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00:00 transitioning from playing multiple positions in high school with just both of us?
00:05 >> I feel like it's been a very hard process, especially cuz like a high school,
00:09 I was mostly running back, safety, stuff like that.
00:12 Like actually having to have responsibilities now and plug fit stuff.
00:17 It's all brand new to me, I'm just getting a hold of it.
00:20 But I feel like I've caught on to it pretty fast by now.
00:22 So I feel like from here, it's only gonna keep getting better and better.
00:25 But I like putting all my talents into one position now.
00:28 >> What's been the key to learning so fast and catching on like you just said?
00:34 >> I don't think there's really been a key.
00:35 It's kinda just like in the process, I have coach Shannon always helped me out
00:39 with kinda just understanding the position overall.
00:42 And just understanding my keys and what I have to read.
00:45 So I feel like that's really,
00:47 coach Shannon's really helped me about throughout the entire process.
00:50 >> Were there times during camp where you were wondering if you were gonna be able
00:52 to pick it up for the season?
00:54 >> Yeah, for sure.
00:55 I had a lot of frustration, still do sometimes.
00:58 It's just understanding this new position, it's something new for me.
01:03 So there'll be times I'll be down, thinking too much,
01:06 am I ever gonna master this, you know what I mean?
01:09 But you just gotta overcome that.
01:11 I feel like I have a good time, I got a good understanding of how to get over that
01:15 and overcome those thoughts.
01:18 >> When you get into a game early, like you did, game's still on the line.
01:23 How does that help you in terms of realizing the challenges?
01:29 >> I mean, it kinda just shows that coach Shannon and
01:32 just the defense staff starting to trust me a little more.
01:35 So being able to throw me out early like that, it kinda just opens me up that I
01:40 just need to keep working and working so I can get out there more.
01:42 >> What did you learn in that game?
01:45 >> I feel like the biggest thing is just the speed in college football.
01:51 But I feel like in practice, I always go against the best competition.
01:56 But when it goes onto a field, and I just gotta block out all the distractions with
01:59 the fans and everything.
02:01 But it definitely just opens me up to more opportunities.
02:04 >> You feel like in high school you were able to be more instinctive?
02:10 >> Yeah, I feel like I was more instinctive cuz I didn't really have no,
02:14 I didn't even have any jobs.
02:16 I was kinda just free safety, or I just edge rushed in high school,
02:19 on defense at least.
02:21 But now I actually have to do my reads and keys and stuff like that.
02:25 But it's starting to get more instinct now, especially in the game.
02:29 I feel like just when I was out there, I was more on instinct.
02:33 When I was in practice, I always overthink stuff.
02:35 But in the game, I feel like I had a great instinct on just my run reads and
02:39 just my passes and stuff like that.
02:42 >> Coach JP and Coach Ravell, and
02:44 Coach Ravell talked about how well you played special teams as well.
02:48 Did you do that much in high school, and what have you liked about doing it?
02:54 >> I feel like I didn't really play special teams in high school.
02:56 It's kinda just brand new to me.
02:58 Sometimes I'll play kickoff return or kickoff, but I was barely,
03:02 I kinda just started doing this now.
03:04 But I feel like just with my athletic ability, I'm able to just pick up on it
03:08 fast.
03:08 >> Can you talk about the linebacking room as a whole?
03:12 It seems like it's been a real strength of the defense so far to start the year.
03:15 >> Yeah, no, just everyone, all the linebackers, I feel like we're all
03:18 progressing well, even the older guys.
03:21 It's good to have people like Lundy, D-Lo, and
03:23 Tatum in there to kinda help me out through the process,
03:26 especially being out there on the field.
03:28 I think I was out there with Lundy this week, so
03:32 him being out there with me kinda helped me out, because we were communicating.
03:36 It was actually D-Lo that was out there, my bad.
03:38 But just him being out there kinda just be able to guide me.
