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ROSE BOWL GAME: IOWA VS STANFORD

December 29, 2015

Ronnie Harris

Pasadena, California

Q. How did it feel being a senior captain?
RONNIE HARRIS: It feels great man. I'm representing for the class of 2011. Trying to put on for those guys as much as possible, of course.

Q. How does your body feel? I know you were injured down the stretch. How is your body feeling?
RONNIE HARRIS: It's feeling great, you know what I'm saying.

Q. What has been your favorite moment of your career as a Stanford Cardinal?
RONNIE HARRIS: Favorite moment definitely when we went down to Oregon first, we beat them with Jordan Williams. One of my best times.

This year against Oregon State, probably one of the freakiest runs I ever saw, when you're on the goal line, a spin move in the end zone. You know how it is at the goal line.

Q. So the world wants to know when you're going to get a pick six? Because I need that from you?
RONNIE HARRIS: I'm just -- for five years now, it's been an ongoing joke.

Q. Friday?
RONNIE HARRIS: I said this Friday.

Q. So you're a big family man. How is your family doing? They're coming for the game?
RONNIE HARRIS: They're doing great. All here on the 31st, seeing my baby sister. It's going to be great to have the family out there and do it one more time with the Cardinal.

Q. That's real. There's also rumor you might be the best player in the Rose Bowl in years. Can you speak to that? Can you confirm?
RONNIE HARRIS: I think we have too many weapons on offense. Hopefully I can get my hands on the ball.

Q. How have you been with the distractions here? It's a big city, all of distractions, how are you dealing with that?
RONNIE HARRIS: I've been here for a week. Been down here with everyone. When it's time for business, we're in a business mindset. We're down here for a reason. We're here to win the Rose Bowl, everybody is kind of locked in and wants to win it for our seniors, for Stanford and for ourselves. We've been through a long journey. We're looking for a Rose Bowl victory.

Q. What about the receivers, are they getting separation? What do you see that stands out the most?
RONNIE HARRIS: I think they'll do anything that you ask them to do. If you have to run a route just to collect coverage, they'll run at full speed. They need to go block, they are willing to block.

They are well coached, well drilled. That's what you look forward to going up against a competitive bunch. We've got a competitive bunch and we're excited for the test at hand.

Q. Coach just mentioned when you got started against Northwestern, you guys were the only team or people that believed you should be here. How did you guys bounce back after the Northwestern loss?
RONNIE HARRIS: We kind of got together as a group collectively, we held an all-team meeting, players only. We just said get back to business. One game was not going to define our season, we kept grinding, chomping at the bit, chopping wood. We are just going to let everything take care of itself.

Q. Does that make it even more special?
RONNIE HARRIS: Definitely so. It's a testament to how hard this team grinds. It took everybody to get here. We're excited to be back, excited to be back in this big moment and this big stage and excited to bring back one for the Stanford community.

Q. What are your memories of the Rose Bowl, always in the afternoon, stuff like that?
RONNIE HARRIS: I think my most prized moment of the Rose Bowl is definitely USC versus Texas. Arguably one of the best games. I remember watching that back home in Atlanta. I wasn't really familiar with the Rose Bowl, just being a young boy, but when I watched that game I told myself, man, that's the stage I want to be on. That's exactly where I want to play. Just a great game all around.

Q. Who were you cheering for?
RONNIE HARRIS: I was kind of going for Texas. I wanted to see Texas control it since they were doing so well.

Q. There's been plenty of times now, is there any time you've reflected on this opportunity?
RONNIE HARRIS: We sometimes get caught up in the season. You have a chance like now to reflect and look back on the times you've been here and the times you're here now. They're all very different experiences, but, nonetheless, they are all great, humbling. You want to go out there, you want to try to get this win for the last time.

Q. [On media day...]
RONNIE HARRIS: You really can't put it into words, it's kind of overwhelming, just seeing some of your closest friends and teammates to be able to talk about the season and talk about the process that we all went through together. Then we sit back and watch all of the videos together and be able to laugh about it, we appreciate it more.

