Arkansas Razorbacks defensive end Landon Jackson at SEC Media Days on Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn.
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00:00 Colton Sully, OU Daily, Lane, I just
00:01 wanted to ask you about the addition of OU in Texas
00:03 to the conference.
00:04 What are you looking forward to the most?
00:06 And do you think those schools are ready for this juggernaut
00:09 of the SEC?
00:10 I think they are.
00:11 I mean, they've been dominating the Big 12 for years.
00:14 And I mean, it just brings rivalries to the SEC.
00:19 I mean, for us personally, we got that OU Arkansas rivalry
00:25 being on the border.
00:26 And then I remember I wasn't here at the time.
00:28 I remember Arkansas played Texas.
00:30 But I mean, talking to the players and the fans
00:33 that were here, they stressed how big of a game that was.
00:36 So I think that'll bring a big rivalry.
00:38 And then you get that Texas A&M, Texas rivalry again.
00:41 So I think it just brings in a lot more fun to the SEC.
00:45 So I like that.
00:46 Left side, third row.
00:47 Yeah, Landon, Evan Kamiko, Pigtrail Nation.
00:49 What's it like for you working with new defensive
00:51 coordinator Travis Williams?
00:53 Oh, he's a great guy.
00:54 I love him.
00:55 I mean, every day we're going into meetings,
00:57 he has a little DJ system set up in the meeting room.
01:01 And he has everybody crunk before practice.
01:04 And the energy just flows into practice.
01:06 And I honestly think his energy alone
01:09 brings so much to our defense.
01:11 So I really like working with him.
01:12 Left side, second row.
01:14 Tyler Shaw with KBTX and College Station.
01:16 What do you remember from last year's game against A&M
01:19 and just kind of the craziness, how that went down?
01:21 And how much are you looking forward to maybe flipping
01:24 the script this year?
01:26 I'm excited for that game, but just got
01:28 to take it game by game.
01:30 And I mean, that game we just got to finish.
01:34 We got to play a better football game.
01:36 So I mean, I'm ready for it.
01:39 But like I said before, just take it week by week.
01:42 Right side, second row.
01:43 Hey, Landon, talking about Coach Teewell,
01:45 have you ever heard some of his old music?
01:47 No, I actually have not.
01:48 I'll ask him to play it for you.
01:49 For sure, no, I will.
01:51 OK, we'll stay on the second row.
01:53 Staying along those lines, not about Teewell's music,
01:55 but KJ was just in here, and he was telling us
01:58 about how much it meant to take care of the Auburn game
02:02 after a couple of games that were real close
02:04 but didn't go y'all's way.
02:06 Is that a goal for this year?
02:08 Well, first of all, what can you tell us about beating Auburn
02:11 last year after losing a couple of heartbreakers
02:13 earlier in your career to them?
02:15 And also, does that game have more significance
02:17 now that you've got Travis Williams, who
02:18 had a great career at Auburn?
02:20 No, that was a great win.
02:21 Any time you win a big game at the SEC, it's great.
02:24 I mean, every week's really tough competition.
02:27 So I mean, that was a really exciting game for sure.
02:31 Left side, back row.
02:33 Clint Schweitzer from Starcade Media.
02:35 Can you just talk about the rivalry with Missouri?
02:39 Throughout your career, you've gone, I think,
02:41 1-1 and lost two against Missouri,
02:43 and a tough loss here this last November.
02:46 Just kind of talk about that rivalry and what
02:48 it means to the university.
02:50 It's a big game.
02:50 I mean, there's a lot of rivalries at the SEC,
02:54 but I feel like that's for sure one of our bigger ones.
02:56 And I enjoy it.
02:59 Any high-intensity game, any game, any trophy game,
03:04 I really like a lot.
03:05 So it brings energy to the game.
03:07 And I mean, I feel like it makes me personally play better.
03:09 So I like it.
03:11 Front row, please.
03:12 I'm Jason Pataky from the Arkansas Democritus Gazette.
03:15 Landon, I kind of wanted to ask you about sort of facilities
03:18 and NIL.
03:19 Obviously, college landscape is changing almost every day.
03:22 How important is it for you as an athlete
03:24 to have the right facilities to work in?
03:27 I know you've gained like 40 pounds this offseason.
03:30 And get connected with the right brands at UA.
03:32 And how have they kind of helped you with that as well?
03:34 It's great.
03:35 I mean, nowadays, with recruiting and everything,
03:38 you need those facilities, you know?
03:39 Because a lot of that's all those recruits see.
03:42 So I think it helps.
03:44 I mean, not having some of the extra stuff
03:48 isn't really going to turn a player into some great guy.
03:52 But I mean, having them, it is beneficial.
03:56 Second row, left side.
03:57 Yeah.
03:58 What's it like playing for Sam Pittman?
04:00 And where do you feel like you guys are at?
04:03 I know, obviously, wanting to--
04:05 had some momentum going and a little bit of a roadblock
04:08 last year.
04:08 But where do you feel like you guys are at program building
04:11 wise?
04:11 Well, first, I love playing for Sam Pittman.
04:13 He's a genuine guy.
04:15 What you all see in the public, what
04:16 you all see at media days, stuff like that, is how he does.
