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VIZIO BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: AUBURN v FLORIDA STATEJanuary 4, 2014Dee FordPASADENA, CALIFORNIA Q. Are you getting tired of us yet? DEE FORD: No, man, not at all. Q. Is it a lot different than you remember the last time when you guys were in Arizona? DEE FORD: Yeah, it's a lot different. Are you talking about as far as the scenery? Q. Yeah. DEE FORD: Cali is a beautiful place, I want to live here one day. Q. Just what you remember the experience, the buildup to the game being the last time and this time. DEE FORD: Yeah, it's kind of about the same as far as the events. But as far as the scenery, it's beautiful. Arizona is beautiful, too. I want to live here one day. Very exotic. A lot different from Auburn, anyway. Q. Were you a lot more wide‑eyed the last time though? DEE FORD: I'm laid back. My personality is laid back. So I stay laid back, you know. I'm just enjoying everything. I was kind of wowed to see it, but I never get too excited. Q. Would you say you're the barometer this team runs on as far as staying laid back and staying even‑keeled? Do they draw off of you? DEE FORD: You know, there's probably a few other guys like me, Nosa is the same way. I think Chris is the same way. I think we all ‑‑ once you hang around each other so long, you start to become like each other. I think we're all pretty much laid back, just enjoy the scenery. Q. Do you ever expect Cody to jump back into wide receiver (inaudible)? DEE FORD: I asked him to, but I think he wishes he could. It would be great to have him. Q. He was the poster child, because he was on "Sports Illustrated." What kind of affect did that have? DEE FORD: It's great to know a guy that we've been through ‑‑ been through this time of scenery with, and he knows the type of focus we need. He been through it. At the time I wasn't a starter, he was a starter at the time. So he was able to reiterate those times when he was here and kind of give us a little knowledge of things that he did to help him. And also just have a good time. It's a blessing to have him with us. Q. Did you keep mementos from the last time like the "Sports Illustrated"? Did you go out and buy a bunch of copies or did he? DEE FORD: No, I didn't do that. Q. Do you know if he went out and bought a bunch of "Sports Illustrated"? DEE FORD: I never asked him. I'm pretty sure he did. Q. The experience you had in 2010, does that help you guys in getting ready for this? DEE FORD: Yeah, because the thing was is there was so much time before the game and it's so much hype, and people telling you how great you are. But you know in‑house the things you need to work on. And with all the fun going on right about now, it's very pivotal that you really focus on your game plan. And it's kind of hard, you know. But being that I've been through it before, it is kind of easy for me to relay the message to the other guys. Q. Is this fun for you? DEE FORD: Yeah, I love the talk. I love the interviews. I wouldn't say I love the cameras. But I love the talk. It's fun for me? Q. A future in TV maybe after your playing days? DEE FORD: I would like to say that, you know. Q. There's a lot of cameras involved there too. DEE FORD: Yeah, I know. Q. You better get used the camera. DEE FORD: Yeah, I've got to get used to the cameras. Q. You said you were more into giving this Christmas. Davis's birthday is Monday. DEE FORD: I know, I heard, you know. He said he was going to celebrate. So it should be fun. Q. I see that look on your face. DEE FORD: No, I have a birthday wish for him. Great to be alive, you know. Q. Does a couple of sacks count as a birthday gift? DEE FORD: Yeah, that's my two birthday gifts for him. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: He's been like that all year. It's more of initiative to really stay on him. I think that's what they're doing right about now. So much is going on with the defense it's hard for me to really know what's going on. But I see it. But that's been going on all year. We're not doing anything different right now, if anything, we're just working harder. Q. Any specific moment where in the season where you realized this was a different team than last year? DEE FORD: I'm pretty sure you've heard before, we said LSU, that second half. We shot ourselves in the foot early in the first half. I think we gave him a 21‑point edge. But we came into that locker room with a different vibe than I expected. And we said we were going to fight and we knew what we had done, and we knew we couldn't do that in that hostile environment. And we playing with a lot of young guys, believe it or not. And we all said that we're going to go out and we're going to play a total different half. We're not going to look at the scoreboard. If you're looking at the scoreboard, you don't need to get back on the field, because it doesn't matter. We're trying to play the game that we know that we need to play, and then the score takes care of itself. If a few things would have went our way in the second half, we would have been talking about a different ball game. I think that's when we made that turn and we knew that we had to play as a team and we knew what we could do. And I think we took that and ran with it. Q. What was