Jay Norvell Says CSU Rams Are The Biggest & Fastest He's Coached

we just finished two weeks of training camp pardon me and um really really pleased with um the progress that we've been able to make in two weeks uh we've had 12 practices um we've had two scrimmage days um we use today as a scrimmage day uh got a lot of work done with our ones and try to be smart with them and keep them healthy uh and then we let our young guys our twos and threes um just kind of battle out there and scrimmage and play ball and gain some experience in canvas Stadium uh just very pleased with our progress um you know we're incorporating some new players into our system uh we've been fairly injuryf free we've had a couple guys uh newer has had a foot deal that's held him out hopefully he'll be back next week um you know Braden the first week had a hand injury that was not serious but we wanted to be smart with him he's back out there now um on the most part we've been able to keep guys fairly healthy so um it's been a good camp you know we're emphasizing um physicality and speed we want to be fast we want to play with great effort and uh we want to be physical and so those are the emphasis we've made on Camp seen a lot of progress in those regards guards um and you know we want to be a team that doesn't have to rely on calls to beat people we want to be able to fundamentally block and tackle um run the football stop the run not give up big plays defensively and um so those are the things we've been emphasizing and we're seeing u a lot of progress from our kids um you know our focus is to be the very best best we can be and so every day we come out here and we're trying to we're trying to stretch the limits of our Peak Performance of the type of team we could be and there's a lot that goes into that on a daily basis and we spent a lot of time talking about that we'll vote for captains on Friday and we'll announce them on Saturday we got a lot of Veteran leadership on this team and um you know got guys that have played a lot of games guys like Jacob Gardner and Tory Horton and Jack how and Henry Blackburn you know cam bero we got a lot of Veteran leadership so I appreciate those guys they've done a good job of leading thus far and now we want to transition into you know our our inseason schedule we got two more days of practice um we want to really um we're going to work on some different opponent things some things we haven't seen in Camp um um we've got all our installs in to where we could go play a game and so in that regard it's been a good camp um and uh next Monday we'll we'll start on Texas we'll get two weeks on the Longhorns so Jay there's a lot of new technology entering college football this year today you got a chance to work with tablets replays things like that how was that how valuable was that for your staff to get that in during a scrimmage yeah so um you know with the new rules changes we got a lot of Technology this year we got coacht player communication on both sides of the ball and we had it in the spring so he had a chance to work it in the spring and then all training camp uh and that's going to be good I think that's a good ad to college football change some of the signaling uh uh in the game um you know we still play a different game than the NFL so I think you'll see us college guys use it a little differently than the NFL guys use it um and then our tablets you know the tablets today was the first day we got a chance to work with the tablets you know it's just it's really good technology high schools are been using it for the last few years and and we haven't been able to so you know we go to a high school game and they got tablets and and big TV screens on a sideline and we can't use it so um it's been good and we got a chance to use that today you can get through a lot of looks and a lot of plays in a short amount of time and so that was good we'll get another chance Saturday to use those and we'll we get another chance in our mck game a week from Saturday to go through all that game day uh technology so that was good rumor has it you're not the most technologically advanced person staff so how was it I'm like Bill bich I don't do snap face and none of that stuff I don't do that stuff no I'm not into social media what's that you seem to enjoy going over plays with with Braden on the sidelines and doing that no it's cool it's it's very cool technology and and the coach the player is very cool I mean you know there's a lot of time throughout the game when you can talk to a player about his mindset the situation we used to have to call timeout to talk to him but now you know I could tell Braden hey this is a situation we don't have to force the ball here we want to try to keep the clock running it's four minute there's a lot of coaching points you can give that'll help him settle down and um you know and you can still talk to the player until it reaches 50 so there's some coaching points you can do pre- snap that can help the player too so it's exciting it's fun um you know it can bring some more creativity to the game which we love you know we're we're always trying to be more creative and then the tablets you can go through a lot of plays in a short amount of time you know see the pre- snap look on a deal they brought the will go to the next play they played a wide n on this one go to the next play the safety was down go to the next play it's quarters you got a shot at the post there's a lot of things that you can talk about in a short amount of time so um just helps the players be more knowledgeable you know and a lot of times we had to re rely on information from the box you know hey it was a it was a nine Tech deaker in this play or it was a seven or it was a three the safety was down or he wasn't down or he had to rely on a player to tell you what he saw and um sometimes it's accurate sometimes it's not so this just really helps