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PACIFIC-12 CONFERENCE MEDIA DAYS

July 30, 2015

Todd Graham

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to Pac‑12 Football Media Day. We'll get started with Arizona State head coach, Todd Graham. He will make a few opening remarks, and again, the format will be the same as last year. After his opening remarks, we'll have Coach up front and the two players will be in the back.
COACH GRAHAM: It's an honor for me to be here today and really, really excited about our season. A couple of the gentlemen I'm going to introduce here in a minute is one of the reasons why I'm excited. Our program going into our fourth year, my team. I've got a tremendous belief in this football team. It's the best football team that we've had since we've been at Arizona State. The character, the discipline, the speed, the athleticism, just being in our fourth year, it's just a special time and special group of young men.
Some of the things I'm the most proud of is we had 13 all academic Pac‑12 players last year. That was second, I think, to Stanford. We've had more All‑Conference, and more academic All‑Conference players in three years than any time in the history of our school, and we've won 28 games in three years and in a three‑year period, that's a school record. Moreover than that, just the development. You know, being in your fourth year and seeing the training, seeing the, obviously the schemes and things that we have are really, really established.
So our program is about winning championships. We've competed for the Pac‑12 south every year. Had an opportunity to win it in 2013.
Our goal and our mission is to be Pac‑12 Champions and national champions. So we approach that by winning every day everything that we do, and I'm really proud of not only how these guys perform on the football field but what they do in the classroom and in the community.
So at this time I'd like to introduce two of our team captains. Both of these young men are graduates of Arizona State University. Both these guys are scholar‑ballers is what we call our 3.0 or higher students and exemplify what our football team and our program is all about.
First, our quarterback, Mike Bercovici. And then our bandit safety, our weak side safety, Jordan Simone.
THE MODERATOR: At this time we'll have a breakout session.

Q. Coach, could you tell us about the story of your boots?
COACH GRAHAM: Yeah, obviously, I'm from Texas, so I wear boots. That's what I wear every day. So I've got one of our supporters and a great friend, Jack, is the owner of Lucchese Boots, so he hooks me up with alligator and a fork on the front, and Sparky on the back. It's pretty cool.

Q. Are you going to be wearing them to games this year?
COACH GRAHAM: No, I don't wear them to games. I'd probably slip down on the sideline. I move around a little bit. No, I actually have always worn boots, because in Texas that's what you do with your slacks, whether I'm wearing a suit or whatever, I always wear boots. So these are just ones we get. I have a black pair, a maroon pair. I've got different pairs of them. I don't know if you can see them, but they're on me. Here, I'll show them to you.

Q. Nice.
COACH GRAHAM: They've got the little Sparky in the back, little square toe too. If you're not from Texas, you don't know what that means.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about Kalen Ballage and the spring that he's had?
COACH GRAHAM: Kalen Ballage had a tremendous spring. The young man's going to play both ways for us. He's going to rush the quarterback, an outside linebacker on defense. Obviously, carry the football and be a playmaker for us on offense as well as return kicks. We really made a‑‑ he was a difference maker for us in the bowl game with a big kickoff return for the touchdown. He was probably, I would say, the MVP of our spring training. He just had a tremendous game. Really just being a true freshman; he could just tell the difference. He figured out that he was a pretty difficult guy to tackle, and he dominated.
So we're going to get our money's worth out of him, and he's going to do a lot of things for us. I think just how he's matured mentally. That's the thing about this team, in our fourth year these young men, and obviously a lot of young guys played last year, but the mental maturity, you know, we talk about having a freshman year, sophomore year, junior year. I just want everybody to have four senior years.
So the mental maturity of this team, and Kalen's obviously a big part of that, gives me a lot of confidence. I've got great belief in our team because of that.

Q. Does a player at some point have to make a decision which side of the ball he plays on, offense or defense?
COACH GRAHAM: No, I think you've seen different players manage that. I think he's, obviously, a guy we're going to put the ball in his hand. We've had guys in the past that have been able to be a third‑down pass rusher and do those type of things. But we think he's one of the most dynamic players and versatile players in the country, so why not utilize that. I don't really care what anybody else is doing. We've got to do whatever we've got to do to win games, and Kalen's willing to do whatever we ask him to do.