the biggest change that Gus Malzahn brought? DEE FORD: I wouldn't say any change. He brought back, you know, the edge. He came in and he said he wanted to get our edge back. I heard him say that the entire time when he came back. He said we've got to get our edge back. Nothing intricate that we have to do, we just have to get our edge back and get back to working. And Coach Russell came in and he really got us going in those offseason workouts and we just took it from there. Q. How do you slow down the Florida State offense (inaudible)? DEE FORD: Being fundamentally sound. I think if you're really displaced at times, I think teams hurt their selves as far as defense goes. And we really just have to play our game, not play conservative, not get displaced out of our gaps. Because they're a great team east and west, they do a lot of outside zones, they have great fast running backs, they beat you on the edge, then on third down, Winston gets a lot of time in the pocket. You have to disrupt those times. You can't give him time, not a great quarterback like that. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: I don't buy into that, they're a great team. They can't help who they play. I'm looking at their film. I'm not really looking at who they're playing, I'm looking at what they're doing. I still think they would have had success in any other conference. They're a good team. I don't look that at all. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: It means a lot, especially for me, with the year we had last year, I was facing decisions that I wanted to make, whether I wanted to go to the NFL or not. My gut feeling was telling me to stay. And any time I can fight through a season like that, with guys who wouldn't quit on me, I don't mind coming back playing for these guys. I wasn't saying we were going to end up in a National Championship or anything, but that's just what happened, when the team starts to bind and trust in each other. Q. Do you feel like the team of destiny (inaudible)? DEE FORD: I don't really like to say a team of destiny. I just believe when we say in these player meetings, we have meetings with our players just talking amongst each other, we just say we're going to play every snap like it's our last, every play. And if there's an opportunity, we're going to take advantage of it, and I think that's what we did. And the way it unfolded, I think everyone would be lying if they said they wouldn't take it. I'll take it. Q. How would you describe your preparation out here in California? DEE FORD: It hasn't changed. If anything, we're more focused. We're more focused because we know how hard it is to focus out here. We said we're going to keep doing the things that got us here. And that's been focusing, taking it one day at a time, one practice at a time. We've had about 15 practices and we just wanted to capitalize, we had a lot of things defensively that we needed to work on as far as X and Os go. We really wanted to work on those and lock in this game plan. I feel very confident right now about our focus. Q. Jameis Winston (inaudible) get him, get him down and pressure him? DEE FORD: We've got to pressure him. I think every defensive coordinator wants that. You never want a Jameis Winston to sit back and make decisions, you can't do that.  You can't do that at all against him. He's a great quarterback. He can beat you with his feet, also. The last thing you want to do is let him get going. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: Yeah, I feel like it is. It's a great opportunity right now. With the yardage that our defense has given up, I don't expect much talk. We've been able to play great at pivotal times like the end of the game. But we've been shooting ourselves in the foot. We know what we need to work on, and that gives us more confidence coming into this game. Not many people are talking about us, that's extra motivation or extra initiative for us to lock in this game plan, and really play as one. We're still looking for that game where we don't make as many mistakes as we've been making this entire year. Q. Let me ask you a question about there's so much about taking on a game like this, with a smile on your face? DEE FORD: I'm blessed to be here right now, with the influence that we have right now, it's an amazing thing that we can reach ‑‑ I was talking to a lot of younger guys yesterday on the Internet, and it's just an amazing feeling to really be here and I'm really just humbled right now. Q. You're going to be tested from your position. What does Florida State bring offensively? DEE FORD: They're a great team schematically. They do a great job within their scheme. They have a great offensive line. They play with each other very well. And you have to be very fundamentally sound. Like I said, you can't get displaced out of your gaps. You really have to play as one if you want to win this game. You can't shoot ourselves in the foot. Q. Jameis Winston, wide receivers or the running backs, which one do you want to get after the most? DEE FORD: I can't get after the receivers, you know. It's my job to get after the quarterback. I'm looking forward to that. Q. Have you thought about what you will need to do in terms of being disciplined? When you get a sack, have you