04:20 I mean, he's just an energetic, happy man.
04:23 And I mean, he's walking around all day at practice,
04:26 just chopping it up with different players,
04:28 making conversation.
04:30 And he always has a smile on his face.
04:32 And what was your second part of that question?
04:36 How do you feel like you guys are building the program?
04:41 I think we're really stressing all the small details.
04:47 Last year, there was, I want to say,
04:49 it was three or four games that we lost by a combined nine
04:51 points.
04:52 So those games where we're losing by two and three,
04:56 we've got to be able to capitalize and win those games.
04:59 And I feel like that'll make us a much better team.
05:01 And Coach Souders, our new strength coach,
05:05 came from Louisville.
05:06 He really stresses all the little details.
05:07 For example, for our workouts, he
05:12 stresses us to be there not five minutes early,
05:14 but earlier than five minutes.
05:16 So say the workout's at 3 PM.
05:19 If you're there at 255, you're on the Stairmaster.
05:22 You're doing up-downs, something like that.
05:23 So it's literally just all the little details
05:25 we're really trying to perfect right now.
05:26 And I think he'll play into the season.
05:28 Right side, back row.
05:29 Landon, Corey Labonte with WNSP.
05:32 You've been selected as an ambassador for Arkansas.
05:36 What does that mean to you personally?
05:37 And how do you take this growth here at SEC Media Days
05:41 and take it to the leadership factor on your team?
05:44 No, it's great.
05:45 I mean, I'm just happy that my coaches kind of, I guess,
05:50 view me as that.
05:51 And I love leading my teammates.
05:55 It's a blessing, really.
05:56 So if you asked me three years ago,
05:59 I would never have expected to be in this position
06:01 that I'm in today.
06:01 But I mean, I plan on leading my teammates
06:05 all throughout the season, being a positive leader,
06:08 because those type of leaders are always the ones
06:11 that I personally have kind of wanted to follow with.
06:16 I got bumper pull last year.
06:18 He's never being negative and cussing players out,
06:21 this and that.
06:22 He's like, come on, bro.
06:24 Let's finish this workout, this and that.
06:26 And so I just like encouraging like that.
06:28 And I really am going to be the best leader I can be
06:32 towards my D-line, and not just my D-line,
06:34 but my whole defense this season.
06:35 Left side.
06:37 Landon, my head's still kind of spinning seven months later
06:40 from the Liberty Bowl game against Kansas,
06:42 three overtimes, 55-53.
06:45 Watching it kind of tired me out.
06:47 So what was like playing in that game?
06:50 Man, that game was exhausting.
06:53 I want to say I had 80-something snaps that game.
06:56 And before that, the most snaps I had in the game
06:58 was against A&M with like 48-50.
07:01 So I mean, it was unreal.
07:05 I had to play DN, D-tackle, buck, stand-up linebacker.
07:09 It was just all over.
07:11 And it was long.
07:12 So I mean, right after that, I went home.
07:14 Yeah, we drove back home, actually, and I went to bed.
07:18 Final two questions on the end and then in the front row.
07:21 Hey, Landon.
07:21 Jacques Ducey, WAFB in Baton Rouge.
07:24 You started your career at LSU.
07:26 Obviously, things have worked out.
07:27 You're here.
07:29 Just that journey and the last two games against them,
07:32 both decided by a field goal.
07:33 It's been some very tight games with LSU.
07:37 Man, I love Baton Rouge.
07:39 You know, I got recruited there by Coach Ed Orgeron.
07:42 And it was a great year.
07:43 I was really--
07:44 I really loved the city.
07:46 And I think it was a great town and a great college
07:50 in general.
07:51 But it just wasn't for me, personally.
07:52 Like, it just wasn't--
07:54 I didn't feel at home, really.
07:56 And that's my biggest thing.
07:57 I'm a big family man.
07:58 And I just knew I needed to be closer to home.
08:00 I needed to be somewhere where if times are getting tough,
08:04 I got uncles and--
08:05 I got an uncle in Rogers.
08:06 So if I had a bad week or something,
08:08 I just want to see a familiar face, see some family,
08:11 I can drive right up to Rogers and sit down
08:13 and have a meal with him.
08:14 So it's just stuff like that.
08:16 I mean, I wanted more of a--
08:18 I need to be closer to home, closer to family.
08:20 Final question.
08:21 When you sort of talk about OU and Texas joining
08:25 the conference, how important is it,
08:27 from a recruiting perspective, to have
08:29 those top-notch facilities and, obviously,
08:31 the right collectives?
08:33 And from your experience, did that ever go into sort
08:35 of your transfer from LSU?
08:40 I'd say it went into play for my--
08:43 like with the whole facilities deal,
08:45 I'd say it went into play more in my high school recruitment.
08:48 And LSU had some gorgeous facilities.
08:52 I mean, their lockers pull out into beds.
08:54 And I wouldn't say that really sold me,
08:56 but it's something I thought of.
08:58 And then whenever I was in the transfer portal,
09:01 I more so looked into what staff is there,
09:04 what type of guys are there, and how I'd fit in more
09:08 with the defense and not as much the facilities at all.
09:11 But I do think Texas and OU will play a major role in the SEC.
09:16 And I'm excited to have them.