Texas Longhorns Athletics - Tracking the Longhorns: First Day in Full Pads
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Tracking the Longhorns: First Day in Full Pads
The Texas football team completed its first practice in full pads with a two-hour workout Tuesday evening at Frank Denius Fields.
Following the practice, head coach Charlie Strong and several players met with the media. Below are quotes.
Head Coach Charlie Strong
Opening Statement: It was the first day of full pads. It was a little sluggish. You'd like to see our guys just come out with a better attitude. I tell them that you are going to come out here and work so you'd might as well just put it in. It's all mental collapses. We start off good early then when we get late, we just can't have the mental errors that we've had on offense and defense. But you know, its day five and it's always about just getting better and we just have to come out here every day with the right frame of mind. We just can't waste practices.
On freshman LB Cecil Cherry:
I always say this. When a young man comes into our program, I always tell our upperclassmen that in order for a freshman to play, you just don't go out and practice hard or just lose your responsibility and the position. We always want guys to stay here but it's also this – whatever you get in this program, you're going to work for it. I've talked to Cecil and have talked to his father.
On freshman RB Duke Catalon:
I have spoken to Duke.
On if he is surprised with transfers: We have a lot of guys in this program and let's focus on the guys we have here right now. You have players like Duke [Thomas] and guys like [Johnathan Gray]. You have seniors in this program that want to have a good year. Let's focus on that.
On missing players:
Naashon [Hughes] is at the dentist right now. I think he's getting a root canal done. [Derick] Roberson had some work that he needed to do academically. DeShon [Elliott] is going to get checked tomorrow. He has a sprained toe and we'll look at it tomorrow. He'll get an MRI. [Caleb] Bluiett also has some work to do.
On senior LB Peter Jinkens:
You just like Pete's leadership on defense. If you look at our defense, it has to start with our seniors. You are looking at Peter. You're looking at [Desmond] Tank [Jackson] and those guys are practicing hard. They are doing a great job of just trying to be leaders and stepping up to do everything that we ask.
On urgency of seniors:
Usually when a young man gets to his senior year, there's a different sense of urgency and that's what's happening now. You see it happening and you see it coming.
On freshman OL Connor Williams:
Connor, he is so mature. He just works and doesn't say much. Everything you ask him to do, he does. He's very technique sound. I was just telling [Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach] Joe [Wickline] and told his parents that he's going to be a really good player.
On freshmen that can be leaders:
It's just so hard because they haven't played and we haven't seen them in a game situation. You have a lot of freshmen that are competing and you like their competitive edge.
On which side of the ball is more ahead:
It's probably evenly matched. You come out here and some days the offense does well and some days the defense does well. It's hard to tell who's ahead of the other.
On wide receivers having a better day catching:
They did but we missed some big catches. We just can't have those drops. You talk about keeping the offense going and you like to see it where you just continue to move the ball down the field, when you have a drop, it just stops what we are trying to get done.
On freshman QB Kai Locksley:
He's still learning. He releases the ball well. He just did a great job a few minutes ago driving it down the field.
On standouts at running back behind Johnathan Gray:
D'Onta Foreman is doing a really good job. You also look at the freshmen that are doing really well. [Chris] Warren is doing really well. [Kirk] Johnson is doing really well. Those guys are backs that are learning and will continue to learn.
On if it was a wasted practice:
I don't think it was wasted. You would just like to see more. With them putting on pads and sometimes there's a mental collapse because of the heat. We still have to get the work in.
On leadership of junior QB Tyrone Swoopes:
I tell them that whoever is going to be the quarterback has to win this team. He played a lot last season so you expect that out of him right now. You want to see the leadership and encouraging the players and getting everyone going.
On practicing in 100 degree heat:
They haven't said much about it. They just come out here. When you first start, it's pretty hot. But when we go up top [of the practice fields], there's a little bit of shade. So I let them catch some shade and then I bring them back down and let them catch the heat. They haven't said much about it. What's good is we are still in class so a lot of them have class that they can focus on. Those that aren't in class get to sleep because we meet in the morning and they get to sleep for four or five hours so those guys probably feel good about it.
On senior WR Daje Johnson:
You just would like to see more consistency from Daje. He's doing everything we ask but just making plays. He's so explosive but you don't always see it. You'd like to see more of it.
On working on the QB option:
If you look at our quarterbacks, they are just so athletic. You would like to see them more involved with the option and you always have the power game. With the quarterbacks, we are very athletic and you'd like to use their athletic ability.
On kicking game:
We have to be money from 40 in. We have to make those kicks.
