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ROSE BOWL GAME: USC VS PENN STATE

December 30, 2016

Zach Banner

Pasadena, California

Q. How has your Rose Bowl experience been so far?
ZACH BANNER: It's high class and first class. It's the granddaddy of them all. It the best Bowl game in America. I'm just happy to be here.

Q. Did you ever see any of Penn State's games live?
ZACH BANNER: Well, they play real early in the Big Ten most of the time. So unless it's a night game, you really don't get to catch anything except for the highlights. Sometimes when we have a later game and we're sitting around the hotel, we can watch it. If you're asking questions about watching the Penn State film, I've been scouring that for the last three weeks. We've been watching the ins and outs.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: It's always like that for the Bowl games. You know, this will be my fifth season and everything, the fifth Bowl game I've been to. You don't watch -- we didn't watch the film on Georgia Tech until we announced the Bowl game and we got the film in the meeting room. We didn't watch the film on Wisconsin until we played them last year.

When you go into a Bowl game and everything, you don't understand who you're going to play or what you're going against fully until you want to until the Bowl game is announced.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: It seems like it was yesterday. That was my redshirt year. It's insane. It's insane how everything goes by so fast.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, yeah, I think he did it the best way so far and obviously we have to wait till the game to see it. You don't want to get out of rhythm. You don't want to get out of what you usually do.

So what you have to do is you have to play an extra three games, so that's how we took it, you know what I mean. You have a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday practice, and you start over and do it again. But no game on Saturday, it kind of hurts. But you understand why we're doing it.

Q. Who are some of the true freshmen that have stood out?
ZACH BANNER: True freshmen, during practice and stuff, I think when you look at the young DBs, Pie young and Jamel Cook, they are putting a lot of effort and stuff into it.

You look at somebody, another DB group that's been playing all year is Jack-Jack and all those guys. DBs are looking very young. You get the offensive line and stuff with Frank Martin and those guys, they are really doing well on the scout team and everything, getting our defense ready.

This freshman class is one of the best I've ever been around and it's because they give a lot of effort, they give a lot of -- they have a lot of talent, of course, but a lot of young talent. But they are willing to put in the work.

Q. (How will the cold weather affect you)?
ZACH BANNER: Cold weather at the Rose Bowl? I'm from Tacoma, Washington. It's not going to affect us. We have a lot of people who are from cold weather places and even the L.A. guys, it's not going to affect us. We played in much colder games than this. You look at the Notre Dame game last year, freezing. You look at all the games we've played away this year; even Utah was cold beginning of the fall. It's not going to affect us. We're good with everything. We're tough.

Q. Being in a Bowl game, the practices, how much does that help the freshmen class?
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, it helps, Bowl practices always help mold young freshmen and it helps start their season off and get their next year swing going right. Whether or not they play right now, it's always great, because it's competitive. You know we are going to have high competition. They are going to get more reps to keep our older guys happy and healthy and to be honest with you, it's one of the best things that could happen to them.

Q. How was the Beef Bowl?
ZACH BANNER: Destroyed it. I had two of them big cuts. I could have went on a third. I'm trying to focus on my weight. You guys are trying to kill me.

It was an amazing night. Lawry's and everything, high class, first class. Real great real, great cuts of meat, the size. The meal was great. Every aspect of the meal was great. Great people there, too. That was the best part.

Q. How hard has it been to prepare for finals --
ZACH BANNER: It's definitely harder to prepare for finals just because you really only have like eight days, kind of, to prepare for a final, sometimes even shorter. I'm not saying school is harder than football but we've had four weeks to prepare for a Bowl game. I feel pretty comfortable going into this game.

Q. Did you go to Disneyland?
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, we went to Disneyland Tuesday. Yeah, both of us were -- yeah.

Q. (Regarding NFL Draft.)
ZACH BANNER: You know, this is about the Rose Bowl. It's not about that. We'll get that information out.

Q. What do you know about Koa Farmer?
ZACH BANNER: Oh, yeah, yeah, No. 7. I identify better with numbers. I haven't known him at all. No. 7, yeah, he's stepping in.

