Mark Stoops Kentucky Only Good Football Players, but They Are Great Leaders in MARK STOOPS: Thank You
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Southeastern Conference Football Media Days Monday July 16, 2018 Mark Stoops Kentucky only good football players, but they are great leaders in MARK STOOPS: Thank you. Great to be here back for anchoring what's going on this summer. I'm proud of my sixth. Hard to believe it's my sixth year here at the our team, what they're doing, the way they're working. SEC Media Days. Great to be in Atlanta. Last time I The attitude they have this summer is just what we're was in this venue, I was here with Courtney Love. He looking for. was accepting the Danny Wuerffel Trophy. So it brings back fond memories and great to be here. You know, we've talked in the past about building that capacity. We talked last year about being consistent. Appreciate you, Greg, appreciate Commissioner, what And now it's a matter of just honing in and refining all of he does for myself, the support he gives me, all of us the things that we've been building the past five years coaches, everybody throughout the league. They do a to take it to another level. But I feel very good. I think great job and appreciate him. the experience that we have and the talent that we have is going to give us an opportunity to win each and The media, thank you. Thanks for what you do to every time we take the field, and that's where I talk promote Kentucky, promote the league, and I about embracing those expectations and enjoying that appreciate your hard work. As I move into year six, the and being ready for the grind. biggest thing you look at at Kentucky, the biggest thing I feel is the change in expectation, and that's a good Our coaching staff is back. It's only the second time thing. We're excited about that. We embrace those since I've been there we've had both coordinators expectations. Really it starts with our coaches, our fan back. Eddie Gran on offense and Matt House on base, and most importantly our players. defense. I like our staff and what we're doing, have a lot of confidence in them. So we're excited about the We expect more. We've been close. We've done year. It's always a challenge, but it's an exciting one. some good things. I'm proud of the work that we've done, that we look forward to making a big jump this Q. I wanted to ask about, in addition to your year. We return some players with experience. We coaching staff, I have a lot of respect for Freddie returned some talent. We returned some players that Maggard as your director of player development. decided to forego the NFL and come back to do more, What do you foresee as his role and then also to play with a chip on their shoulder, to win some another young man in your program that he was football games. very high on we talked about many time on my show, Logan Stenberg from my community at We're tired of being close in some. James Clemens High School in Madison, Alabama. MARK STOOPS: Very excited about Freddie. I felt the We want to win and get over that hump, and you're need as I've been there through the five years. One going to get an opportunity to visit with some of those area that we really needed to constantly improve, and I guys that are here today, Josh Allen, an outside don't think any of us colleges can do enough on is linebacker from New Jersey. He's the epitome of developing these players. We're very intentional about development. He comes into our program as a two- developing them. I talked and had the model for five star recruit, 200 pounds. And he's a solid 260 and years. You heard me talk about it before, about build, projected as first-round draft pick. And we're excited select and develop. That's build a winning culture, about Josh. select the right players, and then intentionally develop them once they're on our campus. Next C.J. Conrad, a tight end out of Ohio, another guy, had he not been injured last year had an opportunity to Freddie is a big piece of that. He has great come out and play in the NFL, a big tight end from connections to the state. He has great connections Ohio. throughout the country, helping our player transition not only from high school to college, but from college to the Benny Snell, of course, a guy that's been over a professional world and helping them everywhere in thousand yards the first two years at Kentucky. Not between, so very excited about the addition of Freddie. Rev #1 by #206 at 2018-07-16 18:39:00 GMT page 1 of 5 And with Logan, Logan is -- really can't say enough to watching him this summer. good things about Logan. He is an incredible young man, hard working, physical, inside tough guard. What With Terry, he's a dynamic guy. I don't know if I've you're looking for has great experience and he's done a seen it all yet. Until you get live, you really cannot see lot of great things for us. all his skill sets. Obviously you can see the way he can run. He makes all of the throws. He's an unbelievable Q. Obviously, Benny Snell plays a massive role in worker, but he's dynamic. He's a big, strong guy. And your offense over the last two years already. With he's dynamic with the ball in his hands, too. So I feel the departure of Stephen Johnson, do you foresee good about our options. him getting an increase in the role either running game or passing game this year? Q. How critical is it to the program to finally get MARK STOOPS: I don't know. It would be hard to over the hump with Florida? You guys have come increase. You know he has been a big focus for us, so close. and he's been a work horse. You have to admire his MARK STOOPS: Yeah. I always look forward to that ability to go back day after day and run after run in his annual question here. Until we get it done. I know. I'm consistency. He gets tough yards. You know how not blaming you. I'm going to get it a thousand times tough they are in this league. And Benny's been between now and that game. extremely consistent. You know, my answer, first three or four years, I really I think what is most impressive about him is that wasn't concerned about it. I'm trying to build a culture attitude, that chip on his shoulder, playing the game the at Kentucky and win games and get in position, but you way it's supposed to be done, it's like that every day. do hear it. You can't hide from the elephant in the Whether it's in the weight room, the training session in room. It's been a long time. We need to beat Florida, the summer, every practice, every scrimmage, he goes but we need to beat a lot of teams on our schedule. hard. He's very physical. Our local media certainly talk about that a lot. I would rather say whoa than We don't put too much emphasis on that game until it giddyap. gets there. We do play them early in the season. We'll see. It is what it is. We'll go down there and play them He is one of those guys that once in awhile in practice, early in the year at the swamp. We all know it's a very he's so playing physical when we're not totally live, but tough environment. They have a new change in you'd rather have it that way. He's been very coaching staff. We're familiar with Dan and what he consistent. I think it will help us with the new does and the great job he does. It's a tough game, but quarterback situation that needs to be resolved. It's we're excited, and we'll embrace that challenge when nice to have an offensive line with some experience. the time comes. It's nice to have some tight ends that can play, that can block, be physical and catch the ball. And certainly Q. And Benny, do you feel like he's maybe one of with Benny, that will help. the more underrated players in the game? MARK STOOPS: I do. Q. It looks like you've got pretty good experience on offense everywhere but quarterback. How Q. Outside of the SEC particularly? would you assess your quarterback situation? MARK STOOPS: I do. There's been some star running With Benny as good as he's been, can he be better backs in this league and some of them have graduated and if so, how? as you know. There's been some great players, but MARK STOOPS: Yeah. I believe -- we just look Benny is certainly worthy of the hype that he gets forward to Benny being Benny and doing what he does. because of his consistency. He's done it in this league Of course I just mentioned it goes hand in hand with at Kentucky his first two years, and he spent over a the offensive line and tight ends.