Ja'Quay Hubbard 2023 Fall Camp Day 13
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Okay, we have offensive linemen, Jaquae and Hubbard.
00:03 Questions for Jaquae?
00:05 Jaquae, start with - I know we've talked to you
00:08 about the move from tackle to guard,
00:10 but comfortable there now?
00:12 And with just a year of experience
00:13 in the offensive line in general, how's that helped you?
00:16 Yeah, the transition to guard has been really well.
00:20 I think naturally it's probably my favorite position to play.
00:25 The transition's been well,
00:26 but having the experience at tackle
00:28 honestly has helped me in the transition at guard
00:31 because going against more athletic guys,
00:34 longer guys on the edge,
00:36 you're going against more shorter, wider guys inside.
00:39 And if you could get your feet in the ground with my long arms,
00:42 I should be able to shut them down pretty easily.
00:44 So I think it's been going pretty well in my opinion.
00:47 Go ahead.
00:51 Is that the biggest difference between tackle and guard
00:52 is the kind of player you'll be trying to block?
00:55 Yeah, I would say the biggest difference personally
00:58 from tackle to guard is the type of player I go against
01:02 and your footwork and the plays.
01:04 Depending on if you're at guard or tackle,
01:06 the plays will vary on what you have to do and your keys.
01:09 So just having to hone down mentally
01:12 and switching from guard to tackle
01:14 and knowing the difference and doing it effectively,
01:17 I think that's probably one of the biggest transitions.
01:22 Was there an adjustment period, though?
01:24 Adjustment period?
01:26 I would say maybe in the spring.
01:27 It was my first time playing it, you know,
01:29 since I would say my sophomore year of high school.
01:32 So in the spring, I had some adjustments,
01:35 just dealing with those bigger bodies inside.
01:38 This summer, me and Coach Joseph really worked
01:40 on getting my lower body stronger,
01:42 and I think it's been paying off a lot this fall.
01:46 So, yeah, spring was really like a test run to see how it was.
01:50 And this summer, I've been really trying to polish it up
01:52 and getting ready for week one.
01:56 It seems like a lot of guys have been cross-training at center.
02:00 Have you dabbled at center at all?
02:01 No, no, I have not dabbled at center.
02:05 I don't know.
02:06 I think that might be a question for Coach Moore.
02:08 I don't know. If he wants me to try, you know me.
02:10 I'll get out there and throw some balls back.
02:12 We'll see. Who knows?
02:15 You mentioned that guard is naturally
02:17 your favorite position to ball in.
02:18 Yes, sir.
02:20 I just like coming out of a three-point stance.
02:22 You know, I graduated from Chartresville High School.
02:23 We ran wing T. All four years I was there.
02:26 So I'm just a gap-down backer-type guy,
02:30 hand in the dirt.
02:31 That's just kind of how I fell in love with the game.
02:33 So being able to play guard and have my hand in the ground
02:36 and be big, that's just something I really enjoyed.
02:39 And like I said, I've been doing it
02:41 since my freshman year of high school.
02:42 So it kind of feels a little more natural.
02:44 Tackle is well, but more so guard for sure.
02:48 You talked in the past about having to refine your body
02:51 when you first got here.
02:52 Any changes from last year to this?
02:54 I'm sure not nearly as drastic,
02:56 but what did you concentrate besides,
02:58 you said, lower body over the summer?
02:59 Yeah, really my lower body strength
03:01 and my core strength and my ankle mobility.
03:05 I think those are really three things
03:06 I really honed on in the offseason.
03:09 Just by looking where I got beat last year
03:12 or just in the weight room, my weaknesses that I had.
03:16 Just trying to get, like I said, my lower half right,
03:18 get my core so at the point of contact I could stay strong.
03:22 And my ankle mobility so I could have more force production
03:25 to the ground, be a little bit faster, a little bit stronger.
03:29 So, yeah, not as big of a drastic change
03:31 as when I first got here, losing all that weight.
03:33 But probably even with the amount of muscle
03:37 that I had to put on from this time last year.
03:41 You were talking to Malachi about confidence
03:43 a little while ago.
03:45 Which comes first, maybe, or which is the correct statement?
03:50 To be successful you have to be confident,
03:53 or to be confident you have to be successful?
03:55 Man, to be successful you have to be confident, for sure.
04:01 For sure, confidence is everything.
04:03 Along with confidence you can anticipate.
04:05 And when you can anticipate you can just play so much faster,
04:08 especially at the offensive line position,
04:11 being able to anticipate maybe a guy coming inside,
04:15 you know, or anything of that nature.
04:16 So, yeah, confidence is everything.
04:18 And I think my confidence is the highest
04:19 it's been, and I think that's how it's supposed to be.
04:22 You know, obviously it's the oldest I've been,
04:24 most experienced I've been, so my confidence is at its highest.
04:28 Where does confidence come from?
04:30 Does it come from that success,
04:31 or does it come from something that you just know inside you?
04:35 Yeah, I would say confidence for me comes from repetition.
04:39 You know, if I get a rep at something and I mess it up,
04:43 if I come back and I do it better,
04:45 that third time around I know I can't do it
04:47 like the first time.
04:48 And when you keep doing it over and over again,
04:51 you get that confidence that you feel like you can't mess it up.
04:54 So that's why repetition is very big.
04:56 You know, I learn from reps.
04:59 You've been on the other side of the camera now,
05:02 asking the questions like we have done and doing some stuff.