03:41 If I had a question out there on the field, I ask him real quick,
03:44 he'll correct me.
03:45 But no, it's just great having them just by your side, especially out there.
03:49 Just so if you do something wrong, they can correct you on the field.
03:52 So it'll just kinda help you stop overthinking and stuff like that.
03:56 >> When you first got here,
04:00 were they having to explain the language and stuff, and the terminology?
04:03 >> Yeah, I feel like with me, I feel like it was a lot of things.
04:07 It would help me out with all the reads, especially the run reads for me.
04:12 That was the hardest thing I had to do picking it up from high school,
04:16 because in high school, I didn't have to do any of that.
04:18 I didn't really know what that was.
04:20 I just free ran wherever I want.
04:22 But they helped me a lot, just kinda understand my run reads, and
04:25 kinda just the techniques, kinda just getting my pad level low.
04:28 I feel like I came here, I was super high.
04:30 It's just like my pad level was always super high.
04:32 So just kinda just getting all that, and just basically just improving me overall.
04:36 And they were kinda being able to be there and just correct me.
04:40 >> In adjusting to a new position and getting out there,
04:42 especially in a game time situation, what keeps you confident?
04:45 >> I feel like just what keeps me confident is my athletic ability.
04:49 I feel like I rely on a lot of that.
04:52 And it's kinda just like, I don't know, I feel like I've always been confident in my
04:55 game and never really thought down on myself, nothing like that.
04:58 I've always kinda thought that I'm able to play at this level.
05:01 So that's just kinda what keeps me confident in my position.
05:05 >> Do you have a lot of athletes in your family?
05:08 >> Yeah, I mean, my dad was an athlete, but
05:10 I don't think anything like college level yet.
05:14 My family wasn't really college level, but my mom was good at sports.
05:18 My dad was good at sports, my brother is too.
05:19 >> Did you play all sports growing up?
05:23 >> Yeah, I kinda did.
05:24 I played a little bit of soccer when I was younger.
05:26 I played basketball up until my freshman year.
05:29 I played baseball and then football, of course.
05:34 >> Were there any linebackers you watched around the country or
05:37 in the NFL at all?
05:39 >> I like Fred Warner for sure.
05:41 That's who I watch the most cuz I'm a 49ers fan myself,
05:44 I'm from California.
05:46 But no, I feel like his game, I feel like he's probably one of the best linebackers.
05:50 So if I'm watching football, I'll watch him.
05:54 >> That defense is pretty fun to watch.
05:55 >> Yeah, for sure.
05:56 No, they have great defense.
05:57 >> Are you comfortable with the physicality of the game?
06:02 >> Yeah, I feel like I'm getting more comfortable with it as it goes.
06:04 At first, it was kinda like a shock,
06:06 like just these massive linemen compared to high school.
06:09 But now I'm able to just use my technique that Coach Shannon taught me,
06:14 just be able to get around those linemen and go get tackles.
06:17 >> Is the run game more challenging to learn than the pass game for
06:23 you at this point?
06:26 >> I'll probably say it's a little bit more challenging for me, but
06:29 I feel like I've picked it up a lot since the summer at least, for sure.
06:34 At first, I had no idea.
06:36 It was kinda just hard for me, especially when they started motioning and
06:40 stuff, my head would start spinning.
06:42 Now the game has slowed down a little bit for me.
06:44 I'm able to just scan the field and just fit my reeds.
06:48 >> When we get to the offseason,
06:49 what do you think you're gonna spend your time trying to get better at?
06:55 >> I'd probably say just getting better as a player.
06:57 I feel like for me, for sure, I wanna put on weight in the offseason.
07:02 I wanna get to 225 at least, something like that, and kinda stay there.
07:06 I feel like that's the biggest thing, and just my technique overall,
07:09 just as a linebacker, just getting a better fit for the position.
07:12 >> You good?
07:13 >> One last question.
07:14 One last?
07:15 >> Go ahead.