thought about that, have you visualized if you can get a sack on Winston? DEE FORD: Oh, definitely, definitely. All the work I put into it, I don't think that I can't get a sack. That's why I work, I work to get sacks. I definitely believe I'm going to get a few. The whole D‑line, that's what we work to do, we work to get sacks. Q. It's been an incredible season, a great journey for you. If you had to describe to someone what it's been like from the first game, how would you describe it? DEE FORD: It's definitely been an amazing journey, with all the work we put into it. To see these games unfold the way they unfold, you can't argue with the results. I wouldn't be surprised, you know, because we worked for this, we said we wanted it. And we played every snap with those opportunities. We took advantage of those opportunities. So it's just been an amazing journey for me, especially for a guy like me, my last year. I'm just blessed right now. That's why I keep smiling. Q. Are you still keeping up with AJ Green much? DEE FORD:  Yeah, I talked to him last night. That's my brother, man. We connect on football and music. That will be my lifetime brother. I talk to him all the time. Q. You were composing a song. Are you still doing that? DEE FORD: Yeah, I was actually playing last night. They asked me to learn Billy Joel "Piano Man," I learned it and played it for a few fans last night. It was pretty fun. Q. How did you pick that up? You didn't really learn by reading music; right? DEE FORD: No, I'm very instinctive. I just really listen. I learned my keys to guide me through whatever I wanted to learn, and I just let it flow. Q. How blessed do you feel playing in another National Championship game? DEE FORD: I'm so blessed, man. For one, you just never expect it coming off a season like that. All you can do at that point, after a year like we had, was work hard, and that's what we did. And we started to build this chemistry right now that can't be broken. And we just took it one game at a time, just like Coach asked us to do and now we're here. It's definitely a great feeling. I'll be lying if I say I'm not surprised. I am. But at the same time I know we belong here and we will work hard to win this game. Q. How do you stay focused with this long layoff, 29‑day layoff? DEE FORD: Man, you have to, first of all, reiterate it every day and talk about it amongst your peers. It can't just be coaches. We haven't been coach driven all year this year. And right now it's the players who are leading these practices and keeping everyone focused. We're playing on the biggest stage. You can have fun after the game. We're enjoying the events and all that, but we know that this is a business trip. Q. (Inaudible) Jameis Winston? DEE FORD: You have to put pressure on him. I'm sure you have seen these other bowl games of how these quarterbacks play when they're under pressure. Turnovers are everything. We're looking for turnovers, pass breakups, anything. We're just trying to be disruptive to this game. Q. When you watch Jameis (inaudible)? DEE FORD: I don't really feel no type of way about it. I just know that we can't be that defense giving them that much time or we won't win a game. Q. When you started the SEC Championship with that sack (inaudible)? DEE FORD: Definitely. Definitely. That's what we want to do, man, we want to play every snap. Like I said, we've done this all year, we're going to play every snap and play every opportunity like it's our last. And we're not going to take any snap for granted. We want to start early. That's one thing Florida State has done, and people cannot argue against that, they have started early and they didn't really have to do much the fourth quarter. We can't argue with that. We know we're going to have to start off pretty hefty to win this game. Q. (Inaudible) testament to the resiliency, how do you explain it? DEE FORD: It's a testament to our resiliency. I think this team, man, it leaves me speechless when I think about it. I sit in my room and think about the things we've been through. Every team has their story, and this not a sympathy deal. We've been through a lot and we use that as motivation, and we just keep going. We've been striving since springtime. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: We believe, man. We believe. And we just knew it. When I was sitting there watching the offense, I know something is going to happen. I trust that much in my offense. And they trust in us, also. Any game where we needed to respond, whether it's defense or offensive or special teams, we have done that for each other, and it's just built a chemistry right now that we just know we're going to get it done. Q. What's wrong with a little magic? DEE FORD: (Laughter.) There's nothing wrong with a little magic. I always say that. Q. So much opportunity, so many people are going to be watching this game. How do you balance that? Do you think about the next level? DEE FORD: Yeah, you know, I'm not going to sit there and lie. As athletes, we think about things that motivate us, and knowing that we're on the national stage, we reiterate that all the time. We're on the national stage. Everyone is watching this game. And that's more initiative for us to work hard. Man, I put in a lot of work as far as