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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEOctober 23, 2018Amani OruwariyeUniversity Park, Pennsylvania Q. Amani, what are your impressions of the Iowa tight ends from what you've seen on tape, and what sort of challenges could they pose for you this weekend? AMANI ORUWARIYE: Yeah, after studying them for a while on Sunday, we just noticed they're big, physical tight ends, old school, Big Ten type tight ends that they're going to be keeping in a lot in the game. They can block. They're physical and athletic to go out and catch the ball, as well. We're going to prepare for them, game plan just like any other week, and I think we'll be ready come Saturday. Q. It's been, I guess, about a month since you've had a week of preparation coming off of a win. What's the mindset right now, the mood? I know you approach every week the same, but I know it's got to feel a little bit better getting back in the win column. AMANI ORUWARIYE: Yeah, it's definitely a good feeling being in the win column, like you said, a lot more positive energy and confidence, so like you said, though, we've still got that 1-0 mentality. We know who's coming into our stadium. We know what they're capable of doing. We played a four-quarter game with them last year. We're expecting them to come out and give us their best effort, but I think we'll be ready. Q. After being able to watch the film on Sunday, how do you think Jonathan Sutherland did in that second half filling in for Garrett? AMANI ORUWARIYE: I think he did really well. I think he got some really quality reps. I think he's going to build off that. He obviously needs to just have a great week of practice this week to prepare. I know Garrett will be a good mentor for him this week to prepare him. But like I said, he's a hard-working guy. He's always been a hard worker, so I think he'll be ready when the time comes. Q. M said that after the game you guys call him the Assassin. Is that a thing, and how did that come up? AMANI ORUWARIYE: Coach Franklin just started that. He just -- that's some thing Coach Franklin came up with. He just called him the Assassin, just a guy keeps his head down and works and attacks everything like an assassin would, I guess. Q. Amani, can you think back to when you first met Trace and you both were -- were you both Vanderbilt recruits, and when you first met James? AMANI ORUWARIYE: Yeah, yeah, we were both Vanderbilt recruits back in, I mean, senior year of high school. I remember meeting Trace going up to Vanderbilt a couple times, and then we exchanged contacts throughout social media and stuff, and then we kind of talked throughout the whole process of the transition from Vanderbilt to Penn State, so yeah. Q. When is the first time you met James? AMANI ORUWARIYE: Yeah, when he was at Vanderbilt. I think it was either at Vanderbilt when I came up in the summer for a camp or one of the two, or he might have came to my high school. I can't remember which one was the first time. But yeah, I remember. It was a while ago, but yeah. Q. Has he changed? AMANI ORUWARIYE: Not really, no. He's basically still the same person. Just that same hard-working coach, passionate, high energy, same guy. Q. Going off of Sutherland and the Assassin, last year it seemed like a lot of guys were rallying around him on the scout team and really liked what he was doing in developmental scrimmages. Was there a play or moment that stood out to you where maybe he had a big hit or crazy pick that you thought, man, this kid is maybe even a little crazy, impressive, either-or? AMANI ORUWARIYE: I don't think it was just one play specifically. I think since he came in, even when he redshirted, he was attacking practice like a veteran, being in the little lines type drills in practice, he was very physical, showed flashes of like a lot of people would compare him to Marcus. But we just knew he was always that fast, physical type safety, and he's just always been like that. Q. I just wanted to ask you a little bit about Iowa's quarterback Nate Stanley. You've played a lot of good quarterbacks in your career. Where does he rank, and what are some of the challenges that he presents to you guys, and does he remind you of anybody? AMANI ORUWARIYE: I don't know who he reminds me of, but he definitely is just a guy we played a couple times who is just that veteran quarterback who knows the ins and outs of the program. It's going to be tough because he's experienced so he's played in tough environments like this before, so we're just going to prepare for him like we do any other quarterback every week, but I think he'll give us a good challenge, but I think we'll be up for it. Q. Do you think John Reid is fully comfortable back in his role? How do you think he's done over the last few weeks now? AMANI ORUWARIYE: Yeah, I think he's definitely back and comfortable. I mean, the past couple weeks he definitely has played a lot better up to his standard, but I think, yeah, he's completely comfortable. I mean, he's being a leader. He's making plays. He's playing passionate, and that's just how John Reid is. Q. Getting a 40-yard return from a guy is one thing, but from a guy like Johnathan Thomas who hasn't really had his number called all that much, what was the reaction like on the sideline after that happened? AMANI ORUWARIYE: We were just so proud and happy for him. Like you said, he's a guy who has had his head down and worked for the past five years, and sometimes it might go unnoticed, but for him to make a play like that is just exciting because we know how much hard work goes behind that, and I know he was happy, and we were definitely happy for him. Q. We just got kind of the play-by-play from Franklin on Jan Johnson getting that scholarship. Sounds like we won't see video, which is something we normally see from these things. Can you give us what it looked like from your perspective, and for a team that's constantly being asked about losing, why are you guys losing and struggling, what was it like to step away from everything and celebrate a teammate? AMANI ORUWARIYE: It was huge. We were just in the team meeting room, and he kind of started talking about guys owning their role on the team. No matter what it is, just own it, and he was just talking about how Jan used to be a scout team tight end and was -- after multiple injuries, in that Michigan game in 2016, had to step up and play in that game, and just all the adversity he went through to be able to be the starting middle linebacker is just incredible, and he kind of was just spotlighting that, and kind of led that into his announcement. But it was cool. It was a great moment. Got to, like you said, get away from all the negatives of the other things and spotlight him for the good things he's done. Q. How was