- Joined
- Jun 20, 2010
- Messages
- 35,576
- Name
- The Dude
(On getting the call from the Rams)
“I was extremely excited. I think this is an awesome opportunity, and I was fortunate enough to get the chance to work out with (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Brian) Schottenheimer and (Quarterbacks) Coach (Frank) Cignetti down in Dallas. For me, this is just a great opportunity and I’m really excited about it.”
(On if the workout in Dallas was last week)
“Yes, it was.”
(On how the workout went)
“I thought it went really well. They obviously gave me some things I need to continue to work on, but I really enjoyed what they were teaching me. I got the chance to sit down and talk some football with them, which was great. Again, this is an opportunity I’m really excited for and to be able to learn from some very good coaches and hopefully get the chance to learn from a guy like (QB) Sam Bradford.”
(On if the Rams had a coach or a scout at SMU’s pro day)
“There was a scout there.”
(On if he recalls the scout’s name)
“Yes. Steve Kazor, who is a scout, I believe, down in the area. I’ve actually known him for a long time. He actually coached me in high school about six or seven years ago now.”
(On which high school that was)
“I was at Lake Travis High School, and I believe he had retired from the NFL for a year or two and for whatever reason came down to Austin, Texas, and got a job coaching offensive line and was just with us for a year. I think it was my sophomore year in high school, but it was great to get to reconnect with him during the course of this process.”
(On if he was surprised to see Kazor at the SMU pro day)
“Actually, since he got back into scouting, he’s been with the Rams and I had seen him drop by a couple times when I was young and still at the University of Texas. I had seen him but just to get to say hello, so it was great to actually get to reconnect and really talk with him.”
(On if switching schools turned out to be the best thing for him)
“Absolutely. I would not trade my college experience. Obviously, it was a little bit of a roller coaster, but I would not trade it for anything now. I feel like I’ve learned so much and come so far both as a football player and as a person, so I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.”
(On what it was like playing for SMU Head Coach June Jones)
“Coach Jones, I owe a lot to him. He obviously gave me a second chance to play in college football. I was very excited about the opportunity to get to play for a guy who has been so successful coaching quarterbacks for so long and just learned so much from him as a coach about the game of football.”
(On the high passing offense of June Jones)
“We threw the ball around quite a bit and that makes for a lot of fun. It was one of the things that originally drew me to SMU, and so I really enjoyed getting to toss the ball around, spread it out a little bit and throw it down the field.”
(On his style of play)
“I’m a quarterback that, I would describe myself as a pocket passer first and foremost. I have always, in watching the game of football, I have always tried to model my game after pocket passers. But at the same time, I think I have a little bit of deceptive athletic ability to be able to get out and make some plays with my feet whenever things break down in the pocket. But I would definitely start with pocket passer to begin with.”
(On if he knows Sam Bradford)
“I don’t. He was actually good buddies with Colt McCoy, who I played under when I was at Texas and he was still at Oklahoma, but he’s a guy that I followed throughout the end of his college career and on into his first few years in the league. Obviously, a very smart guy and a very talented player and I’m excited about getting the chance to learn a lot about the game from him.”
(On his expectations of when and where he was going to be drafted)
“My goal going into this process was to put myself in the best position possible to just give myself an opportunity. I was not focused on any of the mock drafts or what anyone was saying about me personally. I just wanted to be as physically prepared for any workouts that I was able to have, such as the pro day and was mentally prepared to do the best I could at any meetings and interviews. So that was my mindset the whole time and, again, I did not have any expectations specifically about where or when in the draft.”
(On if he kept an eye which teams needed a quarterback)
“That was kind of for my agent to decide. Again, my only focus was to get as best physically and mentally prepared as I could for workouts and meetings so that I could create an opportunity for myself, hopefully. Again, I did not know when that would be or what situation I would be in and obviously that’s something I can’t control and that’s out of my hands. I’m very fortunate and very happy that things worked out the way they did.”
(On who he trained with)
“I was out in San Diego. I trained at a place called Fitness Quest 10. It’s a small gym in San Diego and I work out quarterback-wise with a guy named Cree Morris, who is a quarterback coach out there in the area and got hooked up with him through the gym I was at. We worked a lot on staying consistent and staying at one level through my motion, and I feel like he really helped me to become a much better player.”
(On if he’s ever been to St. Louis before)
“I have not. I am really looking forward to it, though. I know a lot about the barbeque. I have to compare it to the Texas barbeque that I’ve been having my whole life, so I’m excited about it. I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”
(On how much better off he feels coming out of college after five years instead of three)
“One hundred percent. For me personally, I’ve had a very unique college experience just having the little bit of a roller coaster ride that I did. I feel like it’s definitely benefited me an unbelievable amount. I’m very fortunate to have been able to play college football for five years. To be able to learn from some of the coaches I’ve learned from and to be able to let my game mature over the course of those five years. I feel like it will definitely do me well in the future.”
