Kendel Dolby interview
Watch Oklahoma Sooners cornerback Kendel Dolby meet the press after practice on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023.
Transcript
00:00 >> The off week, how important was it just to get rejuvenated,
00:02 refreshed for the season, or the back half of the season?
00:04 >> Right, it was really important.
00:06 It felt good to be able to rest a little bit, get our bodies back right.
00:10 And we won the UCF.
00:11 >> I had a chance to ask you about the interception in the Texas game.
00:14 How big was that?
00:14 Make a big play in the red zone.
00:16 >> No, I felt good.
00:17 It felt so good.
00:18 A big time turnover, Billy hit him and the ball just popped up and
00:22 I went and grabbed it.
00:22 >> Defense leads the nation in takeaway margin and
00:25 then the 12 interceptions overall.
00:27 What's it mean to the secondary to be a big part of that?
00:29 >> It means a lot cuz we came to the season, we wanna be the wire.
00:32 We wanna be those guys and we've been doing it so far, so it was good.
00:36 >> Was that experience like you thought it might be?
00:39 Describe that a little bit, first time red room.
00:41 >> You said the experience?
00:42 >> Yeah. >> Yeah, it was crazy.
00:44 They were saying the environment was crazy, but
00:47 actually seeing it and being a part of it, there's nothing like it at all.
00:51 >> What are some of the things you worked on over the bi-week?
00:54 >> One was recovery, that was big.
00:56 Got my body back right.
00:58 Got in the film room with Coach Roof, so that was really the biggest thing I did.
01:02 >> When you look at Central Florida, obviously,
01:05 Gus Malzahar has a reputation for trying some different things, trick plays,
01:08 things like that.
01:09 How do you, when you're preparing,
01:10 obviously sometimes you don't know exactly what's gonna come.
01:13 How do you stay alert for those things and
01:16 get an eye to how to react if he pulls something out of the hat?
01:20 >> Right, it's just knowing the DNA of a team.
01:23 They like tricks, they're a high flying offense.
01:26 So just staying in the film room, preparing as much as you can.
01:29 There's gonna be plays that you didn't watch on film, but
01:32 it's just being disciplined in your technique and it'll work out every time.
01:35 >> Have you looked a lot at what they tried to do in the past,
01:37 what Gus has tried to do in the past?
01:39 >> Almost definitely, most definitely.
01:40 They definitely wanna get your eyes in the wrong spot.
01:43 But like I said, it's all about watching film.
01:44 You do that, you should be okay.
01:45 >> How do you feel like this group has come together right now?
01:50 Obviously, it was thinned out a little bit.
01:51 >> Right. >> The last time you all played.
01:53 I know Brent said he got a few guys back last week.
01:56 How's that group, you feel like, settled in as far as depth right now?
02:01 >> We feeling good.
02:02 We hold everybody, everybody in that group holds each other accountable.
02:06 So getting guys back, having that bye week to recover and
02:08 get our bodies back right is good.
02:10 And we're gonna keep building.
02:11 >> The importance of week by week now, I mean, there's gonna be a lot of people
02:15 patting you on the back, talking about how good you are.
02:17 Just the importance of staying mentally focused on one game at a time,
02:20 one practice at a time.
02:21 Yeah, like you said, there's gonna be people patting you on the back,
02:24 congratulating you.
02:25 But we know what we got in this room and we know our end goal.
02:28 So we don't really get too caught up in all that.
02:30 We just keep the main thing the main thing.
02:32 >> Who's the biggest voice in the locker room that keeps you guys focused
02:35 the hardest?
02:36 >> There's a lot of dudes.
02:37 I'll say big Stutzman, Danny Stutzman, he speaks a lot.
02:41 Woody in the corner room, he speaks a lot.
02:43 Really, everybody is good at being vocal and
02:46 telling each other what the job is, what the mission is.
02:49 >> We saw Danny's viral video, the pregame speech at Texas.
02:54 What were your thoughts when he was giving that speech?
02:55 And now what are your thoughts in the aftermath when everyone's seen it over and
02:57 over across the Internet?
02:59 >> So when he was saying it in the locker room, it made you feel some type of way.
03:03 Exactly how y'all felt watching it on Twitter, whatever it was,
03:06 in the locker room, it was the same thing.
03:07 It was one of those things, okay, it's time to go.
03:09 And it was a good speech.
03:10 It was a great speech, actually.
03:12 >> Check it out.
03:13 >> You guys have faced a couple of good quarterbacks earlier this year.
03:15 Another one this weekend, Plumlee.
03:16 What kind of stands out when looking at him?
03:18 >> He can run. He's a pretty athletic, fast dude.
03:20 So like I said, they wanna get your eyes in bad spots offensively.
03:24 So really trying to contain him and keeping our eyes where they need to be.
03:28 That's really our mindset going in.
03:30 >> What's been Brent's message to the team?
03:34 He always talks about the success and not getting too high, too low.
03:38 What's it been like since that win over Texas?
03:42 >> Obviously, we celebrated.
03:43 It was a great win, a win that we all wanted.
03:45 But we wanna know, that's our goal every week, go wanna know.
03:49 We're not looking too high, we're not looking too low.
03:51 So that's kind of been our mindset.
03:52 It's been easy to kind of move on from that win.
03:53 Like yeah, it was a great win, but on to the next.
03:55 And we're just gonna keep going, keep building, keep building.
03:58 And we're gonna go wanna know every week.
03:59 >> He's talked about that you guys still have a lot to improve upon on defense.
04:03 What are some of the spots that you feel like you guys need to improve?
04:08 >> I would say probably just sometimes third down, getting off the field on
04:12 third down, I'll say that's one thing we can improve on.
04:15 Assignments, we haven't played our best ball yet.
04:18 So we're all coming together, keep building, keep building.
04:22 That's what we're gonna do.
04:23 >> You guys ready to get out and hit somebody again?
04:26 >> Almost definitely.
04:27 That week off was good, it felt good to be able to rest.
04:29 But it was kind of weird not playing this week, I ain't gonna lie.
04:31 It was kind of weird.
04:32 >> Did you guys watch any football?
04:34 >> A lot of football, a lot of great games on, so yeah.
04:36 >> What have you just thought of Gentry Williams play for the first few games?
04:41 I mean, he's been really good for you guys.
04:42 >> Mm-hm, the crazy thing is he practiced that play the whole week.
04:46 So when they went to that formation, the communication was great.
04:51 He backed off, he ready, he did exactly what he did all week.
04:53 So what you put in through the week practice is gonna show on game day, and
04:57 that's exactly what happened.
04:58 He's been great, so I'm happy for him.
05:01 >> Sir.
05:01 >> And what has this been like for you so far?
05:03 Six games in, you've already picked off a couple of passes,
05:06 had a big win in your home state.
05:08 Talk a little bit about what that experience has been like so far.
05:11 >> The experience has been great.
05:13 How I've been thinking is just a year ago I was in junior college, and
05:16 now being on the big stage and being in these big time games,
05:19 getting a few picks, it feels great.
05:21 I really can't even explain this feeling, but it feels great.
05:23 >> Thanks, Kendall.
05:25 >> Appreciate you, guys.
05:26 >> Thank you, Kendall.