preparing for this game. With the 30 days that we had, man, I put in a lot of work, because you have to stay in shape. I put in a lot of work. I was telling myself this is a big stage, a lot of people are watching, what are you going to do? That's motivation, it's natural. Q. With the way you won those games, do you feel like the team of destiny and has that grown as these things have kept happening with the way you guys have won? DEE FORD: Like I said, I wouldn't say team of destiny. We're a team of opportunity. Preparation leads to opportunity, you know what I mean? And those type of things happen. We just continue every week, we say we're going to find a way to win. Right before the game, every game, Coach Malzahn says we're going to find a way to win, this is how we're going to do it. It's not luck, nothing just falls in our lap, you know what I mean? We're going to take that into this game, also. Q. What is about the Coach Malzahn that has allowed this to happen?  The attitude has changed. What is it about him? DEE FORD: Just his personality, the way he is. He is such a winner at heart. He came in, telling ‑‑ the first thing I remember him telling us is we're going to get our edge back. He said we're going to be here. He told us that we're going to be having a lot of influence right about now, and we do. He said we're going to be on a big stage, and we are. And he said we're going to use that influence in a positive way. He told us, I remember our spring workout, 6 a.m., he was telling us, he said, but it's not going to be easy, and it wasn't. And you have to believe in a guy like that when he come in telling us these type of things. He strained us players and at times we get a little tired, but that's part of the process. Q. After the adversity this team faced last season and then the LSU game, did you ever think that you'd be in this position? DEE FORD: I never really put that in my mind. You never really think ahead, think about the National Championship or any bowl game. We really took it one game at a time and one practice at a time. Q. How is that a testament to how far this team has come this season? DEE FORD: It's a big testament. We just really ‑‑ you have to believe, you know. To come this far you really have to believe. You can't just say it, you have to believe and you have to work. That's been a testament to where we are. What people see on Saturdays is a testament to the work we've put in. Q. Headed into this game you guys are the underdogs, so how much is that going to take belief and working together to prove everyone wrong? DEE FORD: Belief is second nature right now. We know we're going to win the game. We know we have to come in and execute. In a game like this, it don't really matter about underdogs. It's all about execution. Because the team has had 30 days to prepare, and that's a lot of time for any team. You are playing off a team, every team has tendencies, so you just have to focus in on execution and just really ‑‑ that's what it's all going to boil down to. Q. Kelvin Benjamin said he thinks they're the Floyd Mayweather of football. What do you think about that? DEE FORD: They can be the Floyd Mayweather of football. We're coming in to play football, man. We just want to win the game and execute. Q. What do you think that you can identify your team with, if you're able to compare that? DEE FORD: Muhammad Ali. Q. Why is that? DEE FORD: I don't know, he's just a great fighter, and I think we're a great team. Q. And he shook up the world. DEE FORD: And he shook up the world. Q. What does that say about the fight? What kind of fight do you see in your team? DEE FORD: Ours is going to be a fight, it's going to be a dogfight. It's been like that all year for us. So we're used to it. We come into this game, we know what Florida State brings to the table, so we're going to be ready to make it a fight. Q. Jameis Winston mentioned you specifically as a guy who keeps popping up on film in his study. What do you see when you watch him? DEE FORD: Whether you give him 3 seconds or 6 seconds, he's a great quarterback. He will make plays. We have to deal with that and execute our defense. We're going to have to put pressure on him. Looking at film when he had a lot of time, he made some extremely big plays. That can't happen. That's the big thing that stands out to me. And of course, they have a great running game. W have to be fundamentally sound, especially on the front seven, fitting our gaps. That's what we've been working on these past 30 days. I know that's what we have to bring to this game. Q. They know you're going to bring pressure. Is it going to be a dogfight? DEE FORD: It's going to be a dogfight. Like I said, at this point right now, there's nothing that they haven't thought, there's nothing we haven't thought. We've had 30 days. It's all about execution. Just bringing the heat. Q. What do you think about this media day scene here? DEE FORD:  I love it. Like I say, I love to talk. It's a blessing to be here, to see all these cameras and all the lights. And I just know I have a stage of using my influence in a positive way, so it's a great opportunity for me to take advantage of that. Like I said, I have a lot of little kids watching me and I love that. I talk to them all the time. I was on Instagram talking to kids last night. This is a great thing for me. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: You follow. Not to refute what you're saying, Cam really did that, but there was a lot of guys in that locker room. A lot of guys in that locker room. It was an uncommon will from everyone, you know what I mean? And Cam just is the icing on the cake. Because he would go out there and make some amazing plays and really give the team momentum. And I just remember when he made a play or when Nick made a play or even I made a couple of plays at times, Nosa would make a play, we all fed off of each other. We were just one at that time. When you're playing with an amazing athlete like Cam, an amazing quarterback like Cam, it's easier to follow, you know what I mean? Q. Winston seems to have that same sort of ‑‑ DEE FORD: Yeah, he does. It's amazing to watch. I can give him his props right now.  I'm not ashamed to give him his props. He's a great quarterback and great leader, he has great character. I really admire the way he carries himself. He is definitely that for his team. Q. How do you disrupt a guy like that? DEE FORD: It's football, man. You still do it. You have to be fundamentally sound. I'm confident. Just like he's confident, I'm confident. I'm probably overconfident. I know I can do it. And that's what I've been doing all year. That's what the D‑line has done all year. That's what we've been working to do. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: Definitely. In 2010 was kind of like this year. We probably didn't give up as many yards in 2010. But we were still a defense finding its identity a little bit. We didn't play great at times and we had to dig ourselves out of holes, just like we did this year. We've had to dig ourselves out of big holes. And that's just from being displaced in the beginning of games. When it really comes down to it, man, we really buckled together and we make it happen. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: No, you can't control the outcome. They can't control the outcome of their game. We can't control the outcome of our game. You just go in that game and you play it. And you focus in. Once the clock starts ticking, it's football. Whatever happens, you know, from that point, you really can't ‑‑ if it goes until the fourth quarter, it's goes into the fourth quarter. If it ends at halftime, then you know it's pretty much a done deal. That's just pretty much how it is. I don't think there's any control. You have to prepare and believe in what you've worked for and go out and play. I don't really think about that too much. Q. How does the guy you go up against at practice, Robinson, compare to (inaudible)? DEE FORD: You said, Robinson, Greg, he's the best offensive tackle in the nation to me. I go against him every day. I know his talents and I know he's nowhere near where he's going to be in the years to come. He gets better every year. I think that's the best offensive tackle. I think we have the best offensive line in the nation. Q. Your teammates have said that you've got the most Hollywood in you. DEE FORD: I've got the most Hollywood? You know, I just said I like the cameras and I like the lights, but I'm not Hollywood. Q. What kind of movie would you be in if you were? DEE FORD: What kind of movie would I be in? Q. What kind of actor would you be? DEE FORD: I would be a well‑balanced actor. I'd be emotional, I'd be funny, I'd be suave if you need me to be. I'll be a stunt man if you need be to be. I'd do it all. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: I'll tell everyone out in Auburn Nation, looking forward to you all coming down and supporting us. It will be a great one. Q. How important is it to get to Jameis on Monday night? DEE FORD: It's very important. Like I said, I don't mind reiterating this because it's going to be stuck in my mind: You can't give him time. You can't do it. You can't do it. We know we can't do it. And I think the whole defense knows you can't give him time. He's a great quarterback. You can't give any quarterback time, but a quarterback like that you can't give them time. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: Man, probably in the middle of practice we go against our offense for about 20 minutes. And, man, we really get after it. We really make ourselves better. And he's one of the greatest coaches I've seen coach the offensive line. I really believed in and really saw our offensive line grow from day one. Q. Coach Grimes? DEE FORD: Coach Grimes, man, I love it. And then we have Coach Garner, one of the greatest D‑line coaches in the nation. Q. How much has Coach Garner helped? DEE FORD: Oh, man, he has been the catalyst of this defensive line, man. He came in and he strained us. He strained us. He changed us. It wasn't an easy process. It's not easy. It's still not easy to this day. But I will love this man forever. He's a great man, great father, has six girls. I love that man. Q. (Inaudible.) What is it that he has natural ability‑wise that makes him so special? DEE FORD: Carl? First of all, Carl came in at 260, I came in at 215. He came in already ready to play. There was really not much you can tell him right now. He's just so ‑‑ he's so explosive. He's so talented, man. And