ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY PRUDENTIAL: PENN STATE VS UTAH

December 29, 2022

Tyler Warren

Penn State Nittany Lions

Press Conference

Q. How has it been so far out here, getting acclimated with your surroundings and trying to keep it as normal a process as you can?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, it's been nice. We got a few, the first two days to kind of check it out and not as focused up, but now we're pretty much into game week, so we're focused in and preparing ourselves for this upcoming game.

Q. Franklin has mentioned a big difference is how many guys are committed to playing in this game. What does it mean to you to see that kind of investment from much of the locker room?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I think it speaks to the team we have this year and how we're here for each other, we're not here for ourselves. We're here to play for each other and play for Coach Franklin so I think it's important and it shows how we are as a team.

Q. You found out that Brenton is going to the NFL a couple nights ago. Curious when he told the news to his teammates?

TYLER WARREN: It was kind of his own thing, so I just let him do it. I'm not going to tell his stuff, but I'm excited for him. I'm excited to play with him one more time and just playing with him again, it will fun.

Q. Personally speaking what does it mean that he is going to the draft but sticking on board for the 13th game of the season?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, that it kind of shows to our team, especially our tight end room, he's got our backs, we've got his back, so for him to come back and play in this game is really good to see.

Q. What has he meant to you and the room and how do you think he's grown as a tight end specifically in 2022?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I think his leadership role isn't necessarily a huge vocal one, but he leads by example and will show you how to do things. He's done a lot for me and a lot of the guys in the tight end room, so it will be good and his mark will be left on our room in a positive way.

Q. What's your confidence level of being able to step up and carry forward without Brenton and continue building on what you built this year?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, just learning from what he did. He taught us a lot, so carrying that into it and what he did for me, trying to do it for younger guys who come in and trying to do the same that he did for us.

Q. How do you think you and Theo through all the reps you've gotten this year have grown? A lot of people may be looking to you as being the new veterans and the guys out on the field.

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I think just like you said, the more reps you get, the more acclimated you're going to get, the more you're going to learn, so just having those reps in our back pocket as we continue to grow as tight ends will be good and we'll have to look out for other guys in the room now because we'll be the older guys, but it'll be good.

Q. Khalil Dinkins has gotten involved at times this year. How has he grown as a tight end, because there was a question when he got to campus if he would stick at the position?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, he's done a great job. He's been changing his body to get to a tight end body type. He's gotten a lot smarter. He's getting a lot more savvy like football wise and learning a lot, so he's doing great, and I'm excited to see what he does.

Q. Jerry, a guy we didn't see much of, but a lot of guys say he's made an impression on campus. What have you seen from him?

TYLER WARREN: He's a hard worker. He's eager to learn and he wants to get better. I think the more he's around a college football program, it's only going to make him better, and he has a good future ahead of him, as well.

Q. Not everybody is like Theo who played eight or nine games his freshman year. You saw Jerry deal with it and Khalil, but when you're watching someone like Jerry, how do you manage that expectation as a freshman, that you're going to play with the reality that I've got to sit back and wait and grow?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, that's something I had to do personally, but I kind of realized I saw I wasn't really at the point where I was at the same level as the guys, so I understood I needed a year and I've talked to him about that before. It's not frowned upon if you can't step in the first year. Some people that's going to be their path, some people it might be a year or two before you start really contributing a lot on the field. But he hasn't had a bad attitude about it all. He's excited about the work and he's going to be good.

Q. Now that they have signed we can talk about them. You are going to be bringing in three new teammates into that room and very soon I think. Curious what you think about the influx of competition and kind of how quickly do you get in touch with a signee and try to build a relationship?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I've had a little bit of a relationship with them, hosting them on visits and stuff. Nothing crazy. But when they get here we'll welcome them in the room, and I'm sure if Ty brings them in, they're going to be great workers and fit in our room really well, so it's going to be good.

Q. What would you say is the most important aspect offensively for you guys as you prepare for Utah in the next few days of practice? What kind of momentum are you most excited about from the way you finished in November?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I think just from a tight end's perspective, we're kind of -- I feel like we're playing good as a unit right now, so just building on that, and we're really I feel like an unselfish group, so we're excited to do whatever it is for the game week, whatever fits best with our offensive versus defensive scheme, so keeping that attitude up and that mentality I think will be good.