Q. What do you know about him?
ZACH BANNER: We've watched film.

Q. And 31, the Mike linebacker?
ZACH BANNER: Mike linebacker? I know 11. Who is the starting Mike? Linebacker core is great, you know what I mean. Probably have the ability to fill gaps but also sometimes their size. When you play a lot of Big Ten linebackers and stuff who are used to going against big fronts and power fronts and stuff, they are kind of trained to be big.

They move very well. Like I said, the fill-in-the-gaps part and the blitz schemes that they already run, it makes it a tough defense to block. We are up for the challenge and we are excited to play for them.

Q. How are you feeling, first of all, after all that beef?
ZACH BANNER: Oh, it was amazing, man. I really didn't eat as much as I could. Tried to make sure I don't get sick before the game. You know, as with everything, couldn't ask for more. High-class place, amazing place, good food, great people. It was a great night.

Q. Good atmosphere, wasn't it? Looked like you had a lot of fun.
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, we did. We always had a lot of fun with each other, when we're not only together as a team but we're also eating. Big guys get happy when they have food around them.

Q. Looked like you had fun with the escalator.
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, the escalator just hit reverse. I wasn't going to die today, that's all I know. I've got a Rose Bowl to play, and then I might be able to go away, escalator might be able to take me out after that. Until then, they are not going to get me.

Q. Let's talk about the game. You talk about stepping out. What are the emotions going to be like going in the granddaddy of them all?
ZACH BANNER: I think emotions are going to be high. But the best team is going to be able to keep their emotions down, bottom line. The atmosphere is going to be high. You can't control the atmosphere. Atmosphere is going to be insane. It's going to be nuts.

No one has ever played in anything like it on this team, and Penn State's, obviously. With that being said, the team that gets their emotions down and back to normal and gets a good flow about them is going to win the game. So we need to make sure that we keep our emotions down and play like it's any other game, which is hard to do. But we can do it.

Q. Knowing that you're at home in Southern California, will it feel sort of like a home game -- the crowds, talk about that benefit.
ZACH BANNER: Whenever you watch the Rose Bowl game, it's always like, it's pretty neat, because when they do the over-landscape deal of the stadium and everything. You can see how the stadium is split in half, and they did it, the same thing at the Penn State/USC game back in 2009.

I don't think the game is going to be that much SC. It could be. But you don't want to bet on that. We're actually getting ready to prepare for at least a loud atmosphere, because in case the Big Ten shows up, especially Penn State, they have a great fan base. They have amazing people backing them and stuff. It might be loud for us, who knows.

But like I said, we don't want to go into it thinking of it as a home game. We want to think of it as a Bowl game and a challenge and leave it at a neutral site.

Q. Now that you've practiced, what would you say, between one and ten --
ZACH BANNER: The awesome thing about it, it's been at a ten. We didn't turn it up, which I think that's a reflection off the leadership and I think that's a reflection off the younger guys, also. I think that's a reflection off the coaching staff. I just think it's a reflection off everybody in the organization, because honestly, we have been preparing and stuff for the Rose Bowl since week one. A lot of people want to bring up the 1-3 start but to be honest with you, we don't think about it like that. We've been practicing just as hard as we were in camp.

Q. Do you see it as more of a steppingstone?
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, I think it was a steppingstone. I think it was a growing pain. I think the 1-3 start was nothing but growing pains amongst the program. And you have to look at it, too, when you're part of the program. It's hard to do that.

I'm telling you right now, if you would have told us that we would have went on an eight-game winning streak and went to the Rose Bowl if we signed a contract after the Utah game, all hundred percent of us would have signed that contract because it's an awesome feeling.

Q. Was there a certain point where you felt --
ZACH BANNER: I think it was the next day because you look at the film and everything, we were doing great things in the Utah game. We were just killing ourselves. We were doing a lot of great things in the games before that and there were flashes of it. We just told ourselves, hey, let's bring it together and let's do this and let's get it done.

Q. What teams have you played throughout the season that you say compare to Penn State?
ZACH BANNER: Nobody. Nobody. Nobody. And we see that on film, because when you play a team from a different conference, you get a different type of build and a different type of recruiting, just because the teams are different in the Big Ten than it is in the Pac 12. There's nobody that we play like Penn State, which is tough, but we're smart people. We'll know how to game plan against it.