I think once he gets the fundamental part down, and really, the game just started coming to him, he's going to be unstoppable. Q. (Inaudible.) How much does that help you prepared for a guy like Jameis? DEE FORD: It will definitely prepare you. It will test you. We've been very reluctant to really go against that caliber of talent consecutively every week. And it's nothing different to right now. We know we're going against a dynamic quarterback. We know what we have to do. Q. You had a big sack against Johnny at the end of that game. How hard is it to bring Johnny Manziel down? DEE FORD: It's extremely hard. You can't really overthink it. You have to attack it. You have to attack and slow him down, because he's so elusive. Q. What challenges does Jameis (inaudible)? DEE FORD: Man, like I said, he can beat you with his arm, he can beat you with his legs. And amongst those great receivers and a great offensive line, they're definitely a big challenge for us. But I believe that we're probably going to be one of the most athletic defensive lines they have faced all year. We bring a lot to the table also. It will be a fun thing. Q. What is going to be critical for you and the team to keep him boxed in? DEE FORD: Rush, you've got to rush the quarterback, man, that's what we do. You got to disrupt, you got to rush, and when he blitz, we've got to be violent when we blitz. Q. Alabama (inaudible), how did it feel? DEE FORD: The magnitude of that game, what was at stake, I just remember, you know, that Thursday, I believe, before the game, Thanksgiving wasn't really Thanksgiving, because I was hearing about the game. The magnitude of that game, being able to play in one of the biggest Iron Bowls in the history of Iron Bowls, it was just a blessing to be a part of it. That game went by so fast, because it was so exciting. And then the play that ended the game. That was remarkable. The whole process, man, was just unbelievable. Q. You have been able to get great pressure on quarterbacks all year with just your front four. Why is that? DEE FORD: Because we work at practice, man, and we really focus on our pass rush and our fundamentals. We worked on that from spring up until now. Coach Garner is one of the best defensive line coaches in the nation. He really strained us. Q. How does their O‑line stack up against other lines you've seen this year? DEE FORD: They're athletic.  We faced athletic offensive lines this entire year. I wouldn't say they're the most physical, but they're definitely very in sync and they're very great together and they really play within the scheme very well. And on top of that they're very athletic. And they can get their hands on you. And we just have to be very fundamentally sound. Q. Who's the most physical line you faced all year? DEE FORD: Arkansas. Q. Why do you think it will be important to have those four guys getting pressure? DEE FORD: If you can rush four, you can drop more. And they have great receivers, so that will help us out in coverage. Even though I know our DBs will get the job done, even if we rush for eight. So it will just be interesting. It's a blessing to be able to rush four. And that's what every defense wants. Q. Talk about Coach G. DEE FORD: He's very intense, man. He's very intense. He flips a switch. Off of the field he's one of the most nicest, mellow, funny, you know, great guys, you know, but he really flips the switch. And when it's business, it's business. And he's strained us. He's definitely been a great role model for me. And he's really challenged me. I understand when I'm challenged, he takes me out of my comfort zone. And when I'm out of my comfort zone, it means I'm growing. To do that for a fifth‑year senior, that says a lot about you as a person and as a coach. And he's a great coach, man. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: It's meant a lot. It's meant a lot. And he tells us all the time that we're brothers. I went here. And that just makes us able to relate to him more. And we just feel that much closer to him. And it means so much to him. We talk about it individually, how much it means to us. And with that being said, we go out and practice hard. So it's a blessing. Q. I know how big the Georgia game was for him for obvious reasons, and also Alabama. What was he like after those two games? DEE FORD: Of course he was happy. People don't understand, there was so much we needed to work on. And we were still winning these games. But we had a lot to work on. We enjoyed the moment, but it's like let's get back to work. We have a lot to work on. We're doing this and we're not really playing at the best of our ability. Let's see what we can do when we play to the best of our ability. Q. How are your emotions? DEE FORD: You know, I don't get too excited. Got to stay focused on the task at hand. It's definitely going to be a big stage. But I think if you get too caught up in the moment and everything that's going on, all the media, all the cameras, you start to forget things, and start to make little mistakes. And I don't want to do that. I don't want to be in a bad situation. I'm just chilling. Q. Describe the emotions once you step out on that field, you put it all behind you and say let's play football. DEE FORD: Oh, man, it's adrenaline. You