Rusty Feth, Erick All Jr.
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00:00 - All right, Rusty.
00:01 Questions for Rusty, raise up your hand
00:03 and we'll get right into questions.
00:05 All right, first question is from John Steppe.
00:12 - Now you're kind of halfway through a season
00:15 at this Big Ten level,
00:16 what's kind of been that adjustment process like
00:18 and are there any challenges you've been running into?
00:21 - Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, it's still football,
00:25 which I knew coming into it,
00:26 but obviously the guys are a little bigger and faster.
00:29 So it was an adjustment,
00:32 but I went against a really good D-line during camp,
00:34 so it helps me get ready for the season.
00:37 So yeah, other than that, just go out there and play,
00:41 just play my game, yeah.
00:42 - Scott Dockterman.
00:45 - I wanted to ask about something completely off the wall
00:48 and that is your T-shirt.
00:49 I've seen Jennings wear it a few times.
00:53 How did you come up with that design and who did it?
00:57 And do you have, how many copies of it do you have?
00:59 - So that design, honestly,
01:02 when I just thought of something
01:05 that I would put on a T-shirt,
01:06 I just thought of my big, ugly beard
01:09 and it worked out perfect.
01:11 Like the people that I did it,
01:13 the company that I did it with, they just,
01:15 I mean, I told them what I wanted
01:16 and they kind of made it for me.
01:17 And honestly, I have one shirt for myself
01:21 and that's about it, so.
01:26 - Our next question is from David Eichol.
01:28 - Hey, Rossi, how are you doing?
01:30 - Good, how are you?
01:31 - Good, man.
01:32 Hey, so appreciate you taking the time.
01:34 Just seems like over the past few weeks,
01:36 you guys have really started to piece it together.
01:38 Obviously, you guys had a huge game
01:40 in the run game last week,
01:41 but what's really been the key to you guys improving
01:44 and kind of bouncing back over the course
01:45 of the past couple of weeks?
01:48 - Yeah, I think just the consistent improvement mindset
01:53 that Coach Barnett really pushes on us
01:55 is regardless of if we play good
01:58 or if we don't play great,
02:00 our main goal is to get better
02:02 at the things that we have to do to win.
02:05 So I really think just every week focusing on us,
02:09 not as much as the other team,
02:10 just focusing on what we do
02:12 and our fundamentals and things like that
02:15 really helps us get better every week,
02:18 which is good, just having that consistent play.
02:23 - Next question is from Tyler Taschman.
02:26 - How are you doing, Rusty?
02:27 - Good, how are you?
02:29 - Good, what is just your evaluation
02:31 of what you guys have done as a unit this season?
02:33 What do you feel like you've done well
02:35 and what are things you want to continue to improve on?
02:37 - Yeah, I mean, and overall, I think we've done a good job
02:41 and that's all credit to Barnett,
02:45 Coach Barnett and the guys in the room,
02:47 just playing together and having each other's backs.
02:51 And of course, there's always things
02:54 that you can get better at.
02:55 Like every game, there's good plays and bad plays, right?
02:59 Just focus on getting better,
03:01 focus on what we can do, like I just said,
03:03 and we will continue to get better every week.
03:06 Every team we play will be better.
03:08 - John Steppe, when did the beard start?
03:13 - Probably my freshman year of college
03:16 was when I just kind of said, screw it,
03:19 I'm not going to cut it.
03:20 And then I just got to where it is
03:22 and I can't picture myself without it.
03:24 So maybe my wedding someday, I won't have it.
03:27 But other than that,
03:28 there's nothing that'll make me cut it.
03:30 - David Eicholt.
03:33 - Rusty, just talking to George a few minutes ago,
03:37 he mentioned that when you transferred to Iowa,
03:39 you really just kind of helped propel the room forward
03:42 and there was more investment in the room for it.
03:44 And obviously you and George have had a long lasting
03:47 relationship, I guess.
03:49 What's that mean to you to have a coach say that about you,
03:51 even though you hadn't even arrived on campus,
03:53 but he's really crediting you
03:54 for helping push the room forward as well.
03:57 - Yeah, I mean, it's awesome.
03:59 He's a great guy, great coach, obviously.
