Not too much this evening. Kennedy Brooks and the GOAT, Carson Meier.
Carson Meier
One more home game:
It's crazy how fast time flies. As a freshman, a lot of the older guys say it flies by and make the most of it. As a freshman, you kind of shake it off and say whatever. Being a senior now, it really does. For those younger guys out there listening, make the most of it. Put in the extra hours, the extra workouts when nobody is looking. Make sure and do everything right, all the little things.
Seeing the fruits of that with your final year:
A little bit. Going into my final season, that was one thing I focused on - doing all the little things right. Not just making the right plays, but little things such as jogging off the field, making sure I make all my classes and all my meals. Honestly, you do the little stuff like that and it transfers into your play.
Shane Beamer's influence:
He's worked with me a lot. He's really helped me understand the playbook more so from a conceptional standpoint rather than just knowing my assignment on the play and what I'm supposed to do. He kind of helped me understand what everybody is doing, what we're trying to do as an offense on the play. So understanding that, a lot of times if the defense does something that we weren't expecting, I can fall back on that - the concept of the play. Maybe what the tackle is doing, if he's pulling where I need to get.
Saturday's game:
It's going to be emotional. I'll try and hide it the best I can but at some point in that game -whether it is before it starts or when it's over with - it's going to hit me that it's my last time I played at Owen Field in front of all those incredible fans out there. It's going to be tough. I'm looking forward to it. But it's going to be tough.
OU fullback usage?
It’s weird hearing my name as a fullback. I consider myself more of a tight end, but that’s what I am – a fullback. We use it a little differently around here. It’s not a true fullback like it was back in the day. Playing fullback – you have to know almost every position on the field. You have to know receiver, fullback, running back, everything. I’m glad.
Jeremiah Hall?
He’s grown a lot as a player. One thing he’s been working on is he’s been in the film room a lot. To me, that’s the biggest thing. At this level of football, everybody is talented. The thing that separates people is how well they know the game, how well they understand it. Get in the film room at this high of a level is the biggest key.
***
Kennedy Brooks
Does everything slow down when you break through the line?
A little bit. When you get the ball, you really don't hear anything. You're just looking at your reads and trying to see where you need to go. Offensive line made it easy for me. Big holes all day so I'm thankful for them.
Adjusting to having fewer carries than you did in HS?
It's easier on your body, I can tell you that. Just knowing that you'll get that many carries a game, you've just gotta make your opportunities count. The offense is very explosive. The offensive line making big holes, it makes it easy to get those yards with less carries.
You and Trey feed off each other?
When I see him ball out, it makes me want to ball out even more. He started off the game well and I didn't want to let my team down, let him down, so I've gotta go out there and produce.
Ball security?
We work on it every day in practice. We never want to put a ball on the ground. Our motto is, hand the ball to the ref. As long as we keep doing that, positive things are gonna happen.
Carson Meier
One more home game:
It's crazy how fast time flies. As a freshman, a lot of the older guys say it flies by and make the most of it. As a freshman, you kind of shake it off and say whatever. Being a senior now, it really does. For those younger guys out there listening, make the most of it. Put in the extra hours, the extra workouts when nobody is looking. Make sure and do everything right, all the little things.
Seeing the fruits of that with your final year:
A little bit. Going into my final season, that was one thing I focused on - doing all the little things right. Not just making the right plays, but little things such as jogging off the field, making sure I make all my classes and all my meals. Honestly, you do the little stuff like that and it transfers into your play.
Shane Beamer's influence:
He's worked with me a lot. He's really helped me understand the playbook more so from a conceptional standpoint rather than just knowing my assignment on the play and what I'm supposed to do. He kind of helped me understand what everybody is doing, what we're trying to do as an offense on the play. So understanding that, a lot of times if the defense does something that we weren't expecting, I can fall back on that - the concept of the play. Maybe what the tackle is doing, if he's pulling where I need to get.
Saturday's game:
It's going to be emotional. I'll try and hide it the best I can but at some point in that game -whether it is before it starts or when it's over with - it's going to hit me that it's my last time I played at Owen Field in front of all those incredible fans out there. It's going to be tough. I'm looking forward to it. But it's going to be tough.
OU fullback usage?
It’s weird hearing my name as a fullback. I consider myself more of a tight end, but that’s what I am – a fullback. We use it a little differently around here. It’s not a true fullback like it was back in the day. Playing fullback – you have to know almost every position on the field. You have to know receiver, fullback, running back, everything. I’m glad.
Jeremiah Hall?
He’s grown a lot as a player. One thing he’s been working on is he’s been in the film room a lot. To me, that’s the biggest thing. At this level of football, everybody is talented. The thing that separates people is how well they know the game, how well they understand it. Get in the film room at this high of a level is the biggest key.
***
Kennedy Brooks
Does everything slow down when you break through the line?
A little bit. When you get the ball, you really don't hear anything. You're just looking at your reads and trying to see where you need to go. Offensive line made it easy for me. Big holes all day so I'm thankful for them.
Adjusting to having fewer carries than you did in HS?
It's easier on your body, I can tell you that. Just knowing that you'll get that many carries a game, you've just gotta make your opportunities count. The offense is very explosive. The offensive line making big holes, it makes it easy to get those yards with less carries.
You and Trey feed off each other?
When I see him ball out, it makes me want to ball out even more. He started off the game well and I didn't want to let my team down, let him down, so I've gotta go out there and produce.
Ball security?
We work on it every day in practice. We never want to put a ball on the ground. Our motto is, hand the ball to the ref. As long as we keep doing that, positive things are gonna happen.