Q. As a leader, a dominator, how would you --
ZACH BANNER: Continue to have great practices. Continue to have fun with each other and the event, build that type of bond that just shows them that their captain has their back.

Q. What makes you so good --
ZACH BANNER: Appreciate it. I think the determination. I think the determination factor of me what, because I'm not going to be change. You have to be determined not to change your character. You have to be determined not to change the type of person you are. There's been a lot, a lot of doubt this season for myself personally, and for our team and when you talk about the team, I'm the captain.

So with that being said, they are knocking on me, too, right. They are knocking on Coach Helton. You have to have a lot of determination to stay who you are, trust the process and just keep working and understand why you're here and understand why there's doubters. It's there to steel (ph) you.

Q. Who is the most inspirational person in your life?
ZACH BANNER: Most inspirational person in my life, other than my parents, Ron and Vanessa Banner, I would have to say Mark Allen, my Uncle Mark, my dad's best friend. He's always on me and he's always making sure I'm doing the right thing, but he's also a motivator by reminding me every day, you're doing a good job but there's more to work on.

You don't get those type of people in your life when you get to my level because you get sometimes a lot of guys have people around them that tell them, hoe, you're this and that. You can't be stopped. You can't be touched. Some people have been identifying in my life, I haven't given up a single pressure in the last six games. Not a single back, but a single pressure. That means a guy ain't got close to the quarterback at all.

But my Uncle Mark is over there telling me, okay, what's that mean, we have a Rose Bowl to close out, we have Senior Bowl after that, we have the draft to get ready for. There are so many things in the scope of work that you just have to stay focused. He's always on me. Other than my parents, he's probably the most inspirational person in my life.

Q. What's the biggest advantage of your size?
ZACH BANNER: Biggest advantage? Get to maul people if I know how to do it. Biggest disadvantage is I can't go out and eat with you after this. I've got to eat oatmeal and a protein shake and try to keep my weight down or else I won't be able to maul people.

I think those are the most biggest advantages and disadvantages.

Q. Do you get nervous before a big game or excited?
ZACH BANNER: I get more nervous closer to the game. Excitement's running through me all the way until then. When I say closer, I'm talking about like in the coin toss, locker room, kind of before the game when we go back in. All these type of things, you get nervous. But then once I make contact with the first person, those nerves go away.

Q. What are you like in the locker room before a game?
ZACH BANNER: Headphones on, music's blasting, I'm punching walls. Stay away from me.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: We've got to protect him. I wouldn't trust other men on the opposite side of the line more than anybody else, Chad Wheeler. I wouldn't trust anybody else in the interior of our line, Deontay (ph), Talamaivao, Nico Falah and Damien Mama. We have taken the challenge of playing every single Pac 12 team, Alabama, and a lot of great other teams, Notre Dame. We accept the challenge. So it's going to be a great game. We can't wait.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: The togetherness and the family bond, I think that's what kept us together. When we've been working so hard in the off-season and getting with each other and just having each other's back and everybody trust each other, when you go through trials and tribulations, it's easier to push through those.

I think everybody in life, regardless if you play football or not, you understand if you have a great family background, they are going to be able to get through most things. And I think that's how we kind of took it this way and we've been winning eight games since.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, shout out to my friends back in Tacoma, Washington and throughout the country, happy new year and can't wait to see you guys at the game. Fight on.

Q. What would you have to say about Stevie?
ZACH BANNER: Stevie is one of the best blessings we've ever had, if not the best blessing we could have asked for this off-season for our defense. You talk about such a young position group and such a young group of guys; when you have a guy who is not only a transfer but a really good dude, and a dominator, it helps your defense and it also helps the offense because we get to go against them every day. I've never seen a bigger challenge for our interior guys ever.

Now, he ain't fast enough to come on the outside, I'll tell y'all right now. But with that being said, Stevie is not only a great guy on the field but he's a great guy in the locker room. You would think he's kind of quiet, but he can get to talking sometimes. He's a great dude. He's a great person to have in the locker room.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: You always see a highlight, especially when they made noise against Ohio State. Like we told the guys, they usually play early in the Big Ten, so unless we're playing a later game, which we had a lot of mid-day games this year, we weren't able to see them live.

