We almost had too many people this evening. Defense is starting to be fun in terms of the leaders like Curtis Bolton, Neville Gallimore, Kenneth Murray.
- Big story on Mark Jackson for later in the week, @BigCrimsonTX, so we'll save the Jackson goodies for later.
SCOOPHD: Mike Stoops Post Practice 9-11
Justin Broiles
Was it hard to not play last year?
No, not at all. It was definitely a learning experience. If I had to do it again, I'd do it again. It was definitely probably the best learning experience and the most humbling experience . I've been through.
Hard at first though?
Oh yeah most definitely. It humbled me.
Learning process last year?
How to prepare and how not to prepare. Last year, the defense, we weren't as tight-knit as we are this year. It was just kind of the little stuff that I've seen so I point out, like, we've gotta pick this up. Last year, we weren't big on film. This year, that's been our MO. In the DB room, we watch the film, we've gotta get on the film. That's been our MO, and as a defense, not just the DBs.
Riley encourages you guys being yourselves?
Man, you know, it's a blessing. I've got a couple guys that go to other schools, and they tell me they wish they were with other different coaches because they just don't like the coach, but when you're here with Coach Riley, he just lets you be yourself. If you're doing the right things on and off the field, he won't complain. Like me, I'm a very energetic, talkative guy. If he sees me doing something wrong over and over again, he'll say, 'JB, alright, cool down, lock in.' Once I get that right, he'll tell me, 'Pick up the energy, JB. Pick it up, let's go.'
Listened to criticism over the years?
We hear it. We hear it. We hear it. That's it.
How are you guys closer this year?
Definitely brotherhood for sure. Everybody's just close-knit. We tight. We family. We've got a little group message going, we keep in contact with each other. It's really close-knit.
***
Curtis Bolton (who might give the longest, most insightful answers of anybody on the team)
Bookie and Broiles?
You know, both of those guys are workhorses. Even JB. JB was a guy that came in and didn't get much love last year and a lot of guys take it hard. A lot of guys take that redshirt year bad. He was a guy that was gonna say, 'I'm gonna be great.' Every time I see that man, he's busting his ass. It's always 100 percent. He wants to do everything right. Bookie, the same way. Bookie works harder than a lot of people. That's what you have to do when you come with the hype that Bookie has. Say if I go out there and mess up a play, a lot of people may not notice. All eyes are on a guy like Bookie. If he messes up a play, it's a touchdown. For you to be that young and for you to come in with that much hype and when you get here prove it to your teammates and coaches and be put in a spot to play and now you have to go out there and prove yourself, it's all about the work. I think his hard work is coming to notice. Same thing with JB. JB's a spark plug, too. He's loud. He's energetic. Like I said, communication is so important in football. JB probably one of the most vocal people on the team. I love that. It makes my job so much easier if I don't have to turn around and ... cause you know, we communicate with everybody. When I turn around, I'm trying to get on the same page as the safeties and corners. I'm not turning around screaming at them, trying to get on the same page. It's kinda just, everybody's talking. Everybody's talking it through. It's not like somebody has to cry and scream out to get the other guy to notice. Everybody's trying to make it easier on everybody else and in turn, it's making it easier on this whole defense.
Missed tackles vs. Iowa State last year? Hard to watch that stuff?
It's tough. It's tough watching, knowing how much talent that you have and knowing that you have a good scheme in and it comes down to athletic plays. We're Oklahoma. We pride ourselves on getting the best guys. We pride ourselves on having the best athletes. When we play a team, we think we have better athletes than whoever we're playing. When it comes down to stuff like that and tackling and just effort and athletic plays, those hurt cause if you're off on communication and you bust a coverage and give up a touchdown, that's bad, but it's an easy fix. When you're out missing tackles, it's a lot harder to miss that because we don't tackle year-round. It's hard to get in that mentality. Again, I think the game plan from our coaches, I think this offseason, they did a helluva a job from top to bottom. Some things we do the same, some things we don't. I think they did a really good job in this offseason just being prepared, just making sure that everybody's locked in and knowing what we needed to work on, and tackling was a big emphasis. Even when we're not tackling, when we're tab off and when we're fit up, it's emphasis of getting to the body and in practice, running past the guy's not an option anymore. There is not tab offs. You break down and wrap him up. I think that's helping us in the long run. I thought we tackled pretty well in the last two games.
***
Kenneth Murray
Frustrated Week One?
Yeah, I was. I definitely was frustrated. Obviously I play Mike. I feel like I want to be a tackle machine, so when I don't make a lot of tackles, it kinda irks me. So definitely upped my focus, obviously, just trying to go out there and get opportunities and make plays. I really couldn't be too down on myself because the opportunities just didn't come my way. That's really something I can't control, but when the opportunities came my way this week, I was able to make plays.
Tough to stay patient?
Not really. It's just something I have to learn because I'm so fast and I'm so athletic that sometimes, I use it and it's like a negative to me. It's like something that can be bad, like I tend to overrun plays and do stuff like that because I'm so fast and stuff like that, so I have to learn how to tame that a little bit and be able to be patient and when it's time to go, go.
You like being on the road?
Oh yeah. There's nothing like being a road warrior, going out there, going to somebody else's stadium and being able to compete. Every chance I get to compete, I enjoy, so it doesn't matter whether I'm home or away. Being on the road is definitely fun.
