Podcast Links:
How We See It:
Twestion: “I like his legs, he doesn’t stop his feet, he finishes the tackle, he drives his legs.” Which member of the BYU secondary was Ronnie Lott talking about?
Criddle: “He’s talking about Chris Badger and this is so awesome.”
Criddle: “If I had the opportunity to have Ronnie Lott gush over my film like this I would be elated.”
Criddle: “I would’ve given anything to have him talk about me like that.”
Criddle: “I can’t wait to see him play at LES.”
Dickson: “I think one of the two safety positions is open for him to claim. Plus, there are bound to be suspensions and maybe Chris will get a chance to start.”
Dickson: “His family has been very prominent at Timpview for years and Chris seemed to have everything going his way.”
Dickson: “2015 is a critical year for Chris Badger to make a name for himself.”
Criddle: “My question is if he’ll be able to cover like some of these other guys.”
So’oto: “He’s built and moves like an NFL safety. He’s about 6’1″ 220.”
So’oto: “We were doing a work out and Chris strolls out wearing shorts for another school and I told him he needed to take them off or go and change.”
So’oto: “I think everyone starts to get a sense of urgency the closer and closer they get to their senior year.”
So’oto: “I always tell guys to always prepare like they are a senior because that’s how it is in the NFL.”
Derwin Gray Interview:
Gray: “I was trying to tell my kids that I am a legend at BYU but they don’t seem to believe me.”
Gray: “I’ve been married for about 23 years. God in his awesome ways connected a kid from the hood and a girl from Montana.”
Gray: “I’ll be in Provo from August 17th-19th doing some leadership training for the BYU football team.”
Gray: “My son is a rising freshman. He’s 5’11” size 14 shoe, 170 lbs, never lifted weights and can dunk a basketball.”
Gray: “I am proud to be his father and he makes me a better man.”
Gray: “The camps that he’s been to he’s moved from middle school to high school.”
Gray: “If he continues to work hard he could have a future playing.”
Gray: “When I was in HS I used to watch the late night games on ESPN and I’d see Robbie Boscoe and learned what they were about.”
Gray: “I wasn’t sure about going to BYU until they put a brother on a snow mobile and I was ready to commit then.”
Gray: “I knew I’d have a chance to play early, that I’d play for a legend, and I’d get a degree which is important for life.”
Gray: “Going to BYU is one of the top 5 decisions I’ve ever made in my life.”
Gray: “My first two weeks there I was blown away, I was like ‘Where am I? Where are people with different skin color?'”
Gray: “When I came to BYU I was on a quest, I wanted to get a degree and have an opportunity to go to the NFL and BYU gave me that.”
Gray: “The school was great. I freaked the first time I took a test and a professor left the room during the test because he trusted the students.”
Gray: “I had great people who supported me during my time there. George Curtis who was the head trainer was one guy.”
Gray: “I remember being at practice and Coach Chow would let me play QB from time-to-time.”
Gray: “I look back as a 44 year old man and I realize that I’ve experienced some pretty cool things and it means a lot to me.”
Gray: “I try to help BYU out where I can in helping players realize why they should go to BYU.”
Gray: “I think that BYU needs to have that spiritual guidance with the team.”
Gray: “All these teams in the SEC and ACC have a team chaplain who helps with their spiritual and leadership needs.”
Gray: “If I wanted to recruit minorities to BYU I’d recruit the mama and tell her that this environment will make her son a better man.”
Gray: “I was the last defensive back to get drafted from BYU and that was 20-22 years ago.”
Gray: “I was looking at some of my teammates and I was like, ‘Some of these dudes got old, I still look good.'”
Gray: “I realized that I was a part of building a legacy. I looked at the practice fields, the stadiums, it was amazing.”
Gray: “BYU Football is a narrative and every play is a letter in the story. What impact do you want to have?”
Cougar Insider Report:
Dickson: “Right now, the only conference that’s open to BYU is the Big 12 and I don’t know that it’ll be around much longer.”
Dickson: “I don’t see it as a great fit or being stable for BYU.”
Jen Rockwood Interview:
Rockwood: “I think we’ll be really strong in the goal this season, we have some good competition coming into this year.”
Rockwood: “Ashley Hatch is an incredible competitor. She’s been here since June working out and I imagine she’ll be more dominant than last year.”
Rockwood: “There are so many kids playing soccer in the area and we’ve decide to do a BYU Soccer Academy and it’ll help out with those who play premier league.”
Rockwood: “Madie Lyons and Nadia Gomes are both local girls who have great talent and we expect big things from.”
Rockwood: “I love that the fans have really embraced the women’s soccer team.”
Rockwood: “We played a lot of these girls in college and it’s amazing to see this passion.”
John Beck Interview:
Criddle: “You and Taysom Hill really epitomize what BYU is all about.”
Beck: “I really worked on being a pocket-passer at BYU so I’m grateful if that’s how people remember me. But I got on the field because I could run around and make some plays with my feet.”
Beck: “I lost a ton of weight on my mission, I barely weight 175 lbs.”
Beck: “I had to get in the weightroom and work my butt off.”
Beck: “When I was a freshman, I found my way on the field because of my feet.”
Beck: “Steve Young pulled me aside after I was hurt and he told me I had to cut down on the running.”
Beck: “I don’t think it’s quite as ideal to get Taysom to stop running because he’s so talented and that’s what he’s best at.”
Beck: “I think the biggest thing for Taysom is learning when to get out of bounds and learn to slide.”
Beck: “I remember coming back to BYU and I was talking to Coach Omer and he showed me this kid who was squatting 500+ lbs, it was Taysom and he’d only been back from his mission for a few months.”
Beck: “Sometimes it’s better for kids to get help out of a team setting opposed to a team setting.”
Beck: “To be a thrower, you have to be built like a thrower. Taysom also needs to be built like a runner.”
Beck: “I had the chance to throw and work with Taysom and he has a lot of the tools you need to succeed.”
Beck: “QB’s don’t make huge leaps, it’s a steady progress.”
Beck: “There’s way more to the equation than talent and skill, it’s repetition.”
Beck: “Max and I had the freedom to add and make adjustments based on what we saw in games.”
Beck: “Taysom will need a lot of passing reps heading into this season.”
Beck: “When Gary left, his offense was starting to click for me.”
Beck: “His offense was great for experienced players but inexperience showed.”
Beck: “There were reads we would change throughout the year based on experiences in games.”
Beck: “That senior year was a collection of my experience and everything coming together all at once.”
Beck: “When you can look at your receivers and they can look back at you and know they can trust you, that’s huge.”
Beck: “It’s so crazy to be back together with John. Neither of us ever thought we’d be playing up here and it’s so cool to play together.”
Beck: “Our starting QB Travis Lulay loves to throw to Austin.”
Beck: “I’m trying to enjoy what football I have left in my tank.”
Beck: “We both had different experiences in the NFL, but I know we’re both grateful for the opportunities we had.”
Beck: “Maybe for Austin, if he does some things he could get some great opportunities.”
Beck: “I had a teammate who once told me that he would follow me if I dropped the f-bomb and I told him no way. He should follow me because I’m a leader, not because of how I cuss.”
Dickson: “I remember there was a time that John was playing CSU and had a great game. He threw a pick in the end zone and after the game he pulled aside the DB and asked why he broke that way because he had broken the opposite way every other time on film.”
