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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEAugust 29, 2017Ryan BatesCurtis CothranUniversity Park, Pennsylvania Q. How does it feel to be named the starting left tackle? You've showed us you're a versatile player and can play every conceivable position along the offensive line, but how does it feel to know this is where you're at and this is where you can devote your full-time and energy? RYAN BATES: I feel good. I feel comfortable. Kind of last year I kind of got thrown in at left tackle, and I didn't have as much time to prepare. I only had like a couple days, really. But I feel more comfortable than ever right now. Q. You go back to looking at left tackle, getting ready to play there. What are some challenges that you've gone through in the last eight, nine months, making that transition? What are some things you've done that you worked on? RYAN BATES: I think the biggest thing I had to work on is my kick set for pass protection. Being at tackle you have a lot more space at guard or center. Actually, I feel more comfortable at tackle just naturally. I trust my ability. I've always considered myself to have good feet and that always helps being on the outside, like they say, on your own island. I feel comfortable. I feel good. Q. Who are some of the guys who have maybe helped you through that transition? I'm assuming Nelson. RYAN BATES: Absolutely, Nelson being No. 1. He's a three-year starter for us. He has a lot of experience, especially at tackle. He knows what he's doing. He's been around the block a couple times. Q. So how excited are you guys to get back into Beaver Stadium and hit somebody in a different color jersey and helmet? RYAN BATES: Oh, very excited. I've been going against the same guys for the past couple months. So I'm very excited to come out here and hit somebody else. Q. Will Fries is second team left tackle, looks like Mike Miranda, second team left guard. What have those two guys hone in fall camp that gives you confidence that if something happens, they can step? RYAN BATES: Mike Miranda being a freshman, he's actually doing very well. I can say he's probably, where he is now, he's better than where I was at that stage. He's got excellent technique. He's moving along really well. Will Fries, he's doing really well. He's progressed a lot at left tackle. He's moved around a little bit from right tackle to left tackle, but he's doing really well at left tackle right now. He's actually taking some quad reps, too, which having that versatility is key. Q. The perception is that you guys have been in the best shape you've been at the offensive line position for the past couple years. What are the top three traits of a good offensive line that you see in these guys and the guys that you're working with that make you, you know, so much better than maybe you've been the past few years? RYAN BATES: To be a good offensive line, you have to have trust in each other. I've got to trust that I have to -- I have to trust that the guy next to me, he's going to do his job and he's got to trust that I'm going to do my job. That's the most important, really -- kind of throwing me on the spot here, trying to think off the top of my head, three straits. But trust is the biggest one. And to play offensive line, you have to be tenacious. You have to want it. You have to want to put someone in the dirt. And chemistry, really. Chemistry is a huge one where you have to -- not only on the field but off the field. We hang out. We do everything together. Chemistry is a big one. Q. James had mentioned several times Yetor's play during the preseason. Can you tell us what he brings to the table as a true freshman D-end? RYAN BATES: Yetor's doing really well right now. He's got a lot of potential to be very good here. He's got the size, he's got the speed, he's got the strength, and being a true freshman, he's got to learn to use some of them things but he's going to be a really good player. Q. What can you tell us about Shaka and Shane, those are guys we have not seen a whole lot of. I'm sure you're going up against them, or at least you were earlier in camp. What do those guys bring to the table? RYAN BATES: Speed. Speed off the edge. They are doing very well right now, especially Shaka. Shaka is probably one of the fastest guys I've ever gone against. I feel like I'm playing a corner at defensive end just because of his sheer speed and his quickness coming off the ball. He's very well at his get-off, but both of them are doing very well right now at defensive end. Q. New shades, new glasses? RYAN BATES: Yeah. I went back -- I went home some time through the summer and my mom is, "Hey, why don't you get your eyes checked." I was like, whatever, I have nothing to do. Apparently I can't see. Apparently I need glasses (Laughter). Q. I have a real question. What are the upper and lower parameters of weight for you guys, and how much weight is too much weight for an offensive lineman? RYAN BATES: It really depends on, you know, how that person's built. Right now I'm at 315 and I think I can play really well at 315. I feel