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ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 8, 2015

Todd Graham

Tempe, Arizona

COACH GRAHAM: Well, first of all, I want to apologize for being a few minutes late. But I had a really, really good receiver that I needed to talk to. You guys don't have a lot of eligibility, play maker ability, so apologize for that. Coaching is a little overrated sometimes. You need good players.

Anyway, I'll tell you, what a fun time, what a great time it is. I think an unprecedented time in our football history here. We've got a great tradition here, got a great past. But when you look at all the things going on, it's pretty cool to look out the door, see the new stadium going in. You're thinking, you know, 24 months, man, we'll have a brand new stadium, brand new football complex. That's a lot of stuff to get done in your third year. Really, really blessed to be able to do that.

But moreover than that, that's just brick and mortar. What you see in our program, you guys that have been around our program can see, it's exciting to see the speed, the athleticism, the depth, see the work ethic. That's one of the reasons why we invited all you guys to come in and be able to sit in our meetings and be a part of what we're doing.

This is a really, really special group of young men. Our values that we tried to instill of character, smart, discipline, tough. This has been the most disciplined team, most physical team, fastest team that we've had. It's been an awesome few days of camp so far. Lots of positive things.

Very highly competitive. Coach Shipp is not a guy to pass down a lot of compliments. After practice today, he walked over to me and he said, Coach, that was the most impressive speed, physicality, and finished practice we've had since we've been here. So that's something we're excited about.

Looking forward to the season. Looking forward to Camp T. Looking forward to galvanizing this team as we move forward.

Everything where we're at right now is exactly where we want to be. So got a great belief in where we're going.

Questions.

Q. How hard is it to keep everyone focused? There's so much positive press about the team. Building from last year to this year, is it hard to keep everyone on page and focused?
COACH GRAHAM: I think that's probably the number one thing, you know. It's like people say, What are you telling your kids the week of the game? It's too late. What gives me confidence right now is I think we're mentally mature enough right now to handle that, right?

(Interruption in audio feed.)

COACH GRAHAM: I can tell you this, our players understand that being the PAC 12 champions is the minimum expectation. That means that's exactly the way I want it. We haven't won it yet. We've won the South. We've competed every year. But to me how you win it is expecting to win it.

I think our guys believe they can win up to this point. I think there's an expectation now. You can talk big game. You got to have training and you got to have knowledge to back it up. I think we're getting to the point where we're getting there.

I can tell you this: I don't know what everybody else is doing, but I know our team is a heck of a lot better.

Q. You've been complimentary of Corey Smith. Where has he shown the most progress?
COACH GRAHAM: To see what he's gone through, to see two years of injury with that hip, to see him coming off that football like that, being physical the way he is. Obviously he's still got a lot to learn. But to see him, we've looked the last few days, he's moved all the way up to the starting rotation. Really happy for him.

Renell Wren is another one. A redshirt freshman looks completely different.

But I'm really proud of Corey because he's faced an awful lot of adversity. Man, you look out there on that D line, there's a whole lot of 6'6", 300 plus pounders that can run and that are really, really physical. So we like that.

Corey, what a great story that is right there. I mean, to go through two years. He's been here two years waiting for this opportunity. Am I surprised? Totally. Because you just don't know. You have no idea how he's going to respond and all that.

I think the trainers and strength staff did a remarkable job with him as well because his flexibility, how he rehabbed that was pretty phenomenal. He's physical now, very physical.

Q. Would you say you believe your culture is fully installed here? If so, how has that altered your own expectations?
COACH GRAHAM: I think the culture will be fully installed when we win the PAC 12. You know, I can tell you that. I tell people this all the time. I guarantee you we're going to win, guaranteed. I don't know what's going to happen on the football field, but, man, what a fun group of guys to coach.

The discipline, the character, the culture of really wanting and seeking to be a smart team, a team that does the little things right. That's the key. We're 90% of the way there, if makes sense. Until you win a championship, we're not there.

Worst thing we can do is stay the same. Man, that's what is so hard. What's so hard about winning 10 is Coach Cassidy was with me every day. He'll tell you that I was miserable to win 10 games last year. So was everybody around here because our expectations were a lot higher than that. And so was our potential, you know what I mean?

Now, have we done a good job? We won more games in three years than anybody that's ever been here. That's great. But we want to win championships.

Moreover than that, I know that what this program's going to produce year in and year out from the kids that come in and leave, these guys know what it is to live a championship life. Man, I feel real good about how we're doing that.

