Dennis Grosel video press conference
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00:00Hey Dennis, how are you?
00:02Good, how are you?
00:03Good, thanks.
00:04Coach is talking about third down drills and working red zone type stuff.
00:10For you, what's been kind of the takeaway so far through the beginning of camp
00:14when he's talking about just learning the offense, number one,
00:17but then getting into more specific drills that I know you couldn't get into
00:20in the spring as a quarterback?
00:23Yeah, I think the biggest thing is that we've had a lot of time
00:25to really install the offense and put in red zone and third down.
00:28So, we've seen it on paper and on actual film,
00:32but getting out there and getting defense in there is a little different.
00:36I mean, you know the first read could be something in the back of the end zone,
00:39but the way the defense plays it, it could be completely different.
00:43So, I think just getting the defense out there and feeling that out
00:46and knowing that you're not just doing routes on air
00:48or just throwing to your brother in the backyard when you're at home,
00:51it's a little different.
00:54We'll go next to Julian Benbow.
01:02Hey, Zaconja.
01:03How's it going? Good to be back.
01:05Good to see you.
01:08I think, obviously, how do you guys respond to another more rumblings
01:13that may or may not be this season, how do you stay focused?
01:17I mean, I think the underlying message that Coach Hapley has been
01:20is just that, you know, we didn't have much of a spring.
01:23What we have of a fall, in the summer, we've got to take advantage of.
01:27These guys are just really happy to be back
01:29and all are super excited to be playing football again.
01:32Putting the pads on for the first time today was just a good feeling
01:35and, you know, just going forward, just getting better each day
01:38and, you know, whatever happens, happens
01:40and we've just got to be ready to roll whenever it calls.
01:44We'll go next to Trevor.
01:47Hey, Dennis. How you doing?
01:48Not too bad.
01:50So I'm just curious your impressions of Phil
01:52and just what it's like kind of competing against him
01:54and getting to know him over the past few weeks.
01:56Yeah, you know, I was looking forward to getting to know him a lot in the spring
01:59and it didn't really happen, just because of how short it was.
02:04But over the summer, we've been having a lot of extra meeting time
02:09over the spring with Zoom stuff.
02:12You know, spent a lot of time virtually together.
02:14And, you know, these last couple of weeks been getting to know each other.
02:17It's been great. It's been working hard.
02:19He's a great competitor, a great guy to have in the room
02:21and pushes me to get better.
02:23And, you know, I just can't help that I can push him to be better
02:25and, you know, whatever happens, happens.
02:27And, you know, it's just a lot of fun.
02:28It's a lot of fun to compete and a lot of fun to be back.
02:30Can you describe personally just what you did during the quarantine period
02:33just to work on your craft?
02:34You met your brother.
02:35Was that a legitimate example or was that just a figure of speech?
02:37Oh, no, that was a legitimate example.
02:39He had his gloves on, his old cleats from high school
02:43and was running routes in the backyard.
02:45So that was legitimate.
02:47I had some friends and we were able to do the same thing.
02:49So it was a full team effort.
02:50And, you know, I thank them a lot.
02:53But, no, it was tough at first, you know,
02:57obviously a little depressing to be home.
03:00But, you know, once that kind of settled in,
03:03you kind of had a path of what I wanted to do.
03:06Took some time off thrown, but then was able to ramp it up and work out.
03:09And not much changed for me besides not being here.
03:13It was tough being away from the guys, but, you know,
03:16nothing really changed throwing-wise or workout-wise
03:19or anything for me that much.
03:21We'll go next to A.J. Black.
03:24Hey, Dennis, how's it going?
03:25Pretty well.
03:26Good.
03:27Now you had almost a whole season to start last year you were thrown in.
03:31Has that changed how you approach summer camp,
03:33or do you kind of go in with the same approach that you would last year
03:37when you weren't starting?
03:39I'd like to say it was the same approach.
03:41You know, you always got to prepare as you're the starter.
03:44I think this year is a little different with the new offense,
03:47knowing that, you know,
03:49I really got to be on top of everything schematic-wise.
03:52I think last year I had that foundation from years prior.
03:55So this year I think my offseason was a little different in terms of,
03:59you know, learning the offense and getting with Coach Cignetti
04:02and, you know, the other guys to really, you know,
04:04fine-tune everything in preparation for the season.
04:07But in terms of playing, it's a comfort thing.
04:10It's knowing that, you know, I've been in there before
04:12and, you know, the jitters are out, you know,
04:15the whole, you know, fresh start thing is real.
04:18And I got to, you know, when playing it's a big experience thing.
04:24And I think having those games under my belt
04:27are going to be really beneficial down the road.
04:30We'll go next to Andy.
