Sooners' defensive lineman David Stone speaks to the media on March 6, 2024.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:03 >> What's going on, man?
00:05 >> Nothing much, just chilling.
00:06 >> Starting to feel a little real?
00:07 You've talked about it for so long about getting here officially, but
00:11 now that the calendar turns, ready to get on the field?
00:15 >> Yeah, definitely, it's been a great experience so far.
00:18 I've been loving every moment of it.
00:21 Every day I'm taking it as it comes, day by day, moment by moment.
00:24 Not looking too far into the future, just keeping my head low and working.
00:29 >> Does it kind of help that you're going through this with a bunch of other guys?
00:32 It's not just new for you, and especially on the defensive line where there's
00:36 extremely high expectations for that group.
00:39 >> Yeah, man, especially on the D line, Jaden Jackson's here, that's my guy.
00:42 So we always take care of each other whenever it comes to off the field things,
00:47 even on the field.
00:49 Try to look out for each other when it comes to watching film extra,
00:52 studying the playbook, whatever that you're coming down to.
00:56 So it definitely have a way of working.
01:01 We have a little support system that everyone looks out for each other, and
01:04 I'm very grateful to have that around me.
01:06 >> David Brent said during his part of the press conference that he felt like you
01:10 guys had a chance on that defensive line to really bring it.
01:13 With the experience you've got, the motors, what's your expectation of just
01:18 what the young guys especially could do on the defensive line this year?
01:23 >> Well, coming in, we just wanna drive each other to be the best version of
01:26 ourselves.
01:27 Me and Jaden, we're very good competitors and we're gonna always compete.
01:31 And it also challenges our upper classmen to help us be better.
01:37 When it comes to learning the playbook, they also spend time with us.
01:40 So everyone's gonna come with their best game.
01:43 Everyone's gonna come at the players just off the challenges of having the younger
01:48 guys around, especially like myself, I'm one who always asks questions.
01:51 I tend to ask questions a lot and the older guys always answers to the best of
01:55 their ability, best of their ability.
01:57 And coach always makes sure that we're all on our P's and
02:01 Q's when it comes to the playbook.
02:04 >> You guys lost Jacob Lacey, obviously, he had to medically retire.
02:08 But I'm sure you got to be around him a little bit.
02:10 What has he been like?
02:12 And have you tried to glean some stuff from him even as he's had to
02:15 physically step away from the game?
02:17 >> Lacey was someone, when I came in, I'd watch everything that he'd do.
02:21 Cuz he's such a great leader, he leads by example and by his voice.
02:26 That's something I really took, I'd say I took acceptance to,
02:32 especially coming in, I didn't have no one to,
02:36 I really I didn't know much of the D line.
02:39 Cuz most of the guys that were putting me did lead.
02:41 And so there was a few familiar faces and he was definitely one of them.
02:45 And just the way he approaches the game every day is so consistent.
02:50 And he's such a great leader.
02:52 And the guys that are still here, John Terry, Ashton Sanders,
02:56 those guys right there, they also contribute and lead in a way that is needed.
03:02 And I very appreciate them too.
03:03 >> Talking about you and Jaden inside, how about those guys on the outside,
03:08 getting to play with them in this group with Danny and Wyatt and Nigel?
03:12 >> Yeah, man, those guys, they work their butts off every day.
03:15 And it's something that you can only take notice of.
03:19 They're working hard, pushing the beauty records of themselves.
03:22 And Danny, man, his get off is crazy.
03:24 Just seeing it, it's something that's truly special.
03:28 He's definitely gonna be a special kid one day.
03:30 So it's just good having those guys around me cuz they're only gonna make us better.
03:34 I need mine.
03:35 We're gonna be a very good unit this year.
03:37 We're gonna be very team oriented.
03:40 So we're definitely gonna do our part on the field and
03:45 do what's best for us to become a better unit.
03:48 >> I'm sure a lot of people have seen the film, but
03:50 from your own perspective, what do you provide to this D-line room?
03:52 >> Myself, man, all I can say is I'm a competitor.
03:58 I'm gonna do my best to compete.
04:00 I love winning.
04:01 So I'm just trying to win any opportunity I have that's in front of me.
04:06 And so Coach Bates, he's gonna do everything he can to put me in the best
04:10 position to win.
04:11 And we're gonna just do our job to start to lead our 111th.
04:17 My 111th, and hopefully the accolades come.
04:21 >> Expectations have kind of always followed you,
04:25 whether it be high school camps or going to IMG.
04:28 How do you deal with it now?
04:29 Is it different now that a lot more eyeballs are on you, and
04:33 just in terms of immediate production next year for this defensive line?
04:36 >> I take it as it comes.
