📅 Published on: 2024-11-23 22:01:36
⏱ Duration: 00:45:35 (2735 seconds)
👀 Views: 35699 | 👍 Likes: 996
📝 Video Description:
A live streaming Florida Gators Football press event.
#FloridaGators #GatorsFootball #GoGators
+++++
Follow Gators Football on Social Media:
https://twitter.com/gatorsfb
https://instagram.com/gatorsfb
https://facebook.com/gatorsfb
🎙 Channel: Florida Gators Football
🌍 Channel Country: United States
📂 Tags:
[vid_tags]
🕵️♂️ Transcript:
microphone to answer your question to ask your question we good video coach here when all right I’m Gonna Keep it quick because I know y’all got something planned for tonight okay all right we um yeah we didn’t do that this week I can promise you that um look I I think first of all man just incredible atmosphere today you know doesn’t get much better better than that 12 noon kick 65 degrees sunshine and a packed house I mean just our fans were incredible made a PL uh played a major role in the game and just to see them rally behind our team and players and uh certainly for me our seniors you know and I I think that this group um you know I told them in there just now said leadership is really hard you know it requires a lot from you and I think these guys have stepped up in a major way you know that first month of the year was a challenge in every facet um and I think young people at that point they got to decide who they want to be and what they’re about and I think that this group of seniors there’s very specific players in that group very grateful for them you know and I think we challenge the team the way that we play today should reflect that group uh and the courage and the adversity that they’ve showed um you know I I think the whole message this week was earn the right to win you know um and I think that we have to earn the right to win throughout the week and then ultimately when we get to the park um it’s not about yesterday it’s not about tomorrow it’s not about who’s on the other sideline you got to spot the ball and you got to go earn the right to win so you know I do think that uh today was special in a lot of regards in terms of Dr Fox this being his last game and I’m thankful for him and his leadership and certainly um for him being a part of the group of people that gave me an opportunity here so thankful for Dr Fox you know the game was a a game of turnover margin Red Zone scoring um and ultimately I think you put those two things together and it’s going to be very diff will be very difficult to beat and obviously the defense was lights out we played great field position and we made just enough explosive plays and we were able to rush the ball against a good front so complimentary football football and its purest form and uh yeah I’m just really proud for of our players and team what do we got you touched on the Red Zone but I mean you you stopped a guy who doesn’t get stopped very often you stopped him twice on on short yardage there would what have you just seen from that defense and their ability to play in this atmosphere yeah yeah just you know know I think that when we were trying to build our team and put our team together you know there’s an understanding in this league that you got to be really good in the trenches we all understand that and really not just this league but ultimately to be a championship Contender and play consistently every week you got to be good up front on both sides so you I thought we were better on both sides today up front um and short yardage defense is is a big component those are identity plays you know and I think we had guys step up and make plays uh but again I mean I think they had six turnovers if you include the fourth down stops in the Miss field goal and a couple picks and the Muff punt right so we took full advantage of those wasn’t always pretty on offense there’s certainly some things we can do a little bit better here and there but I mean that’s a good group over there and I thought we managed their front um with the way that we play the game coach uh I’m Patrice Quant with 4.0 sports and entertainment on the second play of the game number 13 Aaron Gates goes down was there an adjustment that you had to make on the defensive end to accommodate for him because he had a massive game at Georgia yeah know Aaron has been one of our best players the last probably five or six weeks of the Season still a young player but extremely talented you know play corner and receiver punt returner kick returner in high school um the big adjustment was was the kicking game depth chart you know he does a lot for us in the kicking game as well and then now Sharie Denson is playing basically the entire game so um you know Sharice has been a rotational player he and Aaron play equal snaps every week and then certainly today he got he got all the load um Billy just talk about um Montel Johnson a little bit obviously you know coming back he had been injured the past few weeks and now seem to be healthy and really just stepped up especially on on senior on senior night yeah mon tr’s um a special kid to me for a lot of reasons uh he’s a Class Act first of all um has been since I’ve first met him uh but this is selfless guy who really sets the tone and the example in that running back room you know and I think that we’ve got young players in there that have been able to transition and play well and be successful and they’re watching him you know and I think that he set the example he sets the standard in that room so and look I’ll be honest with you there that possession where we threw the shot to chim and then fed him the ball three plays in a row I told Jabar I said hey let’s get one in there I think he’s feeling it pretty good today so