So it is always the fun fun for me to
do. You know, we try to put guys on who
invested in the program and Ryan
Thompson from ST Louis. I brought him
in my office, called his mom up this
morning, told her first, and then I
took him out of the wide receiver room.
Guys went nuts. We did it with proper
social distancing, but they went nuts.
And then, uh, a man, Tim Schaffner. Tim
is from Massachusetts. He's a walk on
offensive linemen and, uh, you know,
put him on scholarship to the same
thing, called his dad and then uh
brought him down in the old line room
and told those guys, and they were very
excited about it. And I'm hopefully
gonna be able to do that, have one or
two more guys, you know, and then maybe
do with a guy or two in this spring.
You know, it's all based on being under
85 scholarships and all that kind of
stuff. Uh, so it's always need to do
with guys
a coach break Garland yelling Fox eight.
You can cast your practice test
practice just been repetitive. Can you
tell the players getting really excited.
And the coaches that that there's kind
of a life in a totally you're gonna be
playing a game here. Nine days? Yeah, I
think they're pumped up forward. Uh,
you know, is you're exactly right.
There's light at the end of the tunnel.
You know, it's it's we got, you know,
tonight, uh, to our opponents and our
first three games, you gonna play
against each other? South Alabama
versus Southern Miss. You know? So I
know our guys gonna be glued to the TV
sets united eight o'clock. Watching
those games,
uh, you know is why you work all this
time, it's been a long camp because in
reality, we came around June the 15th,
and I've purposely have done something
every weekend. So you want to keep him
around and keeping here and keep him
busy. And it's been a lot of work for
the player has been a lot of work for
the coaches, the managers and the
trainers. And then you throw that
testing component in there. We test all
the time. I think I've had that
swallowed up my nose, you know,
seriously. 2025 times since June 15th
we're doing it 23 times a week. So, uh,
you know, the guys have done it as well
and on we but done pretty darn good.
Well, with the testing we've, you know,
done pretty darn well, I think we've
probably test with just football and
the support staff. There's been over
3000 tests, probably. And, uh, we've
got a very low number of positives. And
But, like I tell the guys, not the
positives gonna get you. It's the
contact tracing. That's That's the
That's the issue, you know? So you just
gotta look out for your you know, your
fellow human being your way. We got our
managers and trainers. We got a bunch
of young ladies that have done a
fabulous job of being negative every
time they've tested and and, uh, in the
sports staff andan the player so you
have to sacrifice a little bit right
now.
Crystal bowl that contact tracing. I
would be remiss not to ask France today.
The quarterback room looked a little
late today that injuries are other
concerns. Well, issue got right now is
where uh, we didn't get all of our
results back from last night. from
yesterday, so I'm waiting until we get
our results back. So there's probably
about, I don't know, probably 10 kids
didn't go today because we didn't get
the results back. That's the tough
thing for us right now. Is the
turnaround from the testing, you know,
because, uh uh, we got, uh, 1st 74 we
got yesterday, I got about six o'clock
6. 30. I think only 20 of more players
there, coaches and managers and
trainers. And I was like, Great, it's
everybody's negative. That's going to
get the players. So if we don't get the
result, we don't let him come out here.
And, uh, plain and simple, we've got a
few guys that are in quarantine right
now. We've got it. Ah, a few guys that
have tested positive. They're not out
there with us. But I think what you're
talking about would be because we
haven't got results back that
particular spot,
and I try and I don't want to give out
names and all that stuff on on this
stuff. But, you know, there is where
we're being very cautious, very
cautious, and, uh and I go to Doc
Stewart. Doctor tells me you know what
should I dio you? Don't come back.
Let's don't have in practice. All right?
Help! He's an expert. I'm not
like you're pretty Kobe clean going
into next week, though. Do you feel
like
you're going to be in good shape? Their
hours? Are you a little concerned about
how concerned every day, eso every day?