Q. One more player I want to ask about is Drew and also Beau. With Christian leaving, there is more attention on them and the quarterback room next year with Sean leaving, too. How have you seen them use this opportunity for a few extra weeks of practice to build on what they're doing at quarterback?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I think that opportunity like you said is great for both of them, so I think they have been taking advantage of it. Drew has had his chances in the games, so he has a little bit of experience under his belt, and I think Beau, everyone has seen Beau through camp and stuff and we know what kind of player he is, so we've got a lot of confidence in him as well. I think for the two of them, I think it has really just been good for them to kind of get more experienced on the practice field and stuff like that.

Q. I'm going around asking some of the guys, who do you think are some of the funnier guys on your roster this year?

TYLER WARREN: I'd probably put -- I'm sure a lot of people said Nick Dawkins, PJ. PJ is good. I think Beau Pribula is maybe a guy that a lot of people don't know or like will think of him as a funny guy, but when he gets known, he's a pretty funny guy.

Yeah, there's probably a lot of other dudes I could name, but those come to my head right now.

Q. Obviously guys here at the Rose Bowl, a business trip at the end of the day. What are your thoughts on Utah's defense? What have you seen from them on film or any of their tendencies?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is just their effort. They're great football players, but when you play with that kind of effort and that kind of mentality that they carry with them, I think that makes you a lot better, so that's the thing that really popped out to us on film so far.

Q. There's quite a few people who continue to talk about what you guys do in the run game, but I'm curious to know more about your quarterback. Could you tell me a little bit about him? Obviously he's been there with you guys for a couple years now. Just tell me a little bit about him and what he does for the offense.

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, he's been here for a while so we know he's got a lot of experience, and he shows us and will share stuff like that with us, but he's also just a dude that kind of gets along with everybody. It doesn't matter what your role is or who you are on the team, he's going to be the same guy to you if he's your best friend or if he's just meeting you now, so he's a great leader in that aspect, and we all play for him. We've got his back, he's got our back, so it works well.

Q. The T formation has really been a boon for your running game and a lot of it is the three tight ends but it's also the running back, the offensive line. What do you think are one or two things about that formation that really cause problems for the defense?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I think one thing is just numbers. It's a lot of numbers you've got to deal with. There's a lot of bodies going in one direction to stop for a yard or two yards, but another thing that I think is just kind of our offensive mentality where he's it's guys doing jobs that they don't always do all the time. They are going to do it to the best of their ability, because that's how we're playing for each other, not for ourselves, so I think that formation speaks a lot about that, that we do what the team is asking for us and not necessarily what our normal job would be, so I think that shows our mentality well.

Q. When you think back to a year ago when everyone was kind of saying hey, the running game has got to get going, you guys just didn't get the job done in the regular season, and it's only been a year and now how far you've come, do you have a lot of pride, I think, in maybe the improvement in what you guys did in the spring and the commitment and even in August and the fact that you were able to consistently kind of do that against a pretty good team?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I mean, I know the O-line is definitely proud. We kind of work with them, too, as tight ends. We block with them. We take a lot of pride in it. We kind of said we want to work at that through the off-season and we focused on it a lot, and I think Nick and Kaytron coming in they've definitely added an element that helped with it, as well, so it's been good to see that and the hard work we've put in has shown up through the running game, so it's been good.

Q. What do you think the biggest change has been this year compared to last year with the running game?

TYLER WARREN: I'm not sure if it's really one thing. I think it's just like more reps is always -- more repetitions you get the more natural it's going to come, so just working on it through the off-season, understanding the stuff better, and then like I said, those two guys in the backfield definitely add a little something to it, so yeah, probably that.

Q. How much do you think the mentality is part of it, like shifting into sort of wanting to dominate, being physical?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, that's definitely a big part. If your mind is not with it you're probably not going to get as far as you could, so just having that mentality that we know what we need to do, we know what we need to do on this play, so just having that mentality as a unit, too, is very important, so we're all on the same page.

