Maryland Football | Billy Edwards Jr., Jordan Phillips and Nolan Ray | Weekly Press Conference

I see do remember said [Music] [Music] how's everybody doing how's everybody doing gooded shirting last year red shirting last year only three carries First Carry you go for 48 yard touchdown just how rewarding was that it was amazing you know um had to put in a lot of work being hurt last year just a lot of grinding not really getting you know playing a game with my guys have fun so I couldn't ask for it to go better hey Nolan um how much is Roman's I guess kind of running style and off the field leadership I know he talked about taking a big step there how much have you seen him grow from last year to this year how much do you lean on him uh a lot and being in a room with a guy who did things so well but it's so determined to keep getting better just shows me that you know you're never good enough you always got to work there's always something you got to improve on so being able to look to him for GU or you know leadership um as I was getting healthy getting familiar with the Playbook and things like that was huge hey Nolan uh two for you one coach Loxley had been mentioning your name every time we were here and just what kind of uh did that do for you to have that belief from your Co and and to know that he believed in you and then obviously to see it come to fruition in your in your first game it's nice just a reminder to keep working um hearing stuff like that just reminds me I got to go out and practice every day and prove him right you know even though it's just us out there I got to prove it to myself I got to prove it to him and that's just what I'm trying to do every day at practice and you had a teammate lose his father uh Josiah mclen and we saw him score the touchdown everybody in the locker room after what can you say about how your team was there to support him and for him to have that moment um what was that like for you as one of his teammates I think one it speaks on the type of team we have you know everybody was there for him um supporting him loving on him but then for him to stay here with us and playing that game I mean it's special and then he ended up scoring a touchdown so like you can't ask for anything better than that it's just hey Nolan the the guys in front of you the five guys in front of you all playing together in a game for the first time they aced themselves excellently how did it feel from your perspective in the back field field working with a line that that was really their first time playing together all five of them they did great I mean you know that was something we worked on our camp trying to fit guys in certain spots see where guys shined at and they did amazing I mean like it opened up as soon as I touched the ball on that first run so yeah Nolan uh Big 10 schedule kicks off with you begins with a bang what's it like playing a conference game this early in the season something that's not happened since Maryland was in the ACC it's different I mean you know you're entering a different season once you start to play in the Big 10 it's going to be a tough physical game just like Yukon was but I mean you know Big 10 football is a little different so um just kind of having that focused mindset going through practice this week and you know one of the cliches of the game is that the team a team improves the most from week one to week two where do you want your unit and maybe even your position group to make strides between week one and week two just the little things the little details um like the little things matter we had a pretty clean first game um you know we couldn't have asked for things to go too much better but there's always things we can work on and improve and so just the technical things making sure we're lining up the right way the little things is what's going to you know allow us to make that big jump like you said from week one to week two uh you know it's it's kind of like a storybook script I mean your season was over after three carries last year and then on your first touch this year the ho opens up can you specifically talk about that play and kind of what you were thinking before the play and then just what your thoughts were as the hole was opening up etc etc um I mean obviously I wasn't expecting it to anything like that to happen like you know like first Carry but just trusting my line like we have a new line but I trust those guys with my life and Trust in this gamee that my coaches had planed and I was ready whenever I was able to touch the ball to try and you know do what I could to the best of my ability honestly I'm blessed you know that I was able to get back and show people you know what we've been working on this entire entire year Nolan what are some of the qualities of MCB Billy a leader and can you kind of give us an idea of what his demeanor is like when he's in the huddle with you guys I mean he's a great guy to have at quarterback um like you said his leadership capabilities um vocally you know he's going to show you how to do it the right way he's going to tell you how to do it the right way he's going to pick you up if you get down on yourself he won't allow you to do that so that's important to have in the Huddle and you know when you face that that adversity and those tough games you need a guy that's going to be able to pick the team up and you know keep everybody's Spirits high and he's really good at that and noan obviously talked about um opening up conference play this week uh what jumps out about Michigan's uh defense and specifically that front seven I'm sorry Michigan state they're they're tough team so you know we're going to have to you know put last week behind us um just get better technically be tough physical um up up front on the perimeter everywhere thank you guys you doing Jordan it's been said that uh the biggest Improvement for a team in college football is from week one to week two seeing what you guys did defensively this past Saturday where do you guys want to ratchet things up going into Michigan State yeah we just want to uh continue to get better every day um at the