CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL: IOWA VS TENNESSEE

December 30, 2023

Jaziun Patterson

Camping World Stadium

Iowa Hawkeyes

Press Conference

Q. Did you see any kids and think, that was me ten years ago?

JAZIUN PATTERSON: Honestly, I said earlier when we first came, going in the go carts -- I asked one of the kids how old he was, he told me 11. It seemed like just yesterday but -- like he’s crazy. I could see hanging around someone at that age, like I was at that age. It is crazy.

Q. What's your best advice for kids?

JAZIUN PATTERSON: Like I said, I will tell one of the kids just like work hard at whatever you do in life. Never give up and you can accomplish anything you want to accomplish. I think that is my best advice.

Q. How do you look at this season? You were injured. You had a great game against Iowa State and then --

JAZIUN PATTERSON: Yeah, foot sprain. Like I said, it is ups and downs of the season. But what you do a consistent amount of time -- even though I got like -- I always kept my head right and I took care of everything else outside of the building. When I got back, I just try to give it my all and help my team.

Q. What was it like to go through this season? A lot of ups and downs but you guys were able to win the division, win ten games and fight through a lot.

JAZIUN PATTERSON: It has been great, knowing all the hard work we put in all season and like we were able to bounce back every time and like overcome adversity, always come up with a plan. It feel great but it goes to show like details, the preparation we do leading up to the game paying off on the field.

Q. What's your off-season routine? Do you want to bulk up?

JAZIUN PATTERSON: I actually do want to bulk up some more. Work on my speed and balance more. Like contact balance, and I want to like put on a little more muscle because I feel like I am kind of skinny, but others probably do not see that. To me personally, I feel like I am a little too skinny, so that would be like the focus of the off-season.

Q. Looking at you three, you each have had really big games, when one is out, the other stepped up. How do you feel like you three work together?

JAZIUN PATTERSON: I think we just go together. I think we complement each other very well. We can just go in, one player get like two plays, two plays. Like we can drive the ball down the field. When we have blocking up front, I feel like we complement each other well.

Q. You've had good running days and you've had bad running days, but when you have the good ones, what went right?

JAZIUN PATTERSON: I really do not like – it is just something that clicks. Like one person has a good run, it is like, all right, try to see who gets a better run. It is like we are working together, but it is like on the field, during game days, we compete with each other to like see like people have better fast or whatever. It's all, like, brotherly, like competition. It is like one person just wants to outdo the others. I think that complements us when we play in a game. I do not think we realize it until like after the game for real. I mean, once one clicked, then we all click.

Q. I always wondered, what's it like having dreds under your helmet? How challenging is it to make sure they are in the right spot?

JAZIUN PATTERSON: It is kind of like a hassle, because I can chill. I do not have to get my hair done. Sometimes when I do not put on a cap, it is like the gel sweat into my helmet and it is nasty. It is hard sometimes but not really. When I have a cap on my head, depends on what kind of cap I have on, so the helmet squeeze my head.

Q. When is the last time you cut your hair?

JAZIUN PATTERSON: Cut it, probably six or seven months ago. If it get too long, I do not like it, I just cut it.

Q. What about before that? It has to take a long time.

JAZIUN PATTERSON: I mean, probably like last year in the summer I cut it, and like six months ago, I cut it again. It was actually longer than this, because it is double twisted.