Q. [On Remound Wright, who had been asking the previous questions...]
RONNIE HARRIS: Remound is, I see him in politics somewhere, maybe in television. Dude has a great personality. Not too many fifth year seniors here, but he's one of them.

Q. [Continued...]
RONNIE HARRIS: We can have this conversation for hours. If nobody would have moved him, we could have kept going back and forth.

Q. I could just give him my mic, bring him back over here and my job is done.
RONNIE HARRIS: I don't think you'd be out of a job, but I think he may have spent some with you.

Q. Friday is going to be here before we know it. Are you ready for this?
RONNIE HARRIS: I'm ready. I have been ready all season. Just excited to go out there on the big stage. It's exciting when you walk on the field and see your brothers next you to. It will be a great time on January 1st.

Q. Your coach talked about going back and keeping the field in some of these big losses. Do some of these losses stand out to you over the last week or so?
RONNIE HARRIS: I don't think it's something we brought up. But as seniors and some of the people that were on this team that experienced that loss, people know. I think it's a totally different focus coming down here for the third time. The second time, I wouldn't say we lulled through it, but we were not as sharp as we should have been.

I'd say now everybody is pretty much focused, and we're down here for one goal and one goal only and that's to win this Rose Bowl. When it comes down to it, we're just looking forward to the game on January 1st.

Q. Why is it important to keep the feeling of some of those big losses?
RONNIE HARRIS: You just never want to forget. Being on the winning end of a Rose Bowl and winning end of Rose Bowl were two completely different feelings. I never want to see a team that is down after a hard-fought season. You just want to get a victory for all these seniors that put so much sweat, blood and tears into this. I feel getting the win in the Rose Bowl as a fifth year senior, doing it for your teammates and coaches, there's not a better feeling.

Q. Can you talk about what it's like for you guys to be here and how excited you guys are to be here?
RONNIE HARRIS: The excitement is everlasting. This place is a great place. They always treat you with the utmost hospitality; there's not a better feeling. I don't think there's another better Bowl game that I've been to. This has so much history, so much wealth and you want to go out there on Friday. You know, you're feeling it. Starting to feel it now, kind of feel anxious and you want to go out there and get that win.

Q. Can you talk about the defense? There's a lot of focus on the offense. Can you talk about the way the defense has played?
RONNIE HARRIS: The defense stepped up to the call. We had a lot of questions; people asked about it in the beginning. A lot of people didn't know if there would be nine new starters on the defense and uphold the standard. We took that challenge starting in training camp. We said we wanted to be the best defense in the Pac-12, and we set our bar really high.

We've got some of the best players in the nation across the board on our defense, with Brennan Scarlett, Solomon Thomas, they always set it for us. And in my opinion, we have the best linebacker in the nation with Blake Martinez and we've got a heck of a back end. We had a lot of questions asked about that. Everybody thought we were going to be too young, but our back end is so composed and experienced and showed some depth this year. It's really exciting to see everything come together and see the boys over there having a good time.

Q. Going through the Pac-12 Conference, because of the way the teams pass the ball, how difficult is it to survive a season and come out on top?
RONNIE HARRIS: It wasn't difficult. Honestly, it was just a great time. Every week presented a new challenge. Offenses seemed to do different stuff. It was just great. It was mentally and intellectually stimulating. I loved it, loved every step of the way.

We had a great defensive coordinator with Coach Anderson, who always kept the game plan really simple, really sharp and really crisp. Then Coach Akina would always make sure that he had us on the back end squared away. Every time we stepped in there against a different opponent, we were excited to go, excited to make plays. Being a DB in the Pac-12 is never a bad thing.

Q. What kind of challenge does this present for your defense?
RONNIE HARRIS: It's a big challenge. It's going to be real live football. I don't think there's a better way to end my career.

Q. How does it feel to be your last game?
RONNIE HARRIS: It's kind of a surreal feeling. Right now I'm trying to suppress it and not feel it too much. When those whistles blow, it's going to be a good time to lead my team up the field and walk off the field with the W.

Q. How is preparation going for you this week and last week?
RONNIE HARRIS: Preparation is going great. We had all our stuff installed before we actually came down here for the Rose Bowl. Now we're just fine-tuning everything and getting down to the details. That's what the game comes down to is details, gap assignments. I think we're ready to play this game.

