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TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL: STANFORD v OKLAHOMA STATEDecember 29, 2011Justin BlackmonGLENDALE, ARIZONA Q. One of the defensive backs said they were running across and ran into you and they said you look bigger in person than what you thought. You usually hear the opposite? JUSTIN BLACKMON: Yeah, I was going to say normally it is viceversa: Man, I'm disappointed, you are a lot smaller than I thought you were. I guess I'm doing something right. Q. How cool is this? This is probably the biggest game of your career and the last, hitting all at the same time? That has to fire you up even more to have a great game. JUSTIN BLACKMON: I'm just enjoying it. Haven't really thought about it being my last. Like I said, we are going to go out there and have a good time and just play hard, see what happens. Q. Do you think you might think about it as you are running out and thinking "This is it"? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I will be thinking about one thing: playing football. Q. David Shaw at Stanford says your stamina strikes him that you can go eight, nine plays full speed, come back, no huddle, and keep on going. How did you develop that kind of stamina? Did you always have that? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I think it is strength conditioning. It is the coaches getting us prepared for the offense. I think we are fresh throughout the week. Coach Gundy doesn't make the schedule where we are hard running or running two‑, three‑hour practices, things like that. We kind of keep it short. We take care of business in a short amount of time. We use that high tempo in practice, and I think that conditions us for the game. Q. Most people think this is going to be a very high‑scoring game and a shootout. What do you think? Is that your expectation? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I'm just expecting or hoping for a win. I can't really tell you how it is going to be. The way we run it, it is going to be high tempo on our side of the ball. They are a little more slower on their side. So it will be interesting to see how it plays out to them. Q. Do you think the winner of this game should be ranked No. 2 in the country? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I think whatever happens after this game happens. I can't control anything that goes with that. Q. When you were growing up, was there a wide receiver that you modeled yourself after that you really admire? JUSTIN BLACKMON: Not any in particular. I try to model myself after a lot of them. I run a lot of different routes and the way they run. Q. Anybody in particular right now? JUSTIN BLACKMON: It used to be Darrell. He worked off the field. And Andre Dawson. Q. When I look at J.W., I see the same skill set, athleticism. Is that too simple or is that pretty close? JUSTIN BLACKMON: That's pretty close. I never thought of it that way. He is good with his legs. He is probably one of the best conditioned people on this team. He can run real well. I envision they will be using a little bit more of the running quarterback style than what we use with Weeden. Q. When you look over at the old man, what are your thoughts on final game playing with the guy that y'all accomplished so much together? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I haven't even thought about it. We are just enjoying this, having a good time and we go out and just play the game. I'm sure we will sit back afterwards and be like, wow, look back at what we have done. Right now we are just enjoying the time together and trying to get this game‑‑ or get this W in this game. Q. When you see the Stanford's defense, when you looked at them, what's the first thing that jumps out at you? What is the key to executing against this defense? JUSTIN BLACKMON: One, they are very physical. They are always in the right spot at the right time. They hustle real hard and get up field and come back and make a tackle chasing down the field. They are real physical and also they run a lot of man. That's one thing that stuck out to me, me being a receiver. I'm always looking at the coverages. They run some man. And that's something we really don't see too much of. Q. When you think about the transfer‑‑ maybe you haven't thought about it. When you think about the transformation of this class, you coming in, three years with Brandon, how important is it to end it with the highest note, to win the Fiesta Bowl, the biggest game of the season? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I think it is the icing on the cake. I think we had a great year. Win or lose this game, it is still going to be a great year. You can't look back and see it was a terrible year because we lost this game. But to go out and win this game would be big for Oklahoma State and Stillwater, Oklahoma. Q. Is this more a process‑‑ this is your reward for all the hard work you have done all year? JUSTIN BLACKMON: That's it. It is the icing on the cake, like I said. Q. As a junior you got the distinction of being the last guy introduced. And you said a week earlier you didn't know how you would respond. When the moment came, was it overwhelming? