I'll add Parnell Motley on Wednesday. Also had Ruffin McNeill and Dru Samia.
SCOOPHD Ruffin McNeill
Caleb Kelly
When did you start thinking about moving back to SAM?
Well, when they told me on Monday. I guess that week. Coach Ruff just called me in, started talking to me about it and I was like, ‘I mean to play? I’m not gonna be mad about playing.’ So he was like ‘All right, good. That’s what I wanted you to say.’ So that’s when I went in there with coach Bob and was in there the whole time.
Frustrating to watch that performance from Saturday?
I mean, it can be but it’s minor things. Little things matter. If you fix little things there’s a lot of times guys are in position to make plays. If they make the play then you won’t even be asking me that question. So, playmakers have to make plays. That’s what we’re out here to do. If we do our job it’ll work out.
How’d you feel like it went?
It was a positive game. They named me defensive player of the week with Kenneth, the coaches did. That was positive. I didn’t have any missed tackles. Did my job pretty much decent. I gave myself kind of a ‘C’ grade overall, just being out there first time I felt like it was average, but I played well. I just felt like mentally kind of average. It was fun, though, getting to be out there and be with my bros again. It’s been a long time.
Any thoughts of transferring?
No, I’m loyal. That’s one thing coach Perry, he passed away a year ago this weekend, just one thing he always instilled in me, ‘We’re loyal.’ Loyalty and trust kind of go hand in hand. Loyalty’s kind of, I’ll trust you no matter what, through anything. Trust can be, I’ll trust you when it’s good but loyalty is I’ll trust you when it’s bad as well. It wasn’t ever bad, it was just new. I just had to figure it out. But I never had any intention on leaving or anything. This is where I chose, this is where I feel like God has taken me and this is where I’ll finish out.
Connected well with Diaco?
I know he knows everything about the defense and just how he’s been D-coordinator at so many places. The way he teaches, you understand the whole defense, you understand concepts and I don’t even have to tell you the plays, if I tell you your job you should know how to do it. You should know what other people around you are doing. It doesn’t have to be specific to who’s doing what, but you should know. Knowing the concepts, knowing all of that I feel like that’s made me play faster. All right, what are they doing? What are they saying? I know what I need to do, even if it was new in a week, just having switched positions I knew what to do because he taught me my role, taught me the different roles everyone had to fit into.
***
Curtis Bolton
Forcing more turnovers?
"You know first we had to get our tackling mechanics right and I feel like we tackle a lot better as a team, now it's about tackling more violently, now it's about securing the tackle, going after the ball. I know I'm not a big rip-at-the-ball guy, but that's something that I need to start doing to create more turnovers. Violent at the point of attack, not just being satisfied with tackling the dude, being satisfied with the dude going backwards. And you know just cashing in on all these balls we get our hands on. We get our hands on way too many balls that don't go our way. I know I get on the jugs, the jugs is in full affect, so that's just — we've got to do a better job of getting turnovers. That's just what we've got to do to be a better team."
Senior season ride?
"Destiny. I feel like I was built for this. I feel like my talent was never the reason I wasn't on the field. There was a lot of stuff I had to work on, yeah, but it was just a lot of outside stuff. And I'm just glad that I got on the field in my last season, I got to show what I can do because you know if you ask anyone who's around here, It's not a surprise that I'm playing like this. Guys pretty much know I've been this talented, but it's been a movie, it's been a blessing, and I've just got to thank the man upstairs for letting me stay healthy long enough to show that."
Role model for other players who have to sit 'n wait?
Yeah, I try to give hope. I know my story gives hope to a lot of guys. There’s a lot of guys that I came in with that you guys have no clue of that I thought are some of the best when they came through here. They just never got a chance to show it. It’s a constant reminder to the young guys. My situation didn’t turn out great but I stuck it out and worked. I didn’t cry and complain about my situation. Didn’t complain when I felt like things didn’t come way rather that was my fault or outside factors. Just stick with it. You’ll get what your work deserves.
As a leader, tough to keep everyone on the same page?
There’s been some plays that I’ve put out there that are flat out embarrassing. I’m gonna be the last person to get on someone for missing a tackle or getting beat deep. Those things happen. Should they happen as frequent as they do? No. That’s something us as a team if it’s just this guy gave up this play. Screw him. I have faith in everyone that steps on that field. I’ve seen what they’ve done all year and in camp and in spring ball. Anybody our coaches are gonna put on the field, I have faith in. Everybody that travels with us I know they can play good just as well as they play bad. I could go out there and lay an egg on the field, too. That’s something that we have to do a better job sticking together and preaching about the next play. You can get a pick on a play and that’s cool. Get on the next play and go get another one. Get beat deep. Oh well, it is what it is. Come out the next drive and make sure it doesn’t happen. If I get ran over or I get broken off or if I’m out of my gap, I expect my guys to do the same. I expect them to console and let them know they’re there for me. That’s what we’re trying to do right now.