- Big story on Mark Jackson for later in the week, @BigCrimsonTX, so we'll save the Jackson goodies for later.
SCOOPHD: Mike Stoops Post Practice 9-11
Justin Broiles
Was it hard to not play last year?
No, not at all. It was definitely a learning experience. If I had to do it again, I'd do it again. It was definitely probably the best learning experience and the most humbling experience . I've been through.
Hard at first though?
Oh yeah most definitely. It humbled me.
Learning process last year?
How to prepare and how not to prepare. Last year, the defense, we weren't as tight-knit as we are this year. It was just kind of the little stuff that I've seen so I point out, like, we've gotta pick this up. Last year, we weren't big on film. This year, that's been our MO. In the DB room, we watch the film, we've gotta get on the film. That's been our MO, and as a defense, not just the DBs.
Riley encourages you guys being yourselves?
Man, you know, it's a blessing. I've got a couple guys that go to other schools, and they tell me they wish they were with other different coaches because they just don't like the coach, but when you're here with Coach Riley, he just lets you be yourself. If you're doing the right things on and off the field, he won't complain. Like me, I'm a very energetic, talkative guy. If he sees me doing something wrong over and over again, he'll say, 'JB, alright, cool down, lock in.' Once I get that right, he'll tell me, 'Pick up the energy, JB. Pick it up, let's go.'
Listened to criticism over the years?
We hear it. We hear it. We hear it. That's it.
How are you guys closer this year?
Definitely brotherhood for sure. Everybody's just close-knit. We tight. We family. We've got a little group message going, we keep in contact with each other. It's really close-knit.
***
Curtis Bolton (who might give the longest, most insightful answers of anybody on the team)
Bookie and Broiles?
You know, both of those guys are workhorses. Even JB. JB was a guy that came in and didn't get much love last year and a lot of guys take it hard. A lot of guys take that redshirt year bad. He was a guy that was gonna say, 'I'm gonna be great.' Every time I see that man, he's busting his ass. It's always 100 percent. He wants to do everything right. Bookie, the same way. Bookie works harder than a lot of people. That's what you have to do when you come with the hype that Bookie has. Say if I go out there and mess up a play, a lot of people may not notice. All eyes are on a guy like Bookie. If he messes up a play, it's a touchdown. For you to be that young and for you to come in with that much hype and when you get here prove it to your teammates and coaches and be put in a spot to play and now you have to go out there and prove yourself, it's all about the work. I think his hard work is coming to notice. Same thing with JB. JB's a spark plug, too. He's loud. He's energetic. Like I said, communication is so important in football. JB probably one of the most vocal people on the team. I love that. It makes my job so much easier if I don't have to turn around and ... cause you know, we communicate with everybody. When I turn around, I'm trying to get on the same page as the safeties and corners. I'm not turning around screaming at them, trying to get on the same page. It's kinda just, everybody's talking. Everybody's talking it through. It's not like somebody has to cry and scream out to get the other guy to notice. Everybody's trying to make it easier on everybody else and in turn, it's making it easier on this whole defense.
Missed tackles vs. Iowa State last year? Hard to watch that stuff?
It's tough. It's tough watching, knowing how much talent that you have and knowing that you have a good scheme in and it comes down to athletic plays. We're Oklahoma. We pride ourselves on getting the best guys. We pride ourselves on having the best athletes. When we play a team, we think we have better athletes than whoever we're playing. When it comes down to stuff like that and tackling and just effort and athletic plays, those hurt cause if you're off on communication and you bust a coverage and give up a touchdown, that's bad, but it's an easy fix. When you're out missing tackles, it's a lot harder to miss that because we don't tackle year-round. It's hard to get in that mentality. Again, I think the game plan from our coaches, I think this offseason, they did a helluva a job from top to bottom. Some things we do the same, some things we don't. I think they did a really good job in this offseason just being prepared, just making sure that everybody's locked in and knowing what we needed to work on, and tackling was a big emphasis. Even when we're not tackling, when we're tab off and when we're fit up, it's emphasis of getting to the body and in practice, running past the guy's not an option anymore. There is not tab offs. You break down and wrap him up. I think that's helping us in the long run. I thought we tackled pretty well in the last two games.
***
Kenneth Murray
Frustrated Week One?
Yeah, I was. I definitely was frustrated. Obviously I play Mike. I feel like I want to be a tackle machine, so when I don't make a lot of tackles, it kinda irks me. So definitely upped my focus, obviously, just trying to go out there and get opportunities and make plays. I really couldn't be too down on myself because the opportunities just didn't come my way. That's really something I can't control, but when the opportunities came my way this week, I was able to make plays.
Tough to stay patient?
Not really. It's just something I have to learn because I'm so fast and I'm so athletic that sometimes, I use it and it's like a negative to me. It's like something that can be bad, like I tend to overrun plays and do stuff like that because I'm so fast and stuff like that, so I have to learn how to tame that a little bit and be able to be patient and when it's time to go, go.
You like being on the road?
Oh yeah. There's nothing like being a road warrior, going out there, going to somebody else's stadium and being able to compete. Every chance I get to compete, I enjoy, so it doesn't matter whether I'm home or away. Being on the road is definitely fun.