Q. How do you visualize the breakdown between what offensive and defensive plays Ballage will be in on?
COACH GRAHAM: I don't know. I think we're going to evaluate that for probably the first six to eight days of fall camp and kind of see how that's going to go. Obviously we know from the spring what he can do. In the spring we went over, but we were just so impressed with what he brings. In this league it's a very, very important to score points and we've been second in the Pac‑12 for three years in scoring points, 7th in the nation. So we're going to score points, and I think we'll be able to score more points than we have.
But you've also got to be able to impact the quarterback. So he's a guy we think can do both. So we'll kind of evaluate that. Going in, I can tell you right now going in, we're kind of looking at it 50‑50. Maybe one day offense, one day defense. Really just evaluate it, and then we'll assess it, and get it narrowed down pretty quickly what he's going to do. Whether that be full‑time offense, third‑down pass rusher, or play both ways and try to get as many reps as we can out of him.
He's also very smart. You have to be very smart to do that, and he's very, very smart. One of our smartest players as far as learning the schematics of what we're doing.

Q. What is the biggest challenge to be coaching in a league with multiple good quarterbacks?
COACH GRAHAM: Well, obviously you look at last year. Six bowl victories. Heisman Trophy winner. It was a big step for us as a conference. Obviously, the next step for us is to win a National Championship, and I think that's in our near future. The big challenge is no one goes through this league undefeated because of the parity and obviously the players. It's not just quarterbacks. It's running backs, the receivers, and then the coaching.
One of the things you see now, the league's gotten so much better. A lot of us were hired four years ago and already have three years under our belts. So we've got our players, our systems in, our development. So we're faster, we're stronger, and I know as a program, I can't speak for anyone else, but I can tell I feel like our league, the Pac‑12 is one of the best in the country and can, obviously, until you win the National Championship you can't say you're the best, but the coaching in this league, the dynamic players in this league.
For us as a program, we had four guys taken in the top four rounds last year. We've got 7 to 9 guys on the draft board for next year. That's one of the best in the country. Our talent, our speed, our physicality is all at a different level, but so is everybody else. This is one of the most competitive places to be in the country.

Q. You don't think anyone's going undefeated in the Conference?
COACH GRAHAM: Well, that's what we intend to try to do. Our deal is to be 1‑0 every week, and win every rep, win every day. Our program is about winning championships, so everybody has that goal. I'm just speaking about the past. Since I've been in this league, no one has gone undefeated in the Pac‑12, and whoever the champion has been has had at least one loss.
So this tells you the parity in this league. You know, Oregon played for a National Championship last year, but didn't go undefeated through our league. So that tells you. I think the league is going to be a lot better this year than it was last year. And a lot of that has to do with where each program has been established.
I can tell you that this team that we've is one that we've not made any exceptions. We've built it the right way. We've built it for the long haul to compete year‑in and year‑out for championships. This will be the fastest team we've had. This will be the strongest, most explosive team we've had, the smartest team we've had. So in every area we're going to be better, and I figure everyone else will be too.

Q. What are your thoughts on playing Texas A&M, season opener? Obviously, scheduling is a hot topic.
COACH GRAHAM: You know, when Steve Patterson was AD, he asked me about that game, and there's no return game. It's not a home at home. It's just a one‑game deal, and those people probably wouldn't take that kind of game. I did, because that's the kind of game that my players want to play in, I want to coach in, and our fans want to see.
I can tell you, our summer has been the most remarkable summer just the kids' sense of focus, their sense of urgency. When you're going in, kicking off in a game like that, and obviously they can watch the film and see how talented and explosive A&M is, and we just felt like we're ready for that stage. That's something that I also want to give our fans what we want, and that is a game I'm excited to coach in.
So that's something we'll do. Our future schedules have Michigan State, LSU on it. Eventually I think that's something that we'll continue to do.

Q. Being in the conference the last two years, what is the biggest challenge of recruiting in the Pac‑12?
COACH GRAHAM: Our deal is our plan to be successful and to be Pac‑12 champions and national champions is unique to Arizona State. So our plan is being diligent in finding the young men who fit who we are, and that's character, smart, disciplined and tough; and we don't compromise that. If we compete for the five stars, four stars, three stars, we don't just look at film and offer scholarships. There is the intangibles.
The thing that gives me the most confidence about this team that I'm coaching now is not just talent. It is talented, but it is the desire, the heart, the character, that this team has. We have 11 guys that play together, and that desire and heart is what we're looking for in recruiting.
So we're very much on track. I think if there's anything that the most important thing that I micromanage of anything is personnel. That is who our selecting the right coaches that believe in the Sun Devil way and then recruiting players that believe that way. So I think that's something we've done a really solid job of, and that's why we've been able to be successful, not only on the field but in the classroom.
We have over 70 players out of 110 are scholar‑ballers, 3.0 or higher students, and that's something I'm really proud of. And I really believe that when you see that on the field in wins as well.

