To be honest with you,
I thought they they rallied and
they practiced pretty doggone good.
So I was, I was very pleased with that.
They were able to focus and I
know their hearts are heavy
right now because a lot of them
are still thinking about Brian.
But again, as I said, you know it,
it, it, we're very fortunate.
He's very fortunate and and a
lot of the news is positive.
Coach, just describe, I know
you were saying when you got
that phone call, but just that
from the emotions, that phone call
to then getting in the car to
then going to see Brian, you're,
if you can take us to that timeline.
Well, it was, it was interesting,
got the phone call, I think somewhere
around 6:00 o'clock I think it was.
I actually popped into coach Jordan's
office and irony of all ironies,
we were actually watching
some Brian Robinson tape.
And so when it hit us, you know,
and and and I told coach Jordan
right away and he took it really
hard initially and you know,
he just said he's OK and I said, well,
for the most part, it sounds like it.
But we weren't sure,
and so I went over to to Martin's office.
And we had a, we had a conversation,
we got our our head of
security on Mike Jacobs.
Who was terrific with the whole situation.
You know,
he was one of the first people that
Brian called to let him know what
was going on and then from there.
Mike went into action and we connect
connected with everybody on our
team that needed to be connected as
far as our protocols were concerned
and then and talk with everybody.
I mean you know you could feel the anger
swelling up, but also the, the concern.
And it was, you know, the conversations were,
you know, really about, you know,
hey, I hope he's OK and, you know,
there was a lot of worry.
I texted Brian because I know he had.
He had talked to to Mike,
so I just texted him and he called me.
And he called me to let me
know he was going to be OK.
So that was,
that was really,
that was that was took a lot off my
mind as far as that was concerned,
but the biggest concern obviously
was was just making sure he was OK.
You mentioned the anger. Does that
come from that this just happened
on the street or could you expect
that that that this, you know,
this continues to be a,
a nationwide epidemic?
You know, gun violence and and I think,
you know, we we really got to
start getting to the point where
we start talking about gun safety.
You know and and and and you
know we gotta we gotta we can't
make this a partisan issue.
We this this this has to be
something that everybody has to
work on together in our communities
throughout the United States and
and it's just it can happen.
It just shows you can happen
anywhere and to anybody.
So it's something that we need to work
on and come together to be able to to solve.
And again you know I'm talking
about gun safety.
And I know that you didn't give a timeline,
but what is his recovery look like? Like
really it's just about the healing
process and then, you know,
once he's well enough to get out on
the field and then the doctors will,
you know, have to clear him, obviously,
and then we'll go from there.
But you know, like I said,
everything's been very positive so far.
I know he'll, he'll,
he'll be seeing the doctors again today
as well and we'll just go from there.
And as I said, there is no timeline.
You never think it's going to
happen to someone that you know.
So and you. Just said that, you know,
gun violence, it's gone up in DC
it's right in our backyard. So
I didn't say that.
I said gun violence has gone up
throughout the United States.
Yeah, it's it's it's an issue
here in the United States
and and so by going about that for
you now that you know that it's,
you know, happened and it's
happened to one of your own,
one of your players,
how do you make that change?
What kind of change do you want
to see and how do you go about
it? I just think it's about where awareness.
I think it's about the community being aware
and the community really just saying enough,
enough coming together,
supporting our elected officials.
You know, helping them.
I mean, did this, you know,
there's too much infighting as far
as that's concerned and and and
the real truth of the matter is.
You know, people are, you know,
people are dying unnecessarily
and and it's crazy how we,
as you know, one of the most
advanced societies in the world,
continue to have this issue.
Is this something where you expect
him to be able to recover at home
or will he stay in the hospital?
Is there any clarity on that
that I couldn't tell you?
I haven't got that much clarity yet.
Like I said you,
I do know he has an examination today
and they're they're going to fill us
in afterwards as to what probably the
situation is in terms of his recovery.
Obviously, for all parties,
the most important thing is
that the young man recovers,
but how do you balance that with everything
happening on the football field and
the machinations of rosters and such?