04:02 It's really cool for me to hear,
04:03 'cause sometimes I don't even feel
04:07 like I was doing something, you know?
04:10 Even now, it's not that I come in every day
04:13 and I'm like, the reason we're getting better
04:15 is 'cause of me.
04:15 No, it's not like that at all.
04:17 I came in here with, from what I've seen,
04:19 the guys are dedicated and they work really hard
04:22 and joining a room like that has just been great for me
04:27 and great for everyone else.
04:29 Like, it's just cool to be a part of
04:31 and it's something I really haven't thought about,
04:33 just come in here and play football
04:35 and meet the guys and make some friendships.
04:37 That's really all that I think about.
04:40 - Tyler Tashman.
04:42 - What all just led you to come to Iowa
04:46 and just what was that kind of process like
04:48 after you went in the portal?
04:49 - Sorry, can you repeat that?
04:52 - Yeah, I just said, what led you to Iowa
04:55 and just kind of what was the decision-making process
04:58 after you went in the portal?
04:59 - Yeah, I mean, when I was in the portal,
05:03 I was in the portal for five days, six days maybe.
05:06 So it wasn't a long time at all.
05:08 I wasn't looking for a long process.
05:12 I wanted to find a school that I thought was best for me
05:15 and my family and obviously knowing Coach Barnett,
05:18 Coach Ferentz, I'd never met the guy,
05:20 but you know so much about him,
05:23 just how good of a coach he is
05:24 and how good of a man he is.
05:26 And just once Coach Barnett called me,
05:29 it was kind of wraps from there.
05:31 I was in the portal on Monday, I think, or Tuesday
05:35 and flew to Iowa for my official visit on Friday, Saturday,
05:41 and committed the next morning after my official visit.
05:45 And it was pretty smooth, honestly.
05:48 I didn't really have much other thought
05:51 or I wasn't chasing some of the stuff
05:54 that maybe some other guys chase.
05:56 I wanted a program that takes great pride in the program
06:01 and just good people and that's exactly what I got.
06:04 - David Eicholt.
06:07 - Yeah, Rusty, just curious,
06:09 what have you kind of heard about the Iowa-Wisconsin rivalry
06:12 if anything?
06:13 I mean, typically this is one of the more physical games,
06:16 probably not even just in the conference,
06:17 but in the country.
06:18 And kind of what have you seen
06:19 from Wisconsin's front on film?
06:21 - Yeah, I mean, obviously they're really good,
06:23 big physical dudes and every team that we play
06:28 in the Big Ten is going to be that way.
06:29 Like these guys are, I've seen the other side
06:34 and these guys are all really good,
06:36 really athletic, really big.
06:37 And that's why we have to be on our A game every week.
06:40 If we want to win, we've got to run the ball
06:42 and throw the ball and do our job.
06:45 And the rivalry, yeah, there's a lot of trophy games
06:48 at Iowa and honestly, like before I got here,
06:51 I knew the Cy Hawk and that, I guess.
06:54 And learning about all of them has been pretty cool.
06:58 And yeah, it's just another game though.
07:02 It's a big game because it's our next game.
07:04 It's like that every week.
07:05 This is just a huge game for us
07:07 because it's our next opportunity, so.
07:10 - All right, perfect.
07:12 Thank you for your time, Rusty.
07:14 - Awesome, thank you guys.
07:15 Have a good one.
07:16 - You too, thank you.
07:17 - Yeah, you're good.
07:22 Hello, Eric, we'll go right into questions.
07:28 Raise your hand and we'll get this underway.
07:31 - Okay.
07:32 - Okay.
07:33 - First one, Eric, is from David Eichol.
07:41 - What's going on, Eric, how are you?
07:44 - Good, how are you?
07:45 - Good, man.
07:46 Hey, so, I know you mentioned on Saturday
07:49 that you didn't see any jitters from Deacon
07:51 and it's obviously a big game for you guys,
07:53 but it's a big game for him going to a place
07:55 he's familiar with.
07:56 Just kind of curious how you've kind of seen him
07:58 go through the past couple of days of practice
08:00 and how he's continuing to grow
08:01 as a new starting quarterback.
08:03 - Oh yeah, he was locked in.