“I was extremely excited. I think this is an awesome opportunity, and I was fortunate enough to get the chance to work out with (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Brian) Schottenheimer and (Quarterbacks) Coach (Frank) Cignetti down in Dallas. For me, this is just a great opportunity and I’m really excited about it.”
(On if the workout in Dallas was last week)
“Yes, it was.”
(On how the workout went)
“I thought it went really well. They obviously gave me some things I need to continue to work on, but I really enjoyed what they were teaching me. I got the chance to sit down and talk some football with them, which was great. Again, this is an opportunity I’m really excited for and to be able to learn from some very good coaches and hopefully get the chance to learn from a guy like (QB) Sam Bradford.”
(On if the Rams had a coach or a scout at SMU’s pro day)
“There was a scout there.”
(On if he recalls the scout’s name)
“Yes. Steve Kazor, who is a scout, I believe, down in the area. I’ve actually known him for a long time. He actually coached me in high school about six or seven years ago now.”
(On which high school that was)
“I was at Lake Travis High School, and I believe he had retired from the NFL for a year or two and for whatever reason came down to Austin, Texas, and got a job coaching offensive line and was just with us for a year. I think it was my sophomore year in high school, but it was great to get to reconnect with him during the course of this process.”
(On if he was surprised to see Kazor at the SMU pro day)
“Actually, since he got back into scouting, he’s been with the Rams and I had seen him drop by a couple times when I was young and still at the University of Texas. I had seen him but just to get to say hello, so it was great to actually get to reconnect and really talk with him.”
(On if switching schools turned out to be the best thing for him)
“Absolutely. I would not trade my college experience. Obviously, it was a little bit of a roller coaster, but I would not trade it for anything now. I feel like I’ve learned so much and come so far both as a football player and as a person, so I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.”
(On what it was like playing for SMU Head Coach June Jones)
“Coach Jones, I owe a lot to him. He obviously gave me a second chance to play in college football. I was very excited about the opportunity to get to play for a guy who has been so successful coaching quarterbacks for so long and just learned so much from him as a coach about the game of football.”
(On the high passing offense of June Jones)
“We threw the ball around quite a bit and that makes for a lot of fun. It was one of the things that originally drew me to SMU, and so I really enjoyed getting to toss the ball around, spread it out a little bit and throw it down the field.”
(On his style of play)
“I’m a quarterback that, I would describe myself as a pocket passer first and foremost. I have always, in watching the game of football, I have always tried to model my game after pocket passers. But at the same time, I think I have a little bit of deceptive athletic ability to be able to get out and make some plays with my feet whenever things break down in the pocket. But I would definitely start with pocket passer to begin with.”
(On if he knows Sam Bradford)
“I don’t. He was actually good buddies with Colt McCoy, who I played under when I was at Texas and he was still at Oklahoma, but he’s a guy that I followed throughout the end of his college career and on into his first few years in the league. Obviously, a very smart guy and a very talented player and I’m excited about getting the chance to learn a lot about the game from him.”
(On his expectations of when and where he was going to be drafted)
“My goal going into this process was to put myself in the best position possible to just give myself an opportunity. I was not focused on any of the mock drafts or what anyone was saying about me personally. I just wanted to be as physically prepared for any workouts that I was able to have, such as the pro day and was mentally prepared to do the best I could at any meetings and interviews. So that was my mindset the whole time and, again, I did not have any expectations specifically about where or when in the draft.”
(On if he kept an eye which teams needed a quarterback)
“That was kind of for my agent to decide. Again, my only focus was to get as best physically and mentally prepared as I could for workouts and meetings so that I could create an opportunity for myself, hopefully. Again, I did not know when that would be or what situation I would be in and obviously that’s something I can’t control and that’s out of my hands. I’m very fortunate and very happy that things worked out the way they did.”
(On who he trained with)
“I was out in San Diego. I trained at a place called Fitness Quest 10. It’s a small gym in San Diego and I work out quarterback-wise with a guy named Cree Morris, who is a quarterback coach out there in the area and got hooked up with him through the gym I was at. We worked a lot on staying consistent and staying at one level through my motion, and I feel like he really helped me to become a much better player.”
(On if he’s ever been to St. Louis before)
“I have not. I am really looking forward to it, though. I know a lot about the barbeque. I have to compare it to the Texas barbeque that I’ve been having my whole life, so I’m excited about it. I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”
(On how much better off he feels coming out of college after five years instead of three)
“One hundred percent. For me personally, I’ve had a very unique college experience just having the little bit of a roller coaster ride that I did. I feel like it’s definitely benefited me an unbelievable amount. I’m very fortunate to have been able to play college football for five years. To be able to learn from some of the coaches I’ve learned from and to be able to let my game mature over the course of those five years. I feel like it will definitely do me well in the future.”
