|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
ROSE BOWL GAME: OREGON VS WISCONSINDecember 30, 2019Jonathan TaylorPasadena, California Q. J.T., are you excited to be here? A couple days away from the Rose Bowl. It's got to be an incredible experience for you. JONATHAN TAYLOR: Yeah, the Rose Bowl is The Granddaddy of Them All. We're really excited. It's a lot of history with this game and this program. So we're looking forward to add to that. Q. Talking about the program a little bit, you guys have had a history in this Bowl game, but unfortunately you lost last year. Have you guys talked about righting the ship a little bit and going in that direction, getting a win on Wednesday? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Yeah, definitely. We have a chance to etch our place in history with our program by becoming Rose Bowl champions. So that's something we talked about ever since we figured out we were coming to the Rose Bowl. Q. You talked about what you're going to do next, but I know you're not making any decisions, but are you kind of taking a step back and enjoying this moment a little bit in case you do leave? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Oh, yeah, whenever we're doing non-football activities, I'm there 100 percent, enjoying every moment between those line, I'm all in on football because we do have a job to do on the 1st. Q. (Indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: It's been a lot, especially it sucks when you get to that opportunity, you earn the right to play in the Big Ten Championship, you fall short. Obviously you want to become a Big Ten Champion, a free ride of going to the Rose Bowl. And then especially with the rich tradition of the program with the Rose Bowl, once we found out we were coming here, it was kind of not easy to transition, but it made the transition a little bit easier after that tough loss. Q. (Indiscernible) how does this one compare, the experience (indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: This experience is something different just because you know the magnitude and the significance of the game. And that's what you hear about. Usually guys talk about the events all week for a bowl game, but really everyone talks about the game is the best part of the Rose Bowl. You have a lot of great experiences throughout the week, but it's the game that's most memorable. Q. What are you looking forward to most? JONATHAN TAYLOR: The game. Q. Just like that game day experience? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really just looking forward to seeing a crowd out there. They said it should be a split crowd. Should see half green, half red. It's going to be a good one. Q. (Indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really preparing for great hands. Those guys do a great job of using their hands to get off of blocks. So probably one of the best defenses we've seen all year use their hands. Q. What else impresses you (indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really the biggest thing is their team speed. So we've got to make sure, as a running back specifically, when you make a decision, you have to make it full speed because they can cover a lot of ground. Q. Can talk about your how this experience has been. JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really, like I said, there's been a lot of great activities we were able to do throughout the week, but all I keep hearing from coaches and people who have been in this position before is just be ready for the game, because that's going to be the most memorable experience. Q. (Indiscernible) that were here before you, some of the best (indiscernible) what are you trying to do as far as (indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: One of the biggest things I'm trying to do is become a Rose Bowl champion. I think that will really etch this team in a place in history in the Wisconsin Badgers program. So that's number one on my list. Q. Just how about taking pride in this opportunity, (indiscernible) challenge? JONATHAN TAYLOR: That's the biggest thing, looking forward to the challenge. You come to play Division I football to play against the best. We have the opportunity to play against one of the best teams in the country. And this is the things you thrive for when you come and play Division I ball. Q. I'm sure you haven't looked a whole bunch into Oregon's offense, but as a running back, what has impressed you about what CJ Verdell does for the Ducks? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Oh, he really runs downhill, north and south, and he has great speed. I saw that. He's able to break a lot of tackles, and that's what you want to be as a running back. As a running back, you want to be able to gets yards after contact. Feel like he does a great job of that. Q. A lot of people say he kind of runs like an edge. Do you see that? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Yeah, I can definitely see that. When I was watching him, kind of like he runs angry, he's trying to run through guys, he's trying to make everyone miss. He does not want to go down. Q. Is there anything about your game and his game that is a little bit similar? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really I think it's the way that we try to stay on our feet. I noticed that he doesn't really like to go down as much. He's going to fight for every single yard. Q. When you were looking at Oregon's defense, is there anything that surprised you? