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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 6, 2018Garrett TaylorUniversity Park, Pennsylvania Q. Yesterday, what was the bounceback like for these guys? When we saw you in the locker room on Saturday, a lot of guys said it was quiet and conversations needed to be had. How did yesterday go as a group? GARRETT TAYLOR: I think it went well. I think we stuck to our process. We looked at the film. Saw what we did well on defense. We saw a lot of things that we needed to improve on. So we took it upon ourselves to make sure we went out there in the jog-through, made the corrections we needed to make and moved on and started getting ready for Wisconsin. Q. They say in hockey, the guys that work hard, the puck comes to them. Do you feel like the turnovers you've had have been a product of being in the right place at the right time or is it a product of putting in the film work and putting in the work off the field and on the field? GARRETT TAYLOR: I think it's a little mix of both. Obviously I tried myself on my work ethic and how I prepare for each game. So I think it's part of that but also Coach Pry tells us on defense, good things happen when you pursue the ball. I try to do that on each and every play, finish around the pile and the ball just happened to bounce my way a couple times. I think I took advantage of that. So I think it's a combination of both. Q. Several of the major objectives you guys had coming into the season, like a Big 10 Championship, and getting into the play off field, are unattainable now. Is motivating yourselves an issue the rest of the way and what do you use to motivate yourself? GARRETT TAYLOR: I don't think that's been an issue at all. I think we still have a lot ahead of us. I think we have a lot to play for. You know, Coach Banks talks to us about making sure we're playing for ourselves, playing for the guys in the room and playing for the guys on the team. We owe it to ourselves to go out and play hard these next couple games. I think in the locker room, we've done a good job of not looking back but looking forward and sticking to Coach Franklin's mantra of trying to go 1-0 each week. That's going to be our motivation going into this Saturday, just making sure we take care of what we need to take care of to go 1-0. Q. What's the key to stopping Jonathan Taylor? GARRETT TAYLOR: Obviously they are a talented team up front and he's a very talented back. But you know, I've been saying for a long time, I think we're really talented as a defense. I think you've got to look at guys like Shareef, Yetur, Kevin, our front seven are playing really well right now. I think it's going to start up front and I think our guys are going to do a great job of giving Wisconsin hard looks and getting knocked back off the ball and I think we're going to come out with the right intentions on defense. I think everything after that will take care of itself. Q. You were in the same recruiting class as Tommy Stevens. What was he like back then? How have you seen him grow to the point where he is now? GARRETT TAYLOR: I think he still has that personality of, you know, very humble guy, a guy who is willing to work hard, and you know, Tommy has a great personality, always a great spot in our locker room. He still has that. You know, over the years, I've seen him grow and really trust the process and really try to take notes from Trace on becoming a good -- not even a good quarterback; a great quarterback. So he's always watching extra film. Always getting extra reps after practice and stuff like that. You know, he's taken the approach of, you know, that next-man-up mentality, so he's always prepared for whenever his number is going to be called, and he's been super selfless throughout this whole process. Q. You're a guy who had to wait your time a bit. How rewarding do you think it's going to be for him when it is finally his time? GARRETT TAYLOR: I think it's going to be big for him. You know, obviously it's huge. You go through a lot, waiting your turn, working hard and sometimes it's hard because the future that you want might not be there in front of you. I think right now, Tommy is doing a great job embracing his role on the team right now, and I don't think he's super worried on what's to come yet. I think he's still focused on what's ahead this season. I think when his time does come, I think he'll be ready and I think he's going to do a great job. Q. We hear a lot about Trace stepping up to support his teammates after games and tough moments. A little stretch here where he's been banged up and a lot of noise about the performance of the offense starting with him. Do you have to then in turn make sure he's getting that support that he typically gives out? GARRETT TAYLOR: I think that's part of it. Obviously Trace is, you know, one of the leader of our team and he's been that for a couple years now, and he always does a great job of keeping everyone's spirits up in the locker room and making sure we're staying focused and on task. I think Trace does know that he has the full support of his team like we all make sure that he knows that we've got his back and we believe in him and there's never been, you know, a moment of doubt from the players and coaching staff. We've all got his back and he's tough as hell and he's battled through a lot for this team, so we are going to put it all on the line for him. Q. Coach Franklin mentioned after the game Saturday, that he wanted to find a way to kind of limit the reps a little bit it sounded like to get the defense fresh because of all the snaps you've taken in recent weeks, over the course of practice, trying to manage that. Do you think that's necessary for your group and do you anticipate it being the case? GARRETT TAYLOR: Speaking from my point of view as a player, like I really don't know. We listen to what the coaches have and we believe that whatever they tell us, it's in our best interests. So I mean, if that's what they think is best for us, we're going to embrace it and try to take advantage of it. I mean, obviously we've been out there a lot on defense but that's not any fault of the coaches or anything. So whatever they feel, that, you know, we need to do to get our bodies