Garrett Nelson Quotes - 12/14

Nebraska Football
Pre-Rutgers
Monday, Dec. 14, 2020

Press Conference Video

On defending against Noah Vedral
“It doesn't really [affect how we prepare for practice this week] at all. It’s just like practice. Last year, you go against high-level quarterbacks like we do in practice. I mean it's going to be fun to poke fun at him once in a while,  if he does play, and get him or get him on the ground or get a sack or something. I mean it's competition so you want to knock his helmet off during the game, but after the game, it's all love. We love him to death. I'm glad he's doing well, but it'll be. It'll be fun. It'll be interesting just like any other week playing against another quarterback…It’s a little trippy, but it'll be like I said, it'll be fun. I mean, we're preparing just like any other week and preparing to get after him and get him to third downs and see if we can't get him on the ground.” 

On his missing teeth
“I'm missing two teeth. That's from Penn State, actually. I don't know what play, I can't remember when it was but a tight end put a shoulder in my jaw and broke my two teeth out. So I've been missing them for a while, [been] putting some straws in there once in a while, it’s pretty fun.”

On if the team is progressing
Yeah, I don't know if I should even say this, but I’m human just like everybody else and I read all the Twitter comments and all that stuff and seeing what people say about us and about our coaches and about our team and I think they're crazy. I think it's very apparent how much better we are as a team and as a defense, as players, as people, we are with the staff with what we're doing in practice every day, especially these last three or four weeks. Figuring out how to become a team, how to be a good defense, how to be a great defense, we're very close, like my teammates said. I think people are crazy if they think otherwise. We're very close to even being an elite defense. We're playing really solid right now, even as a team, but like I said, we’re at the tipping point. We need to [be] more detail oriented, just pushing it to the next level. ‘How can we get better? How can we get better? We're getting better, better and better. How do we push it and keep pushing the envelope so we don't get complacent?’ is I think is the next thing. Like my teammates said, we're really close. I'm really excited to keep pushing the envelope.”

On how the defense has improved on third downs
“It’s insane to me. It kind of amazes me everyday at this level of football how much details and little things do matter. You arm over sooner, you tackle a guy and for two yards instead of four and now it's a second-and-eight instead of a second-and-six. Getting a yard back or two yards back and forcing them into a second-and six-or-eight is a completely different game than third-and-three-or-four. Being better with those details and knowing how we fit and being more aggressive and kind of understanding our defense better and honing those little details down has been a major component to that. Getting teams into third-and-eights or third-and-sixes-and-longs and things like that. Getting better in practice and making sure that third down is our money down. That's where teams and that's where defenses rise to the next level is getting teams off the field. Honing in on those things in getting teams into third-and-long situations where there's a good chance we can get off the field has been a big component.”

On staying motivated
“The older I get, the more I realize it's not really the situation you’re in, it's the people you're with. It doesn't matter what I go through with these guys, it doesn't matter what happens. I know that I can rely on them to show up every day with the mentality the same as me, wanting to get better, wanting to improve what we've done, loving each other. I mean it amazes me and it’s incredible to see how great of guys we have on this team to make sure everybody is OK. Make sure everybody is like, ‘Hey, you know you doing alright? You know we gotta get going at practice.’ Making sure, checking everybody and holding everybody accountable to stay mentally locked in and be ready to go attack meetings, go attack practice. Keeping everything organized and keeping your mental focus in the stadium [rather] than somewhere outside or thinking about some other things or [saying,] ’Man, I'm tired.’ Man, you know everybody's tired so nobody feels bad for you. We gotta stay locked in and it's awesome to have teammates that to do that for you, how much they love you.”

On the camaraderie
“It's been magical to watch how the mental mindset of guys have changed. The belief of what we're doing and what they're seeing, how we're playing. Having that belief and looking around and looking at the guys and be like… Coach Dawson had a meeting after practice on the field and it’s been stuck with me. Football is special in the sense that these are the guys that you're gonna be talking to your kids about 40 years from now. There's no other sport like it you look. You’re gonna remember the Simon Otte’s. You’re going to tell people, you're gonna tell everybody about him. In football especially and realizing that these are the guys that you're going to have and these are the dudes that are gonna have your back no matter what. Having that mindset and having that belief, you start to be around each other more. You start to care about each other more. You play with each other. You love the energy. You love the excitement and living in that shifted the mindset this whole year constantly, especially through this weird year, these trying times, the love for one another definitely was expressed. It has been and will continue to be expressed for a very long time, especially during this year. And it's been awesome to be around all these guys during the year. I don't know what it was, but I think it was just a belief and the mindset that these guys had every day in the shift.”

On if Minnesota surprised them
“No, I mean we knew they were one of the best, if not the best, rushing offense in the Big Ten and probably top whatever in the country. We knew that going in and besides, I think it was three runs, I think we did really well. Held them, besides those three runs that they broke out, I think we held him under 100-some yards. So like I said, those details that we that we hone in on every week do matter. They obviously get brought up in these games, like these big games. I mean, a Big Ten opponent’s a Big Ten opponent. We’re one of the best conferences in the country, so you can't just cruise by everybody. And we know that and we tell each other that every day, every week and we knew that going in.”

On if he wants another season with the seniors and if he’s talked to them about coming back next year:
“They all know it. I don't have to tell them. They feel that, like I said, the love that we have for them and the appreciation we have for them. They know how good we are now and how good we can be if they stick around for another year. If the time is right with different guys expressing that, but I know that every single one of them feel how much they mean to us and how much we would love to have them back. Coaches expressed it. I think we've all expressed it in our own way, but they definitely have the vibe of what we want as players.”

On the eligibility freeze
“I’m just playing football, I don't know. I'm just happy to be here man, playing football, having fun. Trying to make [the most of it] as much as possible every game, every week, every practice. So, never really thought about it.”

On his progress this season
“Compared to last year, as a player, I feel like I've improved a ton. I'm nowhere near where I want to be as a player and as a person, but I have definitely improved and I believe it shows on the film and on the game on Saturday or Friday or whenever we're playing. A lot of credit goes to Coach Dawson and Coach Chins (Chinander) and pretty much everybody help me out. Getting me right every day and holding me accountable every single play, not letting me lapse back into bad habits or being complacent. I give a lot of credit to them, almost all of it, but I truly try working my hardest every single day and I do. You know, I don't really like talking about myself, but I feel like I've done a good job as a player, getting better and progressing.”

NU Athletic Communications