us cut to the Chase and really see what happened on a play so we can coach it and make adjustments you addressed some of the new realities of college football many times but is this still can still be as fun and as fulfilling for you as a football yeah it is going to be for me I mean I ain't going to do it unless it's fun and um you know we play the only sport that it's most like it's mostly like work most of the time I mean we're not like basketball we just can't go out and play a game you know um when we practice it's work I mean we got to you know block people we got put he heavy pads on you get banged up and sore but no we're going to make it fun we're just we're you know if you come to Colorado State it's going to be fun okay I can't speak for other schools but we like to have fun it's supposed to be fun we want to put our players in position where they can have some fun and I mean we put Tommy poosi in there he ain't got a snap all camp and he went right down the field threw a big bomb on his first play and uh that was fun and you had a whole bunch of guys on the sideline getting excited about it I mean we're going to have some fun around here and and uh you know we've been the young kids on the playground it hadn't been that fun but we're going to start having a lot of fun now and we got kids that like to play We like our team and uh it's time for our team and our fans to have some fun there's some really good showings from the wide receivers face uh Tori get that one on the first play and then Jamari had some nice plays Jordan had some good plays you got to see kind of the Now versus the future do you feel like you finally established a really good pipeline to getting those players and yeah yeah I think I think you know our reputation starting to take hold in that you know you know nil the first cycle was it was it was all about money kids were going to school because of money well I think this time kids started to sober up a little bit and they they wanted to go where they had an opportunity to play and money still a factor um but we we we were able to get some kids that were offered money at other schools and they came to Colorado State because of the touches they could get the chance to get their hands on the ball and and what we do with our players here so you know that's important um you know and it it's still about the student athlete experience I mean opportunity to play you can't put a price on it and so kids come here cuz they want to get on the field they want to make plays and they know we're going to run a certain style offense and they know they're going to get their hands on the ball and so um you know I think armanii Winfield's one of those guys he you know he had a chance to go to big 10 schools and and and all that new TV money and all that stuff but he came here CU he wanted to catch balls and that's important to us and you know and it and we want guys that are motivated by winning you know I tell the players I mean the season started I ain't worried about nil I ain't worried about transfer portal I ain't worried about none of that I want people that are motivated by winning period okay and so that's what our kids know here and that's that's what's important here and so because of that we just don't have a lot of nonsense you know that we're dealing with and so and kids know it you know and so uh I'm I'm excited about about that how do you feel like the starting offense is executing right now it seems like they're playing with a lot of pace and confidence I was pleased today I think I think it's we're building and you know we're doing some different things that we haven't done and I think every day we go on the field we're getting we're getting better and the timing and the Chism of everything is better and and um you know it's important that they have confidence in their movement in how plays affect the defense and how they can work and get people open and I think I think they're starting to see that from what we're doing in practice and you know we have very competitive practices and and and um but every practice is designed for them to learn something about what we're doing offensively and you know training camp is is a whole part of the pie so everything we need for the season we try to we try to practice in two weeks and then we come back and take Parts out of it for each opponent so you know we start working on Texas we'll only do a portion of what we're doing but I think we have a lot of different ways to attack people people we have a lot of different players versatile players that can put pressure on a defense and and I think our quarterbacks are learning that and and so I've been pretty pleased with how their progress is similar Bane how do you feel bradden's been since he came back where you seeing from him he was super sharp today I was really impressed with him and he's um you know he's just he's learned so much from his experiences last year um and he's he's got a calmness that he didn't have last year you know he's a he's got a little Banny rooster in him and uh he kind of runs hot sometimes and um and he just needs to slow down and and really see things and and he's pretty aggressive and so you got to you got to pull the rigns in on him and slow him down a little bit you know um you know we had a four-minute drill we had man-to-man coverage and he he checks a go ball he throws it to Tori today I mean you kind of want to bite your lip and but you can't argue with the result so anyway he's he's he's an aggressive kid um he's anxious to be out there and prove what we can do offensively but I I see a different type of leadership in him and he's more he's more mature um he he understands that you know it's a long season and and it you know we don't have to go for it every time um when we're in the Red Zone you know we we we have to be smart sometimes and take what they give us so I think his maturity has