end of the day it's turps versus turps and uh you know we know that so we want to try to continue to get better as every day goes on and as every week goes on and and just looking at Michigan State uh you know beyond what you you know the scoreboard what what kind of things have jumped off the tape what uh things do they do offensively that will be a challenge yeah from an offensive standpoint I think they do a lot of good things with the uh with the stretch the outside zone They also run inside Zone a little bit of Gap game too you know they pull both guards uh they also run that counter um I think they do a lot of good things on tape up front you know what I'm saying they're very competitive they play with low pad level and they play uh fundamentally sound which tells me that their coach really good and uh I see a lot of good things from them on tape hey Jordan um you know one of your defensive Mates is Glendon Miller obviously who's kind of had a couple of good years here um you know since you came in last season what have you seen from him uh what's your guys's relationship like and and and who is Glenn as a person yeah Glenn is a really great guy you know what I'm saying he always comes in with energy always approaches the day the same consistently ready to work ready to bring guys up um very smart you know what I'm saying very smart his football IQ is is is really good um Glenn is really like one of the guys who brings a lot of energy to this defense and to this program as a whole and I'm very thankful to have him as a teammate I I wouldn't call it pressure necessarily but in the preseason coach Loxley and all the coaches were really talking about the defense you know the defense is salty the defense is really the key to this season there's a lot of unknowns on offense can you talk about that a little bit and how does that make you feel when you hear those types of things uh I mean it makes me feel good at the end of the day you know what I'm saying we have to execute um every day we always try to go into each practice with the emphasis individually what everybody needs to get better at and then collectively as a position group you know what I'm saying we set goals each day what needs to be the emphasis of the day what do we need to get better at and then collectively as a whole unit as a whole defense we come together and we say well hey you know what I'm saying today this is going to be the emphasis you know what I'm saying and then we're going to continue to build upon that uh you know because at the end of the day that's the standard you know we're going to find an emphasis of the day and we're going to continue to get better at that emphasis whatever it is thank you so much worries you ever know that he's on time he's on Reas he can't get away you know that [Music] gu have a lot ofast yeah it's good it's good confence all the Press before yeah is from new well I just want to let you know one of my play I ad she said and was aftern [Music] I mean it's a way to look at her take Kelsey off I'm not saying no no it's the same concept point is points points is like start he's good a little bit less she said they should be that's what I'm saying EX [Music] her right it's like people taking credit from [Music] thank God for didn't hous because because what's his name so it doesn't matter that's the beauty of this country it is that's Tris you think we should ever expand membership of the house meaning that uh because you're um can affect the amount of people that you're representing has grown astronomical in the last 50 years no but 435 house members now we've had 435 house members 50 years ago you know I don't know got to District yeah you you you you T G what well okay since this exist but they've always expanded they've always expanded the house over the years but they but there's a history there's precedent of expanding the house which they've done because you know there weren't I don't know but there weren't 435 members of the House in 1790s I mean like I think in 19 think expanding it's it's exp but not no and I'm not saying you have like 8 million but I'm saying you 65 that give you around 5 how we doing Billy coach locks was telling us about your relationship with Leah um how did that make you a better quarterback and what were some of the things you learned from him that you can apply to this year as the full-time starter yeah I would say the biggest thing you know over my two years playing with toia I think the first thing is you know when he when I first transferred in here he welcomed me with open arms I think the first thing that you know allowed for me to do was you know know that okay I can push him right as a backup you know obviously in the quarterback room only one place it can get you know a little tricky sometimes but you know we always competed always pushed each other you know if there was something he did better than me he would tell me a tip if it was vice versa you know I would do the same but I think the biggest thing you know just he played obviously multiple probably what 30 45 games in his career um the biggest thing that I learned from him was just how to handle success and how to handle adversity you know I think the the compliment to him was he was always the same guy you know thinking about what I've had to do over the last 10 days and I think of you know how I watched him do it and he was always the exact same person always had a smile always you know was was the same you know kind of uplifting to Lea that we all knew um so I'd say that's just the biggest thing is you know he he texted me you know multiple times throughout camp and and before the first game um and just reminded me you know how long of a season it is and just to take it one you know one week at a time one day at a time one game um and you know I think he lived that out you know the two years that I was here watching him so I think that's the biggest thing is just you know watching him see how he went about about his business and you know The Season's a long season you can get tough but he just was you know he took it one day at a time and he kept kind of the same positive