Cincinnati DB Derrick Canteen Spring Practice Interview
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SportsTranscript
00:00 grind and get better as a team.
00:02 Derek, how would you say this weightlifting program,
00:06 this winter program, you're a veteran in this sport,
00:08 has compared to your time at Virginia Tech?
00:10 And how much does that set the tone for a year
00:15 and your experience from years past?
00:17 It's hard to compare because when
00:19 you go from different schools and different string coaches,
00:21 every offseason is different.
00:23 Every offseason needs different things
00:25 out of different teams.
00:27 Here, I feel like Coach Nico has done a phenomenal job.
00:29 Not just getting us prepared to play,
00:31 but just building a foundation, building a culture.
00:35 It's kind of like a rebuild year, if you can say.
00:38 We're trying to get things back going the right way.
00:40 And we did a great job of bringing young guys along.
00:42 We got a lot of transfers.
00:43 So just gelling as a team.
00:44 We did a lot of team bonding things, community service,
00:47 just different things outside of just lifting and running.
00:50 And that goes a long way.
00:51 I feel like this is a tight team.
00:53 We got a new DC, so everyone's learning,
00:55 everyone's grinding, but that obviously
00:57 was important over anything to just come together as a team.
01:01 Being a new face, but also an older guy,
01:03 you're kind of counted on in a leadership role.
01:05 How have you taken on that responsibility
01:07 of bringing some of these younger guys along
01:09 with you during this process?
01:10 From the start, it's really just work.
01:12 From the beginning, I had the mindset,
01:15 it doesn't matter what I've done in the past.
01:16 I have to earn these guys' respect,
01:18 earn these coaches' respect.
01:19 So every day, I just try to lace my shoes up and just put
01:22 the best effort I can, show up every day, be the best player
01:25 and teammate I could be.
01:26 And over time, just confidence, understanding, again,
01:29 who I am and the work that I put in.
01:30 And that goes a long way.
01:32 I feel like guys kind of gel towards me.
01:33 And just also just to get to know guys
01:36 in and outside of the locker room.
01:38 We have young players, we have other transfers.
01:40 So once you get to know guys, you
01:42 know what buttons to push, how to talk to people.
01:45 All together, it's just a good unit.
01:46 So that goes a long way.
01:48 Was there anyone on this roster that you were familiar with
01:50 prior to coming to Cincinnati?
01:52 [INAUDIBLE]
01:56 No, I wouldn't say I was familiar.
01:57 I played a little bit with Kyrie.
02:01 He was at Virginia Tech this last spring.
02:04 Kyrie Moyston.
02:05 Kyrie Moyston.
02:06 And then again, guys like Dante, I talked to before I got here.
02:10 Sorbs, I talked to before I got here.
02:12 So it was kind of familiar in that way, but not personal.
02:16 Former Virginia Tech defensive back, now UC defensive back
02:19 there, Canteen joining us.
02:21 You're following the second spring practice of 2024.
02:23 So Derek, in Kerry Coombs, in Kerry Coombs'
02:27 kind of defensive backfield, what
02:29 are the biggest things that you know you have to work on?
02:31 And maybe the biggest thing that you
02:33 know you can bring in terms of a positive attribute,
02:35 kind of both sides of that equation.
02:38 The biggest thing I can work on is just the details.
02:41 One of the things I love about Coach Coombs is I
02:44 have a ton of respect for him.
02:45 And he's a technician coach.
02:46 You know, I meet with him daily.
02:48 He's critical with things of technique.
02:50 And playing different positions in the back end,
02:53 I try to harp on the technique and meet with him
02:55 and get as much knowledge of not just technical,
02:58 but just the game, seeing formation,
03:00 seeing different things.
03:01 Again, as a leader of the defense,
03:03 I have to see these things and communicate.
03:05 And also what I bring is that leadership, is the experience.
03:08 I play different positions.
03:10 I play a ton of football.
03:11 So we have young guys.
03:12 We have other guys.
03:13 And I can see them and put myself in their shoes
03:15 and understand and help them and talk to them and calm down.
03:18 Because as a DB, bad plays are going to happen.
03:20 It's inevitable.
03:21 So just to talk to guys and just help them
03:23 through things like that.
03:25 One more.
03:26 One more question for Derek Anteen here.
03:28 So Derek, the vibe of the team, just the closeness,
03:32 how important is that?
03:34 Have you seen that be in your years past?
03:36 And then how much--
03:38 there seems like there's an obvious emphasis on that
03:40 throughout this offseason.
03:42 Is that kind of a big selling point for you,
03:44 where you're like, I can see this team trying
03:46 to build a relationship, build relationships heavily?
03:49 And was that evident on your visit
03:50 here with team leaders and stuff like that?
03:52 Yeah, I feel like just to start, that part of the game
03:58 is probably one of the things that is the most important.
04:01 When you get into a game and things get hard, offense,
04:04 defense, one side of the ball having a bad,
04:06 just to look at a teammate, look at a coach
04:09 and just know that they have your back, that starts now.
04:11 You have to build that in the offseason.
04:13 You have to build that through tough times.
04:14 And that's kind of the emphasis throughout our offseason.
04:16 That was a tough offseason.
04:18 But it was days where you could look to your side
04:20 and look to the coaches and the players and the staff
04:22 around and know that we're all in this together.
04:24 And that's going to carry us throughout the season.
04:27 And I feel like it is a push because we
04:29 are trying to trend up.
04:30 Things here wasn't as things-- as people would like of last
04:35 year, and we understand that.
04:36 And we take that chip on our shoulder.
04:38 And so things like coming together and building
04:41 this team is going to be important to get
04:44 to where you want to be.
04:45 Have you tried the chili yet?
04:47 I haven't had a chili.
04:48 I haven't had a chili.
04:48 We got to get Derek Antin the chili.
04:50 We'll check back in with him later in the season.
04:51 Derek Antin, everybody.
04:52 UC defensive back.