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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 22, 2015Grant HaleyChris GodwinUniversity Park, Pennsylvania Q. We've heard all about John Reid, and you've talked about it, I believe you guys were roommates in camp? GRANT HALEY: We were. Q. What did you learn about John during that time? GRANT HALEY: I learned a lot about him. He's a quiet guy. He really keeps to himself. Actually he's very smart too. Just loves the game of football. He even brought his -- he made a computer, so that was very interesting. I'd never seen anything like that. He's a great kid. I'm just glad I got to know him and he's doing really good out there on the field. Yeah, he brought the computer he made to school with him. He take it's with him everywhere he goes, so that was really cool. Q. Both of your parents are on two different sides of the Penn State-Pitt rivalry. For you, does that give you more of an appreciation of what it means to play here and what it might means to be a part of that, if not this year, but next year? GRANT HALEY: My dad tries to be funny. He said it's a house divided. I don't see it that way. I know he's going to support me any way possible. My mom went here and they both went to medical school at Pitt, so I'm just glad to be able to really play that game, because I have a bunch of family from Pittsburgh. So it will be very exciting for me and my family. Q. Can you remind us how you ended up getting to Penn State late in the game? What was it like for you knowing your mom went to Penn State and for them to get involved with you? GRANT HALEY: Yeah, so, I had committed to Vanderbilt for a little bit for my senior season. Then when Coach Franklin got the opportunity to come to Penn State, he asked me to come up for a visit. Immediately said, yes, because I knew my mom went to Penn State. Kind of grew up watching Penn State football all the time because she's such a die-hard fan, so getting a chance to come up here was very special to me and her. When I got here, one of the first things I saw was the stadium lights, and that was really like the defining moment for me. I just kind of fell in love. I knew the alumni was a great organization, and it was just really exciting. Q. Coach Franklin just compared John Reid to you a little bit in terms of dedication and the intensity that you bring to the field. Can you speak about that switch that you flip on, if you do flip on a switch when you step on the field? GRANT HALEY: Yeah, I think that's a great comparison. Everyone talks about that because we're both quiet guys and keep to ourselves. But when we get on the field it's like this whole other person comes out of us. We have this drive to make the team better and do what we need to do to make ourselves better and really help individuals out too. Q. (No microphone) do you miss doing that? And how do you feel like that endeared yourself to the coaching staff to allow them to let you have a bigger role? GRANT HALEY: I think any opportunity to get on the field and improve yourself is a great one. I love playing special teams last year, and I loved doing it this year as well. I think that really gave me what the atmosphere is like playing and college football is like. So I think that geared me towards the position I am in today. Q. What do you think of John Reid, and what do you think of his potential? GRANT HALEY: I was very proud of him. He came to me with questions each and every day. We love watching film, and we watched film together on a good basis. With him in the future, I think he's going to be a great player. He's got the desire and drive to play. He just wants to make him and everyone else around him better. Q. You described yourself as somebody who kind of keeps to himself. Playing with a guy like Brandon Bell who is out there with his emotion, has that helped you kind of open up and get into the swing of things in terms of college life, playing football all that stuff? GRANT HALEY: Yeah, I think we all bring out different sides of each other. I know he said I was quiet, and B. Bell is an energy guy. I kind of feed my energy off of him. They get excited for the games. Like you saw on Saturday night, he was jumping up and dancing around. It's hard not to start jumping up and dancing around with him because everyone else is having fun out there. We all just want to have fun together. Q. There are a lot of cool things and neat things about you. What are some of the things that people that might want to follow your career from here on out? GRANT HALEY: I think something that's interesting about me is I'm a guy that loves school. Just my family in the background that they came from, school has always been a big, big part of our family. I went to private school. They really drive me academics first, academics first. That was one of the reasons I chose the schools I chose during the recruiting process. Q. What are you studying then, and did you say both your parents went to med school? GRANT HALEY: Yes, they did. They both went to med school and they're both doctors. My mom is a pediatrician and internal medicine, and my dad is actually the chief of emergency, the ER at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. So that was just -- I mean, I don't want to be a doctor because I know how much school that takes. But right now I'm studying broadcasting, journalism with a minor in business. CHRIS GODWIN Q. I'm just curious, there's been a lot of talk about Saquon Barkley, obviously, in the first few weeks. What's he shown you at practice? We've seen some of his runs. What is the most impressed you've been with Saquon, whether it was a play, a certain practice, since he's gotten on campus? CHRIS GODWIN: Honestly, I think with Saquon I kind of knew this when he first got on campus that he was going to be pretty special, just like watching him. He's about 220 pounds, about 5'10". He's a well-built kid. Then I think the first workout I saw him start running, and he runs a 4.4, so he's pretty fast as well. Then you throw him the ball and he can catch. So I think he's the whole package. I think that was the time that I realized he was the real deal. Q. (No microphone)? CHRIS GODWIN: I think it was about a week-and-a-half, two weeks to him being on campus. Q. To follow-up on that, when you see defensive backs, linebackers, defensive linemen whiffing on tackles, again, trying to take him down, what's that do for you when you're tasked a couple plays later to block guys down field? Do you sense these guys are worn out and rolling around on the ground having missed the tackle on him? CHRIS GODWIN: Oh, definitely. I think the fact we're able to have running backs like Saquon and Akeel pounding on the defensive linemen and linebackers, I think it helps us going down the line with our passing game. It definitely opens up the passing game and kind of wears them down throughout the game. Q. I'm so impressed by the entrance, Chris. When did you get that? Do you get around campus on that? CHRIS GODWIN: I got that actually about a month ago, and, yeah, I used it to go to class and get around campus all the time. It takes about two to three hours to charge and it lasts me all day. So it's pretty useful to get around. It kind of saves my legs for practice and for the games and things like that. Q. Do any of your other teammates have them? CHRIS GODWIN: I'm actually the only one right now, but I know a couple of guys that are really intrigued by it and looking to get one. Q. Just curious what kind of route tree is that thing capable of? CHRIS GODWIN: I wish it could help me run routes. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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