WMU Football | MAC Media Day 2024 (Damari Roberson, Hayden Wolff, Lance Taylor)

dear at the Mac media day the Pro Football Hall of Fame here in Canton uh you guys got a private tour yesterday uh you know what' you think of it uh it was actually great it was good to really know the history of the sport that we playing and stuff like that and got to get a lot of great facts and information from the uh tour guy heading into your final year here at Western Michigan you get to be a leader on the defense um you know what's that mean to you uh it means everything cuz I got to see I got to see this program from when I when I got here and stuff like that not having the success that we wanted and just the overall chemistry and stuff that we got on the team it's just it's just great to be around and great can't wait to see these guys shine and ball out talk about chemistry and you got a linebacking Corp that's been together for quite a while you got to be excited about that for this year oh yeah most definitely it's always great to like be in the game and you know we we have a we have a saying see it say it and those guys have seen a lot of football played a lot of football so I can just trust them without having to be worried about what they got going on and stuff like that one of the guys that gets in the lineup next to you uh Jake Walberg who's a a fellow Mona Shores graduate a couple guys on the team there from your old high school you know what does that mean to you and get to see your old high school do so well and and produce a lot of talent uh just it just it's a great feeling because all the hard work that we put in and Coach kak they run a great program over there they're really they're really into like just developing us as human beings not just as football players it was it's a great experience to just be playing next to my teammate somebody I played with in high school you got to uh play the NCA football game there earlier uh get to play as yourself I mean just how cool is that oh man it's a dream come true it's legendary I'm like one day I'm going get to show my kids show show friends and stuff like that like yeah I was in the game and it's been going for NCAA has been going for a little bit so coming back and being on the first one back is just it's a great feeling man all right thank you thank you well Hayden uh here at Mac media today at the pro football Hall of Fame you got to see this building yesterday you know what did you what' you like about it it's awesome you know just a lot of history um you know I have a lot of respect for the game and being able to kind of see that firsthand you know it's really cool you know being from Florida I don't get much opportunity to you know come up here to Canton and and see things like that so for my first time first visit I'm definitely going to be back someday um later on but it was just really cool to kind of see the history of the game absolute ton of Florida guys in the Hall of Fame too oh yeah big time uh little different for you this year you know last year you're just getting settled into things in kazou and now you know coming here as as the starting quarterback um you know how's the preparation differed and you know what are you excited about now that you have the the adequate time for everything yeah preparation is the same um you know coach Taylor can speak on it too I I prepared last year just like I was going to start you know from game one until the end of the season prepared the same way every single week um it's kind of something that I that I pride myself on and you know it's definitely one of my strengths is the way that I prir so um nothing's changed there you know I'm just going to keep keep doing my routine um you know I've kind of built it over the years you know through being a starter and stuff like that so um just continuing to find ways to to make that better and and find what's going to help us win not that anything really comes easy in college football but how does having an offensive line like that that didn't really lose much from last year make things a little easier for you in the back field yeah I mean the fact that we were able to return all those guys um you know and you know Jake and and Addie you know those those two guys being returners and you know choosing to stay I think it kind of speaks to what we have going on you know and and what coach Taylor's been building here um you know both those guys had the opportunity to go somewhere you know and a couple guys in our team did but they chose to stay and and I think that's a big Testament to you know what we've done you know as a team and in the culture that we're building some older weapons returning Kenny wac Blake bosma and mixing in some new wind outs you know how do you feel about your options there uh thr down the field yeah you know those guys are great this summer we've just been building our chemistry you know that's what the summer is about so you know I'm I'm really grateful to have those guys um it's probably one of the best receiving cores in tight end groups that I've been a part of you know especially being able to be behind our offensive line I think you know we can accomplish our goals this year as long as we kind of stick to the plan all right thanks Hayden thank you appreciate it well coach we're here at the Pro Football Hall of Fame for Mac media day you got to see a little bit of it uh in more of an intimate setting there last night with a with a private tour what do you think of it yeah it was a great venue they treated us really well it was really neat it's the first time I've ever been through the museum and I got to see some guys that uh I was fortunate enough to be on teams with in the NFL and coach and uh that was pretty cool year two for you um you get a kind of a much Fuller off season than you had last year coming in um you know what have you done differently or have you tried to keep things as much as the same as you could yeah I'm really excited for year twoo um one we bring back so many guys who played for us last year understand what the expectation is and the foundation that we laid last year and now they're taking ownership and accountability and they're able to lead the young guys or new guys and really um you know put their signature on what our team will be dealing with life in the transfer portals is something that everybody has to do but the amount of talent and guys that you were able to keep um you know what does that say to uh what you're building here yeah I'm really thankful for the buyin of those guys I mean you know uh counted it up last night I mean we've got 26 guys returning that started games for us at some point last year um and so we've got a strong core nucleus and so to return all of those guys who are going to be you know helping us again this year um are really you know thankful for that group uh they believed in each other the Bronco Brotherhood but then also you know believed that that we could be special this year and put together a special year and uh I'm excited to watch them uh put on display all the hard work that they've you know started a year ago always have coaching changes in the off season um you know rebuild the staff and some guys go on to to to improve their resumes and everything and what do you like about the staff that you've built now for year or two yeah um our staff's done a tremendous job you know we play six you know fulltime coaches all three coordinators uh we brand new um and then we replaced or brought in 20 new support staff uh members within the organization and so you know it feels like a new year a new team and really it helped me understand that you know uh each year has its own obstacles no matter how many guys you're bringing back no matter how long I've been here um each year is a new year and uh you have to attack it that way and really proud of the effort and buy in that we've gotten from the staff and you know we brought in 20 transfers and then also 25 you know high school recruits so uh big chunk of our team is new and so they're learning what it is what the bronos standard is for the very first time and that's where I'm thankful for our core leadership and our older guys because they've really led the way one leading by example uh but making sure those guys understand what the Bronco standard is what that means uh to to wear that Jersey it's earned not given you're a couple weeks out from Camp starting what what's kind of the point where you can't really contain the excitement for the new season yeah I mean really M Mac media days is kind of the kickoff it signals summer is over and football is here and um it really uh you know it's it's bittersweet summer's gone uh but really what we live and die and breathe to do uh is here which is exciting and you I tell you you know we got in you know yesterday and toured the museum had head coaches meetings I couldn't sleep last night uh I didn't I didn't sleep a win and so just the excitement the buildup and uh really ready to get this season going all right thanks coach thanks