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Nebraska Football
Fall Camp Press Conference
Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Linebacker Luke Gifford
On the team’s expectations
“I think ‘rebuild’ is not a word that’s going to be used with us. It’s not what we want. As a senior and some of the other guys on this team, that’s not what we’re seeking out. I know we can accomplish a lot more than that. So we’re going to attack every game, just like we’ve been doing in the summer in the weight room, we attack everything we do. And from week to week, I think we are going to keep getting better.”
On physical condition
“Definitely. Part of the problems I’ve had the last couple of years are just in my body, which maybe just wasn’t ready to play linebacker in the Big Ten. Being a safety, skinny 205 when I came here to being 245 that I am now, it’s a lot different. I feel good, I probably haven’t felt this good ever, really. I mean I’m strong and Coach Duvall has done a good job of getting me back to where I need to be, and then our training staff as well, so I feel really good.”
On who will play which side of the field
“The coaches really haven’t told us much about that yet. I think both sides are pretty interchangeable, unless they decide one of us needs to play one or the other. So, it really could be any combination of backers out there, which is nice. You can be pretty multiple if you can put different guys on each side. And we have a lot of different guys that can do good things, we just need to do something well and we have a lot of similarities, but there's also a lot of differences in the things that we can do, so we are pretty comfortable with the guys we have in our room.”
On the first time they put on the pads
“There’s going to be a lot of pads popping. In the summer, you’re all pent up and doing 7-on-7 with no pads on and someone comes across someone and you act like you hit them. But, everyone likes to talk trash about that and say what would have happened, but now the pads are on and we’ll really see. So for the young guys, getting the pads on and us older guys, it’s nice to show them how it really is for the young guys who haven’t really experienced it yet. They’ll be fine, they’ll be good, but it’s different when you put them on.”
On practice changes
“Everything we did this summer was to prepare us for what we are going to do this fall. I think everyone else, except for me and a few other guys who were out this spring, kind of experienced what practice was like. So everyone kind of has an expectation for how it will be ran and how that works. From what I’ve heard I need to be ready for the warm-up, cause that might be the worst part. So i’ve been ready for that, and we’re excited and ready to roll.”
On being excited for the morning schedule
“I know I am personally. I know a lot of the other guys are too. It will be good to get our stuff done and be able to focus on some other things. It’s nice to have a little bit of a life. We will obviously be able to come back in the afternoon, but it is nice to be able to do that stuff in the morning.”
On needing direction
“I thought Tanner (Farmer) was exactly spot on with that, and then I think overall there was a lot of trust that needed to be gained back. I think that there are a lot of things that were going wrong last year but a lot of guys were second guessing the things that we were doing, and I don’t think there was a whole lot of trust between us and the coaching staff. So when I think when Coach (Scott) Frost came and (Head Football Strength and Conditioning) Coach (Zach) Duval and the rest of the staff. That was the first thing we started doing was building that trust back up and during the summer with Coach Duval we’ve really solidified that. So I think that’s really changed the outlook of our team and the way the guys work and go about everything that we do. It’s been really positive.”
On what Coach Zach Duval has done differently in the weight room
“I think Coach Duval brings a whole new level of intensity. He just pushes us much more than we’ve ever been pushed. In the past we’ve been able to slack if we wanted to, and this is nothing against the past staff but if you didn’t want to do a weight you didn’t have to do a weight. With Coach Duval you’re either going to do it or you’re going to fail and that’s the way it should be. You don’t have a choice. That’s the only way you’re going to be able to get to where you want to be and (Tanner) Farmer squatting 765 (lbs.), he never would have gotten there if he didn’t put on 600 when he was squatting 500 last year, you know. It’s one of those things, you don’t know if you can do it until you do it and for guys like Farmer and a lot of other guys, it’s really paid off.”
On if the excitement has gone down since Coach Frost’s arrival
“No. It’s only gone up honestly. When we got back this summer it was ‘go’ time, and I think a lot of people were so happy with the way that spring ball went and how much different everything had gone it just gave everyone energy and so this summer was - obviously you have a bad day here and there - but we’ve strung together a lot of good days and it was encouraging to see and everyone was very encouraged by the way we did things this summer.”
On the expectations around the program
“For me I expect it, growing up here I know what it’s like and a lot of the stuff the last few years we’ve been deserving of what’s been going on. This is Nebraska, it’s not supposed to be like that and with Coach Frost here the expectations are right. That’s the way it should be, and I think this things going to get rolling and it’s going to get there.”
On if he got upset when he was younger
“Oh yeah, I was just as ticked off as everybody else. If I would have had Twitter then I would have had to delete a lot of Tweets. I was one of them, I understand it.”