Player/Coaches Summer Update
June 25, 2015 05:32 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Select members of the West Virginia University football team met with the media on Thursday, June 25, 2015, at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room.
Assistant Coach (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers) Tony Gibson
On what he wants out of his defense in the summer
I want to create leadership. At some point, somebody needs to take over and do it. We can only do so much as coaches, but you don’t get into the football part of it. It’s more agility. Yes, you get a little bit of time in the meeting room with them, but that is about it. You want guys to step up and be leaders, and see who can take charge and bring the whole unit together and do things that they need to do to get there.
On the leadership of the defense
There are a couple guys that are more vocal than others. Obviously, KJ Dillon and Karl (Joseph). Then you have the silent guys like Kyle Rose, (Nick) Kwiatkoski and Jared Barber. Those guys don’t say a whole lot. They just go out and play, and do what they are supposed to do. However, I think that when you get everybody together in the summer then it creates an opportunity for those guys to speak up and become more of a leader. I am happy with what we get to see. Obviously, we can observe a lot more now than before. We get to see guys run and get tired, and who is going to pick them up along the way.
On if the new NCAA rules allow you to interact with the guys more
Yeah, a little bit. We have an opportunity to get out there with the guys and watch them. It is more of an agility thing though. There is no football involved. You can’t even bring a football out or do anything with that. It’s kind of hard. Again, we just work on different things like footwork, agility and those kind of things. There is not a lot involvement, but it gives us more of an opportunity to be around them and get to know a kid better.
Assistant Head Coach Lonnie Galloway (Receivers)
On first impressions of freshman wide receiver Gary Jennings
Gary is a kid that is working hard. You can tell that he looks different. He doesn’t look like a freshman, body wise. He is still trying to feel himself out with the offense and those types of things, but as far as what we do and how we do it, he is getting that down. Physically, he is ready. Now, it is just a matter of getting use to the class and getting used to how we want to do a couple of things. He will have a chance. I don’t know who is going to play or not going to play right now.
On Ka’Raun White
I think he is going to be able to hold his own. He looks like him (his brother, Kevin White). He runs like him. I haven’t been able to see him catch it, but from what I been told he can. We will see. If he is as good as Kevin was then that will be great.
On expectations for the veterans
It is time for Vernon Davis (Jr.) and (Devonte) Mathis’ of the world to step up and start doing their part. All of them. Daikiel (Shorts Jr.) still has stuff that he has to work on. KJ (Myers) needs to do the things that he can do and then lead, so not just the two I said first. It’s a thing where you have to replace a lot of yardage. There is a lot of yardage on the Bears and a lot of yardage on the Bengals that we had between Mario (Alford) and Kevin (White). It’s a thing where they are putting in a lot of work with Skyler. They are working their butts off with Skyler which is going to pay off in the end.
Redshirt senior cornerback Terrell Chestnut
On the goals this season
The goal is to stop everything. We control the points and yards. That’s on us. If we stop their receivers and slow down their passing attack and make the teams one dimensional then we can do something special. It’s not a secret that we have everyone coming back, so it’s going to be something special.
On how defensive coordinator Tony Gibson has brought everyone back down to earth
We still have to prove it to ourselves. We know what we can do, and we know how good we can be. We just have to prove it to ourselves day in and day out. Coach Gibbie is not hiding anything from us. He tells us how it is. We know the expectations that we have, so we just have to work hard.
On the Big 12 Conference
As far as the league, I have been around it for a couple years now. I knew it was a pass heavy league, but there are also some teams that can run the ball. It’s a very competitive league. It is by far one of the most competitive leagues in the country, so every week you have to bring it. Just because a team’s record is low, doesn’t mean that they are not going to come out and give it their all.
On West Virginia having possibly the two best cornerbacks in the league
In my mind, we have the best defense in America, but we have to go out there and show it. That’s how I feel about our group, and that’s how I feel about our guys, our coaches and the people surrounding our program. The best fans. I think that we are the best all around, but we have to go out there and prove it.
