ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 21, 2021

Keytaon Thompson

Virginia Cavaliers

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're a wild card of this offense. Bring me into what you can do. Brennan spoke about it a little bit. What are you looking forward to, what you truly bring to 2021?

KEYTAON THOMPSON: Appreciate it. I can do whatever you need me to do. That's the whole idea (smiling).

Just going out there, taking whatever my coaches give me, really be humble about it, really focus in on attention to detail, just taking the coaching.

I feel like we have a great set of coaches. I wouldn't be able to do what I do without our coaches. They coach me to do my task the right way. I'm just able to pick up on that and go on with it and execute on the field.

I think it's a big credit to my coaches for just being able to coach me to do all these different things.

Q. What has that experience been like? You seem to be having a good time today. The bow tie. Has your approach changed at all knowing the difficulties that everybody went through last season? Changed the way you look at the game and how you get ready?

KEYTAON THOMPSON: I really been having a lot of fun today. But, yeah, nothing has really changed. I've been enjoying myself. As far as like off-season preparation and workouts, Coastal is tough. That's definitely been on my mind a lot. Last season did not go the way we wanted it to go. Obviously we knew we had to work hard and amp it up this off-season.

Other than that, just being intensified and just taking workouts, the off-season workouts, serious, trying to get myself in the best physical shape possible to help my team.

Q. Tell me about your reaction to the NIL law, what that is going to open up for you, how you're pursuing those opportunities.

KEYTAON THOMPSON: I think NIL is great. It's great for college football, the athletes at least. As of now, it's a lot of rules and regulations around that. You don't want to get caught up getting in any allegations or any ineligibility because of NIL.

As of right now I'm keeping the main thing the main thing, just trying to focus on myself. I feel like as long as we ball out and get victories, everything will take care of itself when the season come.

Q. You wear No. 99. With the NIL, stuff going on, have you thought about marketing No. 99? 99 things you cause defensive coordinator or anything like that?

KEYTAON THOMPSON: I've thought about it a little bit here and there. Like I answered before, I haven't given much thought to the NIL. I have a lot going on right now with school and football. I'm just trying to take care of that first before I get into the NIL thing.

Good question, though (smiling).

Q. Does losing to your in-state rival for the final game of the season, not reaching a bowl game, sit with you during the off-season?

KEYTAON THOMPSON: Of course. We definitely didn't want to lose that game. I don't know if you know, I broke my ribs in that last game. That was really painful. I couldn't move. I couldn't work out for a nice amount of time after the game. That was all I was really able to think about, was our rival game, being at that game for a long time.

Of course it sat with me. It's motivated me throughout this off-season to push myself, be the best that I can be. I'm looking forward to the next game.

Q. How are the ribs and the health now? If you are 100%, when did you feel like you got back to 100%?

KEYTAON THOMPSON: I'm feeling great now actually. I would say just got back to 100% probably about a month ago. I mean, I've been able to work out for a long, long time. I've been working out and doing stuff. Still had a little pain. No surgery, so they have to heal naturally. It's just dealing with the pain.

It's pretty much subsided all the way. I'm feeling great, ready to get into fall camp, build that chemistry with my guys, get into the season 100% healthy.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.