Zion Johnson, after Boston College Practice
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SportsTranscript
00:00 All right, guys, we're gonna start off with Zion Johnson for you guys.
00:03 Go ahead and open up for questions.
00:05 >> Hey, Zion, my name's Adam Kirk from src.com.
00:10 I was just curious, it seems like the line has gotten a lot of good
00:17 accolades so far as far as like all the type players, preseason, all that.
00:22 Do you feel like the line can really anchor the offense from
00:29 an experience standpoint and from a talent standpoint of just being
00:33 a really strong unit on the team?
00:37 >> Yeah, no doubt.
00:38 I mean, we've got a lot of guys who've been here for a long time, like Ben,
00:42 who's been starting since he was freshman, and we got Alec Lindstrom.
00:44 We got a lot of young guys, a lot of potential.
00:47 So we're just trying to, BC has been known as O-line U, and
00:51 we're trying to live up to that name and help this team win games.
00:54 So pretty much we're trying to live up to that tradition.
00:59 >> Awesome, thanks.
01:00 >> And you knew Coach Applebaum back when you were at Davidson.
01:06 What was your reaction when BC brought him in first of all, and
01:11 you saw him come in as the offensive line coach?
01:14 >> I was like, wow, I mean, the world works in weird ways.
01:17 Cuz my last O-line coach was Coach Troutwine, who I knew for a year.
01:23 He was on staff at Davidson.
01:24 And then my next offensive line coach, Coach Applebaum, who was my O-line coach.
01:29 And that was wonderful cuz he was the one who really taught me a lot of my
01:33 fundamentals when it comes to just zone blocking and pass setting.
01:37 So getting to have him again and
01:39 getting to have him see how I've grown as a blocker, it's just great.
01:43 And he actually was the guy who recruited me there as a freshman.
01:48 So that bond is really there.
01:50 >> I remember back in the spring when we met all the coaches,
01:54 I asked him about your recruitment.
01:57 With him in particular, what was it about him that you like working with that
02:02 you got to know when you were at Davidson and then now has carried over to BC?
02:07 >> Coach Applebaum's a real guy and he's really about
02:11 just getting people blocked the best way possible.
02:18 And that's what I love about him.
02:20 He's a guy you can communicate with and you can talk to.
02:23 And he really wants to see you be the best player possible.
02:27 So that's really why I like working with Coach Applebaum.
02:31 He's not only a great coach, but he's a great guy as well.
02:34 >> He's not standing on the other side of the screen, is he?
02:36 >> No.
02:37 >> [LAUGH] >> Cuz he's saying nice things about him,
02:41 I just figured I'd ask.
02:41 >> [LAUGH] >> Thanks.
02:45 >> Is there anyone that you are going up against so
02:51 far that has been sort of a challenge to block?
02:56 Any of the defensive players that have been pretty tough or
03:00 have you not had enough of the practices to sort of figure that out yet?
03:05 >> Well, it's the first padded practice, but
03:07 I can already tell Marcus Valdez is coming.
03:09 He's coming this year.
03:11 And he's a slippery guy.
03:14 So I definitely gotta say Marcus Valdez.
03:16 He's been doing a great job and
03:18 I think he's gonna help us win some games this year.
03:20 >> That's awesome.
03:21 Another thing I asked Coach about was the conditioning level.
03:27 And it's so different this year as far as being able to get in condition
03:31 in the offseason, but how do you think you have been and
03:34 some of the other guys have been?
03:36 Jeff said that he was sort of pleasantly surprised with
03:41 how much better you guys were conditioned than he thought.
03:44 >> Yeah, I mean, I definitely think we're very well conditioned,
03:49 partly because with COVID and the masks and the visors that we have to wear,
03:55 you have to be that much more conditioned to play.
03:58 Just because helmets don't have the same ventilation as last year,
04:01 that sort of thing.
04:02 So I think just with all of the trials that we've had to go on through with COVID,
04:07 it's helped us to be more conditioned and more ready to practice.
04:10 >> Thanks.
04:12 [BLANK_AUDIO]
04:15 >> How was it putting the pads on for the first time today?
04:18 >> It was awesome.
04:19 It was awesome to hear the pads pop.
04:21 We've been going through some walkthroughs, some non padded deals, but
04:26 it's nothing like first day of pads.
04:28 You get to see what people are really made of.
04:30 [BLANK_AUDIO]