helped him and he's really slowed down he really is understanding his running game better which is I'm proud of him because that's going to be a big part of how we handle our games this year that player coach communication help some of that emotional side too like obviously you can do that nose but like little reminder here and there I'm very calm on the phones very calm and then when I want to yell I just cut it off and I yell curse then I come back on I'm calm but it but it's it's serious ly it really does matter I mean and you can give some pretty good coaching points you know you know settle down here you know we're in good shape we're already in scoring Zone you know don't press the ball here so there are some really great coaching points that we didn't have last year that we can make and and I think it helps a younger player like like um like Braden I really think it can help when you're playing a Young quarterback because you can kind of talk him through situations where you couldn't do that before you you have to call timeout or bring him over but you can there's a lot of times in between plays where you can just tell a guy to settle down and refocus and get his mind on the right things last week um what have you seen out of Vince brown with the on today I'm really proud of Vince you know Vince is growing up you know with d gone Vince really really really wants to prove himself and he made a huge play last weekend and he played well today um you know we we need our tight ends to you know we had a very productive tight end last year and I think between Vince and um Jackson Warren and Peter Montini um you know we had uh I think Mason made a big play down today on the endzone with with uh Darius Curry you know we got a matchup I mean all those kids are big tall kids that can play um and we want to utilize their their their size mismatch and and um but I'm proud of him I think Jackson has come a long ways we're we're putting him in a lot of situations he's learning he should only get better you know he's he's about where Cole Turner was uh the tight end we had at Nevada his senior year as far as his physicality and so he's got three years so he's only going to get better and so we're really excited about that position that's got to be a productive position for us do you feel do you sense that that kind of brought a Competitive Edge out of him bringing in another guy no doubt No Doubt I think the new guys we brought in added to the competitiveness and um I mean if you don't if you don't have competition at a position you know you can you can you can get on him as much as you want as a coach but when they know you'll take him out and sit them on the bench you know Bobby Knight was right you know greatest motivator is the bench and uh when they know you'll take them out if they don't do what you tell them that's the best motivation you can get so yeah the competition there we brought in some D lineman that competition is cranked up um the new receivers we got the competition's cranked up and so um you know that's been very helpful coached with Jack ban Jack how Rocco Den you know staying home with their dads having played here and been really good players here um in the past what what does that say about um this team and this culture and their families want to keep it well you got you got blood that knows we win here you know you know that's important you know it's in their blood they know we win here at Colorado State there's a history of that and it means something it's real to them and I think that matters you know we got Jack how you know you know Jack believes we're supposed to play good and and and there's a confidence that goes with that that rubs off on the other kids and you know they know how we're supposed to line up when we play Colorado and when we play Wyoming and when we play Air Force that's important you know um you shouldn't have to tell kids those games are important when they come to Colorado State so that's important that history is very important and and and them understanding it living it their whole lives it brings a lot to our team just come back to Bren real quick I mean you guys obviously recruited him when you were at Nevada um what did what did you see from him back then how cool was it kind of see his transition over the last couple years to becoming the the player he has you know I was around Johnny Manzel I'm not saying Braden's Johnny Manzel I'm not making that comparison but if you remember you know Tim Cassidy recruited Johnny Manzel at A&M and uh um he was a really long kid with huge hands and he's super flexible and Braden has qualities like that you know um you know he's he's been good on the perimeter um and I think uh I think he has Mobility and playmaking ability uh outside the pocket that we haven't always had from a quarterback and so there are things you can do with him that um you can't do with other players he's very comfortable uh outside the pocket um he's got spontaneity which is a quality that you look for in a quarterback when things break down he can he can find a way to make a play and that goes back to his competitive nature too he's super competitive and um you know and I think that's probably the part that I'm most pleased of as a coach I mean if your quarterback's not ultra competitive you're going to have a problem along the way I mean because you're going to be in a lot of tough situations and his teammates are going to look at him and if he's not dialed in and he's not ultra competitive then they're not going to be able to believe in him and so Braden has that you know he he he he's won his teammates over ran his coaches and you know he's stubborn at times but but uh we'll find a way to work through that you guys turned to him pretty early last season um the confidence you had doing that did that stem from his high school background where he obviously moves to Texas as a junior and weeks