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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 11, 2018Brandon PolkUniversity Park, Pennsylvania Q. KJ kind of stole your jet sweep from you this weekend. What's it like being on a team with a bunch of guys, that you were the fastest guy for a long time and now you're not the only one out there with that speed? BRANDON POLK: Great recruiting from Coach Franklin, getting a lot of guys in here that have a unique talent and kind of when they go out there and use it, it kind of shows, I'm happy, I'd still say I'm faster than KJ. It's fun going out there seeing guys use their talent to help the team. Q. Year four for you on campus, making impact week one, week two, you're listed as a co-starter on the depth chart now. Can you describe what you've proven to yourself through the first two games of the season? BRANDON POLK: At least for me, I can go out there and do what the coaches kind of believe that I can do and for myself, as well, going out there and proving to myself, like confidence, going out there and just making plays when they come to me. Q. I couldn't help but hear you say that you're the fastest. Because we talked to KJ a little while ago and he said he's the fastest. How much of a point of contention is this, you guys joking about who is the fastest in this receiving core? BRANDON POLK: We're just trying to go out there, we're competitors, so we're going to compete in everything we do. It's kind of one of our core values. KJ can say he's faster than me. Doesn't matter. We're going to go out there and compete. KJ and I, we always joke around about it, but I'm still faster than him. Q. Which receiver thinks they are the fastest -- BRANDON POLK: Me. Q. At what point did you realize what sort of quarterback Trace McSorley was? Because you obviously go way back. Was there a time that it clicked for you? It took the rest of the world much longer to figure it out. BRANDON POLK: I would say for me it was my freshman year because I played at a school called Freedom High School, and I remember all week, they were talking about Trace McSorley, Trace McSorley. I had heard of him because my dad and his dad were really close friends, and they came and they killed us and that's kind of when I knew who -- about Trace McSorley and the things that he could do. So then when I went to Briar Woods, my sophomore year, kind of everything clicked. He kind of, you know, made me, I would say, like kind of the competitor and the person I am today with the energy that he brought to the team and it's just very infectious. So that's kind of when I knew. Q. How much has he changed? BRANDON POLK: I would say he's pretty much the same person ever since high school. The other thing I would say is he's gotten taller, stronger; the knowledge of the game, he understands that a lot better. Basically from energy, that standpoint, he's been basically the same person. Q. Watching the previous match against Kent State and knowing your specific strengths, what are some things you notice from their defense on film that will play into your strengths? BRANDON POLK: I will just say Kent State, they are a really good team. They had a really good season-opening game against Illinois. My speed, kind of the ability to change directions, I feel like that's going to help me out. My route running, as well as anyone else who is out there, I feel like the people that Coach Franklin has here, the receiving core and even the running backs, whatever, that they are going to go out there and do the best of their ability. Q. Was the fourth down catch against App State, where does that rank among your most important moments here? BRANDON POLK: I would say, I guess the top one for me, because it was kind of -- the way I looked at it, when I kind of saw their defense and when I seen the DB back up a little bit, it's kind of what -- at least for me, my progression as a wide receiver, understanding the defenses, rather than just going out there and running a route. So I kind of had an idea that the ball was going to come to me when he started to bail. So I kind of went out there and ran my route and when I seen the ball, I knew that the depth of the route was six yards, around there, five, six yards and it was fourth and two, so I knew that I had the first down. And my next thing to do was to get out of bounds under two minutes, so that was kind of a proud moment I guess for me. Q. Talking about that play, you were so open, and that ball was coming to you, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone concentrate so hard on not dropping a pass. What is going through your head? Sometimes being wide open -- I would imagine that would be almost harder than being covered and catching it because it just you right there. BRANDON POLK: I just go out there -- my objective in my head, wasn't, don't drop the ball. It was catch the ball first, and then go. So I wasn't thinking negatively, like if I drop this ball, this is what's going to happen. I was just making a play when a ball came to me and I feel like I did everything in my ability to make sure I got it done. Q. What's it like grinding through four years on this roster, staying engaged in a way that gives you this opportunity and not maybe just saying, you know, it's just not going to work or whatnot? BRANDON POLK: I would just say, like kind of with all the guys before me, I still talk to DaeSean and all them today. They just kind of helped me get through the process, as well as my family. Going in there and not giving up. My dad always told me: Quitters never win. So it's not something that I kind of want to do. I was never in my mind, like, I don't want to be here any more because this is not going anyway. I just thought for me, the best thing for me is put my head down and keep working and when my opportunity comes, just make sure I take advantage of it. Q. Drops have been an issue for some other players. In general as a receiver, is that something mental and how do you overcome that? Is it just repetition or how do you get past that? BRANDON POLK: I would say it's more repetition, as well as like the next-play mentality. Like let's say you drop a football, and then that's the only thing on your mind, you're going to keep dropping the football and keep dropping it. I feel like, if you drop the football, okay, move on to the next play; so it doesn't happen again because if you're thinking negatively, that's weighs going to happen. Also, I mean with the JUGS machines and different things, kind of different things that I've been like on YouTube, I look on there and see some of the drills that NFL teams are using to help me personally, whether it's contesting catches, or see what they are doing to kind of use for my game. Q. What are you looking at on YouTube? BRANDON POLK: Most of the receiver