Kevin Sumlin Texas A&M Little Bit Closer to Home Since He's from San Antonio
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Southeastern Conference Football Media Days Tuesday July 12, 2016 Kevin Sumlin Texas A&M little bit closer to home since he's from San Antonio. COMMISSIONER SANKEY: Good afternoon. Our next coach today is Kevin Sumlin. And then filled a void for us as a quarterback who was not just a transfer quarterback but a guy who had real COACH SUMLIN: Good afternoon. Thank you, game experience and had some success. So, for us, it Commissioner, for the introduction, and thank you, was a great match and I think has led to really a guys, for the large round of applause, so... drama-free offseason. (Laughter.) I think people try to lump a lot of things into everything, a lot of things that happened happened during the year COACH SUMLIN: No, seriously, we're excited to be last year. December 31st of last year, we had to make here, like any other coach. We'll get through that part some tough decisions, I did, in the direction of the of it. You guys have been here since 9:00 this program. Some of those were not easy, but those morning. I'll move along pretty quickly myself. decisions were made. I think what is important for you guys to recognize, you We brought in three new coaches. Offensively, Noah know, the three young men that we brought along with Mazzone arrives as offensive coordinator. A guy I us today are great representatives of Texas A&M and known for a number of years, a guy I worked with over Texas A&M football. Myles Garrett has been in our in my career, have stayed in touch with, meet with, did program. I think what's interesting, you got guys in a lot of different things with, gives us an opportunity different levels of the program, which may answer philosophically to be on the same page and a guy with some questions. Myles Garrett, obviously everybody in a lot of experience. here knows, one of the best players in the country, in his third year looking to be the guy that he was last Along with Jimmy Turner who is in the second stint at year and more. He's had an exceptional career so far, Texas A&M. He's a guy that is a great recruiter, great and we look to continue down that road. developer of offensive talent, mainly responsible for recruiting a lot of the first-round talent we've had at Ricky Seals-Jones, in his fourth year, has been in our Texas A&M that's come out of our O-line. program almost since the beginning. A guy that we recruited early. An exceptional talent, but a guy that's And the addition of David Turner on the defensive line looking to continue to improve as he moved from has given us without a doubt the most experienced quarterback earlier, doing everything in high school, to staff that we've had since I've been there and one that receiver. Suffered a knee injury his freshman year also recognizes from their background what the SEC is after scoring his first touchdown, but has been a part of all about since they've coached in it, been in it and some highs and some lows while he's at Texas A&M. understand it. And, finally, Trevor Knight, who has been with us for six So, for us, offensively, we came through spring football. months but has really come into our program and We got great talent at the wide receiver position. shown a real maturity level that we thought that he Everybody knows that. For the first time we had five would have as a graduate transfer, as a guy who has running backs in the spring. Anybody saw our spring won big games, has been involved in high-level game saw we played a bunch of different guys. We'll competition, and obviously has been through some continue down that road with what we want to do. lows, losing his job at Baker Mayfield. And, quite Offensive line-wise, although it looks like it appears like honestly, it was a situation where Texas A&M filled a we don't have a lot of experience when it comes to void for Trevor Knight as a guy who wanted to play, as starts in offensive line, we do have a lot of game a graduate transfer, a guy who wanted to play at a high experience, because our two guards rotated last year. level, be around a program that he thought fit his skill All three guys in there are guys who played for us. And set with some coaches he thought fit his skill set and our left tackle is back. So really we'll have a brand-new some teammates that he wanted to play with, got him a center and a right tackle, Koda Martin, played a little bit Rev #1 by #206 at 2016-07-12 20:37:00 GMT page 1 of 6 of tight end for us last year. in and lead that offense? And then in what ways can Myles Garrett get better than he has been These are guys that have been on the field for us, guys those first two years? that can do the job. The only guy he really hadn't COACH SUMLIN: To your first question, I think any played was our center. Erik McCoy had a fabulous time you have a situation -- and we had some options. spring. And he's trying to block some of the guys we I think what's important is that timing is everything, and have on our defensive front. I'm anxious to see him as badly as the timing was for the guys who left, I grow. would say this: That you don't get a new quarterback and an offensive coordinator in seven, eight days if you Defensively, second year with Chief, I think we made don't have a plan. some strides last year. Obviously, statistically, we were better as a defense. We've got to get better. And our So, obviously, there was some communication at that front is going to be pretty good. We've got two of the point, and we knew what we wanted to do. The rest is best defensive ends in the country in Myles Garrett and what happened since he's been there. I think it's been Daeshon Hall, inside with Daylon Mack and Kingsley his ability since he came into the first team meeting Keke and Zaycoven Henderson, some real 300-pound and sitting there in the front row with his beard, and all guys in there that will be a real rotation and a two deep of the 17-, 18-year-old guys are going: Who is that old of guys that can play with anybody in this league. man? Didn't I see him on TV playing for Oklahoma? Chief said it before, I said it. He feels like and I feel like And his ability to be humble and still be able to share we have as good a safety tandem as there is in the his experiences and talk to our guys, it's been fabulous. country along with Donovan Wilson. We had him as a nickel. He's a great playmaker. And somebody asked me a question earlier, you know, what was -- what went into the decision of naming him The key for us is our second level, how linebackers the starter after this -- after spring football? It was come along. Shaan Washington continues to improve. pretty simple, he earned it. And by earning that, he's We got guys in there that can get the job done who are continuing to earn the other part of it, which is the bigger and stronger. We can be a top-level defense if locker room and leadership part every day. our linebackers continue to improve. So, just from an overall standpoint, philosophically, going in the spring, I So, like I said, I'm really happy there. Myles Garrett, don't think it's any secret for us to be the team that we here's a guy who's phenomenally strong, extremely want to be, the team that we need to be, the team that flexible, powerful, understands, has a better we can be. understanding of the game now than he's had beforehand. We got to run the ball better. Even though we had a 1200-yard rusher. We got to be able to run it a bit And I'll say this also. The best thing that happened to more when we need to run it. Whether that means we Myles Garrett is Daeshon Hall. If you go back to the have to have a 200-yard rusher to do it. I don't think opener against Arizona State last year and everybody that's the case. I know we have enough talent to is talking about Myles Garrett, the fact that Daeshon maybe rotate some guys and get to substantial Hall had four sacks against Arizona State changed the numbers there, and we got to get better at stopping the protection a little bit and got Myles back on track to run. And that was a point of emphasis during spring. having the type of season he has. Fortunately as a head coach that's pretty easy to practice because those two units can beat the hell out For us, those two guys can be dominant players.