Sixth-year safety Craig Woodson talks about spring practice
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00:00 >> Jeff muted.
00:02 >> Craig, you can hear me now?
00:07 >> Yes, I can hear you.
00:09 >> Great. You got a lot of newcomers in the secondary coming
00:13 in for the first time in spring ball.
00:15 Tell us what you're expecting to accomplish as a group during this session
00:20 and if you've been impressed with anyone in particular during your off-season workouts.
00:26 >> Yeah, man. Like you said, we do got a lot of people coming in right now.
00:30 And those new guys are getting accustomed to, you know,
00:33 the standard of what we got building pretty good.
00:35 You know, they're trying to just learn the defense right now
00:37 and just learn how we do things as a DB group, but also just as a whole here at Cotton Football.
00:43 But honestly, I'm looking for everybody just to compete for the most part,
00:48 just to really show what, you know, the skills you got, what you can bring to the table,
00:52 what you can like, what value you can add to the secondary, but also just how we can, you know,
00:58 help build off each other and just be better for the ball.
01:00 I wouldn't really say it's anybody in particular that's really, you know, standing out,
01:05 because I think all of these guys that came in are really pretty good players,
01:09 but also just dedicated and just determined to just come in and just work.
01:13 >> Justin said Marcus Harris might be the fastest guy on the team.
01:17 Is that your impression?
01:18 >> That is definitely my impression, man.
01:21 I'd be calling him Lightning McQueen, because he is fast, man.
01:24 He got a weird form, but he is fast.
01:27 So, yeah, definitely I would say him.
01:29 >> And what would you like to, you know, get done for yourself during spring ball?
01:35 >> Honestly, I think for me, I'm adjusting to just, you know, coming to the boundary safety,
01:42 because that's where I'm going to be playing at for this fall.
01:45 So, really just getting adjusted to boundary safety, you know, allowing me to be more free
01:49 when it comes to making plays and trying to get my hands on the ball,
01:52 baiting the quarterback, things like that.
01:54 So, I think it's just there, just getting the rhythm of that, getting back into that position.
01:59 >> Is that a big adjustment?
02:01 >> Not too much, because, I mean, like I've been here for long enough.
02:05 I know the defense well enough to know pretty much like all positions when it comes
02:09 to the secondary, so not too much of an adjustment.
02:12 But I think just getting that feel again of just, you know,
02:15 having not as much space as the field, just, you know, learning different things there.
02:20 >> Last thing, Justin talked a little bit about the fact that one guy on each side
02:26 of the ball will be able to have the helmet, you know, microphone and be able
02:31 to communicate with the coaching staff.
02:33 Do you know who that's going to be?
02:34 Is it possibly going to be you, or is that something you would enjoy having?
02:39 >> Yeah, I think it might be me, but that would be really good just to have that in the spring,
02:45 because, I mean, obviously, we don't have to look to the sideline for the call or just,
02:49 like, be, you know, unfocused when it comes to, you know, offense comes out.
02:53 We can see the formation.
02:54 We can take in our keys, our reeds before even having to look
02:58 to the sideline or anything to get the call.
03:00 So I think it's just playing us, allowing us to play one step ahead when it comes to trying
03:06 to be more dominant when it comes to defense.
03:07 >> And do you have any experience whatsoever doing that?
03:12 >> Yeah, we did a little bit of the bowl game prior.
03:15 >> Okay.
03:15 >> It was really good during the bowl game, and I really liked it.
03:20 So I'm excited to get back to it if we do get the chance to do it again.
03:24 >> And you were the one who had it then?
03:25 >> Yeah.
03:26 >> And any concern about too many voices coming at you at once between what you're thinking
03:31 and your teammates on the field and the coaches?
03:36 >> It wasn't really a concern when I was using it last fall at the end
03:43 of the season, obviously, bowl game.
03:44 It really wasn't a concern, but I think that the coaches understand that, you know,
03:52 we can't have too many voices in our head when we're trying to focus and lock in on the field.
03:56 So there's not really too much, like, any additional talking that's going on.
04:00 >> All right.
04:02 That's great.
04:02 Hey, thanks, Craig.
04:03 >> Thanks.
04:05 >> And we'll go to Thomas Dunn with Rankford, California.
04:07 >> Good morning/afternoon, Craig.
04:10 Across your time here at Cal, you've seen numerous different groups of players.
04:14 How have you been malleable with your leadership styles,
04:17 and how have you attacked being a leader so far this season?
04:20 >> Yeah, I think that one thing for me, the coaches wanted to see more
04:25 of is just me being more vocal.
04:26 Because, I mean, it's not really my personality to be, like, the loudest man in the group
04:32 or loudest man in the room, anything like that.
04:34 But I've always been, like, an example.
04:36 So I think one thing I wanted to do is just work on, like, speaking up when I needed to.
04:41 Because, I mean, when you have, you know, a lot of respect on the team and the staff
04:46 and the culture of the team, I think that people, like, really listen to you when you say things.
04:51 And you don't have to say things all the time, but when they do,
04:53 they listen and they take it in.
04:55 So I think for me, yeah, just being more vocal.
04:57 >> And then when Jade Knott was in here, he said that this group has become a lot more,
05:01 like, players-led, player-focused, and player, I guess, disciplined.
05:05 How has that come to fruition on your side of the ball?
05:08 And how have you guys as a unit come together in that regard?
05:10 >> Yeah, honestly, it's just more people, you know, standing up and taking that initiative
05:17 of being a leader, because, you know, good teams, they're not always led by only the coaches.
05:24 Like, you know, the players have a say and a part in that, too.
05:28 So having a team that's player-led and a defense that, you know,
05:32 we can all just hold each other accountable, keep standard, I think that's going
05:36 to play a really big part when it comes to the ball.
05:38 And then also just spring right now, just getting into that, I think that's going
05:43 to play a really big part in the success of our team when it comes to it.
05:46 >> Thank you.
05:48 >> Thank you.
05:49 >> Okay, any final questions for Craig?
05:53 All right, Craig, thanks for your time, man.
05:57 Appreciate you.