Q. When did you start to see Taylor Kelly as a future coach?
COACH GRAHAM: I think I said that last year at these Media Days. As soon as he's done playing, I'd hire him as a coach. Pretty much a no‑brainer. We're in the process of doing that. Obviously want to bring him on board with our staff as a graduate assistant. We haven't gotten that done officially yet, but he's a guy that we've talked about that. He probably could go be a third team quarterback in the NFL.
But this guy, Scholar‑Athlete of the Year in the Pac‑12, 4.0 student. He's obviously a graduate in our sports law degree school, and a guy that is one of the best leaders that I've ever been around.
Obviously, the legacy he passes on to Mike Bercovici, when you say all those things about Taylor, you can say all those things about Mike Bercovici, and that's something that's exciting. So Taylor is a guy that something I pride myself in is identifying talent. He's a guy that I've identified that is going to be a really big‑time coach. He's a guy that wants to serve and give back. So to me it's a no‑brainer to have an opportunity to bring a guy on board that is not only a Sun Devil, but believes the way we believe and has the skillset that he has to be a great teacher.

Q. Do you think Mike and those guys will see him as a coach and not a peer?
COACH GRAHAM: Oh, no doubt. I told people this last year, I thought Taylor was one of the, if not thee most respected people in our building. If you're around him, just how genuine he is. When he went down with a broken foot, if you will pull those tapes out and watch, he was actively coaching Mike and helping Mike on the sideline. Their relationship is one that's really different than two people that you see as competitors usually don't have that kind of relationship.
So I think he'll be really, really valuable to us. A guy that's been in that head gear and be able to be a great counsel for Mike as we navigate the season.

Q. How has he taken the reigns as a leader now that Taylor is graduated?
COACH GRAHAM: Well, obviously, three starts last year. He's already got a USC victory and Stanford victory under his belt. And too, I mean, this guyed graduated before last season. He could have left and played two years somewhere else, and never even crossed his mind. I mean, a guy that shows you what his character's about. Obviously you see how the NFL people are looking at him, his skillset, but the intangibles with him, the heart and character that that shows, is tremendous. So the respect that he has on our team, every player on our team and every coach voted for him. You get one vote for our sole leader, and Mike got everybody's vote.
So that tells you the respect that he has on our team. This guy has sacrificed for this opportunity to be the Sun Devils quarterback. So I've got all the confidence in the world in him and how he's embraced it. He's not a first year quarterback in my mind. He's got a lot more experience under his belt. He's sacrificed an awful lot to wait his turn to get to lead our team. So that gives me a lot of confidence because it all starts with the quarterback.

Q. You've got three recruits this year from the same area. You've talked about Tim White and Brady White, they went to the same high school up in Santa Clarita, and also Jay Jay Wilson. Is there something about that area?
COACH GRAHAM: Well, obviously, we're looking for the best and the brightest with the best character that fit who we are, and those young men sure fit who we are. I think to be successful in the Pac‑12 Conference you obviously have to recruit and win the right players that fit you in California. Obviously, our home base, we've got to win at home as well. So our base recruiting area is within a gas tank away. That's Arizona, and it's Southern California. Those are the two most critical areas for us. Obviously we move into the whole state, northern California. We go into Texas, Louisiana, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington. We go to all those places, but you have to win in those areas, obviously, like‑minded programs. Those kids have the character and the discipline. They embrace who we are as a program. So you like developing those pipelines and keeping them going.
I think it's more about what type of young men they are and what type of programs they're coming from is something that entices us to continuing to back there.

Q. Can you talk about Brady White specifically and what you saw from him in the spring?
COACH GRAHAM: A tremendous young man. He's got a bright future. Obviously, one of the highest rated quarterbacks in the country. Came in and obviously putting on some pounds. Training him up. Did a great job competing in the spring. He and Manny will be competing as well as Bryce Perkins to see who will be the back‑up for us. Right now starting camp, Manny is a little bit ahead because he's been there longer. But Brady, when you look at who Taylor Kelly is, who Mike Bercovici is, the character, the discipline, the integrity of how they work, how smart they are, when you talk about Brady, you can see all those same things and characteristics in him. So we're excited about him and his future.