Senior DE Shiro Davis
On Defensive Coordinator Vance Bedford yelling at everyone when one person messes up:
It's just coach riled up. He expects all of the seniors to get on the younger guys and help them along. Especially with me being here for so long, that just comes with the job. You have to get everybody on board.
On having guys leave the line [regard to moving up to NFL]:
I know those guys will definitely be missed on the team. It's just an opportunity for everybody else to step up and do their part.
On stepping up and making this a big year personally:
Definitely. I definitely don't want anyone to say 'Shiro Davis was a bust'. There's a lot of pressure for me to go out there and give 100 percent.
On being around Defensive Line Coach Brick Haley:
It's different. As y'all know, Coach Haley and I go back all the way to my sophomore year in high school. Being around a guy that I know, it wasn't much of an introduction thing. It was just go out and start working.
On confidence within the freshman class:
From offense to defense, all of them came in ready to work. They're ready to follow and to get to the next level - to win a championship here.
Senior RB Johnathan Gray
On offensive line:
Those guys have been working. They had a great spring and they are coming now. To do what they are doing from the spring to the fall, those guys are working hard. They have great chemistry and have been hitting the playbooks. They are coming out here and showing what they can do.
On if he feels 100%:
I feel great. Coach Strong is putting me in on special teams and on offense. I feel great. My body feels better than ever and I am just ready to go out and help my teammates any way possible.
On freshmen running backs:
Kirk [Johnson], Chris [Warren], and Tristian [Houston] are all impressing me. They are doing a great job. Even Gaston Davis, a walk on, is doing a great job. Those guys are doing a great job of doing a rotation, understanding plays, and knowing what we have to get done this year.
On confidence of junior QB Tyrone Swoopes:
I've been saying that since I first saw him. He's a great player. He works hard and does what he is supposed to do. We never have trouble out of him. He comes out here and shows us what he can do. I feel like he's a great player and can help this team out.
On his expectations:
For me personally, I just want to come out here and help my team by being a well-rounded player, being productive, and producing and helping lead this team to victory.
Senior OL Marcus Hutchins
On adjusting to playing left tackle:
I don't think it was really an adjustment. I came in as an offensive lineman, I switched over to defense, and when I came back I think it just really felt comfortable for me. I really didn't have to adjust to it. The only thing really is picking up the plays, picking up the technique.
On seeing the difference in the offensive line from last year to this year:
The thing with that is we have people that push us. Each day it's a competition. I don't want to give up my spot, and I'm pretty sure nobody else wants to give it up. I'm pretty sure the guys behind us want to take our spot, so all we've got to do is keep going and keep pushing and keep getting better. If we keep doing that it's going to be a heck of a season for us.
On what the offensive line worked on as a unit during the summer:
We bonded a lot. We went out to eat, just got together and chilled at each other's houses. That's pretty much it. We just really bonded working out together and working hard. During the summer we did 7-on-7 in drills, got in the film room, ran plays, taught the freshmen their place. Me, (Taylor) Doyle and Sedrick (Flowers) being the seniors I think helped a lot. It's something we didn't have last year.
On what he's seen in Connor Williams so far:
He's a hard worker. He pushes me; he pushes all of the tackles to get better. When we watch him on film, he gives us the extra energy. It motivates me to just work as hard as he does.
On compliments from Offensive Coordinator Joe Wickline:
He's complimenting us, but of course he's going to be a coach. They're going to compliment us when we do good, and when we do bad they're going to tell us hey let's get it going. Let's pick up the energy. Let's pick up the plays. Let's do what we're supposed to do.
Senior CB Duke Thomas
On the younger secondary guys and who is standing out:
In my opinion, all of those guys. They're looking good. They're all physically ready, and they all want to be interested in the game. They're all learning really fast. We have a really good freshman class.
On Coach Strong's message sent by practices in the high temperatures:
We're definitely trying to be the toughest team out there, the most conditioned team. Being out here in 107 degrees, I don't know if everyone is doing that or not. We don't touch our "Bubble" and that says a lot for us.
On the attitude and identity the team is building:
We're trying to be the toughest team. We're trying to let everybody know. We're trying to make big plays. We're trying to be the hard-nosed team that Texas is known for. We're trying to be "Texas tough". That's what we're trying to do out here.
On his overall thoughts being five days into camp:
It's looking good. Honestly I feel like everybody is picking up things really fast. This summer was really a testament to that - all of the 7-on-7, getting in the film room. Out here guys are learning things a lot faster, and it's been really good for us.
On becoming a vocal leader:
Coach Strong tells me all the time that I've got to grow into that role. I've been trying to take steps into doing that. Like I said, today was definitely one of those days that I had to be a more vocal leader. Guys get tired, and you've got to let them know how to practice. Being a senior, I've been there before. I'm trying to get the guys going.