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I don't really know how I felt. It was a good time. It was good for the family to be out there with me and everything. It was just a good time. Q. 200 some‑odd catches over the last few years. Are there two or three that you consider your greatest hits that you could put in a time capsule? Whether they were highlight catches or important catches? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I wouldn't say there were two or three. I have enjoyed every bit of it, all of them, every catch. I know not everybody is blessed or is able to do the things that I have been able to do. So I just enjoy it and take it one step at a time. Q. (Question about being a playmaker). JUSTIN BLACKMON: I thought I was a good player. I can catch the ball. I knew over time that getting bigger, use that to my advantage, put on some weight and everything and try to up my game. So I knew that if I got the chance, the opportunity, I could do some things. Q. What do you weigh now? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I used to weigh 175. Now 210. Q. Could you imagine at 175 being 210 and sustaining speed? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I thought 175 was big for me. I never thought I would be this‑‑ I would have never thought I would have reached 200. It was shocking. Q. Can you envision yourself at 230? Or do you think 215 is about right? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I think it is about right. At some point last year I weighed about 223 and I dropped it and got back to my normal weight. Q. What was going through that like? You mentioned you didn't think yourself as too strong or too fast when you arrived. When you did add the weight and it became‑‑ it made you more explosive, what was that like going through that, sort of seeing a transformation, like, wow, I can get up field fast? JUSTIN BLACKMON: Being a little scrawny kid and coming out of the weight room and having a little definition coming in and the process, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the group that I worked out with. I enjoyed them pushing me. I just have a good time when I am out there working out and conditioning. Q. Did that help with your speed or at least your explosive speed? JUSTIN BLACKMON: It did. I got explosion off the ball and all that. I have gotten faster since I have been here. I have put on more weight. So I think the muscle is working to my advantage. Q. Is there any NFL player that you have patterned your game after? JUSTIN BLACKMON: Not so much any particular, but, I mean, I like to take things from different players and different things, just all around. We got tapes on hundreds of hundreds of receivers. I just like to pull and see how different people do different things against different coverages. Q. You play bigger than you are. Do you have an explanation for why that is? How is that? We heard that from Stanford's defensive coordinator: You look bigger on film than you actually are in person. JUSTIN BLACKMON: I don't know. I thought I looked big in person. Obviously I don't live up to expectations. I don't know. I just like to go out there and compete. I enjoy being out there on the field. Q. When you and Brandon were sitting in that press conference announcing you were coming back for another year, was it this game and this moment you had in the back of your mind as far as what you wanted to accomplish for this season? JUSTIN BLACKMON: It is what we have accomplished already. We said we were going to come back and win the big championship and play for BCS Bowl. The fact that we did it and we're here and playing in a BCS Bowl is that icing on the cake. Q. Is it meaningful to you‑‑ I think everybody would agree if there is a Mt.Rushmore for receivers, it is Dez and you. Have you thought about you? Certainly statistically, if there is a Mt.Rushmore for receivers, are you on that? JUSTIN BLACKMON: Being in the conversation with those guys and those of us at Oklahoma State, to be in those conversations, it goes to show how I have been in being mentioned with those guys. Q. Your low moment was the ankle. JUSTIN BLACKMON: I haven't had any low moments. Q. You weren't heartbroken when your ankle was swelled up twice its size? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I wasn't low. I was just ready to get back on my feet. I like to play. I wasn't going to let that ankle stop me from playing. I was happy to be out there, and I did what I could to the best of my ability. Q. When you and Brandon took the podium for your announcement last January to say you were coming back, do you look back on it now? Is this almost exactly what you pictured? JUSTIN BLACKMON: It pretty much is. This is the reason we came back to play in the BCS game and win the Big 12 championship. I think we accomplished a lot this year, and that's why we did come back. Q. There is no guarantees. When you made that decision, anything could have happened. You think, sometimes, that was a great decision but, boy, we were fortunate? JUSTIN BLACKMON: When we made the decision, we made it. I have no regrets about it. When it was made, that was the end of it for me. I never thought about it after that. Q. Can you compare years off the field as far as your friendships, your camaraderie? I have asked you this before and you haven't played with it too much. Was this maybe the most fun year for you as well just with your teammates and the relationships and everything as well? