Tennessee Post-Game Presser

  • 7 months ago
Volunteers Citrus postgame
Transcript
00:00 Really proud of our team, our program.
00:05 You know, I thought it during the course of our preparation,
00:09 but they were very intentional, focused.
00:11 When they went in the meeting room, went on the practice field,
00:14 they were engaged and they competed hard.
00:16 That was true in our preparation back home.
00:18 It was true while we were here.
00:20 They enjoyed the bowl festivities at the same time.
00:23 I thought it was a great balance.
00:24 And they came out and played as though they had prepared the right way
00:29 and proud of the performance.
00:31 You looked defensively, you know, violent and disruptive on the line of scrimmage.
00:36 Handled the running game really the entire day.
00:39 Matched things out on their boot game and got off the field on third downs.
00:43 Their front applied so much pressure during the course of it.
00:46 James did an unbelievable job the entire day.
00:49 Obviously, everybody saw the big pick, but he was in the backfield,
00:53 made it uncomfortable for the quarterback all day long.
00:56 And offensively, efficient enough.
01:00 You know, Nico played really well.
01:03 First time starter, there was nothing that was too big for him.
01:06 Never got rattled.
01:07 Very composed, in control, communication, controlling the run game.
01:12 Just did an unbelievable job decision making
01:15 and then made plays with his feet as well.
01:17 End of the day, we played all three phases well together.
01:21 That was a challenge for us going into this one.
01:23 It's really a football team that we played today
01:26 that's had a tremendous amount of success this season.
01:30 But over Coach's tenure, got a great amount of respect for who he is
01:34 and how he conducts his program.
01:36 But a great way to finish the 23 season and to kick off the 24.
01:42 [Inaudible]
01:47 Josh, Coach Banks talked earlier this week about him believing
01:51 that James can be more versatile moving forward
01:53 and working the next couple of months to do so.
01:56 Was today a good example of that?
01:58 And what's the next steps for James going into the offseason?
02:01 Yeah, James got a great football future in front of him.
02:04 He's a great player right now,
02:05 but I really believe he's got a chance to be extremely special.
02:10 And, you know, for him, just continuing to grow
02:14 in his understanding and football IQ as we continue to move him around
02:19 and put him in positions to win is going to be extremely important
02:23 as we go through this offseason.
02:26 He's dynamic, you know, he's got multiple moves to affect the quarterback,
02:30 but there's still growth in some of those fundamentals
02:34 and can continue to grow in, you know, how he defends the run.
02:38 And he's doing that well, but there's still some growth there.
02:42 And I say all of that.
02:43 He's a dynamic playmaker for us,
02:45 but he's got a really rare and bright future in front of him.
02:53 Josh, can you take us through the process of naming Niko's starter
02:57 and Joe's situation for us?
02:59 Because the timing was kind of weird.
03:02 Why was the timing weird?
03:04 Just because it was Wednesday and the bowl game was coming up.
03:09 Wednesday, I'm not following that timeline.
03:13 No, Joe's announcement to go to the NFL was Wednesday, I believe.
03:18 When we got down here?
03:19 Yeah.
03:20 Yeah.
03:21 You know, you end up making final decisions over the course of, you know,
03:25 the holidays for us.
03:26 We got a few days off there, and that's how it was put out publicly.
03:33 And, Niko, for you, how was Joe's help with you in preparation?
03:38 Joe's helping me has been great, man.
03:40 You know, he's been with me this whole season,
03:43 the whole way in this bowl game.
03:44 And, yeah, man, I really can't ask for much from Joe.
03:48 You know, he answers every question, and I really appreciate him.
03:53 Josh, I know you already knew what you had in Niko.
03:56 You'd seen him in practice a lot more than we had.
03:58 But seeing him in a full game perform like that,
04:01 how does that impact your outlook in the offseason
04:04 of what you guys can do with him offensively?
04:06 I believe he's going to be a great dynamic playmaker and know that.
04:13 I thought he handled himself really composed all day long.
04:19 Subtle things of, you know, breaking the huddle,
04:23 communication inside of the huddle, controlling the run game.
04:25 His eyes were in the right place.
04:27 Great to see a young guy go out and perform in that way
04:32 in his first career start.
04:34 There's a lot of things that Niko can continue to grow
04:37 and will continue to grow in.
04:40 You know, the challenge early in the football game was the talent of the guys
04:44 playing at a really high level around him, too.
04:46 I didn't think we played as well as we were capable at times around him.
04:49 But we got great confidence in him and in that quarterback room.