his run as a scout team tight end? AMANI ORUWARIYE: It was pretty good. I don't know why recently he just keeps coming up to me telling me he used to beat me a lot while he was a scout team tight end, which I don't remember, so I guess he said he's going to pull up the film and show me, but that's just how Jan is. Q. How do you think the freshman wide receivers have done in practice this year, not so much training camp or in the spring, but the last few weeks really here in practice when you look at Jahan and Justin and Daniel? AMANI ORUWARIYE: I think they've done really well. I mean, they've been asked a lot for just coming here, but I think they were prepared for it. Like I said, we all prepare as if we're going to be a starter, and then when guys go down, next-man-up mentality. But they've been preparing well throughout practice. Q. Pro Football Focus came out and said that you were like a first-round talent. What do you think about that, if you saw that, and how do you think your season has gone so far just in general? AMANI ORUWARIYE: I mean, I think that's cool and all, but I think I've done all right. But like Coach Franklin always tries to say, we focus on the team goal and focus on that and the individual accolades will come, so that's kind of what I'm worried about. Q. You talked about Iowa's tight ends a little bit earlier. Last month NFL.com labeled Noah Fant as the fifth best prospect in college right now. I'm curious, is he the best tight end you've ever faced, and if not, who is better than this guy that you've seen in your career? AMANI ORUWARIYE: No, he's definitely up there with some of the best tight ends I've played. I kind of compare him to how Mike Gesicki, very receiver-like, for a big body, that can go out and make plays on some skilled DB's. But yeah, he's definitely up there as one of the best tight ends I've played, and so we'll have to prepare for him well. Q. As a Tampa native, how have you taken Judge and Jordan under your wing this season? AMANI ORUWARIYE: Just kind of showing them the ways of how it is being 18 hours away from home, different weather, obviously, just trying to get them to adjust to the culture up here, and I think they've done a good job of it. Q. Is the Assassin the best name on the defense, and if not, is there a better nickname? AMANI ORUWARIYE: I don't know what nicknames we have. I know Coach Smith calls Garrett Night Train. I don't know why, but that's just kind of something that stuck. I think Cole always does his little Land Shark thing, so that's his little nickname. But not too many nicknames, no. Q. Jordan Miner, how have you guys maybe helped him along this year to make him feel like he's part of the team, despite everything he's gone through? AMANI ORUWARIYE: Just when he's going through his tough times, kind of just encouraging him, supporting him, something that we can't all really relate to, so we're just surrounding him with love, and then just keeping him around, keeping him engaged in practice. He's a guy that wants to be a coach some day, so he's just kind of getting the responsibilities of some of the coaches to get him jump started on that. But he's definitely been positive and just bringing good energy to the team. Q. Going off that a little bit, Ryan Buchholz, what has he brought? He's an older guy, played a lot of football for you guys. What has he brought from a different perspective? AMANI ORUWARIYE: I mean, pretty similar. Just like you said, more experience. He played the game at this level already, and so he's just another voice and another resource for the defensive coaches. So whatever he sees, he can give them feedback and then help the D-line, the younger D-line as best he can. Q. Franklin said he sees Micah taking steps forward. You got a great vantage point on what Micah is doing on game day and in practice. From point A to point B where we are in the season, what are the things he's done to put himself in a position to get starter's reps to play a lot of football? AMANI ORUWARIYE: He's just listening. He's being coachable. He's got guys around him that played a lot of football, and they're helping him out. They're grooming him. So he's taking it day by day, watching film, just listening to all the little tips and everything that they're giving him, and then he's just going out and putting it on the field. He's not going to be perfect every play, but as long as he goes all out, he's got the talent to make plays. I think he's doing a good job. Q. And Franklin also mentioned that he thinks there's too much of a load on Trace, he's carrying the ball a lot. I think emotionally, physically, everything, there's a lot on him. How does he weather that storm? How do you think he remains calm through it, and would you agree, do you think Trace is being stretched a little too far? AMANI ORUWARIYE: I don't think so, and I don't think he thinks so. I think he's the type of guy where he's like, whatever the coaches ask of him, he's going to do it. He's always been like that. I don't think he sees it as too much of a load, I just think he sees it as an opportunity. I think he sees it as we have some youth and they're going to lean on our fifth-year senior quarterback to make some more plays, and I don't think he sees a problem with that. Q. James Franklin said that especially the younger guys kind of have to learn how to practice. What does that mean, going back to when you first got here, how do you kind of learn to play at this level, to practice at this level? AMANI ORUWARIYE: You know, Coach Franklin just kind of does a good job of forcing you to do that. He kind of walks you through how practice is going to go, and then once you do some practices, your first couple practices, you see how the older guys are running every drill, just not having your helmet on the ground, just little practice tips that he tries to implement for the younger guys. But he makes it very easy for you to kind of adjust from high school to college, and that's a good thing. Q. What are the things that stand out to you about Micah physically for a true freshman, and from your perspective, how is he dealing with not necessarily being the starter? That's not always an easy thing when you come in as a freshman, especially a five-star kid. AMANI ORUWARIYE: I don't think that's affected him at all. I think he's getting some quality reps in there. I think he's, like I said, taking the coaching points that all the older linebackers are kind of giving him, and he's just making the most of his opportunities right now. He's a freak talent, he's going to be -- his ceiling, the sky's the limit for him. As long as he just keeps working hard and keeping his head down, I think he's going to be special. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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