I'm concerned about it all we do, You
know, it is talk about what ifs, you
know, and we're moving guys around in
different spots, you know, And, uh,
because you and I tell the guys, guys,
you're selfish. Things could decimate
us is quick. Yeah. So, yeah, I feel
great today, Ana. Thursday, September
the third. You know, there's still a
long way to go to the ball game, you
know, were tested. Get on Saturday are
Saturday and there were tested three
times next week and you just keep going.
Just, you know, it's a marathon, not a
sprint to be mentally tough, too.
You'll thrown this curveball in there
as well. It was a different year. It's
not, you know, it's not the same as
other years.
I was. You know, those guys probably
don't think I was young at one time,
but I actually was. And I know guys
want to go out and have fun and do some
stuff you know, was we have a curfew
every night.
I told you guys just keep doing it
until until I tell you otherwise. Uh,
they've been great about it,
Really. It's unusual to have three
straight days off without practicing,
but with all the work you put in before
then you feel pretty good about where
the team is that we look more than a
week before the game.
Yeah, I do. I, uh you know, uh,
you know, big part of Wednesday was we
didn't have the results back and a big
part of it, but, uh, you know, we got a
lot of, you know, we got did some
valuable things. You know, As I said
before that meeting on Monday was
realized eye opener for a bunch of
people, you know, myself included, and
I think it's good to have that dialogue.
And I know I'm just blessed that I get
a coach, you know, intelligent young
man who who think the way they talk,
they think and talk the way they talk
and and, uh, I've just been four. So,
fortune, how few of issues or problems
that we have Lots of credit in My
coaches also do a super job recruiting
quality student athletes and, uh, and
you let comes into play when you go
through hard times like this we're
going through right now, so, yeah, I
would have liked to have not taken
three days off. Uh, but that's how it
worked out. And luckily, we are playing
this Saturday. We're playing the next
Saturday, so we've got time. Uh, you
know, we're gonna go hard tomorrow and
hard Saturday. We're gonna take Sunday
off and get into a real game week.
Really? What do you make of key eons?
Perseverance means like he's, you know,
committed. The Memphis went to solve,
miss, and now you have to sit out. Now
he seems like he's ready to go and just
even hear them speak about standing up
in front of the team and doing that,
you know, on the field, off the field.
Seems like he's really taken on that
role. Great job. And I did not realize
that committed to Memphis as first time
I heard at, but he's Uh, no. He's an
excellent leader. Our guys believe in
him. I don't Coach Hall believes in him.
He's He's up there all the time. I I've
said this before, but I work every day.
Every day. I'm in town. I'm at the
office, at least for
my off days. Five hours, Whatever it is,
he's always up there. I just walked by,
say, turn lights off, Shut the doors
And he loves football. He loves it. He
loves every part about it, and part of
it. He likes being a good teammate.
He's very, very, uh, giving of himself
to his teammates. So I'm excited about
seeing what what he's gonna do this
season for these things, the better
runner than maybe people. Thank any, uh,
and then he also does an excellent job
of managing the game, which is a huge
part of of being a quarterback Nowadays.
There was a story the other day. UCF
It's had 10 players opt out of playing
this year and my corrected number for
you zero in terms of players opting out.
Yeah, we have not had anybody and, uh,
well that I told those guys that
beginning here as I said. You know,
I've heard all these guys doing it all
over the country. Maybe you guys know
something I don't know,
you know? You know, let's wait and see
what's going on and they trust us. And,
you know, if we had some situations
that would be in their best interest to
do that, I'd certainly would that I
could understand ago with health issues,
I really can and and, uh, different
things like that happen. But our guys
they're excited about this year really
are. They've been excited since January
4th. You know, we played Southern
missing our forces bowls. So they're
they're chomping at the bit to get out
there and perform and play. Uh,
you know, So it's it's, uh, you know,
we trust them. They trust us. That's
what you got have and what you always
hope You have a coach at that type of
culture.
Pretty good. Everything else for good.
Thank you all. Appreciate it. Thank you.