and he delivered you know I mean I think he had 127 yards today is that correct so 18 carries um look the guy just all he does is produce you know he’s been doing it I can remember the first scrimmage we had at Louisiana he was wearing number 25 back then I wrote down out there behind the scrimmage hey 25 is a real guy right so he’s been tote in the rock ever since coach you’ve been preaching culture building throughout your first three years here and there’s obviously been some impatience you know just in terms of immediate on the field results but the last five weeks how does it feel to just see everything coming together in such like beautiful fashion and just what do you think what would you attribute this breakthrough to well we got a long way to go you know I mean I think obviously we’ve we’ve improved you know I think it goes back to what I’ve told you guys before I think belief is the most powerful um you know thing in the world I mean and I think that uh at some point there midseason I think we’ve figured out we started to believe like look we can play with any team in the country you know and we’ve tried to direct our players attention to things that require no Talent you know and convince them like hey you you have the physical ability but it’s got to be about more than that you know and I think um you know you got to dream big and then you got to have little process right so it’s about daily you know can you do it daily can you be consistent you know I think that was the big leadership challenge this week and um hey let’s go do it again you know and I think we were able to the staff did a really good job getting them physically ready mentally ready and emotionally ready to go because it requires a lot to uh compete at that level in that Arena and I thought that uh the staff had them ready today there’s a lot of voices that you’ve mentioned throughout the season as just potential leaders for this squad who would you say has been like key in just building the foundation for this program yeah we got we got more than I’m not singling one person out because is we got more than I can count um and that’s what it takes you know and look not just players I mean we have I I had them counted up one day we got about 275 people that contribute to our team and they all matter I mean you know I think we struggled early it’ be easy for a lot of people not just players to uh maybe not take as much pride in what they do or blame others you know I think you got to be solution or oriented uh anybody can uh talk about problems who who can work together with other people and come up with Solutions you know so um you know there’s there’s no substitute um for people remaining humble and continue to take pride in what they do fourth quarter you really put on your defense you know obviously late game when you got the lead what did you see on the the field or what did you see that that gave you the confidence they were going to close it up well I mean I think that we had um we were able to stop the run with a light box really all the running game was quarterback scramble you know and um you know for the most part outside of those two explosives in the first half we stayed on top of them I thought we had good leverage and coverage you know um and again we were able to affect the quarterback you know I think we hit him a lot and then we were you could see that it was affecting him uh and obviously we’ve got really good Specialists of the field position portion you know um so yeah I mean I just think in general We we played complimentary ball and uh ended up working out uh coach um talk to can you talk a little bit on Bryce dorton’s performance today had a go call game twice it just seems like he’s always popping up in the right spot at the right time yeah Bryce man has been a huge bright spot stepping up in a Major Way obviously we’ve had some injuries there it looked two picks and a career high in tackles um and coming off of an injury I mean I see Bryce has been in that training room every day for weeks um and I think he’s really stepped up for our team in a major way and look Bryce got good experience last year um I think ultimately uh he’s very capable player and he showed out today sorry all right l the fourth quarter coach backed up and uh you allowed DJ to to roll out and and throw the out route there there’s a lot of experienced quarterbacks that that don’t get the trust from their coach to be able to do that just what what was the thought process there and then you know just his even his reaction to say hey we’re gonna throw it out of the throw it out of the The End Zone here yeah no I mean I think backed up offense is about five first flip you know you got to get five five yards you try to get a first down then you try to get another and flip the field and sometimes you need you need to do that right so he has made progress we didn’t move him around a lot he did make some plays with his feet today but um I asked him how he was feeling and um he said I’m good so we went with it and U heck of a catch by a badge and you know certainly you don’t have to protect you know to throw a movement pass that’s one of the best things about it right and then follow up um guys like uh Quincy Wilson te AB who were around the last time o Miss came to the swamp just what have they meant to being around the team and and maybe just showing some guidance to some of the guys you know based on playing in the NFL and and some of those things one of the more impactful things that we um we’ve tried to be very intentional about is including our former players and and I think it helps our players because there is a generational Gap here in terms of some of