Luke Gifford Quotes

Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Monday, Aug. 27, 2018
Pre-Akron

Luke Gifford
Senior, Linebacker

On the excitement to seeing the reaction of fans when Coach Scott Frost leads the team out on the field
"Man I'm super-excited. Even this last weekend for the Boneyard Bash and having the students out, you can see the excitement is outrageous. I'm really excited for this weekend."

On the emergence of Tyrin Ferguson, a projected starter at outside linebacker
"I'm super-proud of Ferg. He's gone through a lot, position changes, coaching staffs, just like everyone else has. He's worked his tail off in the weight room and especially in the film room. He's always staying after during fall camp and watching film. He always asks me questions and I'm bouncing stuff off of him. It's really cool to see where he's at because he has put in a ton of work and is ready to go make plays on Saturdays."

On what it meant to be named a starter after coming off of an injury
"It was a grind. I didn't really know what to expect, to be honest, and I'm just grateful to be able to get the chance to do it again. To be out there Saturday with the boys, that's all I can ask for."

On helping a young guy like Caleb Tannor, who is in the two-deep at his position, feel comfortable on the field
"It's big (helping out teammates). I remember when I was young, my first game starting against BYU, how much Bando (Josh Banderas) and Mike Rose helped me. A lot of that came in the film room and just studying everything you could possibly study. Coach (Jovan) Dewitt and the rest of the coaching staff does a great job of getting us prepared for things like that. It's my job as an older guy to be there for Caleb and getting him ready for those things. He's a good kid and super-bright, so he'll be fine."

On how quickly Tannor has picked on the defensive system
"Even in the summer in 7-on-7, without much coaching, he's been that way since he got here. It's no surprise to see him (in the two-deeps)."

On if they have a numerical goal for how many turnovers they hope to force
"You know, we haven't really talked about a number, but in practice we have put a huge emphasis on getting after the ball. Any opportunity we have to get after the ball, we have to get after it. It makes a big difference in the outcome of games."

On the improvement of freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez
"I was out last winter, and I could tell what kind of kid he is. He worked his butt off and he has the confidence that someone should have when they start as a true freshman. You can ask any of our teammates and I think they would say they have all the trust in the world in him. He's a competitor, he works hard and he demands respect from his teammates."

On what graduate transfer safety Tre Neal has brought to the team
"Oh man, Tre has been awesome. You know, the communication from him has been great, that's one of the most important things about defense, you've got to be able to communicate. Tre knows what's going on all the time, so he's been huge on that front."

On the challenges of keeping emotions in-check on Saturday night
"You know it's tough. We've got a lot of young guys. So as the older guys and the vets, it's important for us to stress that. There's going to be things that happen and adversity, things that might not go our way. But we've got to keep a level head, it's not easy man. There are 90,000 people out there screaming and yelling. It's important to keep your head and know that you just have to play the next play. It's always about the next play."

On the added responsibilities of the defense that come with having a young quarterback
"I think we have a lot of responsibility. It wouldn't matter who was back there, we have to take care of our end of it. I'm not worried about them at all, they have to do their job and we have to do ours. We'll take care of it."

On what the atmosphere will be like on Saturday for the team and people across the state
"It's super-exciting, it's the start of a new era and since last January there has been all this excitement that's been built up. I'm happy for the state, our fans and our team, really. Everyone has been working their tails off since Coach Frost got here. It's all finally here, so it's exciting."

On how much the defensive line has developed since last year
"That's coaching as well. Their bodies and how strong they are is a big change. They are so violent in everything they do, they attack everything. It starts with [senior defensive tackle] Mick [Stoltenberg]. He's been a great leader for us and has really taken charge of that defensive line."