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Nebraska Football
Pre-Oklahoma
Monday, Sept. 13, 2021
Press Conference Video
On the defense starting
“I like it. I like going out there and setting the tone for the game. I always like going out first. It kind of calms me a little bit nerve wise too so I do not have to wait another five minutes or however long the offensive possession is before I get to go play.”
On leading the Big Ten in tackles
“I did not know that by the way. I feel like I have gotten a lot better from week one to week two to week three. I feel like I have put a lot more emphasis on finishing with my tackles. I had a couple missed tackles those first two games. I really wanted to clean up Buffalo. I have to build on what I did against Buffalo going forward.”
On how they are teaching tackling
“Coach (Barrett) Ruud does a really good job at teaching us that you have to scrap and crawl to come up with a body part. He breaches us that almost every day and that just comes with you have to be violent on your tackles and you have to finish the play.”
On the Oklahoma Rivalry
“I grew up in Kansas so I did not know much about Nebraska Oklahoma growing up because they were out of the conference by the time I really started watching college football. But going back especially now looking back it was the biggest rivalry in college football so it is really good to go out there and continue it a little bit.”
On the inside linebackers
“I thought we played really good as a group between all three of us. Garrett Snodgrass and Randolph Kpai I thought they came in and did a really good job. We have a really good group and really deep group.”
On Oklahoma’s offense
“They are a really good team. They do a lot of different type of running and stuff. They are just a good team. Same thing Coach Ruud has been teaching it does not matter who you are playing we have to prepare the same way no matter who your opponent is. How I prepared for Buffalo is how I prepare for Oklahoma. You just have to have your habits and just let your habits take over.”
On Oklahoma’s gap scheme
“You just have to know what to expect in every defensive call we have. Like you have different rules whether it is turn back spill. All of that sort of stuff. It all depends on what call we are in. But we have to know what we are expecting what the formation is. But it definitely changes call to call.”
On Oklahoma’s speed
“They are going to be the best offense we have faced so far this year. They are just a really good team. They are I think fourth in the country for a reason. They are a good team.”
On being named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week
“I did not even know until JoJo came up to me in the weight room and was like ‘hey congratulations man’. And I was just like for what? But that is a huge honor for me. It is just a big honor for me.”
On Nick Henrich
“Nick has been playing at a really high level this year. First two games he played at an extremely high level and he just has been flying under the radar in my opinion. But he is playing very good right now and I think we feed off each other really well.”
On someone who has helped him in the transition to college football
“I think for me it was Josh Banduras. He was an assistant at North Star when I was there my last two years of high school. He helped me a ton with what to expect at the college level and that sort of thing. It definitely would be him besides the coaches and the guys on the team right now that kind of got me going for the college level.”
On his confidence to play
“I feel like I am a pretty hard skeptic on myself so I have always kind of been like I just had a good play that just happens to everybody but I have just been putting my head down and working. Just trying to never be satisfied with my performances.”
On the game against Oklahoma
“There is going to be more publicity for the game but for me it just does not change. It is a nameless faceless opponent for us. You have to prepare the exact same way for any team you play and just keep doing what you have been doing that has gotten you here. Nothing really changes for me.”
On Ryan Greenhagen (Fordham)
“I saw that. He is a really good player. There is not much to say. He is just putting up unbelievable numbers.”
NU Athletic Communications
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