Q. What have you guys learned as a team from the loss to Northwestern?
RONNIE HARRIS: I think we just found out that you can't come out slow against any opponent. You've got to come out fast, start fast and finish strong. I think we came out kind of slow, in a little bit of a lull. So we just found out that, you know, from snap to whistle, every single play, you've got to give it your all, give 100 percent. We don't want to come out slow, we just want to make sure we dominate people from the jump.

Q. I want to ask you, does it ever get old? I know you've been here a couple of times. Does it get old or is it just as exciting?
RONNIE HARRIS: I heard that question a million times. It never gets old. To see some of these freshman wide-eyed to get to experience it for the first time, it's an amazing feeling.

I remember my first time at the Rose Bowl. It's probably even a better feeling that you're a fifth-year senior because you appreciate it more. I feel blessed to be part of this great group and can't wait to get out there Friday.

Q. With all the festivities that go on during the week, how do you personally focus? And then younger guys who haven't been here before, how do you get them on track and keep everybody on track?
RONNIE HARRIS: For me, I just kind of take the activities and free time, the fun time as what it is. You just sit back, relax and have a ball with this group of guys. This group of guys is probably the best throughout the nation. This team never stops having fun, but when it's business time, it's business time. Everybody wants to get better, and that's exactly what you want out of the team. Everybody coaching each other. That's exactly what you want out of a team.

The younger guys are handling this maturely. We have a good group of guys coming up. You have guys like Joshua Barnett. At practice he's 330, but he's making sprints like he's 120. You have got Christian McCaffrey out there, every time he touches the ball, he's trying to take it as hard as he possibly can. Young guys see that. They have a thirst for finishing, they have a thirst for learning the knowledge of the game. Just keeping each other up and making sure we're all focused.

Q. This team seems like it's unlike any other that you've had, Blake [Martinez] and Coach Shaw says they've had so much fun. Why? What is the cause of that? Your leadership?
RONNIE HARRIS: I think there's something in the water at Stanford. They do a great job recruiting the right guys, Stanford men. These guys like no other, I can't explain. You have to be a part of us. We have so many inside jokes. So many times, usually like on a weekend where people go out and party, we're sitting down with each other, cracking jokes, playing video games. We are a tight-knit, close group. It comes out every time we step on the field.

Q. And you were saying, you didn't really face Christian that much during the season, but how does facing him -- can you defend anybody after you face him?
RONNIE HARRIS: I mean, honestly, when you go against Christian McCaffrey in practice, you really see how special he is. The guy's a workhorse, man. I never see anybody finish the way he does. Every time he gets through a hole. Even if he's tagged off a tackle, he'll get up and keep running, make sure he touches the end zone. The dude is a workhorse. If you can defend his jump cut in open face, I feel like you can make an open field tackle on anybody. He just puts a lot of pressure on you. At the bottom line, he's a competitor. Every time we're out there, sometimes the race to the end zone, I see Christian take off on the back side corner, I want to see how fast I am. Because he's a fast guy. Continually working and pushing each other is what he's did and what this team has done all year.

Q. How is the ankle feeling?
RONNIE HARRIS: Ankle is feeling great. Two great days of practice. Feeling great.

Q. And preparing for a Bowl, the scrimmage, things you don't get to do in a weekly routine, any other guys stand out to you from the beginning of the season that you noticed?
RONNIE HARRIS: Definitely so. I'd say Denzel Franklin, stayed to his form. The guy was like a complete animal. He got on a warpath, man. He really wants us to get after it every single play. Brandon Simmons is taking leaps and bounds. He's definitely getting better every practice. He's challenged himself mentally. Frank Buncom, he's finally got out of that cast, and he looks like a well-rounded DB. It will be great to see him get his opportunity to go out next year and play.

Q. This obviously is not your first Rose Bowl that you're preparing for. How has your approach in mentality changed? What lessons have you learned going through the whole event leading up to the game?
RONNIE HARRIS: I think this year I've taken a stance on enjoying everything, trying to appreciate and live the moment. Everything we've done, I've just appreciated it with the utmost respect, and just it's been great.