04:54 We got great confidence in our young players.
04:57 A lot of guys got an opportunity to play, you know,
05:00 a lot more football today than they had.
05:02 And a lot of them played extremely well, but it also showed some things
05:06 where, you know, they got an opportunity to grow
05:08 and how those things impact how the game unfolds.
05:11 And, you know, I'm really excited about, you know, who's in that locker room,
05:16 who's coming back, and where we have an opportunity to go in '24.
05:21 [Inaudible]
05:24 David Paschal from Chattanooga.
05:25 James, when you think about some of the quarterbacks you faced with Milrow,
05:28 Brady Cook, some of the elusiveness that they have, it seemed like today
05:32 you were just able to tee off and their quarterback wasn't quite as mobile.
05:37 How much did you all kind of sense that coming in, and how much fun was that,
05:41 you know, just getting to the quarterback as many times as you did today?
05:45 It's always a lot of fun to get to the quarterback,
05:47 but he back there I got a job to do.
05:49 I got to beat the man up front and get to the quarterback somehow.
05:53 It's a lot of fun for me when he gets to the quarterback, too.
05:59 Christian Parosha, New Era Prep.
06:00 Nico, to piggyback off of what Coach said,
06:03 you haven't played a full 60-minute game of football in a little bit.
06:07 How did it feel being able to go back out there and compete today?
06:10 It felt great, man, finally to, you know, play a whole game.
06:14 I haven't done that in a while, so it felt good to get back out there
06:17 and, you know, get my feet wet.
06:19 But, yeah, man, I'm just proud of the guys and how they played.
06:21 The defense played a tremendous game, and all line did good.
06:26 Receivers did good, and I still think there's a lot of room for us to get better.
06:31 Hi, Josh.
06:32 Alex Walker with Channel 9 in Orlando.
06:34 You've won a lot of games in this city.
06:36 To come back to Orlando and lead Tennessee to a win here,
06:39 does that have added importance, a place that means so much to you and your family?
06:43 Yes, it does mean a lot to come back to this city.
06:47 After being gone for three years, we've absolutely loved calling the city of Orlando home.
06:53 So many relationships inside of, you know, that athletic and university administration,
06:59 the student athletes, and then people in the community that have helped, you know,
07:04 us on our journey together and got an opportunity.
07:08 I've said it multiple times, but to see a lot of our former players,
07:11 it does mean something to come back into a place that you called home
07:15 and you want to perform well and you want to win.
07:17 And, you know, I'm extremely proud of our staff and this entire football program
07:22 for the way that they handled the entire month and to come out
07:25 and perform the way they did today.
07:29 Nico, at what point in the year did the red shirt conversation kind of start for you
07:33 and kind of what was your reaction to that kind of being your path for year one?
07:38 You're talking to me?
07:39 Yeah, I'm sorry, Nico, yeah.
07:41 Yeah, I never really had a red shirt in my mind.
07:47 I really just, you know, I really wanted to learn this whole year behind you,
07:50 you know, get a year of experience just learning under my belt.
07:54 But, yeah, no, a red shirt really never crossed my mind.
07:58 End of the day, for the quarterbacks and the guys at every position, you know,
08:03 you don't have a--like, listen, you are strictly going to red shirt
08:08 and won't play in anything other than the four games
08:12 until you're on the very end of the season because of, you know,
08:15 the way the game unfolds and the injuries that take place.
08:18 And, you know, Nico has been one play away the entire season
08:21 from having to carry the load the rest of the way home, you know.
08:24 And you just continue to fight and grow as a competitor.
08:29 I'm really pleased and proud of the way that he has handled his preparation
08:34 every single week, and I think he's gotten better throughout the course
08:37 of the season in understanding the urgency in that preparation.
08:40 That's a huge part of the reason he went out and played the way he did today.
08:45 Philip Rossman, the Associated Press.
08:47 James, knowing that you're entering a game where both defenses are kind of the
08:53 calling card for both teams, knowing that it could be kind of a slog
08:57 for both offenses, how much focus does that put on you to do your job
09:02 as a defender, as a defense, and how much kind of relief did that interception
09:07 give to kind of open the floodgates a little bit for you guys?
09:11 Can you repeat that question one more time?
09:13 Yeah, yeah.
09:14 These two teams both have really strong defenses.
09:16 We were kind of expecting a low score and kind of a slog game offensively.
09:20 How much do you kind of take on that challenge to help set the offense up,
09:24 to help them score, and then how much did that interception kind of open
09:28 the floodgates for you guys?
