FOOTBALL | Blake Shapen - Fall Practice Media Session

Opening Statement oh yeah oh for sure BL have you ready we haven't had a chance to talk since the last scrimmage so give us an idea of how you felt it went yeah I thought it was good obviously there's things that we need to improve on um offensively and defensively so all over the board um but overall was a pretty good first scrimmage I feel like everybody played hard the effort was there um we just got to clean up some things uh execution wise so what's your thoughts on the guys Thoughts on the QBs working behind you with Chris and and MVP I think both those both those guys are are really good quarterbacks they push me every single day um they come in to work um we're all doing this thing together getting better together they push me every single day so it's been good do you think maybe the transfer Transfer Portal Experience portal process brought you here but it brought a lot of your receivers and linemen here too do you think that provides kind of a unique bonding experience because it is brand new to all you guys yeah I think it's a cool deal just cuz you know a lot of the team is new and a lot of them are transfer portal guys and and for me to not be the only one come in and be a transfer portal guy has been good for me just because I'm not the only new guy I came in with a bunch of other guys especially older guys too I think we got a lot of uh older guys out of the portal so um just for them to be the same age as me kind of go through the same experiences on a different level um has been good just to to be able to relate with those guys a little bit now that you've seen Urgency everything in full speed in that that screen you guys got you know a little over two weeks left till the first game how much urgency is there to fix those those things that TW and stuff ahead of obviously like it's it's coming up here close so we got to fix some things and that's the goal every day is just for us to get better we're not really thinking too far ahead right now we're thinking about what's what's going on today and things that we can get better at and and that's the path we're moving on so you Trust got a pretty deep running back room and those guys all of them bring something different to the table how much trust have you kind of got with those guys yeah we do have a deep room um I have a lot of trust in those guys um there's some older guys there's some younger guys in the room but you know like I said like we have a good group of uh people on this team and and everybody comes to work every single day and it's been fun to work with those guys uh they work hard just like everybody else so it's been it's been good now that you've Defense been in Camp for a few weeks and had the scrimmage what do you make of the way the defense has looked and playing against them especially with you know them adjusting to the speed that your offense I think the main thing is they play really hard and you can feel the energy that they bring every single day and so they have the energy to them that you know is very special and I think that's a testament to to the old guys that that bring it every single day the young guys have followed so um it's been fun to play against because they push us they don't make it easy on us and and they practice really really hard so if Offense you were great in yourself I me just last few weeks how how do you feel about your grasp of the offense your execution so far in both strates and practices yeah I think you know I've improved a lot just from the beginning of Spring especially but you know even the first day of fall Camp you know I feel like there's been a lot of improvements made um there's been a lot of time put in the meeting room and things like that so you know I feel like there's been a a lot of improvement and so I'm excited to keep keep improving every single day and and learn everything about the offense now that you've been here for you know eight months or so gotten to know coach leby a Coach LB lot you know what kind of just stands out about him as as a coach or is there anything you know that he does differently than some of the other coaches that you've worked with in the past you know I feel like with Coach lby just he pushes us to a to a different level and you know there's never going to be a day that you walk in and you're not going to you know learn something new and you're always learning you're always grasping something new and and you're never you're never you've never made it either like you always got something to learn and and we get pushed every single day not only on the field but especially in the meeting room and that's where we put a lot of the work in is up there and then be able to put it out on the field how different is the Tempo tempo here compared to what you went through with other it's completely different I was in a pro style offense at Baylor so um this offense is is way different I was own Center you know 50/50% of the time and and here it's you know mostly shotgun and things like like that so and moving fast and I've never really done Tempo so this is my first time doing it talk most of the offensive Offensive Line line and besides all their joking they're really seem to be an enjoyable bunch to enjoy working together what's it like working with those guys it's awesome those guys are awesome like I said in the the last interview those guys are are fun to be around they're they're joyful they're happy they're funny uh got a lot of humor in a lot of them so um it's fun they're older guys so like like I said earlier like they're mature but they're also they also got a funny side to him so it's been like I said it's been really fun working with him and and and going through everything with him obviously coach leby you knew Relationship with Coach Heacock him from your time in the Big 12 but take me to your relationship with Coach hich what's that been like kind of getting to know him yeah it's been good like even throughout the transfer portal process uh we built a really good relationship um and and we watched film like even my first day I got here I got here about a week early um in January before everybody else and even in that time like we were up here watching film every single day so we we built that relationship early on and for him just to coach me every single day to push me to to the player that I need to be he does that and uh he's pushing me to be the best I can be every single day but he he's awesome and you know I'm very grateful to have him as my coach thanks thanks