those successes from the past so you know I think this place has been to the top of the mountain you know and I think it’s important for our young people to understand what that looks like and sometimes meeting young players who’ve done it um and players from the past I think helps them um and you know way we want it to work around here is you come here you you finish the race you get your degree and you come back and do what you U those guys are doing so I’m very thankful we got we got some great former players that are they’ve done they’ve been made an impact so those are a couple of them Billy you touched on your opening statement but uh outside of this building not many people gave you guys much of a chance after the first month of the season but to see the guys work through it beat two ranked teams in a row and now you guys are both eligible how much fun was it to celebrate in that locker room with those guys and see their hard work payoff yeah look I mean I think you know it’s not about yesterday it’s not about tomorrow it’s about today you know and um you know get you got to work extremely hard to get to a place where you have some belief you know and I think that um belief comes as a result of a lot of Integrity togetherness discipline effort toughness um I think this group has done that so you know challenge The Players yesterday to be a uh be a today guy not a someday guy right I think sometimes we we like to punt it down the road you know and say someday I’m going to um rather than hey you know what today I’m going to do that so just taking action be present living in the moment focusing on the things you can control I mean these are said over and over but I think this group’s done it and um you know the product speaks for itself you know they played their tail off today kind of following up on that I don’t want to go too far back but September I mean pretty low point after those two home games and now you’ve had consecutive wins against ranked teams here what what’s I I mean I heard what you just said but is it almost in some ways hard to believe or is this as gratifying as it is to kind of win a championship in some ways to be able to turn it around like that no I would just say we we’re just getting started um you I mean I think this is this part of the big big picture Journey and you know look you know I think for me um yeah I’ve watched this group you know foot college football is unique we play 12 regular season games maybe you get to play another or two um and but I’m around these guys every day you know so you know there’s behind the scenes there’s a lot that happens and lot that goes on and you know we go and we put it on full play 12 times a year right so I’ve been saying it the entire time I just think there was this there’s something special about this group and when the football wasn’t right in the beginning of the year man it it hurt me a little bit to be honest with you because I’ve been watching these guys work and I’m anticipating us being much improved so I think I just was consumed with anything and everything that I could do to help them get better you know like how do we fix this you know and give them some credit I mean they were vocal they took ownership you know they collaborated with the coaches and I think we chipped away at it um and today you know obviously played played good enough to win you might have touched on djed a degree but those three throws where he kind of escaped situations you got to hanging on them and all kinds of stuff what about those yeah those are the plays of the game I mean you know again say what I said last time the good Lord bless DJ lagway um just pays off to be 6 three and a quarter 240 lbs you know so yeah those were phenomenal place I mean the guy guy guys are draped all over him he finds a guy keeps his eyes down field so you know for the most part we kept him clean today you know we we called a game to where their front wasn’t able to be a factor to some degree you know so I think we did what we needed to do to win and he he was a huge part of that for sure last um you had a moment with everyone today but but last was Grant Merz it looked like you were kind of fired up watching him walk out just what has Graham meant to you and what was that moment like to share with him today yeah man Graham’s one of one of those on that list you know when I say we should be thankful for this group of seniors he’s one of those guys right so look injuries are a challenge um so one thing I tell you about that guy he don’t Flinch man he’s been the same guy um throughout the entire deal so and and what a you know last year just an inspirational I mean these guys know his heart they know how hard he’s worked and for him not to be able to play is a big deal but the humility the class the selfishness the way he’s handled the a situation with DJ there relationship his example to the team his knowledge you know I mean one of the reasons why two’s playing like he is out there is because he got to watch gram merch for six eight 10 months you know um so I think that that relationship has been critical and we got a lot of examples like that on our team monel Johnson and Jaden ball jacobe is another example of that so look I think in college football when you get it rolling is when the veteran players are establishing expectations and standards and young players show up they get in line and they do what they see being done you know till you get to that place um you haven’t established anything right and I think this year was the first time I can say with conviction that we’ve established that coach uh over the last three years we’ve heard you say you know stay the course a bunch of times