CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: WASHINGTON VS MICHIGAN

January 6, 2024

Donovan Edwards

NRG Stadium

Michigan Wolverines

Press Conference

Q. (Indiscernible.)

DONOVAN EDWARDS: Very fundamentally sound defense. Nothing that -- there is a lot of things they do that is fundamentally sound. Secondary can cover well. D-line has a lot of strengths, and same with the linebackers.

So a key to success for us is just to do us. You know, we played a lot of Top 5, Top 10 defenses this year, and I think all we have to do is keep doing us and we'll be successful.

Q. I think you guys... indiscernible.)

DONOVAN EDWARDS: Absolutely. Man, a lot of credit to the offense. They have such a fantastic offense and we know what they're capable of. I think for us offensively is don't get too high, don't get too low. Just stay the course of the game.

If you make a mistake, so be it. We're going to get it back. Our defense is going to get it back. We're just going to continue to bounce back from adversity. That's something that this offense prides ourselves on and the whole entire team. When adversity comes up, how are we going to respond.

Just this year in general, a lot of adversity this team had to face, we've done a fantastic job doing so.

Q. Different big games this year, Ohio State, defense gets a big stop; last game it was the offense. Talk about the complementary football.

DONOVAN EDWARDS: Yeah, 100%. This is a family-oriented team, right? When it's family-oriented team you trust one another. You have relationships with one another. You know their work ethic. This team relies on trust, trust in one's self and trust in another.

I think it's a fantastic thing to have, because it's not a selfish team. There are certain people that can be selfish, but we'll never be selfish because of how Coach Harbaugh has embodied this team.

If your selfish you're going to reap the consequences and be labeled as a selfish person. We just complement each other so well. Just a well-rounded team.

Q. (Indiscernible.)

DONOVAN EDWARDS: Man, absolutely, especially our defensive line, absolutely.

Q. (Indiscernible.)

DONOVAN EDWARDS: Absolutely. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Q. (Indiscernible.)

DONOVAN EDWARDS: It's a dream come true. Every kid wants to be at this stage, wants to be here. Whether everything has gone right for you or hasn't, you have to sit down with yourself and just embrace where you are.

There is only two teams playing still in college football, so to be one of the teams still playing, it's a blessing, because when you're a kid you want to do certain things, win a high school ring, National Championship ring, professional ring.

So the opportunity for us right now is amazing because we're able to check all of our goals as children. This year, too, we checked the boxes in all our goals thus far. Just have one more job to do, one more game to play to reach the ultimate goal.

Q. (Indiscernible.)

DONOVAN EDWARDS: No doubt. Just for me personally, I think of it as a Michigan thing, right? Michigan has been winning since the beginning of collegiate football, and at every point Michigan has always won.

I think it would just be an embodiment of Michigan, not just football, but university legacy of winning at every level, in the classroom and other sports and professionals as well.

Q. Wanted to ask you, you guys had a month to prepare for Alabama. Now it's a normal game week again, seven days to prepare for Washington. Do you enjoy this normal rhythm or is this a little bit different in a good or bad way?

DONOVAN EDWARDS: I felt like it's still the same. It's no different than how you prepare for all the other games we played this season, like ECU, Ohio State. UNLV, Peen State, Michigan State, Purdue, Nebraska. It's no different.

I think that's something that this team takes great discipline in. Doesn't matter who we're facing, we're going to get in the film room and practice hard and do our absolute best to come out victorious.

We've had goals this year, win the Big10 Championship, overcoming the 14-game loss we faced for the past two years, and win a National Championship. We are grounded and focused right now to be able to accomplish our goals. Just got to keep doing us.

To your question, it doesn't matter. It's basically the same thing. Prepare each and every week to do our best and come out successful.

Q. (Regarding Washington's run defense.)

DONOVAN EDWARDS: They're very -- excuse me, as I said earlier, I don't see many faults in their defenses. I just know that they're going to give us their all, as we're going to give them our all on Monday.

You know, a key for us in the success is to run the ball and to throw the ball as well. I don't think that there is nothing we can't do as an offensive standpoint. Just going to have to do us in the football game.

Q. Follow up, ya'll play Texas next year.

DONOVAN EDWARDS: Yeah.

Q. (Indiscernible.) What do you think that atmosphere will be like?

DONOVAN EDWARDS: I think -- it's at home, right, Ann Arbor? Yeah, so I think it's going to be as it is all the other games. Our fans are always into it, always supportive, always going to be loud.