05:06 What have we not asked you that you would ask yourself?
05:11 Ooh, that's a great question.
05:15 What have you guys not asked me?
05:17 Oh, wow, that's a great question.
05:23 You just stunned me right there.
05:25 Man, I would say probably along the lines of --
05:30 maybe along the lines of going back from guard
05:32 to tackle every practice.
05:34 You know, I've been doing that for the last couple months,
05:36 from spring to fall camp.
05:40 And it's been great for me.
05:42 It's been a great learning tool.
05:43 I have to really hone in on, you know, like I said,
05:46 the playbooks, the techniques,
05:47 and I'm going to get to a different body type every day.
05:52 So it's good. You know, I'm that swing guy.
05:54 I can play guard and tackle now,
05:55 and I feel very confident at both.
05:57 And I interchange every practice from guard to tackle.
06:00 So today you guys saw me at tackle.
06:02 Tomorrow I'll be at guard.
06:03 The day before, I was at guard.
06:06 So, yeah, it changes every day.
06:09 You just got to come in with the same mindset
06:11 that I'm just going to hone in on my technique
06:13 and get the job done with effort.
06:15 Is there a way you learned about us and our job a little bit
06:19 and what you've been doing in your meteor?
06:21 Yeah, I learned that you guys are very in tune
06:24 on what's going on.
06:26 You have a very busy schedule.
06:29 You have no off time.
06:31 And you guys work really hard.
06:34 I really appreciate -- I really appreciate this field.
06:38 When I was doing my internship, I was telling everyone,
06:40 like, listen, I swear I didn't know this much.
06:44 I mean, I'm thinking you guys come to the game,
06:46 maybe record something, ask questions, yada, yada,
06:48 get out of there.
06:50 That is far from the truth.
06:51 And don't worry, I'm vouching for you guys.
06:54 You know, if anyone ever asks, they do not just take pictures.
06:57 They go hard, all right?
06:58 So don't worry, I got you guys back.
07:02 Just talked to Malachi, your travel partner, this summer.
07:05 Yeah, my roommate.
07:07 Hey, you were roommates there?
07:09 Yep.
07:10 So just tell us about the experience.
07:12 What was it like in Europe?
07:13 Man, fantastic experience.
07:15 I just want to say thank you to John Chambers
07:17 and his lovely wife.
07:19 They funded the program.
07:21 And honestly, man, if I'm not mistaken,
07:23 I'm pretty sure we're the only Power Five
07:25 that offers something like that.
07:27 And it was -- and the takeaways, priceless.
07:30 You know, I just -- what I've learned,
07:32 just learning just the culture shock and the ins and outs
07:36 of how things are ran outside of our country,
07:39 it was just so intriguing.
07:40 And it really makes me want to go back and learn more.
07:44 So the Europe trip was amazing.
07:47 And fingers crossed we get to do it again next year.
07:50 You know, I'm not sure, but if that could happen,
07:52 I would be very, very excited.
07:54 You ever been to Europe before?
07:55 I have. I went to Europe in 2019.
07:58 I went to Amsterdam.
08:01 But I was, what, 18, so, you know, 22, 18.
08:04 You know, you're a little wiser.
08:06 And, you know, you know what's going on a little more.
08:08 So, a little different experience, I would say.
08:12 Do you do the German Amsterdam swing like Malachi,
08:15 or did you go someplace different?
08:16 Yeah, no, me and Malachi, actually, as I mentioned,
08:19 he was my roommate.
08:20 So we went from Germany to Amsterdam,
08:24 back to Germany together.
08:25 Now, other guys got to choose for their free weekend
08:28 where they wanted to go.
08:29 You know, we had Garrett and Grayson with the Greece,
08:32 Malone with the Rome.
08:34 And many other places.
08:36 So I just chose Amsterdam
08:37 because I knew I would save about $600 taking the train
08:41 instead of, you know, got to be efficient.
08:43 Got to be efficient, man.
08:45 So, I mean, you and Nick are a little different size-wise
08:50 than Grayson or Garrett.
08:51 Did you stick out a little bit more over there
08:54 if people noticed you?
08:55 Man, I thought I stood out in America.
08:58 Boy, I was like a flying milk over there.
09:00 I'll tell you that much.
09:02 I was -- yeah, we stood out a lot, especially in Amsterdam.
09:06 I was just walking, just looking around,
09:08 and I'm seeing the top of everyone's head,
09:10 and I'm like, well, they know I'm from America.
09:14 So, yeah, to answer your question,
09:16 we stood out way more.
09:17 Yes, sir.
09:19 Last one for me on that.
09:20 So Malachi said he ate a lot
09:22 but didn't have a specific food that he could,
09:25 you know, point out.
09:26 Oh, this little guy, yeah.
09:27 What did you eat that really stood out to him?
09:29 Yeah, so we had this thing called a pork knuckle,
09:32 and I'm sure that's the American translation, I think.
09:37 But it was just like this big thing, man.
09:39 It was, like, massive, and it was so good.
09:43 And then we had this thing called -- don't quote me.
09:47 Well, I guess you have to.
09:48 Schnitzel?
09:50 I think it's schnitzel, right?
09:52 Schnitzel, so good, so good.
09:54 Never had it before.
09:56 I don't know where I could find it in America,
09:57 but if I do, I'll get my hands on it for sure.
10:00 Okay, anything else that you'd like?
10:08 Thank you, guys.