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I would say the last two years we have really just grown close as a group and became good friends with everybody. Everybody likes to hang out with each other on and off the field. It has been real good, the connections we made in these last few years. Q. You are going to a different place in the future, whenever that is. Do you expect to stay‑‑ are you one of those guys, yeah, I want to come back? We see guys come back in their off week from the NFL all the time. Charlie Johnson is one that always comes back. Do you see yourself‑‑ I always want to stay in touch with that program? JUSTIN BLACKMON: Oh, yeah, for sure. Oklahoma State has done a lot of things to help me get to where I am. I can't turn my back on that. I will definitely be coming back any chance I get. Q. You and Brandon average six touchdowns a game. Do you ever marvel on all the touchdowns you are making? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I didn't even know that's a stat we had. Q. 71 touchdowns last year, 70 this year. It is not just passing game. That's a ton of touchdowns. JUSTIN BLACKMON: That's a lot of touchdowns. I haven't really thought about it. I think we play every game and we go in and you play hard and to the best of our ability. We are not so much looking at the stats every game, he had 500 yards or 300 yards. We don't look at it. We put it in the past, good and bad, and go on to the next game. Q. I asked about J.W. Do you see Clint rising and claiming that job? JUSTIN BLACKMON: Clint has showed himself. He has thrown many touchdowns in the short time he has played. He is a great athlete. He is a runner himself too. I can see them both being good quarterbacks and being successful. Q. You are one of the best guys to ask. Is it really close? Would you want to step out on that ledge? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I think right now, I think Clint would have the front running. He is more comfortable in that situation. He has more poise. J.W. is still learning a lot and trying to get things together. When J.W. matures or learns the system, where he can get out there and react and not be thinking about things, he will be all right. Q. Is it the period between the Bowl and the start of August preseason? That's a lifetime in terms of film study. J.W. could be a completely different guy by then. JUSTIN BLACKMON: He could be. Q. You are a good guy to take advice from. Mike Gundy talks about this difference in you from that one year. You didn't redshirt‑‑ yeah, you did? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I was a redshirt. Q. Between your redshirt and your next year, your work ethic increased and all of a sudden you were ready to step up in the role. Do you remember that process and what was going through your mind to motivate you? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I just wanted to‑‑ like I said earlier, I just more bought into the system, instead of complaining about things I had to do, waking up and went up there with a smile and enjoyed it and made it as fun as possible. Just doing that and buying in and really listening in everything I am being coached about helped that. Q. Stanford's secondary, you watch tape, they run a lot of coverages. They seem to be very smart and sound in what they do. Their coaches have NFL pedigree. Is that fun for you to think, this is a lot like what a NFL secondary looks like with college players in it? JUSTIN BLACKMON: They do a lot of different things that we don't normally see. It is going to be fun to go out there. I think it is just going to be interesting to see how they played. Q. Do you know there is more media in the NFL? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I figured that. Q. Do you still own a drum kit? JUSTIN BLACKMON: Yeah, I got a drum set in my basement. Q. At your folks' place? JUSTIN BLACKMON: In Stillwater. Q. Do you have a full? JUSTIN BLACKMON: Full drum set. Q. What kind of music do you like to drum? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I haven't been out there since the season. Q. Are you good or really good? JUSTIN BLACKMON: I'm just an average. I like to beat on things, go down there and make noise. Q. Were you in the band? JUSTIN BLACKMON: Yeah, I did that my sophomore year and then they cut me off of that. Q. Who is "they"? JUSTIN BLACKMON: My coaches when they wanted me in for halftime. Q. Do you have a band you are going to join? JUSTIN BLACKMON: No. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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