was there a point that you thought that maybe we need a course correction in here and at what point did you think we’re on the right course we really have it now and and going in the right direction yeah I mean I go back to that open date uh that first open date um I walked off to that field on that Wednesday and man I me it’s like abuse out there you know I mean it’s it’s and I can I can ignore it I can kind of control my environment live life but for these young people in the digital world they live in they can’t do that you know they’re they’re they live a life where they cannot do that so just to see them you know sometimes you get to an open date I’ve been on teams where open date is a disaster you know and you’re trying to work you’re trying to come up with plans for improvement but just to see this group man they were like coach what what are we doing what do we need to do you know and yeah I mean just the passion and energy and the way they worked that week in that Wednesday practice I’ll never forget that I walked off that field I said that’s a best practice I’ve ever been associated with in 20 years of college football so at that point I’m like you know we we got to get this figure this out so I think Tennessee was a turning point you know I think in that locker room after the game you know that that was when it was like okay we can do this you know and I think obviously Kentucky another open date what we experienced in Jacksonville you know I just think um Hope’s powerful man and I think uh yeah just proud of these guys man it’s uh sometimes you got to go to stuff you know I mean they’re different because they went through that right they don’t really care what anybody thinks you know they they they care what what the people around them think they care about doing their job and being accountable being responsible to the people around them and I think what they’ve been through is forced them to do that you know and I can say the same thing um football is a conditional game you know you got to find something that’s unconditional um so pretty good crew that was fun that was fun thank you coach all right guys thank you at e okay what did you see on those two interceptions late in the game I just seen the ball in the air and I just told myself uh it’s time to go make a play The Deep ball I mean it was it was a little bit overthrown but uh did he kind of get a sense that you had a really good read on it oh yes uh uh I think it was Shamar James that was in coverage uh he played real good coverage underneath it just gave me time to see a whole picture so I can end up going to make a play Bryce coach Napier mentioned that he had seen you every week in in the training office you know kind of working back from injury what what is that amount of time that you put into that kind of mean to you now that it paid off today with a career career high and tackles oh it mean everything uh coming off an injury uh it uh it was big for me because I never had an injury that put me out so just trying to stay mentally locked in and all the coaches and all the players helping me so it really meant a lot congrats on the win uh I want to go back to the Georgia game over in Jacksonville because that was 2020 against the number two team at the time in Georgia and you came out of there losing that game but still did the confidence really start to grow at that point it you know with DJ being out at that point who knows what could have happened but it just seemed like this team has started to roll since then did do you suspect that as well and tell me a little about what what it has been like this last month I feel like the team I feel like everybody just coming together I feel that’s the biggest thing with this team and uh especially the seniors they helped a lot with this like trying to get the team together even after the losses still trying to stay as one so I feel like after that game it really like showed everybody like we have glimpses and we just trying to put on full display what exactly have you been dealing with physically Bryce and have you ever had a two interception game in your life uh uh I had a little ankle problem but I’m you know I’m out there so I feel good uh and I only had two interception game one time sophomore year so yeah it’s good to bring back memories yes sir uh Aaron Gates goes out third play of the game just how much did everyone have to kind of Step Up in the secondary without him and guessing it was a lot of snaps uh Aaron Gates going down meant really a lot to me I’m very close to Aaron so it kind of affected me and I just thought I I gotta play for Aaron so I feel like everybody came together especially in the back end and came together like we gonna do this for Aon Billy talked about um the open date practice and then the Tennessee game and said those were kind of turning points would you talk about how that how those affected you guys because it seemed y’all were kind of down in the dumps after that leading up to that open date uh I feel like especially the leaders and uh te uh seniors came and brought the team together and we was like how we want the season to be so I feel that played a big part and we all said we don’t want to go out like this so I feel like everybody came together we start working even harder and I feel like it’s starting the show now amazing game by you and by the defense in general a lot of progress from the first game up until now looking ahead to this next week with FSU how excited are you guys about this game how much confidence you guys have going into that game and what are the expectations that you guys are setting upon yourselves for the end of this season uh I feel like we all