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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 27, 2011

Jordan Hall

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jordan Hall.

Q. What does it mean to you to be a captain? You've obviously been through a lot this year. You had two great games. Now to be named a captain, does it resonate? Are you appreciative of what it means?
JORDAN HALL: Yeah, it's definitely an honor. It will be one of my greatest memories at Ohio State definitely. It's definitely exciting.

Q. Just your thoughts on Michigan State. Obviously the bar will be raised now that the Big Ten is here.
JORDAN HALL: It will definitely be raised going into Big Ten play. They're a good, physical team. I think it will be a good test for us.
We'll need a good week of practice.

Q. How did you kind of approach the weeks that you couldn't play? How did you deal with that and keep your edge?
JORDAN HALL: I just took it as a learning experience. It taught me kind of not to take anything for granted because it could be took away like that.
I'm taking the rest of these games as if it's my last game.

Q. Does it make you more determined when you do get to play?
JORDAN HALL: Yeah, definitely.

Q. How has it changed to you? Do you sit in your room at night, don't go anywhere anymore? How has it changed your approach to fans, et cetera?
JORDAN HALL: No, our compliance office did a good job in the summer letting us know what we could do, what we can't do. It's basically knowing, being aware of the rules.

Q. Probably the most surprising elements to people who hadn't seen you take the ball as a tailback was the way you finish runs. For a player of maybe a smaller stature, you tend to finish with the pile moving forward in your advantage. Talk about that mentality as a runningback of trying to move the pile forward, keep your legs driving through the finish of a run.
JORDAN HALL: Growing up, like, my coaches, my father, he always told me to fall forward. I kind of kept that with me throughout college.

Q. Talk a little bit about your special teams play, just what goes through your head. Obviously you're trying to hit a home run every time you're out there.
JORDAN HALL: It's just another chance to make a play. Obviously I like making plays, helping the team out. Special teams play is a big part of the game. I think I try to take full advantage of that.

Q. The two games you were out, what did you actually do while the games were being played?
JORDAN HALL: I watched.

Q. Where were you?
JORDAN HALL: At home.

Q. Were you with anybody else?
JORDAN HALL: I was with Corey Brown because Corey Brown was my roommate anyway, so watched the game together.

Q. What's that experience like?
JORDAN HALL: You actually don't know what it's like until you actually do it. So that's why I told before in the earlier interview I don't ever want to miss a game again.

Q. Do you scream at the TV? Do you feel like a fan?
JORDAN HALL: Yeah, I just want to see my teammates do well.

Q. Did you have anything to eat, get a pizza?
JORDAN HALL: I don't really remember what I ate (laughter).

Q. Michigan State statistically is the best defense in the Big Ten. What have you seen of them? What are your challenges?
JORDAN HALL: I seen that they run to the ball well and they're number one in the Big Ten for a reason. I think it's a big challenge. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Back on watching the game. A lot of basketball coaches go up and down the sideline almost as if they want to get every rebound. Were you breaking tackles on your sofa or anything like that?
JORDAN HALL: I kind of was visualizing myself in the game.
But Carlos and Rod, they did a good job of running the ball. We won it. We won. So that's all that matters really.

Q. Coach Fickell praised your competitiveness. He says you've handled everything he's asked you to handle. How does it feel to have that kind of support from your coach?
JORDAN HALL: It feels good because, I mean, he's the head coach, he makes all the decisions. If he feels that way about a player, you obviously feel good about yourself.

Q. When people watch replays of some of the plays at Miami, even last week, do you ever watch those ground-level plays, do you marvel at the guts it takes to be a runningback? What is it about that that you got used to early in your life about the getting hit part?
JORDAN HALL: Growing up, I was always smaller than everybody. I liked to play with the older kids in the neighborhood. I'm kind of used to it.
Back to the runningback position, I respect any runningback because you get hit by at least three people plus the ground every time you carry the ball. They have my respect.

Q. When you get a kickoff, what are you looking at? Some guys have a knack for returning kicks, some run into the pile. What is going through your head when the ball comes down?
JORDAN HALL: I'm just trying to find a crease, find a crease, just hit it. That's really all it is, to rely on a couple blocks.

Q. Michigan State won 11 games last year, had to play without their coach for part of the season because of health issues. Is that anything you think about, something you can build on, they went through some adversity also last year?
JORDAN HALL: We're going to prepare like any other team. I mean, we're just going to take it one game at a time and prepare like any other game. We know they're going to be tough, obviously. But we're going to fight, too.

Q. Was there a little transition period when you actually did return to practice and could play in games?
JORDAN HALL: What do you mean?

Q. In practice, was there like an acceptance that now you're really a full-fledged member of the team and are available to play on Saturday, felt like you were more part of anything?
JORDAN HALL: Yeah, when I wasn't playing, I went on the scout team to help the defense prepare for the other runningbacks. Being back with the offense, I feel like it's practicing to get ready for the game.

Q. Based on that, is there a transition that also has to take place with the guys that sat out the first five games? Do they have to be blended in with everybody, there's a mental barrier they have to break down?
JORDAN HALL: They're still a full-fledged member of the team. They was always with us. This is their senior years. They're leaders. During the off-season, they were leaders during that. When they come back, we'll look at them as leaders.

Q. What do you think of Braxton in the huddle and under center?
JORDAN HALL: He's an exciting guy. He can make something out of nothing. When you got that back there, the defense got to count for that. I think that will help us out.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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