***
Parnell Motley
(or at least what I think I could understand)
Rolling w/ da punches at CB?
As the season goes bad and things happen, you kind of see what things are against you in getting beat and making plays. It’s about balancing things. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss. It’s about keep fighting at the end of the day. One thing you do bad, everybody is against you. One thing you do good, it’s all applause. Keep fighting and ignoring the noise and playing to the best of your ability until you have nothing left in you. At the end of the day, playing cornerback is a hit-and-miss job. Keep fighting and playing the best you can be.
Better at bouncing back?
I’m definitely getting more confident and getting more poised as the season goes on and all things that have been happening to me. At the end of the day, I’ve just kept fighting. Things happen and you’re getting beat, things settle down. There’s nothing more else they can do to you. Football is a game of inches. It’s about making plays, and you can make plays, and playing to the best of your availability.
Defensive effort still an issue?
Every other game. Effort is every play, not just every other play. People wanna B.S. sometimes, but it’s all about giving your effort to your full potential. Effort can take you a long ways. It can’t put us on at the right spot all the time, but effort can give us that motto (?) of where we want to be. Effort plays a big role in football and everything, gets us a lot. Have to keep playing football and giving the most effort that we preach every day through practice.
Frustrating to be talking effort?
It’s kinda hard (hot?) as you see from game one to game 10, picture things evolving and getting better. But every other week, it’s kinda hit-or-miss with the effort. At the end of the day, keep preaching it and keep fighting. Eventually, things are going to fall through. One game or maybe the next game after that, pieces are going to come together. Each and every time, have to practice effort. You practice how you play. Eventually, it’s going to translate in the game.
Close to getting it?
Definitely. As you can see, it might not be at the beginning of the game. But eventually it’s going to come together at one part of the game, maybe the end of the game. At the end of the day, the pieces are going to come together. We just have to keep fighting and having that will to want to win and putting that effort together. It’s about being you and playing football.
SCOOPHD Ruffin McNeill
Caleb Kelly
When did you start thinking about moving back to SAM?
Well, when they told me on Monday. I guess that week. Coach Ruff just called me in, started talking to me about it and I was like, ‘I mean to play? I’m not gonna be mad about playing.’ So he was like ‘All right, good. That’s what I wanted you to say.’ So that’s when I went in there with coach Bob and was in there the whole time.
Frustrating to watch that performance from Saturday?
I mean, it can be but it’s minor things. Little things matter. If you fix little things there’s a lot of times guys are in position to make plays. If they make the play then you won’t even be asking me that question. So, playmakers have to make plays. That’s what we’re out here to do. If we do our job it’ll work out.
How’d you feel like it went?
It was a positive game. They named me defensive player of the week with Kenneth, the coaches did. That was positive. I didn’t have any missed tackles. Did my job pretty much decent. I gave myself kind of a ‘C’ grade overall, just being out there first time I felt like it was average, but I played well. I just felt like mentally kind of average. It was fun, though, getting to be out there and be with my bros again. It’s been a long time.
Any thoughts of transferring?
No, I’m loyal. That’s one thing coach Perry, he passed away a year ago this weekend, just one thing he always instilled in me, ‘We’re loyal.’ Loyalty and trust kind of go hand in hand. Loyalty’s kind of, I’ll trust you no matter what, through anything. Trust can be, I’ll trust you when it’s good but loyalty is I’ll trust you when it’s bad as well. It wasn’t ever bad, it was just new. I just had to figure it out. But I never had any intention on leaving or anything. This is where I chose, this is where I feel like God has taken me and this is where I’ll finish out.
Connected well with Diaco?
I know he knows everything about the defense and just how he’s been D-coordinator at so many places. The way he teaches, you understand the whole defense, you understand concepts and I don’t even have to tell you the plays, if I tell you your job you should know how to do it. You should know what other people around you are doing. It doesn’t have to be specific to who’s doing what, but you should know. Knowing the concepts, knowing all of that I feel like that’s made me play faster. All right, what are they doing? What are they saying? I know what I need to do, even if it was new in a week, just having switched positions I knew what to do because he taught me my role, taught me the different roles everyone had to fit into.