08:06 He's been locked in Tuesday and Wednesday
08:08 and he's been, you know, I've seen him getting extra reps
08:11 and, you know, just taking the extra reps,
08:13 you know, when they're really not supposed to be his reps.
08:17 And that's always a good sign,
08:18 just seeing him get in there and, you know,
08:20 and he's doing good.
08:22 And probably another great week of practice
08:26 I've seen by him, just as far as,
08:30 you know, hitting his target
08:33 and making the right read and stuff like that.
08:35 So, not that I know exactly what read
08:38 he's supposed to take on throws and stuff,
08:40 but just as far as like hitting his target, pretty much.
08:45 - Next question is from John Steppe.
08:51 - Hey Eric, I remember you mentioning,
08:53 I think it was this past Saturday,
08:55 about being from the same area as Caleb Johnson.
08:58 Is that something that you guys talk about a lot
09:00 in Skyline or Gold Star?
09:02 - Yeah, we talk about it pretty much,
09:06 pretty much every time we talk, you know,
09:10 we bring up Cincinnati and different parts of Hamilton
09:14 that we grew up in and stuff like that.
09:17 We relate it to a lot, relate stuff all the time
09:22 back to back home.
09:23 But yeah, we talk about it a lot.
09:28 And I personally like Skyline better than Gold Star.
09:33 That's 'cause it was closer to me
09:37 and I would just eat it all the time instead of Gold Star.
09:40 So yeah.
09:41 - Next question is from Scott Dockterman.
09:44 - Yeah, Eric, you know, this program's history
09:48 and tradition at tight end is well known
09:50 and it's really on display in the NFL.
09:53 Just wanting to know, do you follow much
09:55 of the Iowa guys in there?
09:58 I know you know, other than Sam,
09:59 you probably didn't get to know them.
10:01 And what have you learned since you've been on campus
10:03 that's kind of maybe fortified that tradition
10:08 and maybe helped you grow as a tight end?
10:10 - Well, I follow Sam a lot.
10:15 I watch the Lions and I really turned into
10:20 like a kind of like a Lions fan, you know,
10:23 just because, you know, we got guys there
10:28 from here, Sam and Jack and stuff.
10:32 And from last year we had Aiden go in.
10:39 So I've been watching them a lot.
10:41 Not only that, they were on hard knocks
10:42 and I loved watching Coach Campbell and stuff like that.
10:47 Like I like grew into a kind of a fan.
10:53 I've always been a Cowboys fan growing up.
10:57 And so it's kind of like in between the Cowboys
11:01 and the Lions is what I've been watching.
11:03 And we come in on Sundays.
11:05 So we don't really have time to watch that much
11:08 of NFL football.
11:10 So that's really who I've been watching.
11:13 I try to catch the highlights and stuff
11:14 of other games going on.
11:16 So yeah, that and what was the second question?
11:20 Sorry.
11:21 - Yeah, no, it's cool.
11:22 It's just really, what have you acquired
11:24 since you've gotten here both mentally, physically
11:28 to learn the position and maybe how this is,
11:32 you know, why it's become so prevalent in the NFL
11:36 at that position, at the one you play?
11:38 - I think mainly the main thing is
11:41 you have to be really like conditioned.
11:44 And that's never been an issue with me.
11:48 Like just being like conditioned,
11:49 like just like stamina wise.
11:52 And that's never been an issue with me,
11:55 but like, man, like these practices
11:57 are starting to wear me out.
11:59 Just as far as like reps.
12:01 And that's really what it is.
12:04 Like I can see like why they,
12:07 'cause you know, you don't get tired here,
12:09 especially 'cause you take so many reps at practice.
12:12 You get out in there in the game
12:13 and that's like half the battle is just being,
12:16 you know, available and in the game
12:18 and being able to take a lot of reps.
12:20 And I feel like NFL coaches would love that.
12:23 I mean, I'm not really sure what they look at
12:26 and stuff like that.
12:26 I just go out there and try my best and my hardest.
12:30 But just being an Iowa tight end is just being physical
12:35 and being able to get in there and block and hit guys.
12:38 And, you know, being able to separate yourself in routes
12:41 and get open and catch the ball in traffic.
