Working on notebooks and piecing stuff together for future stories, but here ya go. All my Qs from today.
Todd Bates
Watching Miguel Chavis coming into his own?
"Oh man, it's been awesome. I had the blessing of working with Miguel for five years before coming here. Hand in hand, every day being in the trenches with him. You could always see that his time was going to come and that he was ready for his moment when it did come because of the job that he did when he was working with me at Clemson. It's been a thing of beauty just to see him interact with his players and take the things that he learned and pour it into people. That's what he always did. Miguel Chavis is an elite encourager, and that's something that I know. I know that he loves his players, and you can see that every day. He's very intentional about every word he says and about everything he does."
***
Bill Bedenbaugh
Schmidty!!!!!!!
I love Coach Schmidt. Great. As good as I've been around. I'm not even ... I don't know a whole bunch about strength and conditioning, all the ins and outs. That's not my expertise. I know bench press, power clean, squats, all that. But it's more of an everyday mentality. That's the biggest thing that I think he always brought. He's great at what he does, at building their bodies and getting them to the right spot. But this game is about more than that, and I think it's the mental aspect of the grind and what it takes to really be an elite player. We talk about best is the standard, well what's your best? Everybody's best is different. All we want is each individual's best, every single day. That's it. I think he does a great job of reaching the players. I've always thought he's done a great job with the offensive line. He relates to those guys really well. We work really well together, always keeping me informed. Obviously he had to learn some of these guys, so that's constant communication. What makes 'em tick. I think he's done an outstanding job. I see a ton of improvement. Now, we'll see what happens on the field, but just in the mental aspect of going and approaching every day.
***
Miguel Chavis
Dude, OU is your first opportunity as a position coach?
It’s excitement, more than anything. I don’t think anybody has more pressure than my own pressure that I put on myself. Just excitement, ready for this opportunity for a long time. Played football at Clemson under Coach Swinney. Was in the NFL long enough with the Steelers and Chiefs to have a cup of coffee. The last five years, I’ve been in the Coach Venables School of Defense. Coached by a couple of legends and got to work with Todd Bates. My first year I had to learn just what the heck Coach V was saying as a support staff person. By year three, I had a pretty good grasp of the defense. By year four, I felt like a lion in a cage – just ready to go. Turned down some job opportunities and was just patient. Had great counsel from Coach Swinney and other people in my life, that’s not the one, just wait. That’s not the one, just wait. It was God’s perfect timing. When Coach V said, will you go with me? It didn’t take me long to say yes. The transition has been great. We love Norman. I have a wife of 10 years on June 29. We have four kids 6 and under so please pray for us. We’ve been really pleasantly surprised. The only thing I know about Oklahoma was they won a lot of games and everything Coach V had said about it. We came out here just with excitement and ready to get going. Everything has been great so far.
***
Joe Jon Finley
Happily surprised with Brayden Willis deciding to stay?
It was a big surprise. I thought I had two seniors that were gonna be leaving and was gonna have to get good in a hurry with whoever was left. I think he just saw the opportunity. A lot of guys that are taking that COVID year. He saw the opportunity to better himself and better his stock for the next level. Why wouldn't he? Everyone that made plays in that room is gone except for him. He’s battled through some injuries in his career and thought — he hadn’t had a chance to put a full year together of his best stuff. He’s ready to do that. His body is ready. He knows exactly how to take care of his body, like I said, becoming a professional in every part of the game instead of just going out there and working hard and playing hard. He’s taking it serious in the meeting room, in the nutritional part of it and the training room. That’s what’s gonna allow him to be on the field as much as possible. We’re gonna want him on there as much as we can.
***
Cale Gundy
You were here w/ BV the first time, and now this time. What's the biggest difference?
He’s just much more vocal. You guys probably can’t really understand that. You see him on the sidelines, how he was. I’m not on the field. I know he’s still what he was 23 years ago or four years ago. But he’s more open and more vocal in the hallways and in the office. What he has done over all these years is he has taken notes. He has written everything down. He’s obviously been around some of the best of the best in the college coaching profession with Bill Snyder and Bob Stoops and what they did at Clemson with Dabo. He’s just written everything down and he’s compiled everything and he’s figured out how to do things and given himself the best opportunity to be the best football program we can possibly be. At the end of the day it’s all about the players and all about the relationships.