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really their use of hands. They're good with their hands. So even if you use great technique, they can still beat you. So you really got to make sure that you're using great technique every single snap, every single play. Q. (Indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: I feel great about the decision. I mean, we earned the right to play in the Big Ten Championship. Fell short, but doing so we earned the right to play in a bowl game. So I definitely think it was the right decision. Q. J.T., did you watch the Clemson-Ohio game? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Oh, yeah, I was able to catch some of the Clemson-Ohio game, because they had like activities for us during the time, but some guys were able to have it on their phone and stuff. Q. What did you think about it? JONATHAN TAYLOR: I thought it was a great game. We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game. Clemson and O State, they're two tough teams. They got elite players on both sides of the ball for both teams. So I thought it was a great game. Q. What'd you think as far as Ohio coming up -- you played Ohio. What are your thoughts as far as how you compare that to when you come to play Oregon? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really I think the biggest thing is it's always a different style team. When you're playing a different style team, you've got to make sure you prepare for everything. Especially with O State going against Clemson, they knew it was going to come down to those one-to-one matchups. When you got talent, elite talent on each side of both teams, it's going to come down to those one-on-one matchups, when the ball is in the air, whether it's one on one in space, who's going to make the play. Q. How will you notch this game? How will you put your mark on this game? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really the biggest thing is trying to become a Rose Bowl champion. I think that will really etch our place in history with our program, the Wisconsin Badgers program. And if we can come away with a win, that will definitely etch our place in history. Q. It's obvious that you're going to be heavily used. How do you attack the defense of Oregon? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really we got to attack them head on. Those guys have a lot of speed on defense. They can cover a lot of ground. So the best thing you can do is when you make a decision, you make it full speed. They'll use their speed to try to rally to you. But I think that's the biggest thing, is making decisions full speed. Q. How have you become such a great runner? JONATHAN TAYLOR: I think just being able to develop over time. Especially at the end of the season, being able to evaluate what you've done well and what you haven't done well and then finding ways to improve, especially on the things that you haven't done well. Q. As far as what all the record sets you've accomplished, what does that do for you and to inspire you? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really what it does, it just shows me that you have to work even harder. You accomplish something, and now you have to move on to the next. You can't just stay complacent. Q. Did you know you'd become such a great runner? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Oh, really coming in as a freshman, just wanted to be a sponge and soak up everything, any piece of coaching that I've had in order so that when I got in, if my number was called, I'd be ready to go. Q. Carrying for over 6,000 yards, that's pretty remarkable, wouldn't you say? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Oh, 6,000 yards, it's definitely not easy. And you look at the guys who have accomplished 6,000 yards are some of the best to ever run the ball. So being able to do that is definitely something special, and I'm glad I'm able to share it with the guys around me. Q. What would you say to all your family and friends in preparation for this big game? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really all my family who's coming out here, I appreciate you guys. The guys who can't get out here, I know it's very expensive to travel all the way from the East Coast to the West Coast, but I know you guys are supporting from back home. Q. (Indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really just about my own legacy, just trying to continue to take it day by day. Whenever you get complacent on what you've done, that's when you kind of start to fall off. So you've always got to continue to stay hungry and be ready to get better and find ways to work. Q. (Indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: I think it would definitely help. I would like to have games like those guys had in the Rose Bowl, but we'll have to wait and see. Q. How has the week been? Have you been able to step back and be like, I'm here? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Oh, yeah, we've had some time to step back and do that. Like we had a lot of events planned for us that wasn't football-wise. And I think that's the biggest thing, is when you're doing those events, be all in; and then when it's time for football, when it's time to work, be all in to that because you still have a job to do on the 1st. Q. What's your favorite activity so far? A lot have said Disneyland was really cool. JONATHAN TAYLOR: Yeah, because there was like this Star Wars ride at Disneyland that you got to control the ship. When you're controlling it, on some games it's like you can see that you're not really controlling it. But that one, it was like you really were. You could see if you went left, the whole thing went left. So it was pretty fun. Q. In terms of this game, what would it mean for this program to be able to get the win? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Oh, come out with a win, we'd etch our place in history with our program. Just because of the history that we have with this program, I think it would really be huge. It would be huge not only for us as a team but us as a program and Badger Nation. Q. When you watch Oregon's defense, I know you said they're fast and their hands are good and they cover a lot of ground, but is there one guy in particular that jumps off the screen to you? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Yeah, Dye especially, 35. He does a specifically great job with his hands and being able to cover a lot of ground. Q. What makes him special? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really I think it's just his use of hands and his overall speed to be able to close ground quickly. Q. And I heard you talk about CJ Verdell. When you describe how he plays, is it at all similar to how you play? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Yeah, you could tell he doesn't like to go down. He wants to fight for every single yard. And I feel like that's how you have to be as a runner. Q. You mentioned the decision that you made to play in this game. How much was it of a decision? Was it something you knew you were going to do right away, or did it take some time to get there? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Well, really we earned the right to play in the Big Ten Championship, and in doing so we also earned the right to play in a bowl game. So we earned it together, it's only right that we finish out the season together. Q. (Indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Yeah, because that was recently that California just did that. I think it's big. I think it's going to drastically change the college football world. But I do think that they're definitely going to slow walk it, just try to implement different rules and things like that so it's not really -- won't become corrupt. They're going to try to weed out as much negativity as possible to make it like a clean, smooth system. So I think it will definitely take some time to play out. Q. (Indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really I would have to put together a team, people who knew a lot about finances and how money works to figure out an efficient way to do it. Because you would definitely love people to capitalize on the hard work that they had, but you also want to do it in the right way. So I would have to put together a team of financial people and things like that who would understand the rules and be able to create a clean system. Q. (Indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is the way they get off of blocks. There's a lot of Big Ten teams who can get off of blocks in certain ways. So a lot of guys are block destruction, are able to come down full speed, just hit you in the mouth and be able to get off a block. Some other Big Ten teams are able to be really good with their hands and get off of blocks. I feel like Oregon does a great job of using their hands. Even if you're using great technique, they'll still find a way to somehow displace your hands and be able to shed blocks. Q. (Indiscernible)? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Yeah, definitely. You never play a perfect game. That's why you continue to work and strive, in order to try to one day accomplish a perfect game. Q. Your coach said you're so consistent in your approach. How do you define your approach? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Really I think I define my approach as consistent. I think that's the biggest thing. I wanted to come in here and be a guy who you knew what you were getting out of him each and every single week, game, practice, no matter what's going on. I think that was the biggest thing because you see a lot of guys who are excellent for one year, and then you kind of don't hear about them. But I wanted to be a guy who was constant and someone who was always there. Q. You seem like you're not about you. Is that on purpose? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Well, I think the biggest thing is you understand that even in high school, you were getting offers and you're doing well on the field, but you still had 10 other guys on the field with you. Nothing here, nobody here, anybody here hasn't done anything alone. Otherwise they'd be up for every award for every position and you'd be No. 1 picks. And I think it's just you've just got to realize it wasn't 1 on 11; it was 11 on 11. Q. The history of running backs at your institution, have you connected with those guys along the way? And if so, what have you gleaned from them, heading into a big game? JONATHAN TAYLOR: Yeah, I definitely connected with them. And one of the biggest things, they always tell you just do what you do, but come with an edge. Just know that. They're going to looking to try to stop you. There's nothing going to pop out on these guys. You're not going to surprise these guys. Everyone knows really kind of the MO, the basic MO of what we're going to do. But the thing is they still have to stop it. They still have to stop you. You've been working all offseason. They've been working all offseason. When it comes down to those one-on-one matchups, make sure you come up with a win. Q. And then Oregon, they move their defensive front so much, they stem, they slide. How important is that for you communication-wise in this game? JONATHAN TAYLOR: It's going to be huge. We're going to have to make sure that everyone has their eyes open, everyone's communicating, everyone is talking. With defense moving like that, you've got to make sure you're that you're on your P and Qs, because one mistake and the play could be disastrous. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|