09:30 We always want to dominate, come out and dominate at a really high level,
09:33 no matter who we play.
09:35 Just knowing that we play a tough defense, I guess the bigger defense win,
09:40 the best defense win.
09:41 But, yeah.
09:47 Nico, you looked very calm out there today.
09:51 How excited are you for next season after you get a full offseason to develop
09:55 with the offense, and what can fans expect?
09:58 Really excited, man.
10:00 You know, we built a great team around us, great coaching staff,
10:04 and I really think the sky's the limit for this team.
10:07 It's on us to go out there and get it done.
10:14 Nico, from an individual perspective,
10:16 what do you really want to work on this offseason?
10:18 What are kind of the things at the top of your mind right now as you enter the
10:21 offseason and work towards next year?
10:24 Right now, I have not thought about that yet.
10:27 I really just been soaking up this dev we just got.
10:30 But, you know, there's a lot of stuff I want to work on.
10:33 Not at the top of my head right now.
10:34 I'm still thinking about the win we just had.
10:43 Yeah, this is for Coach Hypel and for Nico.
10:46 Coach, I think you had two offensive penalties on the first series,
10:50 and you didn't have any the rest of the game.
10:52 How impressed were you with Nico's operation command
10:55 and how efficient you guys were offensively in terms of self-inflicted wounds?
11:00 Yeah, the first two weren't him either.
11:03 We didn't start off the way that we needed to.
11:05 I thought he came out and started really fast, decision-making,
11:08 controlling everything.
11:10 Was really excited about how he performed early.
11:14 Early in the football game, offensively, special teams,
11:17 there's a couple things that we didn't do the way that we need to.
11:20 We've got to be able to start faster in that one.
11:22 I do like the way that we responded and played clean football, really,
11:26 the rest of the way home.
11:27 Proud of the guys for that.
11:31 Josh, what can you say about Tyree West and that front seven,
11:35 which includes a lot of guys coming back for you guys next year?
11:37 Dude, we've got a lot of guys coming back that have played a lot of football.
11:42 We've rotated a bunch of guys.
11:44 They've all had days where they were extremely violent, disruptive,
11:47 got to the quarterback, played the run game extremely well.
11:51 That group's got a chance.
11:53 If they do it the right way this offseason, fundamentally,
11:56 continuing to change their bodies, football IQ,
11:59 understanding of the game to be a game-changing unit.
12:04 And we need that from them.
12:06 We need that from this guy right here to my left.
12:11 Nico, back here.
12:12 I saw you hugging your dad and your mom and your family after the game.
12:15 How special was it to have such a large amount of your family in the stands
12:19 watching you make your first start today?
12:21 Yes, ma'am.
12:22 It was a very special moment for me and my family.
12:25 You know, it's their first time having, you know, their son or, you know,
12:30 me play at this college elite level.
12:32 So, I think, you know, they were just proud to see me go out there and play.
12:39 Nico, I don't know if you saw, but during the game,
12:41 Hendenhoeker tweeted, "Eight is the chosen one."
12:44 What does it mean to have the support of guys who came before you that means
12:47 so much to the program?
12:48 I'm sorry, I didn't hear the beginning.
12:49 Hendenhoeker tweeted, "Eight is the chosen one" during the game.
12:52 Yeah.
12:53 What does it mean to you to have that kind of support from the guys
12:55 that came before you?
12:56 Huge, man.
12:57 I think, you know, Henden and Joe just, you know, when I first got here,
13:00 they welcomed me with open arms, man.
13:02 And, you know, it feels great to get love from, you know, guys like that,
13:06 guys that, you know, set this, you know,
13:09 this university at the standard it is right now.
13:11 You know, I'm really appreciative of those guys.
13:19 A couple big interceptions today.
13:21 Coach, can you talk us about that first one that kept him off the board early?
13:24 Yeah.
13:25 And then, James, can you take us through your pick six?
13:27 Yeah, special teams, you know, we don't field the punt.
13:31 We get backed up.
13:32 We have a couple of penalties.
13:33 We end up miss hitting the ball on the rugby right.
13:37 They got short field.
13:39 Great play by Dre undercutting it in the backside, extension, hands.
13:45 Great to see him go perform the way that he did.
13:48 But that was a huge play
13:50 and changed the dynamics of the game early in the football game and huge play.
13:55 And what was the other question?
13:58 Yeah, that wasn't bad, was it?
14:01 Let me tell you, great job, understand the formation, where, you know,
14:06 the bodies are at, what type of release he's getting, ability to take his eyes,
14:10 undercut the route, and athletic enough to go make a play.