12:45 And, you know, a yak, of course, you know,
12:48 catching the ball and getting yards
12:50 after contact and after the catch and stuff like that.
12:52 So, yeah.
12:55 - Next question's from Chad Lastico.
12:58 - Hey, Eric, kind of curious your observations
13:02 first year in the program of how you see Ferris
13:06 or whoever it is teach you guys
13:07 how to win these close games.
13:09 I mean, Iowa is known for finding unconventional ways
13:13 to win despite the statistical profiles at times.
13:16 What have you seen in how this team has found ways
13:19 to win this season?
13:20 And you're five and one right now.
13:23 - Oh, yeah.
13:23 I just, you know, we'd love to just blow every team out,
13:28 but, you know, it's not always going to be like that.
13:31 And we, you know, that's really our kind of way
13:36 to win games so far this year.
13:40 And really it's just, you know,
13:43 just knowing that we're not always out of the fight
13:46 and, you know, we're, you know, willing to play four quarters
13:50 and willing to, you know, just work downhill
13:54 in the run game and in the pass game as well,
13:57 you know, just to, you know, just finish every game
14:01 and try our best to come out on top.
14:04 And it's all just fight and stuff, you know,
14:07 from the O-line and, you know, running backs
14:09 and, you know, Deacon now and, you know, the coaches too.
14:14 You know, we're just fighting, you know,
14:17 just to come out on top.
14:19 - Scott Dockterman.
14:23 - Yeah, I wanted to ask about the adjustment
14:25 of the blocking style here, specifically, you know,
14:30 your backside knee has to be placed
14:31 towards the midpoint of the guy.
14:34 You know, the way that Iowa blocks
14:36 is somewhat unique, I guess.
14:39 How much of a transition was that for you,
14:41 especially because you're lining up all over the place.
14:43 You're not just a traditional Y.
14:44 I mean, you're lining up at F, you're lining up at H,
14:47 you're kind of slotting at times.
14:49 And so how challenging has that been for you
14:52 to just make sure you're on your aiming points
14:56 when you also are moving all over the place?
14:59 - Yeah, it's really different, especially, you know,
15:03 coming here from, you know, Michigan,
15:06 we weren't taught to block like that.
15:10 You know, I was just, or block like how we block here
15:13 and, you know, at first it was real difficult
15:17 through spring ball, well,
15:19 and spring ball wasn't really blocking at all anyways,
15:22 'cause I was, you know, rehabbing my back
15:24 and, you know, just getting back into things,
15:26 but also in the fall camp as well.
15:29 But it was just, you know, just so hard,
15:32 like coming from the different system
15:35 and learning to block here.
15:38 And, you know, just blocking here,
15:39 it's more of like an aggressive,
15:41 like we're trying to, you know, bury guys every play.
15:46 And, you know, it's no like,
15:49 I'm trying to like, how can I put it?
15:53 Pretty much we're just trying to run through a guy
15:55 instead of like keeping a base
15:57 and having our feet in the ground and, you know,
15:59 and pulling them close.
16:01 And yeah, we pull them close here too,
16:02 but we're having our feet running
16:04 and driving through people instead of keeping a base
16:09 to where like you don't get push pulled
16:11 and, you know, you're balanced and stuff like that.
16:14 But here is like, coach believes,
16:17 and if you're driving a guy,
16:18 you don't have to worry about being push pulled
16:20 because the guy is on his heels, you know,
16:24 trying to, you know, brace our pressure on them,
16:28 which is great and I love it.
16:29 I love every bit of it.
16:30 And I definitely feel like myself getting
16:35 the hang of things and in the block game,
16:37 like in the inline blocking game.
16:40 And, you know, just it's just different
16:45 and, you know, I'm getting the hang of it
16:47 and I'm excited about being able to get out
16:50 and doing it in the games, so.
16:52 - I hate to jump in here, sorry, James,
16:56 but Robert Gronkowski described it with,
16:59 worked with Brian on this as kind of pushing a car
17:02 and then displacing the person,
17:05 not just walling off the person.
17:07 And Gronkowski described that as that was the difference
17:10 in making him a great blocker versus an average one.
17:12 Do you see the same elements when you are trying to do that?
17:15 - Yeah, 100%.
