Just, looking at what the defense has been able
to do through three games,
I know you guys talked all off season
about how you thought things were going to
take a step forward.
Has it taken a step forward you expected?
Or you guys surprising yourself at all with how well you play?
Yeah, it's taken a big step.
Really, we're not where we want to be at all right now.
We have to play a lot better, but it's a good starting point,
so I think that our defense is getting better,
and we're just going to continue to get better every week.
Is there anybody who has surprised you
on the defense so far that maybe you weren't expecting
to make the contribution they have?
I mean, it's really surprising to me,
is the whole defense, how well we're playing right now.
Everybody is doing their assignment.
You know, we assign the assignment,
and we're playing, and we're trusting each other,
so, you know, really I say the whole defense as a whole.
Man, everybody is stepping in their role, man,
and we just playing good football right now.
Ball week right now,
but everybody knows what's leading ahead on October 2nd...
Mm-hmm. ...Alabama.
How was practice this morning?
What was the vibe? What was the mood?
So we got after it today.
As a defense, we have to practice a lot better
than we did today, but, you know,
we just trying to focus on getting better right now,
you know, back to the basics, so, you know, it was
a pretty tough practice today, but that's what we need.
Are you focusing on Alabama?
No, we're focusing on ourself right now,
so, you know, we've got to get better first,
and then we'll worry about Alabama.
How is your chemistry playing as a tandem
and linebacker with Chance Campbell?
How has that come along?
It's coming along really well.
Chance Campbell is a great lineback.
He's really smart.
You know, we communicate very well.
Chance is a next-level linebacker, man.
You know, he is legit.
You know, I'm glad that we've got him.
What do you remember about that Alabama game a year ago?
I know you guys had a very difficult time
getting off the field against them.
How much has that sort of stuck in your mind
as something you would like to, you know,
fix before you leave here?
Yeah, I know that we had a really tough time.
I know that our offense could have won the game
if we would have got, or we could have won the game
if the defense got a couple of starts, man.
So I know that it was a defensive loss.
That's how I look at it.
We have to get starts, so you have to stop them.
They're a great team, but we're a great team, too,
so I feel like if we get a lot of stops, and we do our job,
that, you know, it will be a really good game.
I want to go back to the first question you were asked in here.
Do you feel like you guys, as a unit,
that you're gaining an identity?
And if so, you know, what is that identity?
And what goes into gaining an identity on defense?
To me, to have an identity, you would have to be arrived.
I don't think we've arrived yet.
You know, I think we're just starting to really get
in the groove of who we are,
so I feel like we have a lot of work to do,
but, you know, like I said earlier,
it's a really good starting point for our defense, man.
Like, we're playing really good right now,
so we've just got to continue to keep it up.
You guys have had a couple of
pretty good games on third and fourth downs.
Mm-hmm. Just, what is the mentality
that allows you guys to be good on fourth down,
to be good on third down, get off the field
when that was kind of such a struggle last year?
Yeah, well, just trusting the defensive scheme,
our coaches work really hard to put us in really good positions,
so we have to trust what they do.
You know, we have to trust each other as teammates
and, you know, just try to get off the field.
Looking at this maybe as sort of an oddball question,
but, you know, for years and years around here,
we've seen guys throw up this fin
whenever they make a tackle.
We're not seeing that this year.
Was that a conscious effort on the part of the defense,
"Hey, we're just going to play ball and not do that"?
I mean, we really don't think about it,
but, I mean, we talk about it a lot, throwing it up,
so I think we're going to bring it back.
We've got to make a lot of plays, though, to do that,
so I'm not saying we haven't,
but, you know, we've just got to make more plays
so we get the opportunity.
Okay, I asked Jerrion about this,
but just, what was your reaction
to the teamwide Blue Delta sponsorship?
How cool was that for you?
And what is it like playing in an NIL area
when you guys have those types of opportunity?
It's really awesome, you know, because we're able to, you know,
invest ourself in order to get,
you know, deals and everything to make money off the field,
so it's really, like -- I really like that.
It's really impressive, so I feel like,
you know, you've got a chance to build your brand
before you get ready to go to the next level
or, you know, build your brand while you're here,
so it's a great opportunity.
It really is.
Is it something you've personally sought out at all?
Or has anyone reached out to you?
Or are you just more focused on the field stuff right now?
Yeah, I had some people reach out,
but I'm more focused on the field right now.
Like, I've got enough to worry about, so I ain't, you know --
Not judging those who do, but I just don't --
You know, I'm not getting into all that.