Q. You mentioned you have 70 scholar ballers now, including walk ons. Are you able to provide additional context with the development of the program in terms of the mental side, the classroom, things that stand out to you? It was one of the most penalized programs in the country the year before you took over.
COACH GRAHAM: Not some goody goody guy or something like that. It's nothing like that or because I'm a good guy. It's because that's what wins. Whether you're running a business or whatever you're running, if you will emphasize service. We talk about character, we talk about serving, and sacrificing, right? You talk about smart. That's about making smart decisions.

But you look at our team. 12 academic all PAC 12 players. I don't know if it was the first time. I can't find one when we had the scholar athlete of the year. Pat was the scholar athlete of the year? That was the last time. Mike Nixon was the other one, okay.

But to be in the conference that we're in academically and to have our guys representing in that way is really impressive. Understand this, now what we've done is being a scholar baller is just a minimum expectation.

What I found, as our team becomes smarter in the classroom, and producing in the classroom, I find that it's smarter on the field. I'm using every angle I can to win games.

Right now we're good. We're trying to be elite, and great's in between. So what do you have to have to win? Discipline. You're never going to be tough without it, right? You just can't win without it. So people focus on too many different things.

So we've come a long way. But I'm telling you, like the penalty deal is not something that was very difficult for me because, you know. When I talk about discipline, I want you to understand it's self discipline in the player. I actually personally ask each one of them for permission to coach them hard. The key is there buy in. Going from dead last in penalties to top in the PAC 12, it has a lot to do with education and culture.

We just don't have many of the deterrents that we've had in the first few years. And I think it just helps us culturally. In recruiting, too much emphasis in recruiting is put on great recruiters, salesmen, great salesmen. Your best recruiters are your players. You produce in your program, it's going to show back up.

Recruiting is about diligence. We're good. We're trying to be elite. So I think we've made great progress when it comes to that. Some of those things were things, just like watch the kids, they get a penalty, you can see them, they turn to the sideline and start running. That's all you got to do. I mean, you don't have penalties.

On the same hand, we're not playing cautious either, right? That's been an education. That's just about teaching, minimizing. But I do think that's the number one thing that tells you how disciplined you are, is the penalty stuff.

We've done a lot of great things from that standpoint when it comes to discipline on the field, off the field, and academically. Let me tell you this now, we haven't been immune. We have a few kids get in trouble, stuff like that. But, you know, let me tell you this, that's not our attitude. Our deal is 100%. That's how you know we're not there yet.

I would put what we do and our players, I wouldn't trade 'em for anybody. I'm pretty proud of what they've accomplished in those areas.

Q. How has D.J. accepted the change in position? Are you happy with what you see so far?
COACH GRAHAM: Just so you know, because I don't want you guys saying I'm full of crap after the first game. That's been blown out of proportion a little bit. So everybody's clear on what D.J. is doing, D.J. is primarily playing receiver, yes, but that doesn't mean he's not going to be in the backfield. If you told me who is the MVP of training camp, it would far and away be D.J. He's taken his intensity, his passion, his fundamentals, I mean his competitiveness, and he's flat leading. I mean, fanatical energy in practice and in the meetings.

I think he's handled it very, very well. But I want you to know, he's not just going to play wide receiver every down. He's not playing the inside. He's going to be moved around. He's also going to carry the ball out of the backfield as well. I think he's one of the most dynamic, versatile players I've ever coached. So that is real important that we utilize that.

One of the things that stuck out a lot to me right now in camp, from an offensive standpoint, is our speed, our one play, explosive playability. Obviously he's the guy that can do that. The thing that I think is going to help D.J. is we have quite a few guys around him that can do the same thing.

He's handled it great. I'm as excited about what he's done. If not the best player, he's got to be one of them in this program. To get your best player to humble himself and to really strive hard to improve and to say, Coach, coach me harder. He's demanding more from himself than we are from him. That's exciting.

So that's how he's handled that move.

Q. Coach, how comforting is it to have Mike back at quarterback? New quarterback, but not really new, because he had some playing time last year.
COACH GRAHAM: Yeah, I think Mike is a guy that anytime you've sacrificed, had the type of time he's invested here, tells you what it means to be a Sun Devil. He's got some experience. He's a fifth year senior. He's not like just having a new guy.

The key for him is what I told him today. I want you to do everything you do right now just like Taylor Kelly is still here. You know what I'm saying? Compete like that every day.