right for this Saturday, I think is the right call. Q. For young defensive players, to be on the football field in the fourth quarter in a tough road environment and the score is out of hand and it's painful, how can they use that as something positive moving forward in their Penn State situation? They have not been in that situation since they got to campus. GARRETT TAYLOR: I think we do a good job, leaders on the defense, trying to make sure they stay focused, try to tune out the noise and negativity and make sure they are going out there every snap and trying to execute their job and do it to the best of their ability. I think guys like Micah, Sutherland, Lamont, those guys, they have done a really good job embracing that. I know it's tough. They might not have necessarily been put in that situation on a game day but we have stuff like winter workouts, our summer workouts, are meant to push us mentally and physically to simulate that, and those guys have done a great job during that process and I think it's prepared them for this season. So I think they are doing a great season. Q. How would you describe the opportunity that awaits this Penn State team, not just Saturday but the rest of the season? How would you describe this opportunity? GARRETT TAYLOR: I think it's a great opportunity to show how resilient we are as a team. I know right now we're going through what some might call a little bit of adversity. But this team, we have a lot of fight in us and we have a lot of strong-willed guys. We're not going to go out. We're going to go out every week and prepare how we need to prepare and we're going to work hard and we're going to come out and put together a full four quarters each and every Saturday from here on out. So I think it's a great opportunity for this team to step up and show everyone what we're made of. Q. Not just this year, but in the few years that you've been here, what has Nick Scott meant to you? GARRETT TAYLOR: Nick, he's kind of like an older brother to me. You know, we weren't always at the same position, but you know, he's always a guy, you know, in workouts, in the weight room, kind of a guy I would like try to compete against and he embraced that. It was kind of lighthearted. We've been close since I got here and now especially since we're across from each other at the starting safety spot, our bond has got even closer. He's kind of taken me under his wing in terms of film study, making sure I have all the confidence I need when I go out there. We room together at the hotel on trips and stuff, so that's a lot of fun, but you know, Nick is a guy who sacrificed a lot and has done a lot for this team, and to have someone like that be kind of like a mentor for me is huge. Q. Obviously you have a handful of games left, but how weird is it going to be not having him alongside you next year, not rooming with you next year, all that kind of stuff? GARRETT TAYLOR: Yeah, it will be different. You try not to look ahead to that sort of stuff. You really want to try to stay focused on Wisconsin and this upcoming week, but I mean, obviously losing guys on the team is never fun. Especially one of your close friends that you're close with, so it's definitely going to be a little weird. Q. What have you seen or what has led you to believe that you're not going to give up? Who is leading the charge to make sure this thing doesn't go haywire down the stretch? GARRETT TAYLOR: I think it's kind of hard for me to point to one specific person. I think we have that attitude throughout our entire program. You know, it starts from the top down with Coach Franklin coming in and giving us that message, and then it trickles down to our position coach, Coach Banks, we had a talk in our meeting room and it was like, look, we still have room to improve and we have a lot to prove to ourselves and everyone else and then guys like Nick, Trace, Amani, guys making sure we're not losing focus as a team or as a defense. I think it's a lot of different people throughout the program, but I think we've all embraced it and we're all taking on that attitude. Q. How has Lamont been this year? Obviously you were patient when you got here, and he's had to have some patience, too, it would seem. How has Lamont been in meetings and those kind of things? GARRETT TAYLOR: He's been great. He's always engaged and he's always asking questions. He's embracing his role and what it is right now and obviously, you know, guys aren't happy with their roles -- you're allowed to want more and you're allowed to desire more, but he hasn't that let that affect the way he plays. He's part of special teams, kind of our core special teams guys, so he's been out there making plays on special teams and embracing his role. I'm super proud of him. He's going to work his butt off to keep trying to increase his role on defense, but he hasn't let that affect him at all. Q. Because there's an election today, who are maybe some of the most politically active guys in the locker room? Are there people that maybe are more active than others with that? And in a room with that many kids, how do you guys try and not let somebody's views maybe that are different than yours get in the way? GARRETT TAYLOR: You know, I think everyone speaks their mind. I think you've got guys like Sterling is a guy I know who is very vocal on social media and stuff on his political opinions. Same with Lamont. But I think Coach Franklin does a good job of letting us have the freedom to voice our opinions, but he makes sure that we're not doing it in a disrespectful way or saying something that might affect someone else. I think in our locker room, we do a great job of everyone's allowed to speak their mind and you have some debates in the locker room sometimes about random stuff, but I don't think it gets in the way of anything at all. Q. How many teammates do you think voted today? Any idea? GARRETT TAYLOR: I mean, I don't know. I'd say a decent amount of guys probably. It's hard when you have class and practice and you've got to watch film after. I mean, I think if anyone has the free time to do it, I think they will, but I couldn't really give you a number. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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