	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BOSTON COLLEGE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 3, 2017

AJ Dillon

Boston, Massachusetts

Q. Talk about the experience of training camp.
AJ DILLON: So far it's been a lot of fun. I've made -- I feel like I've made a lot of strides in just understanding the offense and the flow of the game. That's a credit to Coach White and Jon Hilliman and Davon Jones and the older running backs in the group taking me under their wing and just kind of helping me out.

Q. Anything you've noticed in the speed of the game, quality of the offensive linemen, stuff like that? What are your first impressions?
AJ DILLON: I mean, my first impressions are the speed of the game is definitely faster, and the offensive line that we have I feel is very, very good. They've been opening up a lot of holes for me, and same goes for them. Like it's only the first couple days so far, so I know they're only going to get better, which I'm really excited to see because they're already great. But I feel like it's a great kind of opportunity to go against a defense that's as good as ours every day. We've always been -- well, in the last couple years we've always been nationally ranked as one of the top defenses. I feel like coming in as a freshman, it can get a little overwhelming at times going against a defense that has so many good, high caliber guy, but it's only going to make me better, and our offense better, so I'm really excited for that, and it's fun because it's always passionate.

Q. I can't imagine a lot of situations where you'd be fighting for a job. How does it feel to have so many good backs around and have to compete?
AJ DILLON: Yeah, I mean, obviously it's always a competition. I feel like right now what's really special with our group is that we all want to see each other succeed. I don't really feel like there's any real tension between the group. I feel like the senior Jon Hilliman, like I said, the older guys, they've really taken me under their wing, and Travis Levy, he's been here a while before me. He came in, he early enrolled, but he's also helping me out with things, and I know the older guys helped him out when he first got here. I feel like we're a kind of special group of backs that kind of honestly care about each other, and I'm excited to move forward throughout the year and through camp with them because I know as a group, as a unit, I feel like the sky's the limit.

Q. Talk about the mental approach you have to play playing college ball.
AJ DILLON: Yeah, it's definitely a lot different than high school. There's a lot more that goes into it. I need to know what the linemen are doing and the defense are doing, just a lot of things. Because the game is so sped up, it helps you out a lot if you know what the other people are doing. It buys you a few seconds. But honestly, I've been just working a lot with Coach White, and I've been studying in my free time just to try to understand as much as I can. I'm trying to be a swung and grab everything I can from those older guys while they're here and just trying to get better every day.

Q. You changed, decommitted from Michigan. What brought you here?
AJ DILLON: Honestly my senior season got cut short, not the way I wanted it to, but I feel like after that, a couple weeks after that, I really just started to -- I sat down and I thought about it, I was talking with my mom and my family a lot, and I really wanted to see like -- I just honestly felt like Boston College was the place for me to be the best and achieve the best as an athlete and as a student and also just growing into a young man in the future. Once again, like Michigan and BC were obviously my top two schools, so I have nothing bad to say about Michigan. I love Michigan. I had a great time when I visited out there, and I have a great relationship with the coaches and my class, but at the end of the day, I just felt like Boston College is the best place for me personally just to grow as an individual.

Q. Before September is over, you're going to be playing Notre Dame and Clemson back to back; has that kind of sunk in?
AJ DILLON: I feel like it sunk in in the sense that I understand what's going on, but I feel like once it comes to the game week, it's definitely going to be a big different feeling, especially with my grandfather having played at Notre Dame. That's going to be really big in my household, as well. It's going to be a pretty cool experience to see. But I'm excited. I'm just trying to get better every week.

Q. Did you say your uncle --
AJ DILLON: My grandfather.

Q. Played for Notre Dame?
AJ DILLON: Yeah, he played for Notre Dame, Thom Gatewood. He played with Joe Theismann.

Q. The wide receiver?
AJ DILLON: Yeah, that's my grandfather. When I went on my visits to Notre Dame, he came with me. He's a celebrity out there. But I've also learned a lot from him over the years. That's going to be funny, though.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297