Senior safety KJ Dillon
On who he watched growing up
I can’t even lie to you. I never watched college or professional sports. I didn’t watch anything until my senior year of high school. The only people I watched my senior year was Geno (Smith) and Tavon (Austin). As a kid, you can say that Ed Reed was my favorite safety because he was just a hard hitter. He was a hard working guy. That’s the reason I wore No. 20 in high school. I wanted to be like him, but besides that I didn’t watch much. I didn’t really watch him (Ed Reed). I just knew that he was a good player. If he wore No. 20, then I wanted to wear No. 20.
On how much different it is going into the summer meetings with confidence
It’s good having a little confidence. I see guys with a little bit more confidence walking around this building and having fun. Everyone is having a good time and working hard. Everyone is getting better, and as long as we are getting better then it’s all good.
On any records that he would like to collect as a unit this season
It’s all about wins. As long as we get that W then that’s good enough for me. I would like no one to score, but they train how we train and work how we work. As minimal as it comes, then that’s what I want. I want it low. As long as we get that W then it’s all good.
On Coach Bob Huggins talking to the team this past week
I tried to get him to put me on the court one time, and he wasn’t having it. He is an icon here. I never really had the chance to talk to him, so it was good hearing from him. It meant a lot to us that he came over here to talk to us. I didn’t even think he watched us play, but it’s good to have him as a fan.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Kyle Rose
On the experience he has with the team
The senior leadership this year is kind of crazy. It went by fast, and we are all here. We are all fifth year seniors, and our class has really stuck together. We want our freshman to feel the way that we feel and want a championship the way that we want a championship. If we can get to them early and make them understand where a senior is coming or how much success we want to have, then that raises the bar so much more. It brings our team up, and we don’t have any more outliers. There is no inexperience level there. Having a great senior class and more numbers allows us to get into other people’s ear and tell them where we want to be.
On the pressure that comes with the experience on the team
Absolutely. It’s my last year. This is another year that allows me to come back and do the things that I regretted in the past. We need guys that we have to get our team together and push us toward a championship. I think we are doing that right now. It’s going to be a good time.
Junior quarterback Skyler Howard
On how the new team room has changed his experience with Mountaineer football
It’s great. Coming in here makes it a lot easier when you are tired after a workout. The team loves it. We have our family meetings in here, and it has really allowed us to get up there one by one and have all eyes on one person. I really enjoy it.
On the running back rotation
It’s great. Having those guys makes the team really versatile. We can get in different formations quicker, and I think that is really going to help us. Also, having a really big power back like (redshirt junior running back Rushel) Shell is great. It’s a good dynamic with all of them. They all have their strong points.
On the offensive line has come along this offseason
It’s hard to say on that end because we haven’t had the chance to pass yet. Through the spring it has been great competition. I am comfortable with any of the guys in there.
Redshirt senior tight end Cody Clay
On the seven on seven camp
My high school came here for the seven on seven camp, so I was going to be here no matter what. We won this seven on seven tournament two summers in a row, and I think I had a pretty big part in that. I had a lot of fun. I can’t say that I would be here on this team right now if it wasn’t for that camp.
On taking the camp serious
I am more uptight about football, so I was never really too relaxed. I try to keep my mind in it and be focused with whatever I was doing. Going back to the camps, I probably wouldn’t be here if Marshall didn’t offer me first. I went to the Marshall seven on seven camp, and after that, I was getting a ton of attention from here.
Redshirt junior running back Rushel Shell
On his schedule during the offseason
Early morning I come in here and run on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s and then I go into the indoor facility around 3 p.m. and do seven on seven. It is just extra conditioning, but it is also pretty tiring.
On his expectations for the running backs this season
I want to takeover and be the motor of the offense. I feel as if we have enough talent in the room that everyone should have a big part in what we do, and whenever one of us goes out we shouldn’t miss a beat.
On how he has settled in this season compared to last year
I feel a lot more comfortable. I am real trustworthy of the people around me, especially the coaches and the offensive line. I have a really good bond with them, and I feel as if this is my year.
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