Jake Cotton Quotes

Jake Cotton
Offensive Lineman
Nebraska Football
Press Conference
Monday, Aug. 25, 2014
Pre-Florida Atlantic

On Nebraska's Offensive Line
“To be honest we’ve been rotating a lot during practice but as far as game time decision that’s up to (John) Garrison and we will run with whatever he wants to do.”

On being named a captain
“When Coach Bo (Pelini) announced it yesterday that me and the rest of the guys were named captain, it was obviously a tremendous honor. It was hard to put into words what it means especially being here for five years and playing with everybody it was just a tremendous honor that your teammates would put you in as a captain.”

On dad’s (Barney Cotton) reaction
“I had a handshake with my dad walking out onto the field yesterday, I could tell he was very proud and I was very lucky to have that moment with my father after that, because the other four guys who were named captain weren’t lucky enough to be able to shake their dads’ hand after getting news like that, so I’m really lucky to have that.”

On his path to Nebraska
“I think that makes it that more specia. I wasn’t a highly recruited guy, that’s no news to anybody but I didn’t come in here with a chip on my shoulder or trying to prove people that I belonged I just kind of ran with it. It’s been a long five years getting hurt, moving positions, playing tackle, playing guard. I’ve had tremendous support from coaches to players and basically everybody I’ve come into counter with over the last five years from the Hewit to the Sports Medicine to Strength and Conditioning, just tremendous support that helped me get to being able to be a captain.”

On realizing he will be playing on Saturday
“About last week when we started shifting our focus to more FAU in meetings and kind of feel it and then when we got the field Saturday, with our walk-thru, kind of our last day of camp going over certain things and we just knew we were in game week. We could feel it, we knew we were a week away. Me and Mark Pelini were talking in the locker room and we were like “It’s here, it’s finally, finally here”. It gets old going against Big V (Vincent Valentine) and Maliek (Collins) so we’re excited to get to hit some other people and go out there and compete on Saturdays.”

On the feeling coming out of the Tunnel Walk
“It’s hard to explain, it’s just so much work and so much preparation. It’s finally, finally there and it’s finally in front of you. You’re finally getting an opportunity to go out and play and really compete against another team.”

On the starting four on defense
“I think they have a chance to be pretty special. They’re hard workers, they’re very talented, and they have chemistry that they play really well together, and it’s not just the top four. Guys like Jack Gangwish and guys just coming off. I’m as confident with the guys just coming off the bench as the guys we’re putting in there to start the game.”

On reminding the other guys on the line when things aren’t going great
“You have to take that into account but you always want to win during camp. You always want to walk off the field thinking that you did your job and that you put the backs and the quarterbacks in a position to make plays and they never want to say, “well OK they’re really good” but it makes it a little easier if things don’t go well.”

On the bond that you have with Offensive Lineman Alex Lewis
“Alex is a fantastic player to play next to. I knew the day I hosted him on his official visit back in May of 2013 that he was going to be perfect fit within our room, within our culture and even add to it. He kind of had a tough road to get to where he is today, but last fall when he wasn’t with the team and going to school he was still coming around with us, and so I never really lost contact with him. I always stayed in touch when he was going through stuff. Playing next to him, he’s fiery, he’s competitive and there really wasn’t any learning period with us. It just kind of clicked right away last spring.”

On the nickname “Hell in a Helmet”
“That’s kind of become our motto or what we try to achieve as a group. I’m not sure where Coach (Tim) Beck got it from. I know it has military origins. I think it was a tank division. I think that’s an honor to be compared to something so special and kind of bad “you-know-what”.”

On who the name “Hell in a Helmet” applies to
“To the whole group without a doubt. We've got guys in our room that are ready to compete, ready to get down and not afraid to get our hands dirty. I think we got a great room this year. We’re going to have great guys out on the field, guys who aren’t worried about me or worried about themselves. They’re just ready to go out there and attack.

On the traits that are unique to the left side
“I think me and Alex are just trying to do the best job we can to lead the group, but we’re lucky to have a group that doesn’t need a whole lot of leading. Every guy who will see the field, I think even the guys who won’t, have brought a certain level of intensity to spring ball, and to the offseason workouts and everything, so to say that me and Alex have something that the other guys don’t, I think is irresponsible because I think there’s a room full of tough guys who are ready to go out there and kind of lay down the line.”

On the confidence that he has noticed from Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr.
“Yeah I think so, I think that just comes with age. He’s grown so much (since) his first start last year, I think it was South Dakota State, the first time he saw time last year. I’m really proud of the kid, he’s come a long way. Somebody used to tell him last year before games that he was our guy, and that we wouldn’t let anyone else back there but him and just kind of reiterate that message this year that we’re excited to have him back there and that we got his back.”