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ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY VIZIO: STANFORD v WISCONSINDecember 29, 2012Stepfan TaylorPASADENA, CALIFORNIAS Q. Did this week go by pretty fast for you guys or is it kind of slow? STEPFAN TAYLOR: It's kind of slow. I don't know. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yes, I have. That was probably his freshman year. So last year, I want to say. Q. Is he good? STEPFAN TAYLOR: He's good. He's a good player. But I don't think he's better than me though (laughing). Q. Do you think that's where he first earned his respect with you guys playing basketball in high school? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, he gained some respect on the basketball court, knowing that he can ball a little better. It impressed me. He could go out there and dunk it, so that was even more of a respect. He's a baller. Q. Talk about Kulabafi. What is the story behind it? STEPFAN TAYLOR: It all started on the practice field. Anthony Wilkerson, we're just freestyling. You know, he was rhyming with me. And I came up with the Kulabafi line, and it came up. And looked at Anthony and started smiling. He's like, no, that's not going to work. I said you start calling me Kulabafi, and I wrote it on the tape. And I think the first person to call me actually Kula was Andrew, Andrew Luck. And it stuck from there. So right now it's just kind of blowing up, I guess you could say, like everything else. Just having fun with it. Q. Do you remember the actual lyric that rhymed with it? STEPFAN TAYLOR: It was something like you can't mess with me, because I'm Kulabafi or something like that. Q. I talked to some of your teammates and they're like it's the total opposite of who you are because you're pretty reserved. Is that true? It's like an alter ego? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, Kulabafi is definitely more outgoing, having a lot of fun. Stepfan is more calm and collected. Q. Talk about the videos? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Honestly, I really don't know. Probably only like three. They're just messing around. It's not like a structured video or anything. They're all improvs. Whatever comes to mind at the time comes out of my mouth. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I'm all right. I'm not the best. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, I mean, it's starting to catch on a lot. It was all fun at first. Then everybody started calling me the Kulabafi now. So it stuck with me now. Q. Was that at the start of the season in practice? STEPFAN TAYLOR: No, it was last season. Probably during spring ball or maybe like in the fall towards the end of the season. Q. When you look at Montee Ball and you've had a chance to watch him, what stands out? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I haven't really had a chance to watch him that much. But from what I've seen, he's a tough back, physical runner, and he can make a big play. He's a good running back. He won the Doak Walker. So he's a good back. He's tough, like I said. He can make good plays and make you miss in open field as well, especially we run similar offenses. So it's going to be a good game on January 1st. Q. How would you describe yourself? Similar? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I guess similar in some aspects. You know? It's the same type of running scheme. But I mean, I would describe myself as a tough runner. That's how I would describe myself. Q. (Indiscernible) does it seem like you're setting numbers? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, I can't really think of it that way though. I feel like when it comes to competition between me and Montee Ball, it's going to hurt my teammates and things like that. All my focus is on the defense. So, I mean, I owe my team that respect to give them all my focus and not try to have them do anything like that. Just to try to do better than the other running backs. They have to worry about our defense, and I have to worry about our defense. That's the way I look at the game. They're well coached. Flying around, swarming to the ball and physical. So we're going to have our hands full. They get off blocks well. They're aggressive and solid tacklers. Q. (Indiscernible). STEPFAN TAYLOR: They're a good team. The games that they lost, like I said, they're flying around the ball, they're well‑coached, that's the thing. Especially when they're all just motivated and put together, it's a tough defense. Q. (Indiscernible). STEPFAN TAYLOR: It should have sunk in by now. We need to be confident. And not looking at the Rose Bowl and getting distracted and lose focus of why we're here. But it's a great opportunity to be here. It's a goal that we set throughout the season. To be here as a senior, we've got to prepare for the W or it won't be right. Q. What's it mean to play for Stanford? STEPFAN TAYLOR: It's been big. Everybody bought into the goal. Having the type of season that we've had, coming off of two tough losses, it kind of shaped this team to be able to control our destiny to get here. It's a credit to our teammates for us sticking together. To get a win here and reach our goal, that would be big. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I don't know. I think we have mature people on this team that understand the situation, and good character and team first. So I mean we're all going to come out and practice and practice hard a hundred percent because we know what's at stake. To be able to lose focus for things like that or drop off, we can't have excuses like that. If anything, we should be better the more time we have to prepare. I feel like we have a great group of guys in the locker room. The coaches recruit the kind of guys in the locker room, and that shows on the field, being able to stick together, being mature about situations that we have. Q. (Indiscernible) was it just the pro style offense? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Um, honestly, I chose it because once I got accepted, it was like you can't go anywhere else. You've got the academics and BCS football. So I mean, the main thing that I looked at was my recruiting class. I saw it, and I saw some good players. Shayne Skov, Zach Ertz, Levine Toilolo, Jamal Patterson, and it was a nice list.  That got me excited to know that I could come and compete with these guys. Also Coach Harbaugh did a great job of recruiting. So, I mean, I felt like I couldn't go anywhere else after I came. It was my only official visit was here. I came here to California, and I fell in love with it. Q. What's the future hold for Kulabafi? STEPFAN TAYLOR: We'll see. He'll be around. Q. (Indiscernible) are you looking forward to the NFL Draft process? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, I mean, we had a quick hello, what's up when we first got here. But he seemed pretty cool. Q. Are you looking forward to be working with him after this game? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, he seemed like a good person. I wouldn't mind getting to know him. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, that was an honor, especially with a running back like that. I mean, if everybody's not doing their job, our offense is hard to run. So I mean, I've just got to hit that hole and go. The offensive line, fullbacks, quarterbacks, receivers, they're all doing their job and team first type players to make this offense work. Because, I mean, one person messes up, and that can really ruin a play. So I mean, to be able to get that record, it's an honor. But I try not to look at it throughout the season. Just play my game, control what I can control, and be a team‑first player. Q. Is there more pressure on you this season? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I don't really feel pressure, because that's what you want as a competitor. When it's your time, you've got to go out there and compete. So I didn't want to look at it as pressure at all. That's what you want when you come to college football. You want to be that guy and go out there and compete. So I mean, when you get that, you have to show what you're capable of. We have many players on this team that I feel have done that this year, on defense and offensively. So I mean, coming out here, you know, as a senior, we have a sense of urgency. This is the last time playing college football. So why not go out there and have fun. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, to have three returners coming back, they did a great job helping Khalil Wilkes, Kevin Danser, and also we have young guys coming in. I knew from spring ball it was going to be fun and exciting watching those big boys make some holes for me, and the other running backs as well. But like I said, we have great coaches as well and having the right people to go out and execute the plays. I'm lucky to have this offensive line, you know (laughing). Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I mean, I think the game is my resume. I'm going to go out here, have fun, you know and do what I've been trying to do all season. Just go out there, make big plays and help my team win games. Q. Talk about the offensive line. Three different years you've gone a thousand yards behind three very different offensive lines. It seems like each year they're able to reinvent themselves. What is the personality of this year's team? STEPFAN TAYLOR:  This personality for this team's line is a lot more goofy than last year's. I don't know. They're great guys, you know? Like I said, I wouldn't want to be running behind any other line. They're physical, tough, smart and athletic. That's the thing, athletic, big guys out there running around. Like I said, they're making holes for me. Everything starts with them. The whole offense starts with them. To be able to win games, they have to do their job, and we've won games. So that shows that they're doing their job. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: That's something that you never want to do. Like I said, you feel like you let all your teammates down. We always say all the teammates are on that football, all their faces are on that football.  So if you lose it, and you let all of them down. We practice that in practice ball security all the time. So for that to happen, you know, it's definitely a bad situation. It was a critical time, too. That's something that, you know, you never want to happen. You've got to hold the ball better. Hold the ball tighter, and be more secure with it. Q. Do you feel you and Montee Ball, this is a showcase for both of you guys? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Like I said, the film is your resume. I'm sure he's trying to go out too and have the best game of his life. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, it's big for myself, my teammates and the school. To be able to come here and play in the Rose Bowl was a goal we set early on in the season. So I mean, we've got to finish though. You don't want to just get here and be a participant in it, you know. But I mean, it's going to be big for the school. We haven't been here since '99. I'm not really sure. But to be able to control our destiny and be able to get here, that shows a credit to our teammates, my teammates. Like I said, the two lost season, we didn't know where we could go. We knew if we beat Notre Dame we'd be here, so that shows a lot of maturity and character for my team. To be here, it's an opportunity to show ‑‑ it's a chance to play another football game that we earned. With the seniors, to have everybody buy in and you know, it's going to be a collective unit to go out here and win this game. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, this is a bowl game. I didn't watch too much football growing up, but I always knew about the Rose Bowl. To be here at the granddaddy of them all, it's big time. Everyone in my family knows what this bowl game is. So I mean, it definitely has history. Q. What's Coach Shaw meant to you? STEPFAN TAYLOR: A lot. Coming out of high school, just a running back, ready to play. Right there, right when you get on campus, you're ready to go out there and play. But you learn there are a lot of other great players out here in college. So you have to be patient. Control what you can control, you know, and just go out and showcase what you can do when you have your opportunity and be consistent. That is the thing. You don't want to go out there and just make good plays and also mess up the next play, you know? You want to be consistent. Here at Stanford, they say you can play. They're going to put you on the field. Whoever is performing the best at their position, it doesn't matter what age you are. So early on, I tried to expand my game, pass protect, be able to catch the ball out of the back field and things like that, because we had Toby Gerhart, a great running back. I knew I was going to get a lot of carries with him right there. So just try to find a way on the field. But Coach Shaw, (Indiscernible), and the running back coach, Coach Sanford, have taught me a lot as far as reading defenses, being patient, things like that. Just doing the little things right. Q. Looking at another running back on the other side of the field (Indiscernible). What can you say about Montee Ball? STEPFAN TAYLOR: He's a good running back. When he won the Doak Walker Award for a reason. He's strong, physical, patient, and can make you miss and make those big plays. Q. Was there anything that jumped out immediately? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I didn't look at it that way. We have Wisconsin, because I'm not competing against Montee Ball. (Indiscernible) they're well coached, so I mean, it's a group that holds my respect. I need to pay attention to it and have all my concentration on it. Q. (Indiscernible) this Stanford team? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, they get off blocks well. They move well, and they all flow to the ball. You look at them, and they're hard to block. We've really got to be on point with these guys. Q. To finish the year with four wins against running teams. You have to feel this team is reaching the peak at the right time? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, they're playing well, especially in their championship game. They came out ready to play and they exploded. So we'll be ready for them. Q. What do you see from this Wisconsin defense? We talked to Chris Borland and those guys yesterday, they're ready to hit people. Ed Reynolds said I'm tired of all the hype, let's go play? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, a physical defense that's well coached. Like you said, we'll be ready to play. So we've got to be ready to play as well. Q. Lot of similarities between these two. It seems like a carbon copy of the way people like to play? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, two physical teams going head‑to‑head. Q. (Indiscernible). STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, that's what it is. Q. (Indiscernible). STEPFAN TAYLOR: The main thing I learned was being patient with everything, and controlling what I can control. Those are two things that have really sunk in since I've been here. Like I said, coming in from high school, you're just ready to play, and I mean, that's not going to happen all the time. You have to show the coaches that you're ready. Not just talk about it, but live the lifestyle. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: They're smart individuals that know football. So I mean, it's great to get to know the other side of things that I've never known. They've taught me a lot. They teach you the whole picture rather than run the ball. They teach you the offense, the routes, the blocking schemes, and also the defenses. I've been blessed to be in this situation to have this opportunity to have both of those guys in the meeting rooms with me. It's great. We've got to come out here ask play for them. And get this W for ourselves and the coaches. They've come in, put a lot of hard work in preparing for this game, now we have to execute. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I mean, you can't have rust and rhythm as the excuse in these types of games. Coaches and leaders on this team going full speed. You don't want to come out here and have the rust and rhythm off. So we can't use that type of excuse. That is the thing. This week of preparation last week and this week, I mean, you've seen it in the teammates' eyes. They're ready. They understand what's at stake here. I don't think we have to worry about the rust and rhythm. Q. Looking down you have a pretty impressive resume. What's allowed that to happen? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, I mean, there were close games, a lot of them. I think the thing was we stuck together as a team, and stuck to the script. Understood that it was a process and not looking at the outcome ahead of time. We just focused on that one play at a time. If everybody does what they need to do one play at a time, the play's going to work. So I mean, we have to focus on the process and just trust in the game plan, not overthink things, you know? Don't go out there and try to do things that you've never done before and hurt the team. But making big plays is something you want to do. That is the thing. But understanding that the process was the main thing that I felt that helped this team out this season. Q. Can you talk about Montee Ball? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, he's a good running back, strong, physical, patient, can make you miss. That's a good quality to have in a running back especially with the type of offense that he runs. So defense will have their hands full, but they should be ready. Q. You were talking about you guys coming together, and several players talked about your role after that team meeting helped. What can you tell me about that? How did that go down? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, I mean, after that, we understood that the season wasn't over. That was the main thing. We didn't want everybody to put their head down. Oh, the season's over, you know. We understood what was at stake. We understood that we still have a chance to win the Pac‑12 North and the Pac‑12 Championship, then we'll be at the Rose Bowl. So everybody had to buy into that, actually, and they did. We're here now. So that shows a lot about the teammates. Understanding the situation and just pretty much being team first players. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Last night was hilarious at the Improv Comedy. Everybody was in there cracking up. I was in tears laughing at those comedians. Anthony Wilkes went up on stage, and he performed. This is how we do it. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I really haven't watched them. I've seen it on TV the couple of games. But he broke off a nice run in the Nebraska championship game for the touchdown. That was a nice run. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Like I said, I haven't sat down and watched them like that. But like I said, he's a tough runner. I know I'm a tough runner, so that's a similarity right there. Q. Like Wisconsin does? STEPFAN TAYLOR: It can be an advantage or disadvantage. We need to focus on us and what we need to do to limit our mistakes. They definitely know how to play against power. We definitely know how to play against power. So it should be a fun game on January 1st. They're well coached. They're playing for each other. They're all swarming to the ball, getting off blocks, and that's the thing, especially the linebackers. They have a great group of linebackers that are physical and tough. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, that's the way it's going to be. We've got to go out there and out‑physical them. I know they're being coached the same way. Because we know they're going to, do and we know what we're going to do. So it's going to be who can do it the best on January 1st. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, that's a lot of pressure. So last year he made a lot of big kicks and put us in that game. So I mean you couldn't say anything about that. It's football. He made a big case this season. Especially the big one against Oregon that everybody knows. I mean, playing kicker is a tough thing. You know, all eyes are on you. Either everybody's going to love you or everybody's going to hate you. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, so I mean, that shows. It's cold blooded. Just you and that field goal post. You have to get it between. But his maturity to change and not let that get to him. You don't want to let one missed kick affect your whole career, you know? So for him to go out there and get better and show he's ready and to overcome that was big. Q. Is there a certain amount of I'm over that? He's wandering here at the Fiesta Bowl cap? STEPFAN TAYLOR: He's a new guy. We try not to talk about that. That was last year. Q. He didn't shy away from it. He was wearing the Fiesta Bowl cap around? STEPFAN TAYLOR: Yeah, he didn't shy away from it, and we knew that. That's the type of guy he is. He's going to go out there and get better, and he did. Q. Did you bring your alter ego with you? STEPFAN TAYLOR: He's in the hotel sleeping right now. Thank you. Q. Are there any similarities between the way Andrew and Kevin played last year? STEPFAN TAYLOR: In the huddle, they're just competitive and confident. That was the thing I first noticed when Hogan first stepped in. It was like he had already been in there the whole season. He was just calm, collected, and just a baller. Just ready to play and ready to make plays. That was the thing that I guess you could say got a lot of people buying in with him. Just getting him motivated on the field and ready to play. Let him know that it's his huddle. Even though you have two captains in the huddle, this is your huddle. You control it. Take us to the promised land. So I mean, like I said, similarities, even though he was confident, both of them were confident. With your arms and your legs, those are the similarities. Q. (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: He said smash mouth football? Yeah, especially since everybody knows we're going to run. It's two physical teams going head‑to‑head. The winner of this game is going to definitely have bragging rights. To win this game, you're going to have to be really physical. I feel like both teams are ready for this.  So I'm excited for January 1st. Q. Do you pay attention to the other running backs and watch when they play? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I've seen them throughout the year a little bit. I can't say that I've sat down and looked at film on them. But I mean, they're explosive. They're patient, which you need to be in power offense. They can make you miss for the long, big plays. So I mean, they're great running backs. Q. You played here about a month or so ago (Indiscernible)? STEPFAN TAYLOR: I've never really thought about that. But I mean, yeah. It's another game. We're coming out here and playing. We actually played a month ago to be honest. I haven't really thought about it in that way. Q. You're playing a team that comes here with five losses under their belt. STEPFAN TAYLOR: The games that they lost are close games that could have gone either way. You try not to look at the records. You go watch the film and understand the game. After watching film, they're a great defense. We're going to have our hands full. So in order to get what we want, we're going to have to go out there and take it from them, because they're definitely not going to give it to us in any way. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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