***
Curtis Bolton
Forcing more turnovers?
"You know first we had to get our tackling mechanics right and I feel like we tackle a lot better as a team, now it's about tackling more violently, now it's about securing the tackle, going after the ball. I know I'm not a big rip-at-the-ball guy, but that's something that I need to start doing to create more turnovers. Violent at the point of attack, not just being satisfied with tackling the dude, being satisfied with the dude going backwards. And you know just cashing in on all these balls we get our hands on. We get our hands on way too many balls that don't go our way. I know I get on the jugs, the jugs is in full affect, so that's just — we've got to do a better job of getting turnovers. That's just what we've got to do to be a better team."
Senior season ride?
"Destiny. I feel like I was built for this. I feel like my talent was never the reason I wasn't on the field. There was a lot of stuff I had to work on, yeah, but it was just a lot of outside stuff. And I'm just glad that I got on the field in my last season, I got to show what I can do because you know if you ask anyone who's around here, It's not a surprise that I'm playing like this. Guys pretty much know I've been this talented, but it's been a movie, it's been a blessing, and I've just got to thank the man upstairs for letting me stay healthy long enough to show that."
Role model for other players who have to sit 'n wait?
Yeah, I try to give hope. I know my story gives hope to a lot of guys. There’s a lot of guys that I came in with that you guys have no clue of that I thought are some of the best when they came through here. They just never got a chance to show it. It’s a constant reminder to the young guys. My situation didn’t turn out great but I stuck it out and worked. I didn’t cry and complain about my situation. Didn’t complain when I felt like things didn’t come way rather that was my fault or outside factors. Just stick with it. You’ll get what your work deserves.
As a leader, tough to keep everyone on the same page?
There’s been some plays that I’ve put out there that are flat out embarrassing. I’m gonna be the last person to get on someone for missing a tackle or getting beat deep. Those things happen. Should they happen as frequent as they do? No. That’s something us as a team if it’s just this guy gave up this play. Screw him. I have faith in everyone that steps on that field. I’ve seen what they’ve done all year and in camp and in spring ball. Anybody our coaches are gonna put on the field, I have faith in. Everybody that travels with us I know they can play good just as well as they play bad. I could go out there and lay an egg on the field, too. That’s something that we have to do a better job sticking together and preaching about the next play. You can get a pick on a play and that’s cool. Get on the next play and go get another one. Get beat deep. Oh well, it is what it is. Come out the next drive and make sure it doesn’t happen. If I get ran over or I get broken off or if I’m out of my gap, I expect my guys to do the same. I expect them to console and let them know they’re there for me. That’s what we’re trying to do right now.
***
Parnell Motley
(or at least what I think I could understand)
Rolling w/ da punches at CB?
As the season goes bad and things happen, you kind of see what things are against you in getting beat and making plays. It’s about balancing things. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss. It’s about keep fighting at the end of the day. One thing you do bad, everybody is against you. One thing you do good, it’s all applause. Keep fighting and ignoring the noise and playing to the best of your ability until you have nothing left in you. At the end of the day, playing cornerback is a hit-and-miss job. Keep fighting and playing the best you can be.
Better at bouncing back?
I’m definitely getting more confident and getting more poised as the season goes on and all things that have been happening to me. At the end of the day, I’ve just kept fighting. Things happen and you’re getting beat, things settle down. There’s nothing more else they can do to you. Football is a game of inches. It’s about making plays, and you can make plays, and playing to the best of your availability.
Defensive effort still an issue?
Every other game. Effort is every play, not just every other play. People wanna B.S. sometimes, but it’s all about giving your effort to your full potential. Effort can take you a long ways. It can’t put us on at the right spot all the time, but effort can give us that motto (?) of where we want to be. Effort plays a big role in football and everything, gets us a lot. Have to keep playing football and giving the most effort that we preach every day through practice.
Frustrating to be talking effort?
It’s kinda hard (hot?) as you see from game one to game 10, picture things evolving and getting better. But every other week, it’s kinda hit-or-miss with the effort. At the end of the day, keep preaching it and keep fighting. Eventually, things are going to fall through. One game or maybe the next game after that, pieces are going to come together. Each and every time, have to practice effort. You practice how you play. Eventually, it’s going to translate in the game.
Close to getting it?
Definitely. As you can see, it might not be at the beginning of the game. But eventually it’s going to come together at one part of the game, maybe the end of the game. At the end of the day, the pieces are going to come together. We just have to keep fighting and having that will to want to win and putting that effort together. It’s about being you and playing football.
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