ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 24, 2024

Drew Kendall

Boston College Eagles

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Drew, how good is Donovan?

DREW KENDALL: I mean, I appreciate that, by the way. Everything he said I can say the same about him. He's a pain to block every day. He's always in the backfield saying something to us. But he's pushing us to get better. I mean, there's no doubt he's going to hear his name called after this season.

He pushes us every day. We all get better from him.

Q. Your dad played at BC. Talk about how it was growing up? Did you always want to go to Boston College? How excited are you to lead the offensive line?

DREW KENDALL: Yeah, definitely, I was really excited about BC football growing up. I grew up going to games. It was really special when I first got that offer, visualizing wearing that 66 at Boston College with 'Kendall' on the back, it's really special. I enjoy it every day. It's special for me and my dad.

It's been a great experience.

Just leading the offensive line this year, yeah, I mean, we've got a lot of experienced guys in the room. We all do it. Me, Ozzy Trapilo, Logan Taylor. They're all incredible players. We're expecting a big season out of all of us, not to mention Jude Bowry, Jack Conley, Kevin Cline, Dwayne Allick, all those guys are coming up and they're going to have a great season. I'm excited about that.

Q. Your dad played football at BC. He was also drafted first round by the Seahawks. How has he impacted the way you play ball?

DREW KENDALL: He's coached me ever since I put on pads. He didn't let me play until fourth grade, which was earlier than he would have liked, to be honest. I started playing in fourth grade. That's when he was retired so that he could coach me.

He coached me from fourth grade up until my senior year of high school. I've been truly lucky to have him as a coach. He's incredibly experienced, knows everything about football, especially offensive line play. Just being able to pick his brain back then and especially now when I go home, all we talk about is football. That's great. That's all I want to talk about.

He's been huge in my development.

Q. Doug Marrone is in the building. Have you taken ample time to pick his brain about what you're doing and what you're trying to do at the next level?

DREW KENDALL: Yeah. I've worked with Coach Marrone a lot now. Offensive line gets together, works with him a couple times a week over the summer. So we really enjoy doing that.

He also coached my dad when he was with the Jets. We've bonded over that. Watched some of my dad always old tape, which was fun to watch.

Yeah, I mean, he was a former head coach in the NFL, former head coach in college football. Was the Saints offensive line coach. He's taught me a lot about some of the great centers he coached, like Erik McCoy most recently, and how I can implement some of that into my game.

Q. How important is it that you know who your starter is going into this off-season? Talk about your relationship with Thomas.

DREW KENDALL: It just helps build that continuity between center and quarterback. It's really important, run game, pass game, make sure we're on the same page, seeing things the same way.

But yeah, it's difficult when you don't know. Like when we were going into last season, it was a bit of challenge. It took time to get adjusted to as the season went on, which you'd rather have that during camp or even spring ball.

But no, I mean, this camp is going to be really important for us to keep building that up. It's nice that we have a season under our belt, we kind of know how we play the game.

Q. No one talks about the center until something goes wrong. How do you feel about that?

DREW KENDALL: It's part of the job at this point (smiling). I'm used to it.

I don't know. It comes with the position.

Q. We know how beautiful and loyal the Boston College community is. Spend some time talking about the community and how you've seen the community grow closer to this team.

DREW KENDALL: That's a good question.

Just from a team standpoint, we do a lot of, like, trying to get in the community and make those relationships at the school. So just trying to engage with the student body has been big for us. Just really bonding with them to get them to know who we are, like our personality. Outside of football, with our helmets off, shoulder pads off, who we are as humans in the classroom, stuff like that.

I think that's what Coach O'Brien preaches, going to class, talking, actually participating. Through that you're able to build that, like, community with everyone else at the school.