mindset he had and that's you know something that all you know I took away last two years and that I'll look to try to do this year hey Billy um I know you always talk about one day at a time one game at a time um and this week you guys are playing a big 10 opponent which is kind of early um you know how do you feel about it kind of playing that conference game so early does anything change it all in the preparation I guess in terms of knowing that it's a big 10 caliber team it might be a little bit of a different type of game um what's kind of the mental uh mindset I guess going in yeah I would say uh you know as coach locky says we're we're nameless faceless opponents we're playing you know Michigan State obviously this week but I think there there isn't too much uh of a difference in terms of my preparation or the team's preparation um I would say yeah too I would kind of think of myself as a young player here right this being I don't know my third fourth career start um there's not much of a difference you know in my opinion playing in Michigan State you know a big 10 opponent week two um obviously just watching the tape you know they're a good team they're a great defense played you know very strong week one um they have a lot of new faces but I'd say for us it's just you know it's the next opponent up on the board and you know we got to go about our business the same way that you know we will all year and we have all year um but yeah I wouldn't say there's too much of a difference I think you know I'm sure that's probably more external the excitement of playing a big 10 team but you know not much of a difference inside the locker room Billy can you kind of take us through the decision to transfer here and how much was being closer to home uh a factor in that yeah I would say um you know my freshman year at Wake Forest it was like about a five five and a half hour drive um that you know my my parents or my sister you know pretty regularly made wasn't the end of the world but I knew that you know when I made the decision to enter the portal that wherever I was going was going to be closer than that um when the opportunity you know came here obviously with my familiarity of it um known coach lock coach youo coach Miller at the time since I was 13 14 years old um and then the biggest thing you know what I always tell younger guys is you know college football's players careers are always about opportunity and there's a really good one in front of me here um and you know just 35 minutes from home I'm sure it doesn't get much better than that uh so that was kind of you know the icing on the on the top of the cake for that but it was just you know the opportunity that that lied and then the familiarity I had with you know University of Maryland already obviously my brother worked here my dad played here for two years um and you know it was just it was it was a perfect fit it was something you know looking back on two years ago I got I got pretty lucky I'm glad I made the decision I'm glad you know it all it all kind of worked out the way it did but yeah it was just you know opportunity and then obviously location close to home and familiarity with with you know what was going on here hey belly two questions for you first how do you balance the you know letting yourself feel some excitement and kind of confidence coming off that first game but knowing again it is just one game and it is a long season ahead and trying to keep that even kill attitude where where's the balance there yeah uh I I would say life's all about balance it's it's not it's not easy to find that um you know I had a I was texting Coach lockas son Kai this weekend um and you know we had a text back and forth and you know he kind of reminded me of the same thing you just said it's one game and and it's good to to have that excitement in that confidence coming from it but at the same time he's like you know it's a long season um you know and to continue to have the horse blinders on and and you know when it's all said and done here in a couple months we'll look back at at what we were able to do um yeah I'd say there's there's balance but i' I'd say I'd be more happy at the end of it if I you know had the mindset I do now just taking it one at a time and and I'd be you know be able to look back and and have less regret um but it's hard you know especially with with all the you know the external factors I try to limit you know my my time on social media my time reading stuff and just you know really it's it's jhh my apartment or nothing um when it comes to you know the season um but yeah it's it's tough but you know I'm excited at you know what we have inside the locker room and what we have going you know The Season's a fun time everyone in that locker room is putting 55 plus hours a week into this game plan and you know putting their their time and effort into us to go out there and and have a chance to succeed on Saturday so that's kind of what keeps me motivated is just to keep the main thing the main thing right now and then when it's all said and done here in you know December January I'll look back and and you know be able to enjoy what we were able to accomplish one of your teammates who was a part of the win and had a touchdown Josiah mclen um we you know we know what kind of week um he had what kind of two weeks on the tragic passing of his father coach loley talked about him and and staying here with the team and having you guys rally around him what did you see from Josiah and from your team and then to have that moment together on the field in the locker room after take us through what that was like uh for your team yeah first of all you know you just talking about that I get chills Josiah's you know one of the toughest human beings I've I've been around and had to you know encounter that and witness that first person um but I think you know the the decision he made to stay here all week you know I think was you know it was it was it was good for him but I think it was better for all of us just to be around him and and know that you know this guy made the decision to stay here he's obviously