Nebraska Football
Spring Press Conference
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Lamar Jackson
On being a senior
“I came a long way. That’s the first thing I think of. I am happy where I am at, football-wise and mentality-wise and all that stuff like that. At this point it is kind of like my farewell tour. I have to give my coaches and teammates all I got for my last ride and just see where it takes us.”
On the DBs progress
“I feel like, as you said, I developed as a natural leader in the room. I was kind of always that guy that had a voice but at times I didn’t use my voice as I needed to or in the right away. I was kind of selfish with it and stuff like that. So now I kind of feel like I give back more in the fact that I am as hungry as I am, with this being my last season and stuff like that coming up. I feel like it just rubs off on the people around me. I have a lot of young guys that look up to me and a lot of guys who appreciate that I do and I feel like once they see me doing it…I mean I set the standard and they just try to match it and that is the biggest elevation right there.”
On the weight room
“They took it personal. Coach [Frost] said at the end of last season that we weren’t big, we got outplayed, the teams were bigger than us and they were stronger than us. So, they made sure this winter that they attacked it. We got DBs in our squad that are high in 600 pounds, I mean [they are] moving weight. I put seven plates on my back. I mean the difference is crazy. At the end of winter I feel like all of the coaches, everybody was happy where they ended up at and going into spring everybody was excited to get out there and switch it up a little bit because we have been hitting the weights hard, running hard, working hard, and competing. That is what I am saying-we are just improving together as a group so I feel like we are happy.”
On the culture of the team versus last year
“I definitely see the change and feel the change. It is kind of like when a new staff comes in there is a whole new set of a bunch of things. You can just say culture in general, culture is just kind of the whole everything in a nut shell. When they first came here they were establishing culture - the little things. Doing the right things - doing this and not doing that. So like now you know, coming into the second year with the staff you know what to expect you know what to do, you have been around it and you have seen the guys that did it wrong and you have seen the guys that did it right. You kind of know what to follow rather than get caught up in the smoke or get caught up like “what should I do?’ Now we know there is only one way to do things and it is the right way. To attack everything we have to do it to the best of our ability. So that is kind of what we have been doing. Like I say, the guys that we have got, the group of guys they kind of know that we had kind of an OK season wrapping it up, but they know what the expectation is for the future season and the future of the rest of this program. Everybody is working their tail off the rest of this season and trying to improve each and every day so I am just happy I am a part of it.”
On the first practice last spring versus this spring
“It feels good. Just for me for example, this is my first year to actually play under a defensive coordinator for two years in a row and even [the same] position coach. I have had a different position coach each year, learning different things which isn’t a bad thing but, like I said I know that to expect now. I know what my coach wants and I know what my defensive coordinator wants, I know what Coach Frost is looking for each and every day. It is not really hard to reach that standard rather than last spring when we first get into spring we [didn’t] know what practice is going to be aren’t out there tired, not knowing and expecting the tempo. But, going into the spring this year we knew practice was going to be fast and we would need to be in shape, make sure you’re good. Knowing what to expect, everyone is just better off. Practice day one was a lot better than last year’s practice day one.”
On the safety position
“It is still early for the jobs. Nothing has changed when it comes to the room and competition. You have to pay rent every day. Safety - we know that is where our weakness is in the secondary. I mean but anyone that plays there they take it personally like ‘it is my time’ and ‘it is my time to step up’ so the guys that we have in place to step up they are on it. They are watching film, they are watching extra film, they are taking all the coaching pointers. [Defensive Backs] Coach Fisher told me and (Junior Defensive Back) DiCaprio (Bootle) for example that we need to know the assignments and calls like a safety just in case because they know everything that is going on they know that we graduate this season and they know our safeties have to develop, but we have a lot of time to develop them so that they should be all right when it comes the time to play this fall. For the most part we are just all kind of learning together and helping to improve each other.”
On what Coach Fisher changed
“He just woke up the competition. He just kind of made everybody compete and made everyone come in here and it ain’t no day when you wake up and say “I don’t feel like practicing” if you don’t feel like practicing then you’ll get exposed today by someone - coach or the chart whoever it may be. You have to be ready to go. Each and every day Coach Fisher is running them dudes and he is going to give it to you just how it is. What you put on film is what you are. If I am showing Coach Fisher a certain way or effort he is going to let it be known and he is going to reciprocate the coaching practice. If you don’t want to practice today, then I don’t want to coach you, go sit on the sideline. It is like that. If you want to be a part of this team then be a part of this team and know what it means. A new rule from day one is that now we can’t even bring phones into the meeting rooms. There is no sneak texting, everyone is engaged and you know that. Like you said we graduated three safeties so it is time for people to step up. There is no time for distractions. If you are playing football or are in these rooms in this facility we have to work. We have to improve, we have to get better because we know we made big improvements from two years ago last year, and we are trying to make another big jump from last year to this year. So that is exactly what we are chasing.”
On if the no phones rule is a player rule or coaches rule
“No that is something that we just got told yesterday. Our phones right here in this basket as we talk in the door. Coach’s [rule.]”
On his relationship with Coach Fisher
“I kind of just grew. Just keeping to myself and knowing what I believe in and knowing what I want out of this thing at the end of the day. Like I said, I have been through a lot of coaches, I have been through a lot of different personalities. It is not like you want adversity but, once you go through it you are either going to fold or you’re going to get through it stronger. I was always the type of guy to fight through adversity. I have been through a lot in my life so it just came naturally. It didn’t really take much it just woke me up like OK get me this stuff and improve. Honestly, like I said I respect my coaches for everything they did and at the end of the day I feel like we see eye to eye in that when it is all said and done they are going to do what they need to do for me and I am going to do the same for them, I am going to give my all every day and they are going to reward me at the end when it is time.”