This answer by BV from Carey's question basically said, hey, let's talk some football again.
You may run through a wall later this afternoon, if you so choose.
Going through camp, are you starting to real see the gains the guys made from time with Schmitty?
I think the biggest thing, and we’ve gotten stronger, faster. We started looking around, you’re like, ‘OK, we kind of look the part.’ Maybe not surprising, but for me, I’m always looking at everything. So yeah, we got a good look to us, physically. Guys have transformed through both our spring and summer programs. So that’s been very encouraging. Guys feel confident because of the work they’ve put in. That’s kind of where you get your swag and your edge is, by the work you put in. Not because of people talking about you, or guys have genuine edge to them right now.
They’re hungry, I love the engagement of this group of players, like they’re engaged, as opposed to just going to practice. Because it’s easy just to go to practice, and our guys have been engaged. Been very purposeful, one day at a time, showing up with goals and a focus about them, giving us a chance to have daily improvement. That’s been a lot of fun to watch that happen. For them to respect what it takes. You got to respect what it takes. Because we’re asking them to do is really, really hard. It’s really hard. I finished with them on the practice field, I’m sorry, there’s no other way for us to make this easier. These next 10 days should be the hardest 10 days of the whole season.
Nothing compares to it. Mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally it's going to be tough. We should like it. We should embrace it. Because that's when you know you're putting in the work and the things that it takes so you have a chance to have the kind of season that you want to have. Just lock up and have a good season. This is grind-it-up time right here. Between competition and development, again, trying to look at both schemes and guys that can play multiple positions and find out what we can do best going into this season. This is an incredibly exciting time of the year and really trying to create that mindset, that buy-in to the guys. Physicality's got to be at an all-time high, as good as it’s ever been on a practice field in Norman. That’s what it’s going to take, to have a true, deep-seated championship strain to them with everything. That’s sleep, that’s recovery, that’s film, that’s meeting, that’s practice field, how you respond in very intense, emotional moments, multiple of those a day, the camaraderie, the cohesion, the chemistry — all those things that it takes.
It all starts with having a championship mindset. So really just trying to get our guys to be habitual in all of those things, and very routine and structure oriented and then they have to embrace that. It’s easy to just kind of — coaches and support staff and players — just to start going through the motions and it’s just another practice. It ain’t just another practice. It’s the most important practice of the year, right here, right now, and getting the guys to sit up and be on the edge of their feet and be on the balls of their feet, 10 toes on the ground and really, literally buy into that. Because that’s what it takes to be a championship program. To be one of those teams. Not be a top 15 team, to be one of those teams each and every year and then you recruit to that. Next thing you know, the players — it literally is player-driven. So that’s what we’re trying to build.
First five days, incredibly encouraging. We’re getting ready to go down to the rugby fields and I can’t wait. It’s hotter down there. You’re not as insulated down there. The ground’s harder. When you fall, it feels different. The smell of the grass is different. It’s hard to get there. It’s hard to get back. Nothing’s easy. Nothing’s convenient. We’re going to go down there and grind it up. and really see what we’re about and test out mettle and see if we can continue to strain one day at a time. They can’t get there on their own. That’s our responsibility. They’ve got to buy into it, they’ve got to meet us, they’ve got to be engaged. That doesn’t just happen. If it did just happen, if it was that easy, how come everybody else isn’t having that kind of success consistently and for the long term. It takes something different, and we’ve got a great formula for that.
We’ve got a lot of coaches that have coached at a really high level and had incredible success, so getting our guys to really deeply understand it and respect it and then go execute it is what it’s about. That’s been fun. I love that. I love getting the best out of somebody. I love seeing guys play beyond their ability. I love guys to love what they do, to really like love it, to be intense about it, be passionate about it, be competitive like it matters to win this next play, to do well this next play. If that’s bag drill, if that’s walk-through whatever that is.
That’s literally what all of us as a staff we’re trying to develop and the players have bought into it for eight months. There’s been a maturation within that culture. That’s part of the culture too. That’s part of the culture. If you stayed out there for the whole practice and you’re here every day and you had something to compare apples to apples to, we’d be on the right side of it right now. I promise you, we’d be on the right side of it.