And when we get out on the field, it's been nothing but business, the group of guys this season, and it's just like a culmination of great work. I can't wait to get out there Friday.

Q. Have you given any advice to the younger guys about how to approach this week based on your experience?
RONNIE HARRIS: Definitely so. I just tell the younger guys in practice, make sure you gas yourself so when you get out there in the game you're not tired. Just take everything with a grain of salt. Appreciate everything that's going on and continue to live in the moment, like I'm doing myself.

Q. I know in Bowl practice, you guys got a chance to watch Star Wars, is that still the case?
RONNIE HARRIS: That's still the case. I feel that was a great movie. I started on seven, so now I have to go back and watch them in the top order, as Solomon Thomas calls it. So I'll be watching watch, four, five, six, one, two, three, pretty soon.

Q. And what does it feel like going up against this Iowa receiving corps? Everyone talks about how physical they are. Is this something that change your preparation?
RONNIE HARRIS: Preparation has been kind of the same. They're a physical group. It's great to see they're a competitive bunch. They'll do anything that the coach asks them. They seem like a well-drilled group. I've seen some of their smaller wide receivers go in with a fearless attitude and try to crack linebackers. It's going to be a great competitive matchup out there. I can't wait to go out there and match up with them.

Q. It's been a great experience in the Rose Bowl. Numerous guys talked about the difference between winning one and losing one and how that influenced you, motivated you going into this game?
RONNIE HARRIS: Definitely so. I really haven't had to say that myself. People kind of feel that around the air. It's just polar opposites, winning and losing a Rose Bowl. You just want to send this senior group out the right way. You never want to end your season on a loss, especially in the Rose Bowl, especially last year. Getting this W for our seniors and the Stanford community would mean a lot to us.

Q. Do you have extra motivation heading into the game knowing this is your last year in a Stanford uniform?
RONNIE HARRIS: I don't think so. I am just living in the moment. You always have those pre-game jitters when you step out on the field, but my heart beats slow. When you get out there, it's just business as usual. You just want to be out there for your teammates and try to do the best you can.

Q. That loss to Michigan State seemed like it was a real important moment for this team in terms of the following season and appreciating what you have in the Bowl game, is that true?
RONNIE HARRIS: Definitely so. Once you lose something and you've been around winning, you compare and contrast the situation. Just a totally different mindset from this group coming here. Everybody knows when it's play time and when it's business time. We've been able to separate that, I think, beautifully. We have a couple more practices to lock in, hone in on the details more and more. But this group here is focused and ready to go.

Q. Seems like you can keep it fresh going to the Rose Bowl for the third time in three years. It's a great Bowl, but it's the same place, so it seems like that helps you guys mentally.
RONNIE HARRIS: Definitely so. But it's a different experience every single year. I can't say that one year has been the same. Especially for our younger guys that are just getting their first opportunity to come here. It's great to see them smile and be in awe of the big city. Some people are not from the city. You take it stride by stride and try to get better every single day out there.

Q. What is it like being one of the older guys this time? Do you appreciate the moment more?
RONNIE HARRIS: Father Time doesn't stop. It's amazing to see myself from my freshman year to my fifth year senior. I'm trying to pass as much knowledge as possible to these younger guys. I don't think, for me, I'm worried about myself. I'm just worried that I send my senior class out the right way and that we bring that Rose Bowl victory back to the Stanford community. I know how much it means to them and how much it means to this group. It would be great to go ahead and get that win again.

Q. What impresses you about the Iowa offense on film? A bunch of guys talk about how C.J. Beathard looks like a really underrated quarterback, just the amount of things he can do?
RONNIE HARRIS: I love basketball. I am a basketball fanatic. They kind of remind me of the San Antonio Spurs. They are not going to beat themselves. You have to chop at the bit play after play and beat them. They are a well drilled team. They don't turn the ball over much. They are a physical, hard-nosed team. They complete. At the end of the day, at Stanford that's all we're bred to do is compete, so to go out there and compete against one of the best teams in the nation is going to be a great feeling.

