.
03:08 You know, I have all the faith in the world in my O-line.
03:10 You know, I feel like they're one of the best.
03:12 I have no issues with them.
03:14 I'm pretty close to a lot of them, and I think that they're going to do their job
03:17 and help me do mine.
03:18 So it's a two-way street, but I wouldn't rather have any other five guys up front.
03:23 What stood out to you?
03:24 Now that you've had a chance to look at the film, kind of digest it a little more.
03:28 I think the thing that stood out was just, you know, being able to start playing with confidence.
03:32 Obviously, I think any backup going to that role is a little nerve-wracking.
03:36 But I felt, you know, once I got my rhythm going, it was good.
03:39 I started to trust my teammates, you know, started to lean on all of us, each other.
03:43 And so that was probably the biggest thing.
03:45 How do you coach up your receivers when, I think it was five drops on passes
03:49 that you threw last week?
03:51 How are you making sure that they're staying involved and keeping their chins up?
03:55 Yeah, you know, I think in basketball, when a shooter is missing,
03:58 you don't tell them to stop shooting; you tell them to keep shooting.
04:01 And so I have no--that doesn't affect how we are going to do things.
04:04 You know, I trust them 100% to catch the ball, and they trust me to throw it.
04:09 And so I'm going to keep throwing the ball no matter what
04:11 because they're my guys and wouldn't have it any other way.
04:14 Thanks, Deacon.
04:15 Deacon, there's been probably 1,000 nicknames I've read about you
04:19 or people trying to give you a nickname.
04:20 What's the nickname you want, or what's the one that's kind of gravitated toward you?
04:24 You know, I could really care less.
04:26 You know, the guys call me Deac or whatever.
04:28 And so, you know, whatever feels best for the person who's saying it,
04:32 by all means, call me whatever you like.
04:35 How has this changed your life?
04:37 I mean, you sleep as well, you eat as well.
04:38 I mean, it's a big deal, right?
04:39 I mean, this is a pretty heavy situation.
04:41 Yeah, I think it's a big deal, obviously, for anyone.
04:43 But I think just staying grounded, staying focused on the task at hand
04:47 is the biggest thing.
04:49 You know, eliminating all other distractions, you know, just focusing on ball,
04:52 I think is the biggest thing.
04:54 You know, I've always been very into football, like it's my life.
04:57 And so, especially now than ever, just being with the guys
05:00 and being focused on this game plan is the biggest thing.
05:03 How would you describe yourself as a quarterback?
05:05 I think just trying to be another coach on the field, you know,
05:08 help guys and bring them along.
05:11 And then someone that the team can look to and, you know,
05:14 see a calm presence, you know, say, "All right, guys, whatever the situation
05:17 "may be, let's just go out there and do our thing, you know.
05:21 "You know, we have our way, let's not do it any other way,
05:23 "and let's just keep going."
05:24 This could be an extremely dumb question, but the cliche you hear around is,
05:28 "Lincoln prepares like he's the starter."
05:31 You hear that a lot about number two QBs.
05:34 Is that as simple as it sounds, or what does that mean,
05:36 preparing like the starter?
05:37 Yeah, I think, you know, it started back in high school.
05:41 I was the backup my sophomore year, and John Uribe, who's our quarterback coach--
05:45 Sorry.
05:47 And he always told me, you know, "You've got to prepare like you're the starter,"
05:50 you know, whatever that is.
05:51 And so, prepping each game like you're about to run out there on the field
05:55 is the best way to do it.
05:57 Obviously, I think, you know, you get to Saturday and you're not playing,
06:01 but I think the biggest thing is knowing you're ready
06:04 and staying locked in in the game.
06:05 You know, like when Kade's out there, I'm seeing what the defense is doing,
06:08 knowing our play call.
06:10 And so I think that's the biggest thing for me, you know, in number two,
06:12 is just staying mentally and physically ready to go if your name's called.
06:16 Does the offense change at all with you compared to having Kade in there,
06:20 or how much does it change?
06:22 You know, I don't think it changes too much.
06:23 You know, we're trying to do our game plan, you know, stick to what we do best.
06:27 And so I think, you know, it'll be pretty similar, you know,
06:30 what we're trying to do.
06:32 What do you like to do?
06:34 That maybe is a little different from Kade.
06:37 You know, we both like to throw the ball.
06:39 I think every quarterback likes to throw the ball.
06:41 But, you know, I think me and Kade are pretty similar in what we like to do.
06:46 And so I don't think there's much of a difference.
06:48 You know, obviously I like throwing a deep ball, I guess,
06:52 if that's what you're asking.
06:54 But, you know, I'm not too worried with what I want,
06:57 just concerned with what the team needs and what the coaches need from me.
07:00 man.