|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
VIZIO BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: AUBURN v FLORIDA STATEJanuary 3, 2014Devonta FreemanNick O'LearyBryan StorkPASADENA, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome Devonta Freeman, Nick O'Leary and Bryan Stork. Q. This is for all three, and we can go from your right to your left. We covered Jameis in high school, and we know his personality and the way he loves to talk. Do you guys ever have to say, hey, man, calm down just a second here? DEVONTA FREEMAN: I mean, I think that's him. Everything he do that's him, we don't really mess with him too much. That's him, that's his comfort level with the game and stuff, and we just let him play. BRYAN STORK: Yeah, he loves to talk, but I think he loves to play football more, and that's what he's more about. He just likes to have fun with it. Q. Nick, what is it like growing up as the grandson of Jack Nicklaus? NICK O'LEARY: I mean, it's just like anybody else. I mean, just he played golf for a living, and I mean, it's just like anybody else's granddad. Q. What kind of advice has he given you, him being a professional athlete? NICK O'LEARY: I mean, he really doesn't try and get into it like that with me. He knows I'm going to do what I've got to do. Any time we're together he doesn't like to talk about his life or he doesn't like to talk about how I'm doing in football, he just wants me to do what I have to do. Q. Bryan, can you talk about Auburn's defensive front and what you've seen from them and challenges they present? BRYAN STORK: I think they're a great front. They're well coached. They do what they're supposed to do. They're where they're supposed to be. I definitely think it's the best defense we're going to play, and their front is very talented, and there's many of them. Q. For any of you, talk about the confidence of the offense? You guys scored bunches of points all year long, I think 37 was the least amount. When you take the field, just talk about the confidence that you have. BRYAN STORK: It didn't just happen. Confidence comes with preparation. There's a reason why we did that. Coach Fisher has prepared us tremendously, more than ever, and that's the reason why. DEVONTA FREEMAN: I think the main role is to be consistent, be consistent and play for 60 minutes, the whole game. I think the coaches put us in great situations and prepare us very well and get us going, and I think that's the main reason why we're like that. Q. Bryan, how did you come to your decision about staying in school? BRYAN STORK: Well, I mean, football isn't forever, and a degree is. That's very important to me and my family. One day I'm going to have to shave off this beard and get a real job. You need that piece of paper because the world is a tough place now. It's even harder than ever to get a job, as I'm sure y'all know. That is very important to me. Q. How has Coach Sanders really helped the development of this offense since coming in? DEVONTA FREEMAN: I think he's just taking it from the head coach because coach Jimbo calls the play. Sometimes it takes two, and I think he does a tremendous job helping Coach Jimbo call a different play and helping him prepare for the game because he knows the offense just as much as Coach Jimbo and getting us ready, and I think that plays a big part. NICK O'LEARY: I think he makes like good calls down in the red zone, and I mean, if Jimbo makes a call, he'll say I like that or he doesn't like that, and he'll give him plays that he likes to call down at that time. BRYAN STORK: I think Coach Sanders is the man. I'm very glad he came here. He keeps Jimbo calm at times when Jimbo gets all tense. Because Jimbo is a very intelligent guy, got a lot of things going on in his head, and Randy kind of keeps him calmed down. He can think like Jimbo does in a football sense, and he sees a lot of things that Jimbo might not see. It's a very‑‑ it works together well with those two. Q. Bryan, a few years ago the offensive line was not in great shape. It was considered more of a weaker point. There was a lot of younger guys. How has the line transformed over the last few years and what's been the key to that happening? BRYAN STORK: Well, we're still the same guys. Nothing has really changed. We just kept getting better and better in the weight room and gaining a better intelligence of football and being able to anticipate certain things, certain looks. I remember hearing all that stuff. We've still got the same coach. We're still the same guys. It seems like when things go wrong, everybody blames the offensive line. When things go good, it's because of the quarterback. I mean, it is what it is, but we came a long way, definitely. Q. This is for Bryan and the other players feel free to chime in. Not that you would overlook Auburn, but given what's happened in some of the other bowl games, Baylor getting upset, huge favorite against UCF, last night's game, OU over 'Bama, is that a good reminder of what can happen in a game against a team that's a so‑called underdog? BRYAN STORK: Yeah, I would say it's definitely easier being the underdog because you're not expected to do anything. I think we are favored, but anybody can win on any given day. It all comes down to how much you prepare and how in good shape you are. Q. Really haven't had much to worry about in the fourth quarter except for the BC game. What sort of scenarios have your coaches created for you in practice to put you in those high‑pressure situations so you're prepared in the event that happens on Monday? BRYAN STORK: I'd say in practice the coaches are the pressure. They