14:15 You know, he's on the jugs a couple times a week just to make sure that you're
14:17 ready for that opportunity.
14:19 You know what I mean?
14:20 You might have asked why at one point in your career, but it's for that moment.
14:24 And nothing looks better than seeing a big man like him run down the sidelines.
14:31 Nico, this is a huge stage today, New Year's Day, bowl game, your first start,
14:37 national TV.
14:38 How did you remain as poised as you were out there?
14:41 I just took it as every other game.
14:44 You know, we knew we had a job to do.
14:47 No nervousness or anything going into the game when you, you know,
14:50 prepare like our QB room does.
14:52 So, I felt like we were just real prepared and, you know, it was just time to go,
14:55 let it go.
15:00 Nico, you spoke earlier that Joe Milton's like an open book for you.
15:04 You're able to ask him anything.
15:06 What was the biggest thing that you learned from him throughout this process?
15:10 You know, just me learning from Joe, I think I learned how to be a pro, you know,
15:16 how to approach every day, you know, with the same mentality.
15:21 Going into practice, you know, just in high school I feel like, you know,
15:25 practice is way different than college football.
15:27 So, you know, he taught me how to practice.
15:29 He taught me what the mindset going into practice should be.
15:32 And, yeah, so much more other things, man, I could go on and on.
15:41 James, I know you guys wanted to finish this season off the right way,
15:43 but do you think a win here with the way you two played in particular can kind of
15:47 spring the team forward for the 2024 season?
15:51 Winning is always important to the future and like what's here now today.
15:55 So, yes, I do think so.
16:08 Coach, yesterday you had mentioned there were some elements of the season that
16:12 didn't go as well as you would have liked and you come out today.
16:14 Outcomes, yeah.
16:15 Yeah, you know, you come out today, deliver a big win against a conference runner
16:21 up, what kind of a statement does that make for the program?
16:24 It's the finish to a '23 season, it's the kickoff to '24.
16:29 I think it speaks to the culture that we have inside of our building,
16:34 our locker room.
16:35 It speaks to the type of competitors that we have that, you know,
16:38 buckle their chin straps and wear a power T on the side of their helmet.
16:41 You look at all the young guys that got, you know,
16:45 so many meaningful snaps today.
16:47 I think it speaks to the future being extremely bright.
16:50 There's a lot of things that we're going to need to reset and grow from
16:53 when they come back in January.
16:55 Every season, you know, starts over.
16:57 But it's a group that I love being around.
17:00 And if we can continue to be great teammates that care about the people around us
17:04 more than we care about, you know, ourselves, if we can pour into each other,
17:08 compete extremely hard every single day while having as much fun as we possibly
17:12 can, you know, the future is extremely bright.
17:16 And, you know, the challenge is great.
17:18 The standard is to win championships at Tennessee.
17:20 Nobody shies away from that.
17:22 We've got to continue to grow to put ourselves in a position to go do that.
17:29 Nico, do you have any quarterbacks that you model your game after
17:32 or any role models?
17:34 And then I also want to know why you chose Tennessee.
17:37 Yeah, I watched, you know, a lot of guys trying to take, you know,
17:40 a piece of their game and add it to mine.
17:42 Some of the main guys are like, you know, I watch Joe Mullen every day.
17:46 You know, just his pocket presence and the way he's able to deliver the ball
17:51 from, you know, anywhere and, you know, he has a cannon.
17:53 So, just learning from his game.
17:55 I take a lot from Bryce Young and, you know, Lamar Jackson, their game, too.
17:59 So, I think it's just a mix, Josh Allen.
18:02 And, you know, the reason I chose this university, man, is, you know, first of all,
18:06 I think the whole coaching staff is, you know, one of the top coaching staffs
18:10 in the nation.
18:12 You know, they really welcomed me with open arms.
18:14 I felt like I was at home every time I took a visit.
18:17 And I just really--I never felt no fake love, man.
18:20 I really felt like they were real to me from day one.
18:24 And, yeah, you know, other than that, I think just the fans.
18:27 I love the fans, the coach here.
18:30 And, yeah, that's pretty much why I chose it.
18:33 I'm going to have to get them to start watching my film in the offseason, too.
18:36 [Laughter]
18:37 I always say, "Oh, Coach, it's old clique."
18:39 You know, they got--it's kind of like black because they ain't got that--
18:42 [Laughter]
18:43 Black and white.
18:44 They ain't got the black and white film up, man.
18:45 [Laughter]
18:48 Appreciate you guys.
18:49 Thank you all.