UVA DB Darrius Bratton previews Richmond
Defensive back Darrius Bratton previews the Virginia football season-opener against Richmond.
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00:00You have a pretty good sense of how you guys are going to play in an opener, or
00:03are they a little wild, unpredictable?
00:07What's been your experience?
00:09Yeah, just a little wild.
00:11You never know what offense is really going to predict during the game,
00:16especially with this offensive coordinator and bringing some guys over with him.
00:21So we just go out and prepare with Coach Rudd and
00:26prepare as best as possible with our defensive staff and just get ready to play
00:30the game at the best of our ability and adapt and go as we go.
00:37Can you guys feel in the locker room a build toward this first one,
00:41and it being Coach Elliott's debut, a long off season of transition,
00:45can you guys feel the build up?
00:46Yeah, the build up is real important for us.
00:49We feel the build up and excitement for our defense and for the whole team.
00:54And it's just very exciting for our team and
00:57we're just ready to go out to play the first game.
01:00There is kind of going off of that, this is the first for Tony Elliott, but
01:03this is kind of the beginning of the end for you and
01:05guys like Brandon this last year out of a lot of years.
01:09What is it like though to kind of set maybe the tone and
01:12the standard for what Tony Elliott's era is gonna be like here at UVA?
01:16You know, this is related to what Brandon said a little bit earlier,
01:19this going out and winning the first game.
01:21You know, just setting that foundation and setting that tone.
01:24Just really setting the tone for
01:27the years ahead for openers for UVA football.
01:32So just going out and playing confident with our team.
01:37During your career here at Virginia,
01:39you played so many different roles in the secondary.
01:41You moved to the field safety position now.
01:44How comfortable are you in there after several months now?
01:47And also, how comfortable is the secondary playing three safeties?
01:49Do you guys feel like you've made a lot of drastic improvement there?
01:52Yeah, most definitely.
01:53We've made a lot of changes in the secondary.
01:58And I played some back in 2018, a Bilbo year.
02:03I played some behind Brenton and Nelson.
02:07So I'm kind of familiar with that role and just accepting the role that I'm in and
02:13all the roles that I'm in.
02:14Just going out and playing confident and being there for my teammates.
02:20I'm gonna ask you to go way back in your memory.
02:21I talked to Chris Peace and
02:22Quinn Blanding about your freshman year getting ready for
02:26William & Mary the year after they lost to Richmond.
02:29And both of them were talking about how jacked up like the veterans were to make
02:33sure practice was tight and sharp.
02:36And that nobody was overlooking William & Mary because they had lost to Richmond.
02:40What do you remember, if anything, about that week and
02:42particularly about some of the veteran guys, how they maybe led through that week?
02:46Yeah, just leading by example and leading vocally.
02:50They just wanted to set the example that there's no team that we should put behind
02:55us and we should treat every team like they're the best team that we're gonna
02:59play that year.
02:59So the next game is always an important game.
03:03That's what our coaches always say, the next game is the most important.
03:06So we're gonna go out there and give it our best every game.
03:09Do you try to share that kind of message with the younger guy now that you're
03:12the older guy?
03:13Of course, we try to relate that game.
03:15But every game is important to us.
03:17And we just gotta go out there and lead by example and lead by our voices as well.
03:23Coach Rod, it's called your position on the field,
03:26one of the key spots because you're asked to do so many different things.
03:29What makes the spot difficult in your opinion?
03:32And how do you prepare to play against the run, play pass coverage,
03:35rush the pass, sir?
03:37I just think just being confident in my, just being confident in the play call.
03:42And Coach Rush and the coaching staff have put me in the right positions to make
03:46the plays.
03:46And also film study, just being in there with the coaches and my players and
03:50being comfortable in the back end.
03:52So we won't have any miscues or any problems back end,
03:55especially being the boss with Nick Jackson makes it a lot easier.
03:59He's very vocal and we get the job done in the back end.
04:04You got a lot of guys back from a defense that did not rank
04:09well statistically in the ACC last year.
04:11Do you think the group feels it has something to prove this year,
04:14particularly under a new coordinator?
04:16Yeah, we got a chip on our shoulder big time.
04:19And we got something that we wanna prove.
04:22And we just wanna go out there and play together and
04:25play confident with each other.
04:27But at the end of the day, we know where we stand and
04:30we still wanna go out there and be a good defense, which we know we can do.
04:35Jonas was hurt in the beginning of the fall camp, but
04:38now at the depth chart, he's listed as number one.
04:42What have you seen from his development?
04:43How much has he grown?
04:44Yeah, he's grown so much.
04:45Jonas is a great player.
04:46He's big, fast, physical, he's smart.
04:50He's really a good player, and his film study, his instincts on the field,
04:56he grew a lot with him.
04:57And so I'm just happy to see him on the field.
04:59If I can ask you one on Richmond,
05:05their quarterback and receiver, particularly Harris, he's like 6'4".
05:10What do you see with those two transfer incoming players that stands out to you?
05:14Yeah, they're really good players, and we're just excited to play against them.
05:20And hopefully it's gonna be a really good game, and
05:24we're just really excited for them to be on the field.
05:30What have you seen from the crowd here at UVA in your years?
05:34Do you feel like it's getting stronger, and
05:36what do you want to see it be before you leave?
05:39Yeah, I feel like this energy that Coach E's bringing in,
05:44all the players that's coming back is bringing a good community and
05:48football experience for all the players.
05:51And I feel like it's grown as I've been here, and
05:54it's continuing to grow as I leave, so.
05:58Coach Elliott emphasized wanting you guys to have some fun,
06:02enjoy this experience, but obviously it's also his job to get you ready to win.
06:07What kind of energy or vibe has he had this week as he's getting ready for
06:11his first game?
06:12And has he changed at all from spring and camped it?
06:15Do you see any kind of, I don't know, gearing up for the first game comes from him?
06:20No, not too much.
06:20It's really just preparing us just to go out to play a game, and
06:25just really just going out and competing to our best ability.
06:29And just going out there to win.
06:32We get to go, not to go against the offense, and we get to go out there and
06:36have fun, and play with passion, and be confident in our play.
06:40So this is a fun, just go out there and have fun like we was when we was kids.
06:46Going off Mike's question about the fans, in the spring,
06:48y'all got to do the Wahoo Walk for the first time since you've been here.
06:51What do you remember about that experience?
06:53And kind of are you excited that it's back this year?
06:55Yeah, definitely excited to see the Wahoo Walk and all the fans come out and
06:59supporting us, and just shaking the fans' hands, and family members,
07:05and giving the fans hugs, so it's a great experience, and I can't wait.
07:10Do you reach a point every August where you're just tired of going against
07:15your own offense, and saying that, and
07:18basically doing the same thing as opposed to game prep?
07:21Yeah, just going against the offense, just being repetitive, and
07:27just going against them every day.
07:29But iron sharp as orange, you never can waste a day with our receivers and
07:36throwing the ball, so it's a great experience, it's a great rep.
07:40So we cherish them reps.