Well, the truth as far as the football
team is concerned is we'll we'll we'll
go on and and when he's ready and he's OK
and he's fine and he gets the all clear,
he will welcome him back.
But until then we want to
make sure he's healthy.
He's he's he's as back to
normal as he can be.
When something like this happens,
how do you go about notifying
the players that you make a point of
doing that last night's before then
possibly hearing it in another way.
Well it happened so quickly and it
was on social media so quickly that I
actually got as after I got the phone
call I started getting phone calls
from the players and so I just really
started telling them, hey you guys,
you know start sharing with your teammates.
I did talk to him,
he is sounded pretty you know optimistic.
And and positive, you know,
considering his circumstances.
And when I did finally get to see him,
one of the first things
he asked me to do was,
and I tweeted it out just so everybody
knew that he he he was doing OK.
He asked me to let as many people know that.
And so we decided, you know,
talking to Sean and and our
team of people that, you know,
me tweeting something out would would
probably be the best way and the
easiest way to get the message out.
Do you view this as sort of a like a
crazy happenstance or or what do you
wanna talk to your players about what
it's like to be out in public taking
precautions and security measures?
Well I know this is this was a happenstance
because he had just gone out to get a
meal and and then he was in the middle
of this very unfortunate situation.
So it it really is just one of those
things that that unfortunate you know
probably wrong place, wrong time.
Are there any specific gun safety
measures that you would support?
How much thought have been
able to give to that?
Well, I I just think it's really about,
you know, education, you know,
if if if you're gonna.
Own a handgun and it
should be about education.
Knowing how to properly secure
it so it doesn't get stolen,
how it's properly secured so nobody,
the wrong people don't use it,
you know, and and and I do think,
I do think that is because I
I know when you know when you
will go for a hunting license,
you have to take classes.
So I just think that, you know,
gun safety is what it's about.
You know, it really is,
really is about making sure we all
know just how important it is.
You and
the team have faced a good bit of
adversity since you came on here.
How do you continue to kind of balance
it with your players and making
sure they're ready for football,
but also, you know,
really understanding the life part?
Well? You know, especially
because I've told you guys before,
it's about focusing on what's important
as opposed to what's interesting,
and this is important.
And that's why I'm wearing the
shirt that I'm wearing today,
because this is important and and to
the point earlier that it it really
doesn't hit home till it hits home.
And so you, you really just try to
get these guys to understand it,
that you know it.
It is life is very precious and you've
got to make every moment of every
minute and do the best you can with it.
And again,
there is a delineation as to what
is important and what's interesting.
Just the team mentally as a whole
right now, kind of where are they at?
Can you describe the locker room?
It was interesting because, you know.
As I said, I talked to him before practice.
I talked to him just before we
practice and I just told him I said,
hey, do the best you can and
and to be honest with you,
I thought it really did.
I really did think considering
it was a good practice.
I I think that they're in a good spot.
I think a lot of them are relieved
because I started the the the
meeting now by telling them,
hey look, just so you all know,
Brian's in a really good place.
He's he's he's you know,
everybody's very optimistic about his,
his recovery and his return.
So you know that that I think really
put a lot of their minds at ease.
Did he share any details to you
about what happened in terms of like
were they trying to get us car, was
it just around the biggest thing
as far as the details goes?
We gotta be really careful because
it's still an ongoing investigation.
And so we've been, you know,
asked to, to limit those
because without really knowing,
knowing it would be wrong to
get stuff out there that's not,
you know, 100%. How hard is
it to deal with this on the day before?
It is, you know, it is difficult, you know,
because some of the meetings that,
you know, we had planned stuff like that,
we've had to delay a little bit some
of the morning meetings, you know,
we weren't able to have yet.
So once I finish here,
that's probably right where I'm headed to
and then we'll start diving into that then.
But but it did, you know it,
it does interfere.
But again, you know,
that's interesting right now
what's important is, is,
is is Brian and just making sure he's OK.
Oh, cool. Thank you, guys.