can't really explain it. You just know, you just think about all the work you've put in and the opportunity that you have and you just go from there, take off, and just let your game speak for itself. Q. And the excitement and anticipation, have you pinched yourself and said, wow, we've made it thus far, one more step? DEE FORD: Yeah. Man, it's so hard. I think every team that comes to a National Championship pinches their self at one point. Every team has a goal to get here, but when you really get here, it's so hard to get here, you have to step back and look like you really did it. And it's just hard to think about all the work you put in and the process. I'm more excited about the journey, you know. I'm not really excited about, you know, where we are right now. I'm excited about the journey and the things we went through and the message behind, you know, what happened last year to this year and the things that we can pull out for our life. We have to move on when football is over. But now I have a story to tell. It's very interesting. Q. You're living the dream. DEE FORD: Living the dream. Q. Now you have to make the dream become a reality come Monday, that day. How big would it be to fulfill that dream? DEE FORD: It would be huge. I will pinch myself at that point. Q. Talk about as far as what is the key motivation that makes you great? What is your philosophy? What inspires you beyond football? DEE FORD: The biggest thing, my family. When I go home and I see how much my family looks up to me and how proud they are of me. When I was younger I was such a knucklehead, but to really make that transition and really motivate other people, I'm changing other people's lives. That really ‑‑ Q. Role model? DEE FORD: Yes. That really gets to me, it makes me feel good, and I really want to keep this going. I want to go to other levels. I want to elevate now. I want to have more influence, so I can change more people. That keeps me going. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: I don't really say it, because when you say a team with destiny, you think about magic and luck and things like that. I don't think about that. We are a team of opportunity. We let preparation be opportunity. That is when the magic happens. This is nothing that we haven't planned. We speak about all of these things. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: It sounds good. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: Yeah, I wouldn't say disrespectful. But you have to think about, a lot of people don't understand what goes on behind the scenes and how much work you put into this. I'm just there to really remind them, hey, we've worked for this, we said this was going to happen. The way it unfolded, you can't really help. But I think it's all good. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: I saw it. I passed out for about 2 seconds, and then I realized I had to go back out and play. But it was amazing to watch, man, the way it unfolded. And I just ‑‑ we really have to look at that, Ricardo did not give up on that play. And think about the mindset he had on that play. I don't care what happens, I'm going to keep ‑‑ you know what I'm saying, you have to admire that about that play. If he would have gave up, they're going to bat the ball down, you don't have a prayer. But that's just been our team's identity this whole year. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: I was standing beside ‑‑ I think I was standing beside our trainer, and I said something is going to happen. I really was saying that, something was going to happen. You look back at Mississippi State, we played just about every game down to the wire and we made something happen. So you have to just believe, you know. I was going to say that until the clock hit 0‑0, something is going to happen. Q. Even watching the video later that night (inaudible)? DEE FORD: Man, it was unbelievable, man. It was unbelievable. Q.  He gave his glove to a kid in the stands. DEE FORD: Yeah, man. It's all good, man. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: That's the confidence that we have. You have to have that. And we've had that in just about every game. That's just what we do. And that's been built from ‑‑ is just our mentality. You just built that confidence. Q. When you look at the Florida State team and all that film, what is the biggest concern? DEE FORD: The biggest concern? I wouldn't say we have any concerns. But I will commend them on how great they are. They are a great team. They're a great team. They play within their scheme offensively, but of course, we know the defense is great. But their offense is definitely dynamic. They have great receivers. That's just more initiative for us. We played great teams all year. We just know what we have to bring to the table and we have to play together, just like we've done all year. Q. What's the funniest Gus Malzahn story you have? DEE FORD: The funniest? It's weird, because I never see him not talking about football. I have had a conversation, I had a series conversation with him during camp. He's interesting. You have to be around him to see. It's kind of unexplainable. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: I don't know. You would probably hear that from an offensive guy. I don't really hear much talk from him unless he's talking in front of the team. Q. Everybody says you're the best singer on the team. Is there a couple bars or something you want to throw out here? DEE FORD: I don't sing. Who told you I sing? Jeff Whitaker is the best singer on the team. Q. What does he sing, Barry White tunes? DEE FORD: He looks like Barry White. No, Whit sings everything. Yesterday he was singing Fred Hammond "No Weapon." That's a gospel song. Whit is a character. He'll sing for you, go find him. Q. You're saying you're not the best singer on the team? DEE FORD: I'm not the best. I'm a musician. I just sing to get by. Q. This will be a video. Just take it over. DEE FORD: Give a shout out to the Auburn fans. Q. All season their support. You can introduce yourself, however you want to do it. DEE FORD: What's up, Auburn fam? It's Dee Ford. I just want to thank you all for the support all year. And looking forward to seeing you at the BSC National Championship. Q. Are you going to be on the left tackle or right tackle? DEE FORD: I'm going to be on the right tackle. Q. So Bobby Hart? DEE FORD: Yeah. Q. What do you see in his game? DEE FORD: He's very athletic. He's strong. Any time you're going against an athletic offensive tackle, you just know what he brings to the table. He will be a future NFL player. That's what I see in him. I have to bring my A game, I'm not just going against any other tackle. Q. What stands out about them that makes them unique or different? DEE FORD: What stands out? Not much really stands out, you know, they're just a great team. They play together. So nothing will stand out, because they play so in sync. It's almost kind of boring at times because they play so methodical and they just execute. We just know we have to bring our A game. We have to play methodical, also, and execute. That's what this game is going to come down to, who's able to execute. Q. Are you having fun in California? DEE FORD: My teammates just told me I was Hollywood. I'm enjoying myself. But it's like you fit. You belong here. Q. Where are you from originally? DEE FORD: Birmingham, I'm a country boy. Q. A lot of attention on Jameis Winston. He's very good, but a lot of guys that are talented quarterbacks in the SEC are experienced, too, who you have had to face. Talk about being prepared for him by playing in the SEC. DEE FORD: It's no different, ACC, SEC, it don't matter, he's a great quarterback. And we've been facing great quarterbacks. And that's more initiative for us to play together. We have to play together. We cannot give up the big plays. That's what we have to deal with defensively. We've played so good at times. We just know that we have to play together. We've played against great quarterbacks. Nothing we're worried about. We know how good the whole offense is. But we know what we need to work on. And we've worked on that. And we're just ready to take that into the game. Q. The defensive numbers are not the best for teams in this position, but you look at it and say it's just a number, the stops you make, the turnovers you create, that's the big thing? DEE FORD: Yeah, man, it's a big thing, man. And that started with the first game of the year. We got a lot of turnovers. Last year in the first two games and this year. We've definitely improved. And we definitely have a confidence right now. The biggest thing, man, is how good we can play, and we have played. We play great defense at times, but we're looking at that. Q. I covered LSU, and it seems like great quarterbacks like Cam, it seems like the difference in the SEC is in the trenches. How important is it for the big guys to affect Jameis with your front four? DEE FORD: Very up front, man. If you get to the quarterback, I think every quarterback knows that you're affecting their decisions. And not only just that, trying to be disruptive and affect his decisions little bit. He's going to make some great plays, but we have to make great plays, also. Q. Going back to the LSU game. You guys got way behind, you came back in the second half, didn't give up. A very positive attitude in your locker room after that game. It seemed like it was a launching point to the success you had the rest of the season. DEE FORD: It was. We came in pretty fed up. We came in pretty fed up and we were like, hey, we're not going to go back. We put in too much work all season to go back. We know we shot ourselves in the foot. We know we were doing well, we've got to finish it. And that's what we did. Q. Seemed hard to find confidence when you came off the tough season last year, and then you lose to the best team you played to that point. You managed to find that confidence, how did you do that? DEE FORD: You really have to take it one day at a time. With the schedule that we played, with the teams that will beat you. So we never had time to think that we can overlook these teams, because they can beat you. Q. (Inaudible.) DEE FORD: He has so much knowledge of the game. He has so much knowledge of the game. He came in and gave us a lot of feedback, you know. And he really instilled a lot of confidence in us. We did good, but you can do a lot better. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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