stuff I get from Coach Corley but when I was trying to work on my contested catches, I kind of needed someone else to kind of help me with that because I can't run around and catch the ball with no one there. Kind of looked some stuff on YouTube and seen a distraction drill where they are shooting the JUGS and someone is shooting their hands and stuff and kind catching that. I feel that's what's kind of helped me, things like that. Q. Cool. Going off of it -- totally different note, is what I was going for. When Trace beat you freshman year, what do you remember about the game? Was there a specific play that he made that stands out or anything like that? BRANDON POLK: I don't remember the specific play. But I just remember the score of the game, like 50-something to three. I don't remember exact play, but I just remember it wasn't fun. Q. Could Cliff have thrown a better ball? BRANDON POLK: No. That was probably one of the best balls that he's thrown. I mean, that was perfect. It was right there. I didn't have to do anything, fell right into my hands. That was a really good ball by Cliff. Really proud of him, he went out there and showed what he can do. Q. At that moment you catch that, you go up by so much. What's the feeling like at that point? BRANDON POLK: At that point, I mean, every touchdown for me is pretty much the same, whether it's the first touchdown or the last touchdown. We all work so hard. I know like getting in the end zone isn't easy. Might have looked easy, but it's not easy to get in the end zone and to score. So I mean, every time I get in there or whoever else, you always see me, I'm always there celebrating with them because I know all the hard work that we put in. Q. Did that game freshman year have anything to do with you ultimately transferring? BRANDON POLK: No, it was between like Briar Woods or Westfield, which is another school in that area, but the difference was they woke up, or they were getting up at 7:00, and I was used to getting up at 9:00 and I didn't want to do that. Q. At this point when you go back home, how relevant is Trace all the time? Are people talking about him all the time? What about back home? BRANDON POLK: Trace is still the talk of the town, even in Briar Woods. He's a great guy. Everyone's talking about him. Whether, I mean, doesn't matter where I'm going because sometimes I'll go to like different games, see one of my brother's friends play in high school and they are talking about Trace and stuff like that and how it's been playing with him since basically high school till now. He's just a great guy and you know, every time I go home, someone says something nice about him. It's honestly true. He's just a nice person. Q. It was a long wait from when you were playing together in high school to when you were playing in games together here, for you. What did he have to say to you after the App State game, maybe after your touchdown against Pitt? Maybe, you're in the fold now; on offense, you're a key player. Did he approach you about that? BRANDON POLK: He was out there when I kind of caught that, even the fourth down pass. Kind of went over there and he kind of went up to me and, like, good job. As I was running across, I hear that. And I talk to him every day, kind of get the knowledge of what he's thinking in certain situations and even the touchdown at Pitt. He's always in my area telling me, like, look, we need this, we need that. And just like being a person that you can go to at any time at any point in the game. I mean, hey, I remember on that play where I got called for blocking the back versus Pitt, he came up to me like, it's good, next play. We need you, you can't be somewhere else. We need you right here. That was good for me and reassuring that everything was good. Q. We have heard Trace described as a Steady Eddie. What's the guy that we don't see off the field? BRANDON POLK: He's a good guy. Just away from the field, he's basically the same person. I mean, if we're playing, sometimes I'll play Fortnight with him and stuff like that, and he's still trying to be the best he can be in whatever it is. He's just a great person you can talk to about literally anything. Even like some questions -- we won't be at practice or watching film but I may ask him something about football and he'll be able to tell me, like right then and there, and he knows basically everything. Q. Can't help but hear you mention Fortnight. Who is your ideal squad, if you were to pick three guys from the team? BRANDON POLK: I would Jan would be one of them. Jan is pretty good. Me, of course, probably the best one. John Reid, and there's like a toss up, maybe like Amani, Koa, Coop, some people like that. One of those would be the last one. But definitely Jan and John Reid. Q. Favorite place to drop? BRANDON POLK: Tilted Towers. You have to. There's a lot of people there. You have to go there. Q. With this young group of receivers that has been talked about so much, how did that kind of push you to make sure that you made the most and carved out a role for yourself this year because obviously if those guys jump you, could be tough to get ahead. How have they motivated you and the other veterans in the receiver room? BRANDON POLK: We all motivate each other. My thought process was not like, these guys are coming, I have to make sure. I was going, doing the best I can do, just knowing the offense and running many I routes a lot better. We are always going in there and helping each other out. It's not like, this person behind me, I can't help them out because I don't want them to jump me, no. If they need help or if I see them doing something wrong or something they can do better, I'll help them out and they will do the same thing for me. I always ask them, like when I'm running routs or like in practice, I'll ask, is my foot turned here; am I doing this right. And they tell me no; okay, I'll make sure next time I'm running that route, I'm more focused on that. We all help each other out and making sure that we're all at our best. Q. With a change in the depth chart like yesterday, do you have to clear the air with DeAndre, like? Hey, we are now "or" status at the No. 1 spot? Did you address it in any way? BRANDON POLK: We kind went up to each other, he said: Good job, you know, you kind of did what you had to do. But he said: No, I'm going to get it back. I looked at him, said: No, I'm going to keep this. It's kind of like a competitiveness in the room that we all want to be at our best and he even told me, like when I'm running routes out there or I'm going against a defender on the sideline, look, this is what this person -- and I do the same thing for him to make sure when we both go out there, we are both at our best. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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