I tell you right now, our team has been scouring film for the past four weeks, bottom line. We feel like we could go over and have dinner with them and know everything about them. That's how much film we're watching, and we're excited to play against them.

Q. Do you remember what you thought when they played Ohio State?
ZACH BANNER: I remember I saw a highlight when I was a Kings hockey game. Kings ended up beating the Canucks in overtime.

I think to be honest with you, at that time, you can never predict, oh, man, if you win, they win, you're going to play in the Rose Bowl. I was just watching the game as a fan that day.

Q. Was there a moment or a point where you saw things turning around?
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, we saw it week one. It's just everyone looks at the score after the game and everyone looks at certain things during the game and it's just, we didn't buy into the hype that people were feeding us. We didn't read the things that people were writing about us. And we just stuck together.

And so when it gets to the point of where you're out there with each other, and you're helping each other dominate and help each other play at a high level, no one else matters unless they are playing at the that level and usually people who play at our level don't disrespect us nowhere near where the way the media and the fans were disrespecting us at that time.

We're on an eight-game streak going to the Rose Bowl. I couldn't care less about the first four weeks of the season.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: I just told you, we have faith in ourselves during camp. We had faith in ourselves after the Alabama game. We had faith in ourselves after the Utah game. We bought into each other and bought into our own hype; that we just stayed focused.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: I was just saying that. The team that's able to keep their emotions down, will win the game. The team that's able to play this game like they have, they are on a nine-game winning streak, we're on an eight, will win the game.

So as a captain and as a leader, I not only have to tell the guys that but I have to display it myself. I'm already a high-emotion guy, so that's not going to change. Me bobbing my head to music before the game, punching walls, getting ready to destroy and hold smash (ph), that's not going to change.

But with these guys, you have to make sure that they are doing the same thing. Leon McQuay is the kind of guy that jumps around and bobs his head and starts making weird noises, and you start looking at him like ease crazy. That's not going to change. If he's quiet, something's changing. As a leader and a captain, we have to make sure he we keep the emotions to exactly what we've been doing the past eight games.

Q. What stands out most about Penn State?
ZACH BANNER: I think regardless of their scheme and game plan, they are a high-tempo, finish-through-the-play-type team on offense, defense and special teams; they play hard. If you look at had some of their wins this season, might be most of their wins, at some point in the game they were down.

Ohio State game, they were down 21-7 and come back and beat them. I think it was 21-7 going into the fourth quarter. I can't remember the stats but don't quote me on that. I think when you look at them, they finish. They run through the ball. They run through the end zone. They don't like the flashiness. That's not their style. They are a hard, aggressive team. It's going to be a tough game.

Q. Are you ready?
ZACH BANNER: I think we're ready for the challenge and excited for the challenge, not only to play the Rose Bowl game, but to play a great team like Penn State.

Q. Do you have any goals for the game?
ZACH BANNER: I have some personal ones. Ask me after the game. Too focused on the team. Too focused on winning the game. But other than winning the Rose Bowl, there's nothing more important than that.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: The hardest thing to tell a kid, especially inner city kids and kids who grow up around low-income neighborhoods, the hardest thing to tell them is that sports or whatever you love is not going to help you get to where you want to be. You have to work hard, and that's hard for kids to understand. Because when they see the flashiness on the commercials and they see their athletes wearing certain things or doing something on the court, they think it's easy. They think it's all athletic talent.

But little do they know, most of them have a college education. Little do they know, most of them have experience networking with other people that helped them get to that platform.

When you get them to understand that, it's crazy, because you see their whole perspective on life change. You see them start taking school more seriously and you see them start taking life for seriously and they start showing up on time to things. You never hear about them getting in trouble with the police or with their families. They are doing their chores and everything at home. You see a whole atmosphere change with kids.

That's the best thing about using my platform. I understand, I have a mic right here, I'm at the Media Day off the Rose Bowl. Some kid is going to be watching this. And guess what, when I go throw a camp for him or her and we're able to mentor those kids, and we're able to help bring those kids to light and show them that, hey, school, community, both of those things and faith and family come before your sport or your art; then it's able to fuel them and excite them.

So with that being said, that's the best feeling in the world, is when you're able to change a kid's life inside and out, not outside and in. You're not just able to change their athletic prowess, but you're able to change what's their outlook on life and what's their take on life, and then you're able to see a man and a woman grow up.