So it is Texas, to your standpoint. They're a very great team. I think our fans will be into it a lot more, as they always are.

Great question, my friend.

Q. You guys lost one game in two years. Amazing streak.

DONOVAN EDWARDS: No, that's not true. We lost three.

Q. In two years?

DONOVAN EDWARDS: Yeah. We lost to Michigan State, 2021.

Q. I'm saying the last two seasons.

DONOVAN EDWARDS: Okay.

Q. I see one loss.

DONOVAN EDWARDS: You see one loss? The last two we lost three.

Q. Just TCU.

DONOVAN EDWARDS: Okay, okay. I'm getting old, man. (Laughter.)

Q. When you look at that loss, only lost one game in that stretch, is it a fluke...

DONOVAN EDWARDS: I just think they executed on more things than we executed on. They won the game. You can't say it's a fluke when the team wins the game. Even if they lose it's not a fluke.

The only thing you can do is just prepare yourself for situations differently. I think experience is the best friend of a man, because once you go through things you understand that, okay, I don't want to be here ever again and you're going to do thing differently to be able to get to a certain point in life where you want to be.

I think it was a blessing for us. Look at it like we had about 60, 70 guys that played in that game return to Michigan, our leaders, captains. Blake is back, too.

So I think all of those things play a big factor in what had happened last year and for us now the opportunity presents itself.

I don't think it's a fluke. You just live on it for 365 days, a little bit less, too, because the first game of the season pops up. But like you just remember those things. Just makes you work harder. Has a fire in you that would never go away because of what you know what you could have did or what you could have did better.

Q. Michael Penix, sixth year in college. Is there an advantage for those guys who are 24, maybe 25 years old playing against a 19 year old?

DONOVAN EDWARDS: You got think about the NFL, too. When you're a rookie, what are you, 21, 22? To your standpoint, might be a little bit older that than 21, 22, going up against 30, 35 year olds.

It's no different. Like it's just who is going to do what they have to do to win the game. No, I don't think it matters at all.

Q. I was talking to a family member yesterday. (Indiscernible.)

DONOVAN EDWARDS: 85, right?

Q. 85 would be No. 4, so those two. (Indiscernible.) As you're looking back, look back like no one is around me, you look it the Ohio State, make the two plays, break a 20-year streak. (Indiscernible.) What goes through your mind the moment you cross the goal line and then a day later how did your life change?

DONOVAN EDWARDS: You know, I'm not thinking about it in that certain point, what my legacy could be after that game. I'm thinking about winning the game. I do know now how everything has changed for me. I'm on a bigger pedestal. People know my name more.

Still doesn't matter to me. All I want to do is win football games and be the best person I can be and be consistent and a leader for myself and the team and people around me on a day-to-day basis.

It doesn't -- I just thank God that he's allowed me to do it. He showed me the ups, the downs, and it's about what I do with it. It's about if I'm going to fall from it or continue to rise from adversity and trials and tribulation.

I know I might be going a little bit against the grain of the question, but I've seen the highs and the lows from the situation, and all I could do is just keep being humble.

Q. (Indiscernible.) How much did that...

DONOVAN EDWARDS: That wasn't Gus?

Q. (Indiscernible.)

DONOVAN EDWARDS: Yeah. Man, you know what? My teammates, (indiscernible.) I'm like, chill. I gave myself that nickname first. I gave it to myself first, and then changed it in my Instagram handle to my full name.

But it's stuck out. I like that. I like that.

Q. (Indiscernible.)

DONOVAN EDWARDS: That's right. I appreciate you asking that, too. I feel like this year has been a lot more of a mental aspect for me. I know that I'm going to be perfectly fine in the future, because as I said, like God is going to put things in your life to show you the ups, show you the downs.

It's up to you to be able to rise to the occasions and remember the down times. Of course I have the feeling of being flustered, frustrated, and I definitely have been working on that. Mental health is a big thing for me.

I've seen a therapist quite often now and that's helped me get into a focused mind space. I just feel like this year has been a blessing for me. I'm in a National Championship game. I have three Big10 Championship rings. The team is winning. The team has a lot of the success.

I just feel like regardless of how this year has gone for me, there has been a lot more blessings in what I've been going through beyond football. Even though I know I'm still going to be great at football.