you know he's going through something that you know very I can't imagine I know some teammates you know have had that happen but it was it was tough on us but I think we all loved him up Rob Smith did a great job you know taking him under his wing um and just you know just being there as as whatever we could do for him you know in the the weekly up to the game to support him um but yeah you know that Dante Trader gave him the game ball in the locker after the game and you know he said God works in mysterious ways and I'm you know very happy it was a very cool moment you know as a as a player as a teammate to to witness you know him able to go in on his first collegate game and get his first touchdown um but yeah he's Josiah's tough as Nails it was just it was a really cool experience to watch that you know um yeah sucks but you know we love Josiah you know we'll we'll continue to be around him and and he's been you know like I said tough as nails like he's been the same kid all week and you know you obviously think to yourself putting myself in you know in his shoes it's it's hard it's you know one of the hardest if not the hardest things you know we can go through um but yeah he he handled it great and you know it was like I said I think it meant more to the team that we were able to be be there for him and be around him um for the week leading up to the game and then for him to have you know the the touchdown on Saturday I think you know that that made it all you know us feel good for him um and you know I'm sure it helped him get get a few you know laughs and and High Spirits uh with the week he had but it was a tough situation but you know like I said God works mysterious ways it it worked out well for you know for his first game but we'll continue to love up on him be on him you know how however he may need but he's he's a he's a tough kid hey belly I was talking with Tai after the game and he said at some point I think in the second half he came up to you on the sideline and said how proud he was of you as a guy that's followed you from Fairfax County growing up and and into wake and out of here what's the bond that you guys have between each other yeah yeah I think I'm going into what year four college now so I think Tai and I have known each other for about seven eight years um we played each other freshman year in high school played other in multiple seven on seven tournaments um but he was always a guy that you know even when when I didn't come here out right out of high school and you know he had committed here he had you know a handful offers we always stayed in touch always followed each other um kept in touch and when workout when we could um and then I think you know where we really got close was probably during Co when I'd start you know going out to where he lived in Ashburn and working with a trainer his same trainer um that worked with him throughout high school and then you know Saturday was one of many you know full circle moments to to get into a game and to be the starter and to get the throw to him and see him have the success he had um it was definitely you know he he came up to me and and he he shared that moment but you know it meant just as much to me um to you know be a part of you know his success um knowing that you know we're we're both two Northern Virginia guys coming from you know similar area um and we're just trying to you know trying to help our team win and it was it was you know very cool experience how we got to do it together you know we'll we'll hope to continue to have that same success throughout the rest of the year but that's you know it's pretty cool when you can do it with you know not many people obviously go and play college football but when you got a guy that you've known since you were 13 14 years old before you got recruited before you got any offers um it just makes it that much sweeter and if I could ask coach locks a few minutes ago asked called you Leo's to Leo's Brother's Keeper in some ways last season and helping him be on time and get to practice there a moment that kind of comes to mind of trying to keep him from not missing a meeting or a practice down uh no I can't pinpoint one I would just say you know having lived in toa's shoes the last like seven eight days um I can't blame him it gets hard with you know with all the with all the time commitments but yeah I I helped Le out in some sense with that but he helped me out in more ways than you know what I was able to give to him so but yeah it was we had a good relationship we took care of each other Billy Michigan State's defense specifically the front seven what kind of things do they do to make you guys uncomfortable what becomes more of a priority against what the Spartans roll out yeah yeah I think the biggest thing is just execution you know they're very experienced front seven um they got some new pieces you know linebacker um and up front you know from the portal and whatnot but they're very experienced they're very Stout um play The Run well they're physical um you know just watching the one game from FAU you know aside from any tape outside of that they played the the run really well and they got after that quarterback um so you know I think the biggest thing with you know what coach got us hit on yesterday and what we've been telling ourselves since Sunday when we started watching the tape was just we just got to execute these guys we got to cover them up you know allow ourselves allow Roman allow the running you know the running game to get going um but they're you know they're very experienced front seven so you know we'll have our hands full but I think you know our guys are excited for the challenge to to go up against a different type of opponent it um you know they run some some different things up front than than what Yukon did but we'll definitely have our hands full but I think we're excited for the challenge and the offensive line no sacks given up last Saturday five plus yards per carry uh how did the the hole get to be better than the some of its parts with five new guys in your opinion yeah I think uh you know hats off to the three