Nebraska Defensive Back Marques Buford Jr. Pre-Maryland Press Conference

On the hardest part of the last year
“The hardest part for me, I would say, was patience. Coach Rhule and Coach Coop (Evan Cooper), they emphasized to me when they first got here, ‘we’re not going to put you back out there until we feel like you’re 100% ready to go, and it’s not going to be a day sooner.’ I feel like my teammates were probably the biggest help for me in getting through this and getting back because I don’t think I would have wanted to come back to play with another group of guys other than the guys I’m with in the locker room. I would say the team and the coaches probably, they helped me out a lot. Just having confidence and keeping the love and passion I have for the game.”

On what it was like getting back on the field
“I’ve been practicing for the past few weeks. Being out for 10-11 months is never going to be like just hopping back out there and going right back to what you’re used to. Over these past few weeks, I’ve acclimated back to where I was before, I feel like.”

On what it will mean to him to play in Memorial Stadium
“It’s going to mean the world, being able to come back into Memorial Stadium and play in front of our great fans. It means the world to me to be able to step into that stadium and play on that field any chance I get. I don’t know, when you haven’t done something for a while, it makes you that much more appreciative of it. I’m excited.”

On being able to have another year to show his brother the ropes
“I talk to my little brother often, so I’ve been telling him since before he committed – I knew he was coming. Once he gets here, it’s time. He knows, we know as a family what it’s going to be when he gets here.”

On what he likes about the new scheme 
“Every part of it. Coach White not lets us off, but lets us loose and he just wants guys that play hard and I feel like that matches a lot of what I do and a lot of what we do as a team. The guys we have on defense, everybody plays hard and it’s been that way since they’ve all been here playing football. I just feel like it gives us a good balance because we’re intense guys and Coach White draws up the scheme to fit, I feel like what we do best, and that’s running around fast, getting to the ball and playing aggressive.”