Kamari Lassiter Press Conference
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00:00 >> Just how tough was fall camp playing through that injury,
00:02 trying to work through it?
00:03 And just how do you feel physically going into the second week?
00:06 >> I would say fall camp was tough for me just because I was more so
00:12 away from the game I love.
00:13 I've never really had to miss out on a lot of time and just not being out there and
00:18 just watching all the guys go out there, battle at the fall camp, fight hard and
00:22 go through those practices.
00:23 I think that was more challenging than actually being injured for me.
00:27 >> Mark to your left, offensively people talk about finding a rhythm, right?
00:33 With the quarterback gets in the flow, the running backs find a hole, etc.
00:36 What does it look like on your side of the ball in terms of finding its groove and
00:41 being patient and doing the reps that need to be done where you guys feel
00:46 confident things are going the right direction?
00:47 >> I would say for us as a defensive unit, us getting in the rhythm,
00:52 we always say three and I'll take away.
00:55 So that's our rhythm, we wanna get on the field, get off the field as fast as
00:58 possible, try and get the ball off people.
01:00 >> When you're going through practice during camp in a non contact jersey,
01:06 I mean, you're pretty coach smart last camp said you're one of the best open
01:10 field tacklers.
01:11 That first hit, did it feel different Saturday?
01:13 Was there an acclimation period?
01:14 Kinda like Zach was talking about, but for you personally.
01:16 >> For me personally, when it comes to hitting and tackling,
01:21 I don't really have to acclimate cuz that's just something that I used to do.
01:24 So coming out of that black jersey, it was like a burden just let off me,
01:29 just finally being able to let loose and play football the way that I've always
01:32 played.
01:33 >> Kamari, what did you think of the way the other corners played against UT Martin?
01:40 Got a bunch of different guys involved, but what did you make of how they played?
01:45 >> I think those guys play pretty well.
01:47 I think we came out, we played fast and physical.
01:51 I think we were technically sound.
01:53 We have a lot of things to clean up, but I think that we play well and
01:55 that we have a lot of things that we can build off of.
01:57 >> I was gonna ask you what other,
02:00 what things did y'all feel like you needed to get better on after the first game?
02:04 >> As a unit, we have a lot of things that we need to get better with.
02:08 Just as a whole, we can just keep just building off of each other and
02:13 getting our communication and things of that nature back in order.
02:17 And just really just find a way to just be comfortable playing with each other.
02:21 >> Yeah.
02:22 >> Seemed like there in the fourth quarter, there was a few busted coverages.
02:31 What was kind of the talks with the younger guys?
02:33 I think Jonell missed an out and up there late in the fourth quarter.
02:36 Just talking to coach and film review, what was the response?
02:40 >> Mainly is just really just seeing what you're supposed to see.
02:44 Especially whenever you get in the game and all the lights and stuff like that.
02:46 Sometimes it gets hard just being able to have eye control and discipline.
02:49 But just mainly seeing what you're supposed to see and
02:51 just going back to what you practice all week, basically.
02:55 >> Kamari, it feels like we saw the safeties and Tykee and
03:01 the star spot really move around the field and really make an impact.
03:04 What did you see and what were your, I guess,
03:08 review of how those guys played, I guess, a couple days ago?
03:12 >> I mean, you saw it on the field.
03:14 Like those guys are just flying around making plays left and right.
03:16 I mean, it was just really fast and really physical.
03:19 Guys coming out of the top, making big plays, making big tackles.
03:22 I'm happy to see guys like Tykee be able to come back and just play loosely and
03:26 freely.
03:26 >> Yeah, where have you seen Dillon ever grow the most as he moves into his second
03:32 year in this program and takes on a bigger role with Keely obviously leaving?
03:35 >> The things that I've seen out of Dillon really is just really his attention to
03:41 detail and his willingness to just buy into whatever coach is telling us to do.
03:47 And trying to do that to the best of his ability.
03:49 >> So when you came out of the game and you saw some of the younger guys go in,
03:58 what was some of the communication you had with them just on the sidelines on
04:01 things to look out for and what to improve on?
04:02 >> I was really just, cuz for a lot of young guys, that's their first game.
04:09 And I remember my first game, how nervous I was and
04:12 how big of a moment it was for me.
04:13 So I was just basically just telling them, just calm down at the end of the day.
04:17 It's just football.
04:18 It's the same game that you've been playing since you were a little kid.
04:20 Just go out there and really just have fun.
04:22 [BLANK_AUDIO]
04:28 >> What can you tell us about Julian?