even kill I don’t feel we going to get too high too low I know it’s Rival game I feel like we going to come out there practice and do everything we’ve been doing to uh to be a great defense so I feel like coming in this game is just a rivalry game but we going we going to show up Bryce when you look at at at everything that’s happened throughout the course of the year I know we went back to the Georgia game but even you go back three games in and you’re one and two talk about the changes with the with the coaching staff and and and and you know kind of where you are right now with with the different things that they were working on with you guys I feel like the coaching staff uh has changed but I feel like the the players are here I feel like we just I feel like uh individually and as a as a whole we just all came together we wanted to change how Florida’s being looked at so I feel like that’s the biggest thing with us just trying to show everybody that we can do it what do it say about this defense I mean you know obviously Old Miss came in you know number one offensive team they they got 456 yards in this game but that you guys kind of bent but didn’t break the whole game M I feel like uh this defense Everybody Plays a part the dline had a great game I feel they helped especially the back in contain uh making him throw uh especially for my pick uh difficult throws and I feel like the linebackers played a big part in my picks also uh just giving him having to overthrow the ball and then the DBS we always going to be together so I feel like just the whole we always coming together this we’re finish up here how much fun has it been the last two weeks to come into the locker room after beating ranked teams oh it feels great and I feel like we should be ranked so we going to keep performing and I feel like everybody going to see how Flo it supposed to be all right thank you guys thank you e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e good all right guys Jo by DJ start yeah DJ what’s it as mean for you guys to have been able to kind of stay the course this season and to get to this point cuz it was a rough September and now you guys are really fine in your stride yeah it’s been great you know you know the September was it was very rough during then but you know we persevered and we continue to work and just continue to trust in what coach Napier was preaching to us you know and I feel like all of our hard work is starting to pay off now well what is it about Billy that he’s able to kind of keep you guys going forward he’s just something it’s something about Coach Nate man he’s he’s a different guy and he’s just amazing just to to follow and just you know to to see how he leads and just do the good do the bad and do the ugly you know he’s going to be the same and that’s all you can respect and I love coach Nate yeah Kevin DJ uh defense held them I think three points in the second half uh just their ability to close out the game what what that meant to you guys in the offense and them continuing to get stops in the Red Zone man it was amazing you know defense came to play you know and I feel like the whole all of our special teams offense and defense everybody just came to play and it was a great team win you know no everybody did their job and it was just amazing to the left again DJ when did you feel this starting to turn this this season this again when did you feel it starting to turn where things were not going well and then things started to work I’d really say uh Mississippi State and then after our bye we kind of we kind of had a mentality that we’re GNA we we can compete with anybody you know and it’s just it’s us against the world you know we’re going to go out there and battle and compete every single day obviously there’s been a lot of talk about the connection between you and Elijah Badger but just like seeing it translate against a top 10 team of all people just like what if what do you think sets you and him as a Duo apart from just like the rest of the competition you know I just say I feel like this the chemistry with all my receivers you know I feel like I have a great commiss with everybody I feel like I know him individually and just having that relationship off the field I feel like that plays a big part and you know me and Bash been connected a lot recently man he’s been making a lot of heck of a plays for me and it’s just a great to have a you know a senior veteran like him to helped me on and off the field so it’s been great and then obviously you know you you mentioned having the connection with all your receivers just being a centerpiece of this team so early in your career it’s a daunting task but you’ve very clearly handled it well just what do you think what do you think has allowed you to succeed to this point and how do you look to keep building on it going forward yeah really nothing but God man God has been leading me throughout this whole journey through my whole journey just playing football you know it’s just it’s just a blessing to have you know just amazing teammates amazing coaches around me and just to develop me and it’s just been it’s been amazing just to have see how everybody rallies behind me and it’s just truly a blessing got yeah it’s always great to have number one in the back field with me man he’s always he’s he’s been a great leader since day one since I stepped on campus and it’s just it’s just it’s just awesome to be back there on the in the back field with him man he’s he’s a heck of a player he makes a lot of good plays picks up protections very well and I think he’s leading the young guys to in in the same direction so it’s just great to have a player like Montreal