Q. Are you excited for Friday?
RONNIE HARRIS: Very excited for Friday. Friday will be the best day of the year.

Q. Do you have any thoughts on the game, being here, the experience, the coach? Walk me through everything that's going on right now.
RONNIE HARRIS: The experience has just been phenomenal. Like I said before, there's no one set feeling that you feel. It's just a culmination of emotions. And just being back here the third time, it's a different feeling than the second and first. You get so excited to play this game that you love, and you just can't wait to play on Friday. You're in practice, you're thinking about the game, thinking about lining up against your opponent. I think Friday will be a great matchup.

Q. What do you think you all need to do? What do you all need to do on a personal level?
RONNIE HARRIS: I think we need to put our best game on film. I think we've yet to do that, basically like on the offense and defensive side. We want to see our best game out there. That's all you can ask of everybody, try to put their best foot forward. You know mistakes are going to be made, but you try to get to as close to perfection as possible. We're just looking that perfect game, and we're going to see what we can do on Friday about that.

Q. You lost at Northwestern, and now you're in the Rose Bowl, take me through that?
RONNIE HARRIS: I think everybody went into mass panic from a media standpoint. We knew exactly what we had to do together as teammates and brothers. Our offseason was a whole bunch of adversity. It seemed like everything that came out of the offseason came in the first season this year. We hit a little bit of a wall, but we got together as teammates. We had a team meeting and talked amongst each other as brothers and friends and said this one game is not going to determine the outcome of our season and it didn't. We were able to bounce back, continued to have win after win and this group seemed like it only got stronger down the stretch. Nobody ever blinked an eye once we lost that game. We got back on track and made sure we took care of business.

Q. What has impressed you about the Iowa offense? What have you seen on tape that you think works?
RONNIE HARRIS: What I think works for them, they don't beat themselves. They are good at what they do. They do what they do and do it well. I think they have a good quarterback that does more than manage the game. He's a good passer, more athletic and more elusive than a lot of people give him credit for. He knows exactly where he's going in his progression every single time. They're just well-drilled and well-versed in their offense and they're physical.

You really don't see a lot teams in the Pac-12 that are going to line up in 12 personnel, 22 personnel, 23 personnel come off the offense and run the ball down your throat. That's what they're doing.

It's going to be a great matchup. It's kind of reminiscent of us going against the offense in the springtime. It will be no better way for our season to end to play these guys.

Q. A lot of people see Iowa and Stanford as kind of mirrors of each other, the way they play the football game. Do you see that?
RONNIE HARRIS: I think we both do things their way. Everybody has different flavors that they like. We do stuff a little different than them.

At the end of the day, you see pro-like football, people that want a test, you know? People want to line up. It's definitely going to be a defensive front and offensive front type of game. The offensive and defensive line are going to play huge. The trenches are going to be where the battle is going to be won. I think whoever controls the tempo is going to win this game.

Q. What have you seen from the quarterback C.J. Beathard that impressed you?
RONNIE HARRIS: The guy is really athletic, really elusive and he can make a lot of good throws, either on the run or in the pocket. He's confident in his arm. I've seen him see some hard throws coming his way and he's able to stand in the pocket and deliver some good throws. He's not afraid of contact, so you have to respect a quarterback like that.

Q. You've spent a lot of time with the other team. How much interacting have you done with the Iowa football team?
RONNIE HARRIS: The Iowa football team? The only time that I got a chance to sit down and shake hands with them was at Disneyland. We had nice little like a casual stare-off. You size each other up, and then it's like, wait, the game is not today. We shook hands, we really didn't talk too much.

It will be good to get out there on the coin toss, shake hands again and then go after it.

Q. [On being able to relax during the week...]
RONNIE HARRIS: We have a lot of time. We have time to kick back and relax with our guys. All of my friends that were in L.A. are home for a break or gone. Not too many. I got all my brothers, so --

Q. How many?
RONNIE HARRIS: I'd say we're 93 to 100 deep. We roll deep.

Q. [On the pre-week schedule...]
RONNIE HARRIS: I'm not sure. I live day by day, schedule by schedule. I will figure it out today about 9:00, when they send out the schedule.