offensive line coaches we have or the three guys that are working in that room coach brass coach Robo and Coach fence um and then I think you know tip my hat to the guys in the room because obviously it's tough with the landscape of college football nowadays I think you know Andre Roy's been here um Isaac Bun's been here he had to change positions come back to offensive line Josh Colberg is new alah's new Allen's new so there's a lot of moving Parts but I you know I give a lot of credit to those guys and their coaches for understanding that you know there was going to be a a process of growing pains that you know we went through in the spring um but I'd say the biggest thing is that room's pretty tight you know they all they all get along well um Josh I spent a lot of time watching film with Josh we you know take we're in the same graduate program together so we spend a lot of time um talking outside of here but I think just the the cohesion of that room and and the growth that they've made on the field but off the field I think has helped them you know have the success on the field they've had so far but yeah they'll continue to to get better and continue to grow closer and I know they they go out and eat a lot as lineman like to do so I think that's helped them you know just just become better friends become you know better teammates and you know up front you got to have that you know connection cuz you know gets it gets tough in the trenches but they've they've done good so far far so he got to keep you know continue to do what they do and put the the right step forward uh Billy last year first of all congrats on a great game last week thank you uh last year we saw you start a game you you won the game it was conservative passing wise then we saw you against alurn start the game get a couple drives in and then all of a sudden this game last week you're throwing left and right down the middle on the run and to me it was uh surprising whatever that quick growth what happened over the off season did you go to any special camps did you you know what made you grow as a passer off the off season yeah I would say I think I've always had it in me um I think it was just about you know getting you know getting more comfortable in it um obviously with you know been here two seasons in the nature of of the games that I went in there was you know not much time to get comfortable whether it was a sporadic start here and there um or you know coming in for you know short yardage goal line package whatever the case may be um but I think just you know the biggest thing for me this offseason was was more mental and and knowing the fact trusting the fact that I I can throw the football it's you know I couldn't run in high school but I could throw and you know kind of the narrative changed obviously throughout my college career but just more of the internal confidence of just you know last week in practice I got after it um and you know I was very calm going into Saturday's game I told myself it was like a Tuesday practice where you know I had made those throw countless of times I had you know felt my feet on time and you know made the right checks made the right reads um so that was just the biggest thing for me I think my growth in the offseason of going into my fourth year I'm an older player now um you know not making the game bigger than it is I think you know other games that I'd come in previous it was I got very amped up very excited to get an opportunity to play where now it's just you know I'm always trying to be that that levelheaded guy and and knowing that you know like coach locky says we got to get after it you know we got to put the the work in Monday through Friday and for me that's the biggest thing is just having good practices and you know I'm going to make mistakes in practice but getting those corrected by the end of the week will will give me all the confidence in the world to go out there on Sat on Saturday and and you know make those same throws hi Billy congrats on a great game last weekend once again um you mentioned your family having ties to this University you've kind of been waiting in the wings for this opportunity you started in games before here at Maryland but in the past it was you got to start now you are the starter what does this you know moment mean this Saturday not just for you but for your entire family yeah I would say I got to give a shout out to my sister she always does you know a good job of you know when when we're in the in the season and in the midst of things I I kind of have the blinders on and and I don't you know probably do a good enough job of you know taking in the moment um but you know it was dating back to when I was a young kid wanted to play Power five football um but even you know more importantly when I made the decision to come here with with all the ties that my family has here and you know how close is this to home and how many people I get to come to games um it definitely was a special moment you know one that you know I tried to soak in probably when it's all said and done I I'll go back and and be able to take it all in but it means a lot um you know I think I put more pressure myself just with all those all those people that I have from from Northern Virginia from here all all you know my family and friends that that are able to come and support me with with how close it is um to you know just go out there and put my best product out there on the field Saturday um but it was definitely you know a special moment my my whole family my brother obviously not included he had a game down in Charlottesville but my pretty much my whole family was able to come um my sister flew back in from Rhode Island so it was it was a cool moment um you know one that I that I'll hope to have many more times with them um but yeah my sister does a good job of remind me of reminding me that because you know as always soon as we won you know we had our hugs and then I was like all right on to the next and so you know we we shared a few conversations about it to where I was able to kind of sit back and enjoy it a little bit than thank you yeah