like I'm at that stage where I can -- I'm not losing a lot of speed but I have that strength and size to play at this level. Some of the guys on the offensive line, Chasz is 6-8, 360 and he's a huge kid. He holds his weight really well and he moves really well for his size. It really depends on, you know, how you're built. Q. So in terms of eligibility, there's only two seniors in the offensive line room, Mahon and Nelson. How vocal are they in terms of leading you guys and showing you the ropes? I know you credit a lot Nelson helping you move to tackle, so can you talk about that? RYAN BATES: You know, having two guys like Nelly and Mahon, it's good to have them. They are almost like field generals where they know everything about the offense and they know -- they have been around the block a couple times, like I've said, and they know what they are doing. It's nice to have them back and 100 percent healthy. Q. I actually thought the question about the glasses was pretty good. Will you wear them during the game? RYAN BATES: No. I'm nearsighted, so it's just for far away. I can see you guys up close but a little difficult to see you guys back there. Q. So no contact lenses? RYAN BATES: No contacts, no. Q. Had you noticed that you weren't seeing that well? RYAN BATES: Apparently not (laughing). Q. But your mother knew. RYAN BATES: It was more like, I'm home, like why not. Like what do I have to lose to do it. So I was home, I got my eyes checked and can't see apparently. Q. We asked Bates about some of the younger D-Lineman. Can you talk about Shaka, Shane and Yetor a little bit what this they bring to the table? CURTIS COTHRAN: Oh, yeah, sure. First thing's first. You know, incredible work ethic. They come out to practice every day and they are humble. You know, they are ready to work and they are ready to get it started. But yeah, they are definitely doing a great job. You know, a lot of those guys are freak athletes. You know, they are freakish. You see Yetor, he's -- I don't know how tall, he has to be 6-7, 6-6, something like that. And then you have speed guy with Shaka, and then Shane is just a freak of nature in his own right. You know, they have definitely been grinding and working hard so I'm hoping to see what they are going to do this season. Q. Can you appreciate these young players, having come in as a young d-end, knowing how tough that position is? CURTIS COTHRAN: Oh, yeah, I can definitely appreciate it always. Especially the mental aspect to it more than anything, you know, because I mean with defensive end there's obviously a lot of things that you have to know on this defense. It's definitely impressive to see these guys working and grinding away that they are. Q. We've heard a lot this off-season about how much bigger the offensive line has gone, and beyond the obvious, they are more difficult to move. What does that do from a defensive line's perspective? Say you were preparing for the O-line that you practiced against every day; how would that change your job as a D-Lineman? CURTIS COTHRAN: Change my job as much as them being heavier. Q. Just noticing that, hey, these are some big boys, than the average O-line you might see. CURTIS COTHRAN: Yeah, it's a great challenge in practice. We face them every day. It definitely makes our defensive line way better because we're able to face those guys in practice. So when we go to other teams, Big Ten offensive line and things like that, it will definitely get us ready. But it's very impressive to see the way that they have packed on the weight and good weight, not bad weight at all. Q. Does that change your preparation for -- of course, Wisconsin, a much bigger offensive line, and scheme-wise they are different, too. How but you prepare, do you have work on particular second technique or your process, is that because they are bigger? CURTIS COTHRAN: Oh, for sure. Definitely when it comes to double-teams. Double-teams from 330-pound linemen are definitely different than 300. So yeah, just working on technique and strike and get-off and those type of things. The fundamentals, definitely hone your skills. Q. So how excited are you and the other teammates to get back in Beaver Stadium and make that transition and finally get a chance to line up against guys in other-colored jerseys and helmets? CURTIS COTHRAN: Oh, it's definitely really exciting. You can see me right now; I'm grinning ear to ear right now. It's definitely nice to be able to face an opponent finally. We've been beating each other up for the last couple weeks, so it's definitely fun to put on the pads and show our skills in front of 107,000. Q. You've been around the block for awhile now. CURTIS COTHRAN: Yeah. Q. But this is like your first real solidified opportunity to have that starting job. What does it mean, to watch a guy like Evan last year, had a similar kind of career path and now you're in that similar role. What is that like for you? CURTIS COTHRAN: I mean, it's definitely -- I mean, first of all, it's definitely a blessing. Obviously I've grinded out a lot of years here. I mean, obviously you always want to be the starter in your mind. So