04:32Hey, Dennis.
04:33A lot of guys have been talking about how fun this new offense is to work in.
04:37They also said it's kind of challenging, too,
04:39to kind of get a grasp of that,
04:40and you were just saying that a few seconds ago, too.
04:42So what's been the most challenging aspect of this new offense
04:46that you've had to learn?
04:50I don't know.
04:51I would just say, you know,
04:52figuring out ways to get different guys to ball.
04:55Coach Cignetti has a good way of moving pieces around,
04:58and, you know, it may be, you know,
05:02it's five different guys running, you know, the same route
05:04in five different ways, and that's just a way.
05:07It's almost a little easier on us in terms of, you know, amount of offense,
05:12but I've been, you know, working hard with the receivers and the tight ends
05:16because I think it's harder for them to know where to line up
05:18and know which guys are where,
05:20and that's probably the most difficult thing right now.
05:24We'll take two more questions first with Julian,
05:26and then we'll wrap things up with Dan.
05:32I'm just curious.
05:33A lot of the things last year,
05:35so many players were talking about how much they respected you already
05:37in the locker room, right,
05:38and I thought that was the cool part when you took the reins,
05:41but in a year like this where you haven't been together as much,
05:47you've got a new coaching staff, it's COVID, all kinds of things,
05:50like have you sort of felt more of a – have you had more of a sense to,
05:54like, say, to keep guys together and speak and be vocal
05:56or hit guys up on Zoom or use those things that people value?
06:02Yeah, no doubt, no doubt.
06:03I mean, one of the biggest things you can be is be respected.
06:07And, you know, it was an honor to, you know,
06:09lead them out of the tunnel on Saturdays last year.
06:13And, you know, coming into the locker room in the spring with none of those –
06:16none of those older guys in is a different feeling
06:19and felt a little more personally responsible to, you know, take the lead
06:24and, like you said, with the new coaches and the new offense,
06:26just be, you know, that middle man for Coach Halfley or Coach Cignetti
06:30or whatever they need from me to, you know, get the guys together,
06:33communicate to the guys, just trying to be as open
06:36and as flexible as possible to be there for those guys.
06:40But, no, I'm excited.
06:41And, you know, with the whole COVID thing
06:42and just the fear of the unknown really,
06:45it's more of a mental positivity thing
06:48and just trying to be that guy that guys can talk to
06:50or guys can lean on and just, you know, kind of vibe energy off of
06:54because, you know, sometimes, especially in the summer, days get long.
06:59And, you know, when we're not really sure what's going to lie ahead of us,
07:02the days can be – can drag on.
07:04So that's just kind of who I'm trying to be right now.
07:08And we'll wrap things up for Dennis with Dan Rubin.
07:12Dennis, someone was asking Coach earlier about the – about just the room,
07:15the development of the room itself,
07:17the different quarterbacks that are in there.
07:19You know, you have an interesting take.
07:21You've been around the program, worked with Matt.
07:23And I know Daylon and Sam, you worked with them last year, too,
07:26and bringing in Phil.
07:27Phil, just what does each guy bring into that room?
07:30And just what's it like inside the room working with all those different, you know,
07:34skill sets and different personalities, too?
07:36Yeah, the room's come a long way.
07:38It's definitely seen its fair share of guys in the past couple years.
07:43You know, I've been through it all, seen it all.
07:45And I think this room is really coming together to be something special.
07:48You know, I didn't really have too many older guys when I was a young guy.
07:54So I'm trying to learn that leadership role just within the room itself
07:58and trying to pick it up as it goes and, you know,
08:00taking pieces of what I've had in the past.
08:03Because there was never really that older guy that was there to lead us.
08:07You know, Matt and Phil are great guys to be around, both experienced guys,
08:11both guys that know football really, really well.
08:14So it's good to bounce ideas off of them.
08:17I mean, Matt's a spark plug, always there to, you know,
08:20talk your ear off if you want it or even if you don't want it.
08:23But he's there for that.
08:25Phil's learning his stuff and, you know, a great guy to have around.
08:29Sam and Dale both came in the same year.
08:32So they kind of came in together and we kind of put them as a package deal.
08:36They're really close friends and, you know, just really good guys to have around.
08:40And then even with the new guys, I mean, we have a lot of guys in this room,
08:43but two freshman quarterbacks that are here now
08:46and are trying to soak up as much knowledge as you can.
08:49And I couldn't imagine being tossed into this offense right now
08:52and just feeling so overwhelmed.
08:54But they're doing a great job and they're working hard.
08:57So that's all we can ask from them right now.
09:00Dennis, thank you very much. We appreciate your time.
09:02I appreciate you guys. Good to see you. Take care.