SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS

July 17, 2023

Javon Foster

Missouri Tigers

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We have Javon Foster here. He is ready for your questions.

Q. You are getting ready for the season. What's been the mindset of the team in the summertime as you've been getting together, having your players-only meetings and doing your workouts and kind of getting ready for what's going to be an exciting season coming up?

JAVON FOSTER: The mindset for our team is honestly Coach Drink has put it into us as STP, we got something to prove. That's our whole mindset honestly, because we know we've been so close last year.

Some of the games that we had we were so close, so I feel like us finishing will put us over the top, so that's something to prove.

Q. The offensive line has been growing each year under Coach Eliah Drinkwitz, and a lot of people think this is the best and most cohesive unit that Missouri has had since 2020-2019. How do you feel like you've kind of -- the camaraderie has been with your teammates and the unit as a whole?

JAVON FOSTER: I feel like he has changed it a lot. I feel like this year is the year, because we got a lot of returners, a lot of starters that's returning. So that just shows that we know that we have what it takes.

So us all coming back with the new guys that we brought in with open arms, I just feel like this environment is very nice. I love our team right now.

Q. You mentioned a couple of guys you brought in. Two big transfers that are expected to start are Cam'Ron Johnson on the interior of the offensive line and, then opposite of you at right tackle you have Marcellus Johnson. What have you seen from them so far since coming to Mizzou, and what should Tiger fans expect in the fall?

JAVON FOSTER: I've seen a lot. Those guys are smart and great football players. I've been trying to learn from them too because them playing in different conferences, they had different opponents, they might have learned things just from different coaches. Me, just having them come in, show me how great of players they are, you know, how hard workers they are, it just showed me a lot with them.

Q. Darius spoke about how you've been a great leader in the offseason. I'm curious what that approach has been like for you, and what have you been trying to get out of your teammates?

JAVON FOSTER: I just felt like the offensive line last year, we let the team down, so me just having to step up my role, you know, get on the guys a little bit more. Because we had so many penalties and stuff, so me just trying to take our offensive line to the next level is what I was trying to do.

Q. Apart from the offensive line, what do you feel like a big strength of this team is, maybe unit-wise, or what is a big strength of this team?

JAVON FOSTER: Our defense. We had a lot of returners on defense. We know last year they had a great year. I just felt like as an offense we kind of let them down.

With a lot of returners on the defensive side of the ball, I feel like that's a strong unit.

Q. Why is it offensive linemen have the best personalities and are the most interesting to talk to among the position groups?

JAVON FOSTER: I would say because, you know, we have five guys on the line, so we all know it's not just one of us. We have to depend on all of each other, so I feel like us just being unselfish, you know, and being very cool guys is pretty much what an offensive lineman is.

Q. I'm curious as far as stuff that you've observed in terms of plays that y'all have been running in the offseason, stuff that you've been working on. Obviously that outside zone, huge part of Eliah's scheme. Is that something Kirby has been bringing to the table a lot? Is that something you all are still working on, or it's more of that inside zone stuff he is running at present state?

JAVON FOSTER: It's a mixture. We're trying to do both. It's a mixture. We still like the outside zone, but Kirby has been bringing in the inside zone. It's a mixture of both.

We're just trying to make the offense as best as we can, so us just doing both, being good at both is going to help us out a lot.

Q. Missouri has been a .500 program since 2019. Is there a frustration there when it comes to maybe not being able to get to -- haven't gotten to the next level as of yet? And is that something that kind of drives you and your teammates to take that next step and what's that going to take?

JAVON FOSTER: Yeah, we all feel like we're so close. A lot of games are right at our fingertips, so I feel like us finishing and us knowing that we're right there, but also that we still have stuff to improve on is what helps us out a little bit.

Q. You talked about the cohesiveness of the offensive line and how this is going to be your best year. How important is how well the offensive line works together just to contribute to the overall success of the team?

JAVON FOSTER: The offensive line is the unit that has to be the best on the field, you feel? So our offensive line last year, we kind of let down the team, I feel, because we had a lot of penalties, a lot of false starts and stuff that kind of put us behind the change and what hurt our offense a lot.

So I feel like if your offensive line is doing good and playing good together, your offense is going to be nice.

Q. What are kind of your team goals and expectations at this point?

JAVON FOSTER: Our team goals is honestly just to win. We're going week by week, you know, just trying to figure out what we got to do to win and going out there and execute.

Q. So playing in the SEC now -- you've been in the SEC for several years. So you go up against a lot of elite defensive players. Is there one guy that you have gone up against -- who is the guy that you have gone up against in a game that you would say is the best player you've faced in college?

JAVON FOSTER: I feel like I faced a lot of great players, so it's not just one guy I can say, but I faced a lot of good players. Even in practice, like, going against our D-ends, going against our linebackers. We had Nick Bolton; going up against him, stuff like that.

To answer your question, I can't just say one player. I feel like in the SEC you play against a lot of great players.

Q. How important is it to be versatile, to be able to play two positions?

JAVON FOSTER: It's very important. Definitely in the offensive line you never know what can happen. You being versatile is good for the team, and it brings a lot of value to you.