Q. Where are you staying?
RONNIE HARRIS: At the Hyatt Regency, I think it's right by Hollywood.

Q. Is that good?
RONNIE HARRIS: That's great. It's good to be on the outskirts.

Q. How does it feel to be a fifth year senior back here once again?
RONNIE HARRIS: I feel old. Half a decade at one school is a very, very long time. Three Rose Bowls isn't bad, though. I know it ran pretty well. I've eaten at Howie's a few times. It's like a home run track of some kind, you know what I'm saying.

Q. I have another question. People are trying to put you in this box as a short yardage, goal line type of guy. I'm a little bit of an expert. I feel a little bit more out of you. Can you talk to that?
RONNIE HARRIS: I like to think that I can run farther than one yard or even two yards, you know what I'm saying? It's just about opportunity. When given those opportunities, I try to take advantage of them. But I appreciate you seeing my skill set and valuing that.

Q. When you're at the goal line, third and one, fourth and one, what is going through your mind?
RONNIE HARRIS: You know, I'm thinking, I really, really want to score this touchdown and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get in, you know what I'm saying. I also try to channel my inner-Ronnie Harris because he inspires me so much. He's tough. He's everything I want to be. He's tough, he's a leader. And, you know, I try to be that same exact thing. He's fast and strong, and I just want to be that when I'm on the football field as well. You feel me?

Q. My final question. If you had to pick one moment, that's the best moment in the five years at Stanford, what would it be?
RONNIE HARRIS: My best moment, I think it was a few years back when we were playing USC at home and they ran a fake field goal on us. And my man, Ronnie Harris, broke that up in the end zone. It was huge play and I was super hyped afterwards. I thought he had picked it up for a quick second, to be honest. But he broke it up and that was just as good because it was fourth down and everything. That was my favorite moment as a Stanford Cardinal.

Q. (Inaudible) was that the season they were ranked No. 1 when they came early in the year with Barkley and those guys?
RONNIE HARRIS: Yeah, it was, it was. One of my roles on the team, I was a young guy at the time and I remember my coaches telling me, hey, get the eyes right for the fake, the guy rolls out for the fake. I was just in the right spot, happened to break the ball up.

Q. That game kind of being the catalyst of the first Rose Bowl appearance, looking back on that now, how much was that game the game that put Stanford on map a little?
RONNIE HARRIS: There's a lot of games that put Stanford on the map. We've always been on the map. A lot of people look at us in a different light because we're not an SEC team. We're a Pac-12 team. We're supposed to be about all academics. You've got a bunch of hard-nosed guys here that love the game of football and love life, and just -- we're so happy to be here, so thrilled to be here that we can't wait to get out there Friday and show the world what we got again.

Q. What does channeling inner-Ronnie Harris mean? Do you have to get in the right frame of mind?
RONNIE HARRIS: I do some meditation in the morning on days when I know I'm going to need to channel my inner-Ronnie Harris. Other than that, it's basically just copying what I see from him.

That means when I go in the weight room, I put 315 on the bench. When squatting, I put about 550 on the squat rack. And when I'm out on the field, it means going hard every single moment of every single game. You know, trying to be the best player I can be and lead those around me.

Q. And we mentioned the opportunities, obviously the short yardage stuff. Do you ever say let me see if I can break off a 25-yarder? Did you ever campaign to get that opportunity to break off a 25-yarder?
RONNIE HARRIS: I used to. I used to campaign for it. Now I don't do it as much.

Q. With Christian being a Heisman finalist, finishing up some of those touchdowns, is he going buy you dinner?
RONNIE HARRIS: I think he wants to do the opposite. I feel like he wanted those touchdowns. Everyone wants touchdowns. There's been more people disliking the fact that I scored touchdowns. People say I'm stealing touchdowns, stuff like that. My Twitter blows up any time I score a few touchdowns. People don't like it. They call me a vulture.

Q. Do you play College Fantasy Football?
RONNIE HARRIS: I don't know. I've never heard of College Fantasy Football, but I feel like people would want me on their team.

Q. They would. You're high value.
RONNIE HARRIS: They love me, I guess.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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