04:40 I've been used to the pressure.
04:41 It's been on me my whole life.
04:43 So I'm just ready for it.
04:45 I'm ready for the next level of football.
04:47 I've yet to put pads on, but
04:52 I definitely feel like I'm ready for this experience.
04:55 Every day, the work feels different for my body.
04:58 It feels challenging, and I love the feeling.
05:01 And so I just can't wait to the moment of the first game where I can just put
05:06 the helmet on, and the sounds, they just disappear.
05:10 It's just me, football.
05:12 I can't wait for the moment.
05:13 >> How exciting is it, you've been a familiar face around here, obviously,
05:16 coming to camps and stuff.
05:17 But just being able to get on the field with Danny and some of those linebackers
05:20 that I'm sure you already have a pretty good relationship with.
05:23 Is it exciting that the time has finally come?
05:26 >> Yeah, man, those guys, they're leaders.
05:28 And they definitely have a great work ethic.
05:32 And just seeing it and being able to feed off the energy they provide to the team,
05:37 it's definitely gonna make our defense a lot better unit.
05:40 And I'll just love being around the guys,
05:41 cuz we all wanna work hard and all push each other to be the best we can be.
05:44 So as we just go forward, it's just making sure that we can do our job.
05:51 >> How much are you gonna soak in from those old guys, Danny and Billy, Woody,
05:55 Ethan, just all those guys who down the road, that'll be yourself, obviously,
06:00 as kind of the leaders of the defense, the older vets down the road.
06:03 >> Yeah, man, just seeing those guys now, it's definitely a surreal experience.
06:08 Cuz I was watching them on TV a couple months ago, but
06:12 now I'm in the room working with them.
06:14 And we definitely have that relationship that's necessary for
06:16 us to be a brotherhood.
06:18 And just seeing those guys work, man, it's different.
06:20 I rarely see them get tired, if they ever do.
06:24 So, man, it's just like they're soldiers on the field.
06:27 And I just love being able to see this and experience it.
06:30 And hopefully I can get to the same level as them one day.
06:33 >> You mentioned Coach Bates, from him recruiting you to now being your actual
06:36 coach, what's your relationship like with him?
06:40 >> Man, it's been the same.
06:43 It's actually been better.
06:44 I can be honest.
06:46 Man, just the experiences that I have now that I'm able to be closer with him.
06:52 We don't have the restrictions of exclusively recruiting rules or
06:57 anything like that.
06:57 And so now it's just being able to truly be a family and
07:01 have the D line around us.
07:04 We're all able to coexist as a family, learn together, work together.
07:08 And it's just been definitely a great experience overall.
07:11 >> You're several months out before you guys play a game.
07:15 Do you feel the pressure that people expect,
07:18 expectations of you in the defensive line as far as this season?
07:21 Do you feel that?
07:22 >> I mean, I definitely hear it.
07:25 But I mean, the pressure, I really,
07:28 I've never been able to feel no amount of pressure that's been on me.
07:31 I always feel that as the moment comes, I'm gonna do my job, my best,
07:35 the best of my ability.
07:37 And whether that be the expectation that someone puts on me or
07:43 the expectation of myself, my expectations for
07:46 myself are always no higher than what people put out there.
07:49 So I'm always just trying to be my best version of myself that I know that I'm
07:53 capable of being, and that's what I'm trying to be.
07:56 >> What do you expect the spring to be the first time you guys put some pads on and
08:00 kind of actually play football, not everything, 15 workouts.
08:03 What are your expectations for spring?
08:05 >> Man, the expectations for this spring is just to get better.
08:11 I'm going into my first season of football, and I don't know what to really expect.
08:15 This is gonna be an experience for me to gain.
08:19 It's gonna be a whole new level of football that's at hand, and
08:23 I just gotta come, take it day by day, moment by moment, play by play.
08:28 And hopefully, everything pans out the way it's supposed to.
08:33 >> What's the transition been like for you?
08:34 I mean, this whole thing, not just the football, but college and
08:38 moving to the dorms or heading to the ball, whatever.
08:40 What's that been like?
08:42 >> Definitely been a great experience, especially with academics.
08:45 I've been able to handle my business and stand for my grades, A's and B's.
08:51 I'm not a C type of student, and student athlete is something that
08:55 the coaches preach a lot about, being a student athlete, handling my grades.
08:59 And I work outside of football, and that comes first.
09:02 So before I can hit the field, I gotta make sure my academics is squared away.
09:06 And that's something that I truly take from Coach B's mouth.
09:11 He says, graduation is the number one goal of the program at OU.
09:14 And that's something that I'm gonna truly put my full focus into,
09:17 and making sure that I graduate with a good degree.