Q. Is it weird knowing now that this is going to be the last game you're going to play with Brenton? You guys have been through a lot together and you guys have grown a lot together. Obviously I'm sure you've talked to him a little bit about his decision. What's it going to be like? Have you thought about it's only going to be one more game with him?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I haven't tried to think about it too much. I'm focused on the game. But that's my guy. He's been with me here the whole time I've been here. He's taught me a lot and been there for me a lot. Definitely after the game I'll definitely think about it a lot more, but yeah, hopefully I'll just try to enjoy it during the game and then deal with it after the game, but yeah, it'll be good.

Q. What are your first thoughts on Utah's defense?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I think, like I said, really their mentality and their effort. They're great football players, and then when you add how they play the game and the effort they bring to the table, I think that's what really makes them special.

Q. You guys are kind of similar to Utah in tight end usage, use tight ends heavily. How do you feel like you're utilized in this offense?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I think it's something we pride ourselves on is just kind of doing whatever is needed for our offense, so if it's one week we're going to run block a bunch of times and not catch any balls, we're going to do that, and then the next week we're all catching passes and not blocking at all, we'll be happy to do that, so just keeping that mentality and staying like that as a group is what we do well.

Q. I've got a couple silly questions for you if you'll indulge.

TYLER WARREN: Yeah.

Q. First one, which one of your teammates is not getting the aux cord in the locker room?

TYLER WARREN: Not getting the aux cord? I'd probably say Olu. He's my roommate so I hear all his music tastes, so if he gets his personal music up on the aux, I'll probably going to have to leave the building.

Q. What's he typically playing?

TYLER WARREN: He watches like anime and stuff, so sometimes it's some anime music, then just other stuff that I don't really like his music as much. So yeah, I'd probably go Olu.

Q. Who has got the weirdest hobby or the most exotic hobby?

TYLER WARREN: Hmm. I don't know. I don't even know if I really know anybody with a weird hobby.

Q. No jugglers or anything like that?

TYLER WARREN: I mean, I can juggle a little bit. But yeah, I'm not sure.

Q. How many things can you juggle?

TYLER WARREN: Only three. Amateur level.

Q. How has the whole experience been?

TYLER WARREN: It's been good. Starting to get into game week now, so we'll be a little more focused up, but it was fun. It's been fun the first two days.

Q. Have you ever out here before?

TYLER WARREN: Furthest I've been west has been Denver.

Q. Where are you from originally?

TYLER WARREN: I'm from Virginia.

Q. A little colder.

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, it was like --

Q. Did you get home for the holidays?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I was home for like five days and then we left to come here. I think it was in the negatives in State College when we were leaving, so yeah, it's been nice. The weather has definitely been nice.

Q. What are you guys doing tonight?

TYLER WARREN: I think we're going to the wax museum tonight.

Q. Beef Bowl tomorrow?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah.

Q. Have you heard about that whole shindig?

TYLER WARREN: Not the Beef Bowl.

Q. Do you like prime rib?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah. I knew that part about it, but I didn't know if it was anything else.

Q. I guess back in the old days they had a competition between the two teams who could eat more and then they gave out a trophy, but now it's just more for the entertainment value.

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, it might be a little dangerous if you get some prime rib flowing.

Q. How is it having such a long break in between games? Obviously you guys are used to a bye week, but --

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, it'll definitely -- you think you want free time when you're in the season, and then when you have the free time, kind of like I don't really got anything to do; I wish I had something to do.

Yeah, it's been a little bit of adjusting, but back into game week now, so it feels a little bit more normal.

Q. Is rust a real thing? People always talk about sitting out before the playoffs like NFL, MLB, all that type of stuff. How much does that actually play in?

TYLER WARREN: Yeah, I mean, I think you usually get it out in practice I feel like. But I feel like if you're out a few days and you've got your first practice, you probably will be a little bit like dang, why did that happen. But then you get back in your groove. Like I said, I guess it depends on the person, and it's probably a mental thing, as well. If you think you're rusty then you'll probably be more rusty than if you're just there to play.