I will tell you this, our players have never been so excited before. They have worked their butt off. We haven’t had to beg them to do it. They have been hungry, they have been starved. They have done a tremendous job. They’re surrounded by a big group. We’ve got a lot of people that are here. We’ve got more strength coaches, the SOUL Mission group. There’s a lot of people that are helping them 24 hours a day. It’s a huge difference for me just seeing it. Sometimes you need changes, for things like this to happen, for you to step back and something else comes in and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, how come we haven’t been doing this stuff before?’ He’s very special. We’re in as good a place as we’ve ever been.
***
Brandon Hall
New coaches can usually rely on experienced guys, initially. No Pat Fields, no Turner-Yell. Is it any more challenging b/c there's not a lot of tape to watch in the safety room?
I don’t think there is much experience, but there is some viable experience. As much as there is game experience, but there is also college experience. The hardest thing for young players to do is to get used to the grind college football presents. Getting up at 5:30, going to workouts, going to treatment. Making sure they’re where they’re supposed to be. Life is on a curve, right, a subtle curve that you can’t even see it. You’re constantly going in the same direction at a subtle pace that you don’t even know you’re getting better. That’s what gets frustrating, right? You’re trying to do the same thing over and over and You don’t even know you’re getting better. Those guys who have been going to school here for three or four years now. They’ve been going to class, know the grind and doing what they’ve been asked to do. Those guys will assimilate a lot quicker than a guy that is coming off the street. You have guys like Key Lawrence and guys Justin Broiles. Even someone like Billy Bowman. Guy played in the Cotton Bowl. He’s played in some big games, big snaps. The assimilation for those guys is going to be so much quicker. Did we lose some guys? Absolutely, but I think there’s enough there to think we’re going to be just fine.
***
DeMarco Murray
(had to miss b/c of personal reasons so no Q here)
***
Jay Valai
How did that one year at Bama really help you? Think it'd be just a one-year gig?
No, I did not. That whole last year was a crazy year to say the least. You know, it was crazy, but God opens up doors for you. And you know, last year in February, I think it was going to be Alabama, I thought was gonna be the corner coach for the Eagles because that's where I was. I was in Philly and then GOAT calls me the night of the Superbowl and it became a life decision. Nut I know working for you know, Coach Saban and every opportunity and and how we get along and how we love talking ball and he's just a special dude. And it was one of the hardest decisions is me coming here and be honest leaving him because what kind of guy he is and what kind of passion he is and talking ball, the guy. That was was tough. But God led me here for a specific reason with Coach Venables and Oklahoma and close to home.
Todd Bates
Watching Miguel Chavis coming into his own?
"Oh man, it's been awesome. I had the blessing of working with Miguel for five years before coming here. Hand in hand, every day being in the trenches with him. You could always see that his time was going to come and that he was ready for his moment when it did come because of the job that he did when he was working with me at Clemson. It's been a thing of beauty just to see him interact with his players and take the things that he learned and pour it into people. That's what he always did. Miguel Chavis is an elite encourager, and that's something that I know. I know that he loves his players, and you can see that every day. He's very intentional about every word he says and about everything he does."
***
Bill Bedenbaugh
Schmidty!!!!!!!
I love Coach Schmidt. Great. As good as I've been around. I'm not even ... I don't know a whole bunch about strength and conditioning, all the ins and outs. That's not my expertise. I know bench press, power clean, squats, all that. But it's more of an everyday mentality. That's the biggest thing that I think he always brought. He's great at what he does, at building their bodies and getting them to the right spot. But this game is about more than that, and I think it's the mental aspect of the grind and what it takes to really be an elite player. We talk about best is the standard, well what's your best? Everybody's best is different. All we want is each individual's best, every single day. That's it. I think he does a great job of reaching the players. I've always thought he's done a great job with the offensive line. He relates to those guys really well. We work really well together, always keeping me informed. Obviously he had to learn some of these guys, so that's constant communication. What makes 'em tick. I think he's done an outstanding job. I see a ton of improvement. Now, we'll see what happens on the field, but just in the mental aspect of going and approaching every day.
***
Miguel Chavis
Dude, OU is your first opportunity as a position coach?
It’s excitement, more than anything. I don’t think anybody has more pressure than my own pressure that I put on myself. Just excitement, ready for this opportunity for a long time. Played football at Clemson under Coach Swinney. Was in the NFL long enough with the Steelers and Chiefs to have a cup of coffee. The last five years, I’ve been in the Coach Venables School of Defense. Coached by a couple of legends and got to work with Todd Bates. My first year I had to learn just what the heck Coach V was saying as a support staff person. By year three, I had a pretty good grasp of the defense. By year four, I felt like a lion in a cage – just ready to go. Turned down some job opportunities and was just patient. Had great counsel from Coach Swinney and other people in my life, that’s not the one, just wait. That’s not the one, just wait. It was God’s perfect timing. When Coach V said, will you go with me? It didn’t take me long to say yes. The transition has been great. We love Norman. I have a wife of 10 years on June 29. We have four kids 6 and under so please pray for us. We’ve been really pleasantly surprised. The only thing I know about Oklahoma was they won a lot of games and everything Coach V had said about it. We came out here just with excitement and ready to get going. Everything has been great so far.