Probably the thing is, got more yards than anybody that's ever played here. He would tell you he'd trade it for a championship every day, right? Mike Bercovici starts as the quarterback. His experience, his sacrifices, what he's invested in this program I think really gives us a great opportunity to compete for a championship this year. So I like that.

On the same hand, you know, we got to really be dialed in and focused. The only way we're not going to score more points than we ever scored this year is to turn the ball over. We are substantially better at every spot.

But the key is the quarterback, right? How he manages that is very, very important. I've got a lot of confidence in him.

I said this yesterday. I think the bigger story is who's going to be number two because last year if you asked me that question, I would say, I'm not worried about the quarterback. I've not worried about the quarterback since I've been here. I'm worried about quarterback because we have one that I feel really, really good about. We got a lot of talent, right, that is young. We need to really develop that. It's been a good, you know, four or five days so far. I feel confident that they'll get there.

Last year, I don't know, was Taylor a fifth year senior? So that was nine years of experience between two guys. Pretty nice. So we got one guy with experience and no one else with any. So that's a bigger story there for me.

Q. You obviously have a ton of local players on this roster. Nobody as big as D.J. Foster. When you're recruiting top tier guys from right here in the valley, how valuable is that success that D.J. Foster has experienced? In these conversations, how important is a great year for D.J. Foster this season to continue that sales pitch and that conversation with these Arizona recruits?
COACH GRAHAM: All you got to do in recruiting is go win 15 games and I think we'll get better. You know what I'm saying? That's what I tell people. I have so much respect for D.J. He was such a mature kid.

See, in recruiting, it matters who you are as a person. What are you looking for? People clearly know what we're about. We have a clear identity, right? Programs in the PAC 12, top 15 program in the country.

Yeah, D.J. having a big year, I want to see him winning every game, I want to see him reach all of his dreams and aspirations. I'll forever be grateful that he had nothing to go on, and a lot of probably pretty good reasons not to come here. That wasn't the most pleasant time in my life either.

D.J. trusted me. Moreover than that, it wasn't about Coach Graham, he wanted to be a Sun Devil. That's why he came here. I think he trusted us from a schematic standpoint. The relationship he built with me and Mike, I think he did trust us.

So now we got a body of work to go on. You know, so many of these kids are getting caught up in all the recruiting stuff, making bad decisions. They end up transferring, coming back, all that.

I'm not saying every one of them would fit here. But we got a pretty good deal to offer them here. I think D.J. is a great testament to that.

I'll tell you a guy, one of the most impressive young men, when I think about local guys, is Bryce Perkins. Most underrated guy. Ratings and all that stuff... That guy, he's been impressive. He's going to be impressive. A guy that fits what we're about.

So, you know, Christian, look at that story. He went to Auburn. They just won a national championship. He told me in two, three days here he got more love than the entire time he was there at Auburn. It was a great official visit. If you're from here. I think you'll see that. I think you'll see you reap what you sow.

I think we're close to getting that done.

Q. When you introduced the P.T. 42 practice jersey, you said the goal was getting everyone on defense wearing those jerseys.
COACH GRAHAM: Did I really say that (smiling)?

Q. I think with Longino wearing one today for the first time, that's five guys on defense. So what does that say about that group right now?
COACH GRAHAM: Well, we got a special group. I tell you, Antonio, I told him today that he looks completely different. He's pretty good. He has had an unbelievable camp.

What an incredible story. You know, he's a graduate. He graduated. What a big deal that is, man. So obviously being in the Tillman jersey, you have to reach your potential academically, then you got to play with a certain level of passion on the field. You got to earn that every day, too. A lot of them don't keep 'em every day.

I think it speaks volumes about where we are defensively. Obviously offensively it's the same thing. You know, I know Bercovici is supposed to be wearing one. Maybe he didn't like wearing 42. I guess if you're the quarterback, you can do whatever you want to (smiling).

That is kind of where we're all shooting for. I don't know if y'all figured that out yet. 10 bucks a head, I'll tell you what that is.

No, the flame helmet represents your effort, your mental and your physical effort, in meetings and in practice. And so you see De Scott from special teams is wearing one. You got to earn that helmet every day.

We use the flame helmets. The P.T. 42 now is three part: it's academics, reaching your potential there; it's playing in the ballpark with the passion that Pat displayed when he played; and then also service in the community, what you're doing there.

We got quite a few guys in it. We haven't had that to this point. We grade pretty hard on that.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach.

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