Q. Are you still thinking about law school?
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, law school is still a thing in my life. I want to pursue my master's in everything. I wasn't able to do it because when I waited for my draft evaluation this last year, usually sometimes, especially in the com program, you're able to get your master's in a year. When I waited for my draft evaluation, since I waited all the way to December, they weren't able to register me for classes.

So I took a lighter load this year, I took things to keep me eligible, so I have things in the works with USC now that they are talking to me about paying for my school when I come back. That's something we can't talk about now obviously for NCAA reasons but it's good to know that USC is talking about backing me for certain things.

Q. What do you remember about the Rose Bowl, any besides the 2009 game?
ZACH BANNER: I can't remember the other games. I was in sixth grade when FCF played Texas, so it's vague. I definitely remember the USC-Penn State game, not in full, but I remember watching Mark and those guys go to work. It's just an amazing game and an amazing atmosphere, not just as a West Coast kid, but as a kid growing up as a college football fan in general.

For me, it's amazing to be a part of it. It's amazing to be here for Media Day, Lawry's Disneyland, all these type of events. This is what you work so hard during the season for.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, I think part of that tradition, but all of the other schools that I talked about going to or looking at were good in aspects of their football. I think the most powerful thing at SC and the reason why I came here was the networking aspect. When you look at the school, one of the best schools in America. You look at football, one of the best football schools in America. But so were some of the other schools that I was looking at.

When it came to the networking and wanting to be able to hold the mic and interview guys one day, also, myself, you look at L.A., it's the second biggest media market in America. I've been interning with FOX Sports for the last three years. It's been a great experience, a great experience being here.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: It's crazy to think about that. I feel like I was a freshman just a couple days ago.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: I think the biggest thing that you have to be able to do is keep your emotions down or keep it to the same. So I'm already a high-emotion guy before the games. That's not going to change, bobbing my head to music, punching walls, doing things like that.

But when you talk about looking at the rest of the team, you have to make sure everybody is doing the same thing. I can't get quiet before the Rose Bowl. I can't get pouty before the Rose Bowl. I can't be like, oh, man, this is my last game, this is going to be hard, I can't do that. Because if I do, then I'm letting other guys on the team down and I'm showing that we are getting away from the motto that we talked about before, and that is you have to treat this game like every other game and you have to -- and that's hard to do.

So before the game when we are doing things like that, obviously we know we don't do this during every other game week but when we get in that locker room and we get in that bus and get into that locker room before the game, exciting. But at the same time, you've got to treat it like it's every other game.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: Amazing. I'm happy those guys have our back. But that wasn't just given, you know what I mean. There was a lot of work put into the off-season. There was a lot of work put into the training and everything, and those guys, the younger guys, they wouldn't say, we want to do this for the seniors, if I was some a**hole. Does that make sense? They wouldn't say that if I didn't have their back.

And so, to know that they have got my back just as much as i do, that's the family atmosphere we want to build here at USC.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: I chose to play football here for, sometimes not just for the football reasons. Sometimes you have to -- you know, it's a great school. It's a great football team. It's a great football program, but so are some of the other schools I was looking at.

The best thing about it is that it's in L.A. and there's a networking aspect about it; that you get to shake hands with important people in the media; that you get to intern with great organizations like I have with FOX Sports for the last three years, and you get to learn from Colin Cowherd and Michael Strahan and those guys.

When you shake hands like that, it sets you up for life and you're part of the Trojan family. I think that's probably the best part about coming here and the reason why I came here.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: It's amazing. Last time we were in a Rose Bowl or BCS game period, I was in eighth grade with this exact Bowl and this exact team. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were watching the game and everything on New Year's. I'm a West Coast kid, so we love the Rose Bowl just as much as everybody in California and the rest of the country does.

But it's an amazing feeling to understand that my senior year and this team, underneath this coaching staff, was able to make history. But we're not done. We have to play in the game first.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: Yeah, the bald coaches? I don't know if they have taken over college football or what. But I'll tell you what, Coach Helton is the best bald-looking person in the world. He has got that smile; he's always joking around. His head is gleaming all the time. You're right, bald coaches taking over.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: And the activities and stuff, they are awesome. They wear you out. You get home later in the hotel, you're tired and you're sleepy and groggy. But it's well worth it. And we are kind of taking it day by day, which is awesome, because then when we are in the football practice and everything later in the meeting room, we focus on ball.