***
Joe Jon Finley
Happily surprised with Brayden Willis deciding to stay?
It was a big surprise. I thought I had two seniors that were gonna be leaving and was gonna have to get good in a hurry with whoever was left. I think he just saw the opportunity. A lot of guys that are taking that COVID year. He saw the opportunity to better himself and better his stock for the next level. Why wouldn't he? Everyone that made plays in that room is gone except for him. He’s battled through some injuries in his career and thought — he hadn’t had a chance to put a full year together of his best stuff. He’s ready to do that. His body is ready. He knows exactly how to take care of his body, like I said, becoming a professional in every part of the game instead of just going out there and working hard and playing hard. He’s taking it serious in the meeting room, in the nutritional part of it and the training room. That’s what’s gonna allow him to be on the field as much as possible. We’re gonna want him on there as much as we can.
***
Cale Gundy
You were here w/ BV the first time, and now this time. What's the biggest difference?
He’s just much more vocal. You guys probably can’t really understand that. You see him on the sidelines, how he was. I’m not on the field. I know he’s still what he was 23 years ago or four years ago. But he’s more open and more vocal in the hallways and in the office. What he has done over all these years is he has taken notes. He has written everything down. He’s obviously been around some of the best of the best in the college coaching profession with Bill Snyder and Bob Stoops and what they did at Clemson with Dabo. He’s just written everything down and he’s compiled everything and he’s figured out how to do things and given himself the best opportunity to be the best football program we can possibly be. At the end of the day it’s all about the players and all about the relationships.
I will tell you this, our players have never been so excited before. They have worked their butt off. We haven’t had to beg them to do it. They have been hungry, they have been starved. They have done a tremendous job. They’re surrounded by a big group. We’ve got a lot of people that are here. We’ve got more strength coaches, the SOUL Mission group. There’s a lot of people that are helping them 24 hours a day. It’s a huge difference for me just seeing it. Sometimes you need changes, for things like this to happen, for you to step back and something else comes in and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, how come we haven’t been doing this stuff before?’ He’s very special. We’re in as good a place as we’ve ever been.
***
Brandon Hall
New coaches can usually rely on experienced guys, initially. No Pat Fields, no Turner-Yell. Is it any more challenging b/c there's not a lot of tape to watch in the safety room?
I don’t think there is much experience, but there is some viable experience. As much as there is game experience, but there is also college experience. The hardest thing for young players to do is to get used to the grind college football presents. Getting up at 5:30, going to workouts, going to treatment. Making sure they’re where they’re supposed to be. Life is on a curve, right, a subtle curve that you can’t even see it. You’re constantly going in the same direction at a subtle pace that you don’t even know you’re getting better. That’s what gets frustrating, right? You’re trying to do the same thing over and over and You don’t even know you’re getting better. Those guys who have been going to school here for three or four years now. They’ve been going to class, know the grind and doing what they’ve been asked to do. Those guys will assimilate a lot quicker than a guy that is coming off the street. You have guys like Key Lawrence and guys Justin Broiles. Even someone like Billy Bowman. Guy played in the Cotton Bowl. He’s played in some big games, big snaps. The assimilation for those guys is going to be so much quicker. Did we lose some guys? Absolutely, but I think there’s enough there to think we’re going to be just fine.
***
DeMarco Murray
(had to miss b/c of personal reasons so no Q here)
***
Jay Valai
How did that one year at Bama really help you? Think it'd be just a one-year gig?
No, I did not. That whole last year was a crazy year to say the least. You know, it was crazy, but God opens up doors for you. And you know, last year in February, I think it was going to be Alabama, I thought was gonna be the corner coach for the Eagles because that's where I was. I was in Philly and then GOAT calls me the night of the Superbowl and it became a life decision. Nut I know working for you know, Coach Saban and every opportunity and and how we get along and how we love talking ball and he's just a special dude. And it was one of the hardest decisions is me coming here and be honest leaving him because what kind of guy he is and what kind of passion he is and talking ball, the guy. That was was tough. But God led me here for a specific reason with Coach Venables and Oklahoma and close to home.
