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SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: MISSOURI v AUBURNDecember 2, 2013LaDamian WashingtonATLANTA, GEORGIA THE MODERATOR: We'll now be joined by Missouri wide receiver, LaDamian Washington. Just talk about your team as you prepare for Auburn in the SEC Championship? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: Yeah, I couldn't be more proud of these guys. We came in, the seniors and captains came in with a vision and that was to have an 11‑plus win season. The younger guys bought in, and whenever you get that and you get a locker room full of guys that believe in each other, you basically have something special. Q. Can you just talk about having James Franklin back in this situation and everything that he's been through and how much does it mean to you guys to have him as your starter now? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: It just means a lot. Having James back there at quarterback, I think it adds a little more confidence to our offense and defense as a whole. I think it basically does something to our team. We know how relentless he is. We know the fighter he is. It's not taking anything away from Maty Mauk. Maty Mauk came in and did tremendous things as our quarterback. But just having James there, and we know the struggle that he went through last year and just to see him back. He's undefeated this season, and just to have him, I think it does a lot for my confidence personally. I know it does a lot for our team. Q. Obviously, you want to pump up your back‑ups when they go in. But how tough was it to see him be on the sidelines last year, and he's in for a month this season? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: It's tough because that's my brother.  You always feel for your brother whenever they're going through a trying time in their lives. I told people last year, I said James wasn't healthy. He's going to come back this year and be stronger than ever. He's going to lead this team, and right now we wouldn't have gotten this far without James. He's definitely our hero, our team leader right now. We're just going to follow him and continue to follow his lead. Q. Just kind of wondering when these two teams have shown so much improvement throughout this year, when did it kind of click for you guys I know you opened on the road and league play in Vandy and got the win in Georgia, but when did you sense this could be a special year for you guys? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: Honestly, I think for me personally back after winter break. After we didn't go to a bowl game last year. I came back and a lot of the guys were back early from winter break. I saw a lot of the guys from the weight room in the indoor, putting in extra work, and saying how excited they were to get back on the field next year. As far as the season goes I think when the team really knew we had something special, we really, really knew was probably after the Georgia game. Georgia was ranked number six, and they go into Athens and basically getting a win there, which most teams don't go into Athens and come away with a win. We knew we had something special. We knew we had a great group. We knew we had to capitalize on the opportunity that we had at hand. Right now I couldn't be more proud of the guys in our locker room. Q. Of course that Georgia game was one of many this year that you all have such a size advantage at receiver, and three guys that are that size. How has that been this year, and how much fun is that using that to your advantage each week? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: Well, the thing is we had the exact same receivers last year. We were doubted a little bit, but whenever you have a quarterback and a hefty offensive line, you can do tremendous things. James and Maty did a great job. Our offensive line are definitely the MVP of the season. They've done a great job. They've been healthy. Whenever we have the time to get open on routes, I think we have play makers and receivers. James Franklin is doing a great job getting guys the ball. The love is spread equally and we have a great group of running backs. Q. I was wondering, just how difficult is it to kind of come down off the Texas A&M win and everything emotionally that was involved in that and then have to get ready for another big game here this week? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: I think the biggest test was after the emotional coming out, getting introduced as a senior and getting that game started. I think the win was definitely an emotional win. We went into that game expecting to win because that's the confidence of this team. Texas A&M is a great team, but I think the hardest part was getting over and getting introduced as a senior, seeing your family, shedding a few tears and getting ready to play that game. That was the biggest home game in recent memory at Mizzou. I think we're going to do a great job bouncing back from that win last week. We do a great job. We did a great job versus SouthCarolina after a loss. The thing about this team after a win or loss, we pretty much focus on the next week at hand, right now we're just focusing on Auburn. Q. You and Auburn came into the season similar, coming off a bad year last year and ranked low in the SEC. Do you see parallels between you guys and Auburn? How do you view that? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: Yeah, I think the proof is there. Last year wasn't their best year; it wasn't our best year. They're a motivated team. The guys in that locker room, I would assume were the only guys that believed in them before the season started. Whenever you have something like this, something special happens. You saw it against Alabama and at the Georgia game. The team has a special mojo going for them right now. We have the same thing going right now. We're a team that definitely believes and has a lot of confidence going for us right now. It's going to be a great SEC Championship game. Q. Obviously you guys made the adjustment this year to the SEC last year. What are two things that you guys adjusted to in terms of playing in the SEC that's enabled you guys to have this kind of year? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: I would just say our mentality and our mindset. I think that's probably about it. I think we came in as seniors, we established our goals. We said a National Championship, let's aim high and get an SEC Championship. The guys in the locker room believed in that once the leaders did, and that kind of trickled down. I think whenever you have great leaders on your team, you can pretty much get anything done. So I don't think that we just made any kind of physical adjustments or anything, adjusting to the SEC. I think it was all our mentality this year. Q. Then, obviously, I've watched maybe two or three of your games this year. You can call it confidence, swag, whatever you want to call it, but you guys have that from Michael Sam and on and on. Where's that coming from? Where is that part of your guys' game coming from? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: I think the part of our game, that's coming from like we've got a bunch of guys on our team who weren't highly recruited. Probably only offer was to Missouri, a lot of guys that have been doubted throughout the years. I mean, they just self‑motivated. Whenever you have a lot of self‑motivated guys that want to get something done and feel they've been doubted their whole lives, especially coming from our senior class of '09, this is our last go. We wanted to go out and make history and go out with a bang. I think that confidence and swagger pretty much trickled down the whole team, and right now we have that going for ourselves. Q. Wanted to know what your thoughts were on Henry Josey and his comeback and how much his presence this year has really helped you guys. LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: He's a relentless guy, just to see him back two seasons ago, he was one of the best running backs in the Big 12. We missed him a lot last year, just to see his rehab and the process had he to go through to come back. He had three or four knee surgeries. Just to see his relentless effort to get back and start the season off this year, just to see him closing down on 1,000 yards this season, and just to see him ice the game against Texas A&M with that last run, I couldn't be more proud of any other individual other this team. He's just a great guy and a great teammate. Q. You mentioned earlier about Auburn's magic and you guys sort of being in the same spot. Where were you when they ended that game, have you ever seen anything like that on the football field? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: I've never seen anything like it. I saw the Georgia game. I didn't he get to see the Alabama game, but the Georgia game I was at home in my living room because it was our bye week. And I'm watching the game. Okay, the game is over. Harvey‑Clemons is going to make the interception. When I see that, I paused for five seconds. I couldn't believe it. It just goes to show the magic that the Auburn team has going for them right now. Q. With that in mind, Auburn has had three pretty remarkable finishes this year, and you all had the unfortunate finish against SouthCarolina. I'm curious, do you believe in luck? LaDAMIAN WASHINGTON: I'm not a firm believer in luck. I feel like anything that you work for you can achieve. Whenever you have guys that believe, I don't know, there just seems to be something special that comes from it. I'm not a big believer in luck at all. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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