You may run through a wall later this afternoon, if you so choose.
Going through camp, are you starting to real see the gains the guys made from time with Schmitty?
I think the biggest thing, and we’ve gotten stronger, faster. We started looking around, you’re like, ‘OK, we kind of look the part.’ Maybe not surprising, but for me, I’m always looking at everything. So yeah, we got a good look to us, physically. Guys have transformed through both our spring and summer programs. So that’s been very encouraging. Guys feel confident because of the work they’ve put in. That’s kind of where you get your swag and your edge is, by the work you put in. Not because of people talking about you, or guys have genuine edge to them right now.
They’re hungry, I love the engagement of this group of players, like they’re engaged, as opposed to just going to practice. Because it’s easy just to go to practice, and our guys have been engaged. Been very purposeful, one day at a time, showing up with goals and a focus about them, giving us a chance to have daily improvement. That’s been a lot of fun to watch that happen. For them to respect what it takes. You got to respect what it takes. Because we’re asking them to do is really, really hard. It’s really hard. I finished with them on the practice field, I’m sorry, there’s no other way for us to make this easier. These next 10 days should be the hardest 10 days of the whole season.
Nothing compares to it. Mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally it's going to be tough. We should like it. We should embrace it. Because that's when you know you're putting in the work and the things that it takes so you have a chance to have the kind of season that you want to have. Just lock up and have a good season. This is grind-it-up time right here. Between competition and development, again, trying to look at both schemes and guys that can play multiple positions and find out what we can do best going into this season. This is an incredibly exciting time of the year and really trying to create that mindset, that buy-in to the guys. Physicality's got to be at an all-time high, as good as it’s ever been on a practice field in Norman. That’s what it’s going to take, to have a true, deep-seated championship strain to them with everything. That’s sleep, that’s recovery, that’s film, that’s meeting, that’s practice field, how you respond in very intense, emotional moments, multiple of those a day, the camaraderie, the cohesion, the chemistry — all those things that it takes.
It all starts with having a championship mindset. So really just trying to get our guys to be habitual in all of those things, and very routine and structure oriented and then they have to embrace that. It’s easy to just kind of — coaches and support staff and players — just to start going through the motions and it’s just another practice. It ain’t just another practice. It’s the most important practice of the year, right here, right now, and getting the guys to sit up and be on the edge of their feet and be on the balls of their feet, 10 toes on the ground and really, literally buy into that. Because that’s what it takes to be a championship program. To be one of those teams. Not be a top 15 team, to be one of those teams each and every year and then you recruit to that. Next thing you know, the players — it literally is player-driven. So that’s what we’re trying to build.
First five days, incredibly encouraging. We’re getting ready to go down to the rugby fields and I can’t wait. It’s hotter down there. You’re not as insulated down there. The ground’s harder. When you fall, it feels different. The smell of the grass is different. It’s hard to get there. It’s hard to get back. Nothing’s easy. Nothing’s convenient. We’re going to go down there and grind it up. and really see what we’re about and test out mettle and see if we can continue to strain one day at a time. They can’t get there on their own. That’s our responsibility. They’ve got to buy into it, they’ve got to meet us, they’ve got to be engaged. That doesn’t just happen. If it did just happen, if it was that easy, how come everybody else isn’t having that kind of success consistently and for the long term. It takes something different, and we’ve got a great formula for that.
We’ve got a lot of coaches that have coached at a really high level and had incredible success, so getting our guys to really deeply understand it and respect it and then go execute it is what it’s about. That’s been fun. I love that. I love getting the best out of somebody. I love seeing guys play beyond their ability. I love guys to love what they do, to really like love it, to be intense about it, be passionate about it, be competitive like it matters to win this next play, to do well this next play. If that’s bag drill, if that’s walk-through whatever that is.
That’s literally what all of us as a staff we’re trying to develop and the players have bought into it for eight months. There’s been a maturation within that culture. That’s part of the culture too. That’s part of the culture. If you stayed out there for the whole practice and you’re here every day and you had something to compare apples to apples to, we’d be on the right side of it right now. I promise you, we’d be on the right side of it.