We're not worried about Disneyland and those things until we're there. We're not worried about Lawry's until we get to Lawry's. We're not worried about Media Day until we get to Media Day. Being able to focus on ball on certain segments of the day, that's what's going to help us win the game. So we are trying to take it day by day.

Q. What is Penn State's strength?
ZACH BANNER: Penn State's strength is that they are a high-intensity team. They play through the whistle. They play through the snaps. They are not just going to let you maul them over. They are just not going to let you beat them.

If you look at most of the games, especially like the Ohio State game, they were down 21-7 going into the fourth quarter and then they were able to come back and win that game. They are not just going to let you maul them over, so we have to play from whistle to whistle, from quarter to quarter, from buzzer to buzzer.

Q. What would it mean to win the Rose Bowl?
ZACH BANNER: It will be amazing to add it on top of the All-American accolades, add it on top of the team accolades. All that type of stuff that comes with not only personal but for the team, it would be the best senior year anybody could ask for -- graduate. I'm not in school anymore.

I've been interning with FOX Sports for the past three years. Been learning from Colin Cowherd, Michael Strahan, a bunch of good guys over there. Just it's an amazing atmosphere here in L.A., and USC gives you the best opportunity to take full advantage of those.

Q. What do you want to do?
ZACH BANNER: I want to do play-by-play. I want to do color commentating. I might want to do like some halftime stuff. I might want to steal your job, who knows. I'll have some options.

Q. What similarities do you see between USC and Penn State?
ZACH BANNER: The two programs, I don't think you even need to watch film to understand that the two teams that are going to play in the Rose Bowl are pretty similar. We are high-intensity guys. Both teams have great talent and a lot of great players and obviously the coaching staffs on both are excellent, if they are able to get them to the Rose Bowl. Probably those three similarities are the most ideal thing.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: No, it makes it easier. You would think it would make it harder, because usually when you get guys who can move around the pocket, they want to move around in awkward places. Like they want to like stand right behind you, you know what I mean. But it really makes it easier because he's evasive, but he's also smart at the same time. He doesn't leave that pocket unless he needs to, which is the best thing -- we have it drawn up as a play.

The talent that Sam has, is if we do make a mistake as an offensive line, he might be able to clean it up a little bit better than other people, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, he makes us look good. It doesn't hurt us. He makes us look good.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: I wouldn't trust anybody else with our team's hands other than Chad and myself, you know what I'm saying. We're experienced. We're seniors. We've gone against a lot of good players, a lot of great talent, and they are great, and they are going good up front, so we accept the challenge.

Q. You're from the State of Washington?
ZACH BANNER: Yes, sir.

Q. Do you like the rain?
ZACH BANNER: Oh, yeah, I love the rain. It's beautiful. Cleans out the air. Let it come. I don't know when the last time it rained during the Rose Bowl but I'm excited if it does.

Q. What about the team?
ZACH BANNER: They are the same exact way. We played our last game against Notre Dame, I think it was like 45, 21, 27 or something. We're used to it. We know what we're doing.

We've been practicing in it a little bit, too. It's not the first day of rain. It's been raining at practice for a couple weeks in practice, too. We're excited about it.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: Mickey Mouse ears? No, I can't. I might put it on top of the helmet after the game, we'll see. Don't hold me to that.

Q. (No mic).
ZACH BANNER: Josh Garnett, that's my boy. He's the same exact grade I was. We played not the same position, but the same position group and we got recruited at the same school. He's an awesome dude, awesome dude. Awesome people. He got picked in the first round, went to San Francisco. He's doing good. I think he had some starts this year. Wasn't sure if he had an injury or not. Usually with the football guys, when we go on separate levels, we don't get back in touch until we get to that level.

Q. Did you play O'Dea High School?
ZACH BANNER: Awesome school, all-boys school, Seattle. We played O'Dea a couple of times. Friends with who? I played for Seattle Rotary. I played for my first year at USC, also. I did both.

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