I mean, to finally be able to say that I am one, it's definitely a blessing. And it definitely just shows the amount of work that goes into it. I mean, nothing's ever easy, especially in college football. Through the years of grinding everything out, I'm thankful to be here. Q. And you're a media studies major? CURTIS COTHRAN: Media studies major, no. I was a criminology major but I just graduated in the month of August. Q. Curious when you look at Torrence Brown, kind of you guys have a lot more Alabama guys than you previously had. But apparently he was a pretty good basketball player back in the day. Have you seen him play hoops? CURTIS COTHRAN: I've seen him play hoops. I've definitely seen him play hoops. He definitely lives up to the name. I'm pretty sure he won like -- Mission Alabama (ph) or something like that, so he's definitely a hooper. It's nice to see him -- he's definitely a two-sport pro. Q. Everybody I've talked to about him says he's a quiet guy, more of a humble guy. What's he like? CURTIS COTHRAN: Definitely around the defensive line, we're all together 24/7, so it's definitely more comfortable to be like that but yeah, he's definitely a very humble guy and very quiet and soft-spoken. He definitely sits on the cut, but he can definitely dribble with the best of them. Q. What's it been like going through your career with somebody at the same position who has such a similar name? I'm saying this half-jokingly. Do they confuse you name-wise? CURTIS COTHRAN: Right. Yeah, they definitely confuse us a little bit. They like to put my name with "E" and name with "N" a lot of the times. I remember a couple times some people even walked up to me and are like: Oh, you're from Huntsville, Alabama we heard about you. And I'm like, no, that's the other Cochrane. Appreciate the attempt. Q. What do you see when you look at Akron's offense, and big picture for you individually, what will the definition of success be this season? CURTIS COTHRAN: I mean, when I say Akron's offense, they are definitely a very experienced offense and very experienced offensive line. I'm pretty sure four or five starters are coming back. It's definitely going to be a challenge for us to do the things we like to do but we're definitely up for it. What was your second question? Q. You individually, goals that you have this season. CURTIS COTHRAN: Goals that I have, my goals are just the team goals. Just do the best we can and hopefully crank out wins and make it back to where we were. Q. (Off-mic). CURTIS COTHRAN: Not really. That comes with the territory of winning. Q. You started off last season, can you take us back, I don't think you were in a starting role at the beginning of the season. CURTIS COTHRAN: Right. Q. What did you learn from that? Can you trace Kevin Givens' progress? CURTIS COTHRAN: Yeah, definitely starting off the season as a backup, it's definitely a humbling role but it not something that I -- I mean, that I was -- why am I at a loss for words -- that I wasn't used to. I've been a backup for a few years now. But it was definitely a grind to be able to start and then once I got my starting opportunity, it was something I tried to take hold of. And what was your second question? I'm sorry. Q. About Givens. CURTIS COTHRAN: How he's going to do? Q. How you trace his progress. CURTIS COTHRAN: He's definitely progressing. That's another guy that you talk about a freak of nature. He's definitely one of the strongest guys in the weight room but he's compact. He's definitely powerful. Yeah, he definitely knows the system and everything that he's doing. He's grinding with the rest of us, so I mean, we're all going to do great. Q. You mentioned basketball. Who are the best basketball players on the team? CURTIS COTHRAN: The best basketball players on the team? All right, well, I definitely have to go with the 'Bama boys, definitely -- on the football team, I'm sorry, yeah. I probably have to go with the 'Bama boys and definitely Torrence Brown. A lot of people don't know, Parker was a good basketball player back in the day, too. So he's definitely nice, too. Probably I've seen DaeSean Hamilton. DaeSean Hamilton is definitely really good, too. Q. So sticking with basketball, I've heard you guys have competition between the signing classes; is that true? Like the 2015 will play the 2014 signing class. Does that happen? CURTIS COTHRAN: To be honest, I don't know nothing about it but I don't play basketball. That's not my forte. There probably is something going on like that. I would not be surprised at all. Q. Are you a two-sport athlete and what is it if you are? CURTIS COTHRAN: Am I a two-sport athlete? I'm going to be honest, not really. I definitely found football and just stuck with it because once I started to venture into other sports, I wasn't too good add it. But I did too track in high school but that was back when I was 215 and I'm 290 now. I don't think I can run that fast anymore -- Saeed is definitely the best basketball player on the team. Totally slipped my mind. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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