Q. Have you had any questions from the recruits how long you're going to be there?
COACH GRAHAM: No, I really don't. I've been pretty straightforward with recruits about where we're at. I've paid my house off and I've donated half a million dollars. I don't know what else I can do. Obviously, too, here's the other thing I tell recruits. We're building a $300 million new stadium and football complex, not a lot of people around the country are putting that kind of commitment into the program. You look at the commitment our university has made to our coaching staff, assembling one of the best and using the resources to do that speaks volumes about the commitment. I don't get that question much anymore.

Q. What is Devin Lucien's status? Is he in school?
COACH GRAHAM: Uh‑huh.

Q. Have you ever come across a situation where someone so close to a rival has come in?
COACH GRAHAM: I've never done anything like that. I think the relationship that Mike Bercovici and he had‑‑ Mike came to me about it so that's why we‑‑ and then meeting Devin and just really seeing does he fit. Taking a person one year is something we don't do very often, but it was something unique to him as a person, and we felt like his characteristics and the thing that he brought fit our program and what we were about. So it's been a good transition so far, and we're happy to have him.

Q. What way does he fit in with the offense?
COACH GRAHAM: How does he fit with the offense? Well, we think he's got the ability to stretch the field vertical. Obviously got great speed, great athleticism. What we do offensively, we'll run play action pass teams, so he's a guy that can really stretch the field with home run posts, fades, back shoulder fades. A guy that really possesses great speed down the field.
So that is something that we had last year with Jalen and with Cam Smith. So he's someone that we think‑‑ I think he's a very similar receiver to Cam Smith in the speed and the explosiveness that he has down the field. So that's how he fits us schematically.

Q. You've got a unique senior class. You have three transfers, Auburn, Washington State, and now UCLA. You have three JUCO guys, one that was out of football before he went JUCO in Kweishi Brown, and you've got three red‑shirts, Mike Bercovici, and you've got one true senior in the class in D.J. Foster, and you call this the best team you've had so far. What about that kind of hodge‑podge senior class?
COACH GRAHAM: I don't worry about all that. Just watch and see what they do on the field. When you generalize where someone's from, I'm not really into that. I'm into the person, and each one of those young men have impeccable character, have worked their tail off. Isn't that what it's all about? I think diversity in your talents and on your football team makes you great. I come from a family that no one had ever graduated college, and I'm thankful that someone gave me the opportunity. I had some issues with dyslexia and things like that, and I didn't do as well on the ACT test, but someone gave me an opportunity and a chance.
So we have, just like D.J., D.J. the only reason he's a true senior is he didn't red‑shirt. There are other people in his class. Our APR has gone tremendously up. Our GPA has gone tremendously up. The retention of our players is the best it's been. There wasn't but two people in that class that played as freshmen because we had 30 days to recruit that class. Just like junior college players. People have a negative connotation about junior college players. There are great young men in junior college that are looking for the opportunity. So I don't really‑‑ I think our players celebrate that. They celebrate. We've got kids from urban areas. We've got kids from California. We've got kids from Louisiana, Virginia, Philadelphia, all over the country.
But every one of these kids come together with one set of values. It's character. These guys serve and sacrifice for each other. They're smart. They're seekers of knowledge. They're kids that are not just trying to be an All‑American on the football field, but trying to do it in the classroom as well. We have proof of that by what we've done with 70 players over 3.0, 12 Academic All‑Pac‑12 players, the Scholar Athlete of the Year players. And Mike Bercovici's got a chance to do that this year as well.
So I think all of that is awesome when you hear that. I love that D.J. Foster talked about that when we were breaking the rock. I think that's awesome to have guys that come from all walks of life. I look at Antonio Longino, I mean, you could make a movie about his plight and what he's overcome to be here. To me, that's what this is all about is giving young men that have a burning desire to do things the right way, and have great heart, great character, give them an opportunity to get an education and being a part of playing at this level.
So we've got guys that are 4.0 students and busting their tail and fit us, and we have guys that are 2.5 that are busting. I want all of them on my team. But we come together, character, smart, disciplined, tough. That's why all those guys were selected and why they're on our team.
We don't get them all right. We're not immune to guys making mistakes or whatever. But I've never been around a team that has the character that this team has and has the discipline. I find myself standing back and watching now and they're leading this team.
I'm excited about it because of those things.

