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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL AT THE CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: CLEMSON VS OKLAHOMA

December 29, 2015

Sterling Shepard

Miami Gardens, Florida

STERLING SHEPARD: I mean, it's crazy to think about. My dad played in the Orange Bowl, and now I get a shot to play in it, and he also won a National Championship. To know it's right there in front of my face, we just have to go execute some things and go get it is a pretty cool deal. We've got to maximize this opportunity and take full advantage of it.

Q. You guys are obviously getting a shot at the fifth one. How perfect is that?
STERLING SHEPARD: Yeah, it's crazy how things have played out. We've gotten to play four teams in the regular season, and fortunately beat them, and now we get a shoot at the team that we lost last to in last season, and it's just crazy how things kind of worked out for us.

Q. This has gone on forever. There's always a long break between the end of the season and the bowls. How do you stay great when you're used to playing every Saturday and then you sit around for a while?
STERLING SHEPARD: You have to maintain the focus. I've been around for four years playing in bowl games, so you know, things that I've learned is it's the team that stays focused for the longest, going through the three weeks of practice and not playing in a game can kind of take a toll on a team, and you can start to drift off and lose focus, but I think the team that maintains that is the team that's going to come out on top.

Q. In a weird kind of way is it almost like training camp all over again?
STERLING SHEPARD: It is kind of like training camp. I guess it's a little less harder on your body because you get some of the second-team guys taking reps a little bit more, so it's different in a sense, but it's kind of similar.

Q. You have such a storied history with this school, dating back to when your dad played here and your involvement with the program as a kid. As you look at this post-season, your last time around, what's the foremost thought running through your head?
STERLING SHEPARD: It's crazy how fast time has flown by. I mean, it feels like just yesterday I was a freshman walking in the door. But it's my last go-around, and what better situation to be in than what we're in right now.

Q. How do you compare the chemistry that you've developed with Baker Mayfield, what you have now versus when he first walked in the door?
STERLING SHEPARD: Yeah, I mean, when he first walked in the door, he didn't get granted his eligibility to play, so I didn't really get to get much reps with him. So over the summer we started getting that chemistry together, and it's been great. Over the season it's just been getting better and better.

Q. You know him as well as anybody; how do you explain how a guy who's been that prolific didn't get offered a scholarship?
STERLING SHEPARD: I really don't know. I think about that a lot, actually, like how did this guy not get a scholarship. If you look at some of the things that he does, even on the practice field, it's kind of like, wow.

Q. What impresses you most?
STERLING SHEPARD: What impresses me most? I really feel like his character off the field. I just love being around him, and I think everybody just loves being around him. His character off the field, I mean, he's great on the field, but if you get to know that guy off the field, you'll really see how special he is.

Q. What is it about the system that Lincoln Riley has implemented that's enabled the offense to have the turnaround this year that it has?
STERLING SHEPARD: Just how he makes it so simple. He makes the game so simple and easy to play. It's easy for guys to get moving around faster, and it gives you a lot of big play opportunities when you have guys that can make big plays.

Q. When I was talking to Samaje yesterday, I said, which year's Clemson front seven was better, this year's or last year's. He said last year's. What's your opinion?
STERLING SHEPARD: Last year.

Q. Why?
STERLING SHEPARD: I totally agree. Man, they had some beasts up there -- they have beasts up there now, don't get me wrong, but they had a lot of guys get drafted last year from that front seven and have continued to do the thing in the league, as well.

Q. You and I were talking yesterday about difference-making moments in your season. We were talking about how y'all were stuck in the airport before the K-State game after the Texas loss. What happened when you were all stuffed in a room together? It was a really valuable bonding moment for your team.
STERLING SHEPARD: Oh, man, it was so close quarters in there. Everybody was really close to each other. We got a chance to get some fast food, which never happens if you know our nutritionist, Tiffany.

Q. So you were eating pizza --
STERLING SHEPARD: Pizza, wings, fried chicken, you name it, in there. Guys were excited and happy about that. Our nutritionist wasn't, but it was a good deal, got us closer.

Q. What did that do for you to make you closer?
STERLING SHEPARD: I mean, just got a little bit more bonding time. We didn't get to sleep until about I think midnight, but everybody was close, and we didn't whine about it, we didn't stress about it, everybody just had a good time with it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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