17:16 I mean, Coach Hodge hasn't referenced that,
17:19 not while I've been here,
17:21 but it makes a lot of sense
17:24 because there's like no base involved with it at all.
17:27 You're just driving, like,
17:28 imagine just like putting your hands on the wall
17:30 and just trying to just run through it.
17:33 And that's really, that's all we do.
17:36 And it definitely adds a different level
17:41 to your blocking game for sure.
17:43 - All right, two more questions, Eric.
17:46 First one's from John Steppy.
17:48 - As someone who's obviously known Cade for a while,
17:50 how have you seen him kind of approach
17:52 this injury adversity this time again now
17:55 over this last kind of week and a half?
17:58 - Yeah, you know, it's so easy to, you know,
18:03 fall apart, especially when you're going through two seasons,
18:07 you know, back to back to where you get a season career
18:10 or a season injury, a season ending injury.
18:14 And it's so easy for you to, you know,
18:17 fall apart and, you know, and be selfish
18:20 and worry about yourself and, or not worry about yourself
18:25 and, you know, only, you know,
18:27 just shut down and not be a leader of the team
18:29 and stuff like that.
18:30 Just, it's so easy to do that.
18:32 And he hasn't done that at all.
18:35 You know, he's actually stepped up and, you know,
18:37 he's out there every day at practices and all the meetings.
18:40 He's, you know, not, you know,
18:43 he's not, you know, just worried about himself.
18:45 He's taking care of the team and he's still that leader
18:49 of the offense and of the team.
18:50 And, you know, he's looking out for guys and, you know,
18:53 and he knows we have his back through whatever.
18:56 So he, yeah, he's stepped up and nothing's changed with him.
19:00 He's same guy, high spirits.
19:04 And he's, you know, he's always, he's always,
19:06 it doesn't surprise me at all.
19:07 He's always been a guy that's just hungry
19:11 and just attacking everything.
19:13 And he's just going to attack this
19:14 and come back and be a monster.
19:17 - All right, last question is from Tyler Tashman.
19:21 - Yeah, Eric, the back injury you dealt with
19:25 and the surgery, just what all was that like
19:28 and trying to kind of get yourself back from that?
19:31 How was that just kind of going through that?
19:34 - Yeah, it was awful.
19:36 It started out real like minor and, you know,
19:42 it just kept getting worse and worse and worse.
19:44 It was real frustrating because it could have been,
19:47 it could have been avoided, but it was just so frustrating.
19:51 And it's probably the lowest like point in life that ever,
19:56 'cause I've always been like a happy, positive dude,
19:59 uplifting dude, but it was something just about that.
20:03 Like I just couldn't do anything.
20:05 I couldn't move.
20:06 I couldn't, you know, sit down in a chair.
20:08 I couldn't, like, it would hurt.
20:11 It was during the winter.
20:12 I had a cold, I had a real bad cold.
20:13 So every time I would sneeze and cough and stuff,
20:15 it would just, it would send like this real bad aching pain
20:20 down through my leg and to my toes and it got real bad.
20:24 And it was to the point to where like,
20:27 like I had like pins and needles in my toes
20:31 and like the doctors like were telling me
20:34 that it was signs of permanent nerve damage.
20:36 And there were like, I was losing strength in my ankle.
20:39 I couldn't get up on my toes and stuff like that.
20:41 And like, I was real like weak in my leg.
20:44 And it was like to the point where I had,
20:46 I had to get surgery where I was gonna get,
20:49 I was gonna end up with like an ACL tear
20:51 or something bad like that.
20:54 And so I ended up having to get surgery and it was bad.
20:58 I've been playing since I was four.
20:59 I never once sat out of the season in my life.
21:01 So I had to sit out and, you know, it was, it was hard,
21:05 but at the same time I had, I had my son Houston.
21:08 He was on the way, you know, and, you know, I was,
21:13 my family needed me.
21:14 So I would just hide it and, you know,
21:18 just hide the, you know, the bad thoughts and, you know,
21:21 just put a smile on my face and be there for my family.
21:24 So, yeah.
21:26 - All right, perfect.
21:28 Thank you for your time today, Eric.
21:30 - Yes, sir, thank you.
21:31 Have a good one guys.