put the pressure on you every single play, to constantly be perfect. I mean, we just got to go do what we do and not worry about all the other stuff. We've just got to just focus on us. In whatever situation we're in, we'll prosper. Q. This question is for Bryan. You've been here the longest, and everybody mentions how much this team has grown since you've been here. How much has Coach Fisher grown as a coach and a person since you've been here? BRYAN STORK: We've all grown together. We've had a lot of growing pains, too. But I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I'm glad he's on our side, and I'm sure he's glad we're on his side, and we wouldn't trade each other for anybody. Q. A moment ago you guys all answered a question about your coach, and you referred to him as Jimbo, not Coach Fisher. Is there a reason that you call him Jimbo? Is it your relationship with him? And how is he a players' coach and has that comfort with you guys? BRYAN STORK: I'd have to say Jimbo rolls off the tongue easier. We don't call him Jimbo to his face. We just say Coach. But he knows it. Heck, I even think his kids call him Jimbo. I don't know. It is what it is, and we're still respectful to him. We're not on a first‑name basis with him if that's what you're asking. Q. Question for Bryan and Nick: Your relationship is like what with Jameis? BRYAN STORK: It's very‑‑ most people wouldn't think we're all good friends because we're all from different backgrounds, but it's very tight. He's just as goofy as the next guy. He's definitely taught us to kind of‑‑ because we're more business like ‑‑ but he's taught us to kind of loosen up a little bit and just have fun with it, and that's what I've taken from him this season. NICK O'LEARY: He just answered it. Q. This question is for Devonta and Bryan: Everyone is talking about Auburn, their running game, but you have a chance, Devonta, to be a 1,000‑yard rusher, something FSU hasn't done in a long time. Could you guys get the veteran offensive line to take over and make the running game be a story? DEVONTA FREEMAN: I think we could, but 1,000 yards for me is just an individual goal, and a championship for us is a team goal. I put that aside for the team goal. I just want to win. It's something that hasn't been done in a long time, but if I don't get 1,000 yards and we win the National Championship, that would be a bigger achievement for me. BRYAN STORK: Like I said earlier over there, he couldn't do it without us and we couldn't do it without him. We're not worried about records, and we're just worried about the Ws, and that's what it is. At the end of the day, it's about winning. Q. Nick, what's the season been like compared to last year and the year before? What are the biggest differences? NICK O'LEARY: I mean, I've gotten a lot more balls, and in my blocking game I've improved a lot, got a lot stronger over the off‑season. When I get more balls in a game, it gets me more involved in it and just makes me play a lot better. Q. Auburn's defense, at last statistically, is not ranked that high, especially against the pass. On film what have you seen in terms of what they do back there and how strong they are? DEVONTA FREEMAN: I think they do a lot of great things, again, with a lot of guys confused, offensive linemen, by getting guys to mess up on their points and stuff and getting free hitters in the box. I think they're great tacklers, and I think they're a great, solid defense. BRYAN STORK: I think they're pretty good. Yeah, the stats say they're very average, but I beg to differ. I've seen the film. Yeah, they give up some here and there, but like I said, anybody can beat anybody on any given day. They're not to be taken lightly. Q. Devonta, what are the considerations for you to think about going to the next level? What do you have to decide? DEVONTA FREEMAN: I really haven't been focusing on that. I've just been focusing on the championship game. That's something I'll meet with Coach Jimbo with. I trust him and I know he'll help me make the right decision, and talking to my brothers and stuff, just to see how things go, but I really haven't been focusing in on that. Q. Nick, your relationship with Jameis is what? NICK O'LEARY: I mean, we hang out off the field, also. He comes over a lot to the house. We always just have like a fun relationship, like it's not always serious talking about football and everything. That's what I like. Once I'm out of the stadium, I don't like to talk about football, I like to talk about anything else. Q. Obviously the SEC has kind of dominated in BCS Championships. Would you all like to break that streak, and what are your thoughts on trying to be the team from another conference that takes the title? BRYAN STORK: I'm not worried about no streak and all that, getting caught up. That stuff is for the fans and the media and all that. We're just worried about our game. SEC is SEC. There's conferences everywhere. But you can't get caught up in that stuff. You've just got to worry about playing the game. Q. This question is for Bryan and Nick. Are the beards just for the final? Will they be there after the game regardless? Or is it a team effort on the beards? NICK O'LEARY: Mine is getting caught off on the 7th. BRYAN STORK: I look like a 12‑year‑old kid when I shave mine, so I'm going to keep it. But they just kind of happened. The trick is‑‑ you know what the trick is, right, to growing a beard? Don't shave it. Yeah, I mean, the beard is a beard. It's just consistency. You've got to have discipline to do this. You know what I mean? It is what it is. THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|