Q. You guys are replacing both your tackles this year. Can you talk about how far into summer ball you expect the competition to go before you set and who you might expect to be the leaders?
COACH GRAHAM: Yeah, I think Billy McGehee and Sam Jones are guys that are coming out of spring at right tackle. I think Evan Goodman at left tackle, a guy that's got NFL first round ability. Obviously we've got Steve Miller. We've got a lot of freshmen players coming in that are very, very talented. They'll have the most depth.
But that competition will be probably through the 12th of August. We'll come out of there with a pretty good idea of who our people are going to to be.

Q. Obviously everybody talks about the leaders with Bercovici, Simone and Foster, who is the biggest leader on your team that you think people aren't talking about right now?
COACH GRAHAM: I think those three young men were selected as captains. The growth that D.J. Foster has been phenomenal. I think that's something really become big time. Jordan Simone was a walk on, earned a scholarship in All Pac‑12, and now a team captain. Obviously Mike and his plight. Man, I love the sacrifices that these guys have made.
D.J. Foster sacrificed and trusted me when he didn't have anything to go in, so that was pretty tremendous.
But I tell you the guy that no one really talks much about that I think is one of the most powerful leaders on our team is Nick Kelly. A junior college transfer, center, had three years of eligibility, has developed into being a guy that's one of the top centers on the draft board in the nation. A guy that I think, if not the best, he's one of the best centers in the Pac‑12 Conference. Just his leadership and the intangibles that he brings, the work ethic. I think those offensive linemen, especially guys like Nick and Christian is another guy in the same mode. Don't say a whole lot, but they get a lot done when it comes to leadership.
So Nick would probably be the guy to tell you that not many people focus on because I guess he gets to touch the ball, but not for very long.

Q. What do you need to do to be competitive?
COACH GRAHAM: Number one thing that we've worked on is with our‑‑ obviously, we talk about being one of the most explosive teams in the country. Third in TFLs in the nation in three years. Second in quarterback sacks. Second in interceptions. It's a big play. Obviously, we're in attack defense, and minimizing risk and those type of things are things we've really researched and worked hard on.
But the key for us in the first game is that, don't give up big plays, and that is the key. But you can't attack and‑‑ you're going to have some of that. That is the number one area we've got to get better at and then obviously continue to get better against the run. So in our league with the diversity of the offense is phenomenal each week. We don't worry about how many yards. We don't worry about total yards. We worry about turnover ratio. I think we were in the top 5 in the country in turnover ratio in the last three years. That is taking care of the ball on offense, getting takeaways on defense. So our league is dominated by the no huddle, so snaps are so important. I was telling you how our snaps from '07 it's been like 85 to 67, 67 snaps on defense, 85‑plus plays on offense.
So to do that you've got to run the ball, you've got to stop the run, and you've got to win the explosives. We've won the explosive. We've been explosive, but we've got to limit the big plays over 60 yards for touchdowns. The games that we lost, the three games that we lost, all three of those games were marked by that one stat. So we need to eliminate those games and not have those big play runs and big play passes.
On the same hand, we're not going to quit attacking. We're going to attack, we've just got to get better at minimizing those risks.

Q. In terms of walk‑ons like Jordan, what advice do you have from kids that might be struggling to do the same thing he did? What are you looking for in something like that?
COACH GRAHAM: You can tell how I answer the one question from guys from different walks of life. I'm a guy that I like people that have taken the path least traveled because that is the path that I took. When you really sacrifice for something and somewhat suffered for something, it makes it different. I think the life blood of our programs are walk‑on programs. You look at how many scholarships we've awarded to walk‑ons, five last year, is something that we really believe in. I love young men that come, and they've got a passion and a dream, and they're not going to let anyone tell them they can't do it, and they're willing to work with a passion for it.
And many of these walk‑ons, they didn't walk on. Jordan is one of the few that was able to walk on and be a starter and earn a scholarship in his first year. Think it took him a year. Most of our walk‑ons have been there three years and four years to earn that scholarship, and man, when you've got young men that have sacrificed and poured into your program like that, that gives you a chance to win and be successful. That's why I like our team. You're going to have to win a lot of close football games, and I believe down the stretch, that character that's born through adversity and perseverance through adversity is what defines a football team, defines a person.