04:30 >> Julian is a guy who really enjoys football.
04:35 He loves the game.
04:36 He comes in with a big smile on his face every day.
04:39 He loves to go to work.
04:40 And he's just somebody who kind of brings a little different energy to our group.
04:46 So he's a great addition to our secondary for this season.
04:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]
04:52 >> I'm sure you had some time for Phil.
04:53 So what do you tell AJ on a play like that UT Martin made?
04:57 It looked like his coverage, I don't know, sometimes looks like you guys can be in
05:00 perfect coverage, there's not much you can do.
05:02 Do you just encourage a guy after that?
05:03 And what did you think about that play?
05:06 >> It was a really tough play because just for him,
05:08 just for it being the way that it happened at the end of the game,
05:13 whenever we had a goose egg on the scoreboard and
05:16 just for it to happen to a player like that.
05:19 But it's just really like a next play mentality.
05:22 You go to the film room, you see what you would have done better.
05:24 It's always like that one little thing that you could have done better.
05:27 You could have moved your feet a little bit quicker or
05:28 you could have stepped a little bit faster.
05:31 And you just learn from that and then just keep moving forward.
05:34 >> Yeah, Kamara, I spoke to you during SEC media day about your first
05:39 interception against Vanderbilt.
05:41 You said you weren't really supposed to be there.
05:43 We spoke to Coach Smart, I can't remember who asked him about Kyron Jones'
05:47 interception, and he kind of scoffed at it.
05:49 It was like, he got lucky it was a tipped pass.
05:52 What was that humbling moment for you like when you got back to the meeting room or
05:55 off to the sideline and
05:57 coach kind of humbled you after a massive play as a freshman?
05:59 >> It was definitely that Vanderbilt play.
06:04 I had the interception and then everybody was happy and stuff.
06:07 And then I got back to the sideline and they're like,
06:09 what coverage were you playing?
06:11 And I was like, I don't really remember.
06:13 I got the interception though, so it was definitely that Vanderbilt play.
06:16 [BLANK_AUDIO]
06:23 >> I mean, to continue on that Kyron interception, I mean, what was your kind
06:27 of thoughts and feelings of when he did snag that and
06:30 take it all the way back to the house?
06:32 >> I mean, I was ecstatic.
06:34 I mean, at first, I mean, I wasn't expecting it to happen.
06:38 We just got on the field and the next thing you know, he's taking it back for six.
06:41 So I mean, myself and everybody else on the team,
06:43 we were just so happy to see him be able to make that play.
06:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]
06:54 >> Yeah, you guys were originally supposed to be playing on the road at Oklahoma this
06:57 week.
06:58 What are some of the big differences between getting ready to go play in a hostile
07:02 road environment compared to playing in a home game for you guys in terms of
07:05 procedures, what you do, working through things like that?
07:08 >> I wouldn't say that there's a big difference, honestly,
07:13 because we prepare for every game like it's the biggest game.
07:16 So Coach Mark puts us in the most hostile situations every day at practice,
07:21 whether it be the crowd noise in the indoor or
07:25 where there's just special periods that we have to work on.
07:28 So I wouldn't say it's a big difference because we treat every game like it's
07:31 the biggest game of the year.
07:32 [BLANK_AUDIO]
07:37 >> When we had an opportunity to talk to Coach Mark,
07:39 he said that you guys in the secondary weren't tested too much against UT Martin.
07:43 I just wanted to get your thoughts on how much you felt like you were tested and
07:48 how that game prepares you guys for the rest of the season.
07:50 >> I would say they didn't throw the ball as much as we thought they would.
07:56 But they did try and test us on the back end with certain things like eye control
08:02 and just making sure that we're seeing things that we're supposed to see.
08:04 So that's something that we have to work on moving forward is just making sure that
08:08 we have good eye discipline and reading our keys and stuff like that.
08:11 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:16 >> You talk about eye discipline, this defense talks about eye discipline,
08:19 it's kind of required to play defensive back.
08:21 What tricks you?
08:22 I think Missouri got you last year, I think, once.
08:24 >> Yeah. >> What gets you?
08:26 >> It's really just being nosy.
08:29 You just wanna look in the backfield and see what's going on back there.
08:33 And a lot of times you look back there and then a guy pops out of the ground.
08:37 So it's just really just focusing on your assignment.
08:40 Whenever it's time for you to look back there, then you can look back in the
08:42 backfield.
08:43 But other than that, you need to just focus on your task at hand.
08:47 Most of the time that's the man in front of you.
08:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:53 >> Any other questions?
08:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]