Johnson and then um on the you know I know you asked about the receivers before and on the note of the seniors um just talk about you know DK Elijah and just how this season especially coming in your first year starting you were able to rely on those guys um you know to help make your job a lot easier yeah those guys been great you know resources on and off the field like I said you know they’re they’re great leaders you know they they have their different styles of leadership but they they definitely are great leaders and I I appreciate those guys for real yeah I was going to ask you one more I mean back in wellis you’re kind of a man among boys but how do you explain being able to like throw passes with people hanging all over you I mean you had three or four like Great Escapes today is that just how do you keep your head in those situation you know we practice situations like this every day believe it or not we do ball security we do pocket movements every single day and every Peri off period that we have any special team periods we’re doing ball security drills and pocket movement stuff so I just say from the development of my uh coach O’Hara you know coach nap and just the plan that they have you know we prepare and those situations that yall seen out there on Saturday hasn’t been the first time I’ve practiced those situations so I just say the preparation from those guys has been amazing go to uh DJ I don’t know if you’ve been asked about this yet this year but how often do you hear the DJ lagway chance and what does that do for you you know to be honest it’s it’s such a team sport you know I really don’t pay attention to that man it’s just it’s all about the Gators man you know no players bigger than the the the program than the brand so that’s how I see it and you know just having my guys rally behind me you know even some of my teammates make jokes about it because they know I don’t really care about that type of stuff but you know it’s a blessing but like I said man it’s Gator football over everything man nobody’s bigger than the brand so yeah on that note Lane kein talked this week about the lagway effect and how this team just plays differently when you’re behind Center how much have you felt that the last two weeks since you returned I feel it a lot man that’s why I just I’m so thankful to have a group of guys around me that trust in me and believe in me since day one you know that they’re going to have my back through the good through the B and ugly you know and that’s all you can ask for especially at the quarterback position when you’re depending on a lot of other guys to make plays for you and to protect you and and to get the ball back for you so it’s just truly a blessing to have such amazing teammates uh congrats on the victory DJ um you know last week you talked about the offensive line and how they kept you up and no sacks today you got caught a few times um I know you’ve probably gotten away from worrying about what will happen if you get sacked but could you talk about just getting up after each of those sacks and and on on the offensive line itself today I know that that this team was uh Old Miss was a much better defensive line in that regard you know my my offensive line batt at the butts off man I’m so thankful for those guys man they come every day willing to work and you know we always communicate about little things that we’re seeing protection wise and just really just having those guys man just around me and I know they’re going to give me their all and I’m going to give them my all and those guys are just tremendous I couldn’t ask for a better from five man seriously Kevin right front yeah we saw you scramble a bit too today and I know you didn’t really run much at all last week I mean is that sign you’re feeling better physically or where you at right now you think yes sir you know I’m feeling better each week you know I didn’t have any setbacks during the game so I’m just continuing to get better and continue the recovery process so it’s good yeah senior it was senior day for Graham Merz did you talk about the relationship you’ve had and what that has meant to you in getting you to this point man Graham means everything to me he’s like a big brother to me you know he’s taught me the ropes man he’s since I got here in January you know it was never no egos in it none of that it’s always just been him just mentoring me and him him leading me and just teaching me how to be a professional especially at this level so it’s been amazing to have Graham um you talked on the defensive performance kind of at the beginning of this but what was it like seeing from the sidelines BR th back to back game uh picks call game twice uh for for the win today man it was great man just seeing how those guys work each and every day you know in the beginning of the season they were getting a little you know talk back you know and stuff about them but they came every single day and battled and worked you know and persevered you know people had to step up and play big roles due to injuries but I feel like everybody contined to get better this year and I’m just thankful to have those guys on the other side you know just working against them every single day is getting me better and devel developing me so it’s been great all right appreciate appreciate you thank you all already have a good one
🚀 Related Hashtags: #Florida #Gators #Football #Press #Conference
Disclaimer: This video is embedded directly from YouTube. All rights to the video and content belong to the original creator, Florida Gators Football. For more details, please visit the original source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz6ob0h5ye8.