Q. I know coaches don't look at things like media members do, but your division is as tough as any in the country. Do you guys ever think we just played Utah and now we're playing USC? It just doesn't seem like there are too many breaks in the south schedule.
COACH GRAHAM: No, no, there is not. There's not a team in the Pac‑12 that can't beat another team. In my opinion, I think everybody knows that. You look last year, and we thought we were through the meat of the conference, and we lost a couple of games we were picked to win. So you have to play an entire season.
Obviously, one of the toughest things about the Pac‑12 south and the Pac‑12 is you've got to stay healthy. And that was something that the depth that we have this year will help us, because that hurt us down the stretch last year being our third year.
Obviously, special teams. Nobody ever talks about special teams. I think special teams is critical when you have the parity that you have in our league. You look at that south, and it's a battle ground. Then we kickoff with USC and UCLA. Then obviously on the road to Utah pretty early there.
But we signed up for it. So we know exactly what we're getting into. I think championships are won in the spring and in the summer with conditioning and how well you can be durable as a team I think is critical.

Q. You were first hired, you didn't really know what you were getting into, in terms of it's a lot better, the whole conference in the south is so much better than when you were first hired. Why do you think that is?
COACH GRAHAM: I think there were three of us hired or four, I think hired the year I got hired. So all of us have our players in place. We have our schematics in place. We've also all kind of sized each other up and kind of figuring out how to navigate each game and each week. And our players are stronger and faster and develop. I think there's not been a lot of turnover in the league for the ‑‑ I'm going into my fourth season. I think that's one of the big things. I think the coaching in this league is as good as there is.
Then also the talent level. Obviously the population, you look at the players that come out of California and the west coast, and then you've got coaches that have ties and are able to draw nationally and recruit nationally.
It's something that every year the players have gotten better, bigger, faster and stronger. And I think every year, every team is recruiting better. So it's just constantly moving forward. I think it has a lot to do with the programs and how they're established now.

Q. Player movement is more scrutinized today with transfers. Is a guy like that that sticks around and waits his turn, is that becoming more rare?
COACH GRAHAM: I don't know. I don't understand why it's any different for a quarterback than it is for a defensive end. At the end of the day we bring guys in that want to be Sun Devils. We've got a culture at our place that is unique to our place. So I think it speaks volumes. As a matter of fact, I know how the NFL people that come in and look at Mike, it means a lot to them when they talk about the character that that takes to do that, because most people thought that he would not stay. Except him. So it is a rarity, I think.
Also, all the young people out there facing that decision, if Mike Bercovici would have taken his toys and went somewhere else, he would have missed out on the greatest play in Arizona State history. So it doesn't always work out that way, but I wish people would track and see when kids transfer and they do go to other places, just what kind of success rate do they have? You get one chance to get it right, and that's why you have to find a school that really fits you in all aspects of your life, so that's one of the reasons we're so diligent in recruiting. You know, Mike has had three seasons under our coaching staff, and with Coach Norvell and his growth has been tremendous. I like that. I think it is rare that you have a young man that will demonstrate that kind of character.
Even last year, when Taylor broke his foot, he came in and I labored over that decision. That was not an easy decision. Many times I struggled with that because of how good a football player Mike Bercovici is. But he's a guy that's never wavered in his commitment to being a Sun Devil. He's pretty motivated. I don't know if there would be a more motivated quarterback in the country than he is because he's sacrificed so much to be here.

Q. You mentioned continuity. How difficult is it, particularly on the defensive side of the ball to be learning a new scheme, installing new schemes, and be successful on that side of the ball in this day and age of college football?
COACH GRAHAM: It's hard. I mean, obviously, we're going into our fourth season with the same scheme. Coach Patterson and I, our defensive coordinator, were college roommates and he was my defensive coordinator at Allen High School. So we're pretty much on the same page. Jackie Shipp, I've got a long relationship with him. I've got a 25 year relationship with Shawn Slocum who coaches our outside linebackers. I learned and studies defensive‑back play under Chris Ball, our secondary coach.
So that's what helps us. We haven't had much turnover on our staff. We have some great teachers. But even at that, it takes time to develop a system and a scheme. So, obviously, those three years of doing that.
The problem is, the kids keep graduating. If you could keep them longer, you'd be in good shape. But we had four or five true freshmen that had a couple of starts under their belt last year that now have a year under the system, then the older guys. Just, man, we just so much, it breeds confidence because knowledge breeds confidence. So that's why it's so big to have that experience in there.

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