away from JB and leads the team to state championship do you have that confidence I had confidence in him and and I don't know I don't think it takes a long time to find that if you like a kid you know Tory Horton was a true freshman and I he was a player you know I trusted him Braden's the same way you know he's just a competitor you know you can look at a kid's eyes on a sideline and you can tell if he wants to be in there or not and and so I trusted Braden I knew he was young and I knew he was inexperienced so I knew there were going to be glitches and that he was going to learn some tough lessons but I always knew he would compete and and try to make plays for his teammates and that's really really important and so um and he didn't disappoint he really didn't disappoint and and you know he he he he had his moments last year that he definitely has to be better and I think he understands where he has to be better but he went out there and competed and tried to make every play and try to help his team win and and um and that's you know that's a good start now he's got to clean up some of his areas but he's he's off to the right start coach how how difficult is that balance you want him to be that that playmaker that Gunslinger that that that confidence but you talk about that calmness too is that a difficult yeah we try to we try to help him as much as possible but I think I think the the biggest thing is is that as a coach I mean you can only tell him so many things um they got to experience hardship and pain and when they do they learn from that and we did last year you know it was tough you know the the the Utah State game was tough on the road the Wyoming Game was tough on the road those are competitive games where we did some good things but we didn't do enough and those sting man and and and but he learned from those games and so um you know I think he's he's much wiser and he has a better plan and um and that's going to show uh and he also he understands his teammates better and where he can use his teammates I think that's one of the most important things as a quarterback is somebody gives you the keys to a car you got to know what you're driving right and you got to know what it can do and um um and I think he knows his players way better now and knows his running game better and knows what can get him out of a tough situation and sometimes you just got to ride through tough situations until things get better and and I think he'll learn that this year your messages look dayto day but you do you know the opportunity this season open against Texas when do you kind of them in and let them not look too far ahead of that opportunity you have ahead of you right now yeah we've been thinking about Texas we're getting ready for Texas you know what we've tried to work on in training camp is is us you know I'm not really worried about Texas as much as I am us I want I want to play the best we can play and you know every game is different path of Victory we know we have to play Texas different than we play certain other teams and so we'll start zeroing in on the style that we want to play against Texas um this next week um but we're we're anxious to be our very best all through the game you know and had a couple people ask me about the end of game situations from last year and the four close games and the seven one score games and we want to play better not only in the last three minutes but we want to play better all the way through the game and I'd like it if we didn't have to get to that point at the end of the game personally so um we've had a good camp at that and you know we'll we'll start looking at different things as we get a little bit closer going to Austin what you seeing out of the running backs right now that's obviously ball control is a big part of that yeah I thought Damien had a good day today and and uh um I I really like what I've seen from Justin Marshall I think we have really five in in in a in a freshman who's who's on the come kids that can play um Avery he's had a good camp Kobe's been a little banged up with his hand but he's he's our most experienced guy um I've been I've been happy with Keegan Keegan's had a really good camp and um you know he's coming back off that knee injury and um really does a lot of things naturally uh in our running game that we've used um and then Jaylen dpri is a good young back you know they call him the sharp and uh but he he scoots in there and finds a way to make yards and and so we're we're happy with all those guys it's going to be a big part of our our football team is our offensive line play and our running back play we got to we got to start taking over games that way and and we've made a lot of progress Simmons has been with you for a long time but he's calling this the most athletic team that you've ever had how have you seen that translate into how you're playing in Camp and how you're developing it's the biggest team we've had and it's the fastest team we've had and and so we've tried to you know my thing is I want to see it and practice every day I mean if if we if we have guys that can run fast we need to be running fast every day in practice and and consistency is the key um but I've seen it you know um you know I I I had a pro Scout tell me last week he closed his eyes and he could hear the hitting and it sounded like an NFL scrimmage and that made me feel good that's probably the best compliment I could get and um but we want to we want to be physical and we want to be fast and play with great effort and that's what all we've been emphasizing since since Spring ball started and and we're starting to get more and more of it have you seen that elevate the competition though that you've desired for the last years yeah I think I think I think that it has and I think we're practicing more like we envision practicing you know with the competition and we just we just don't have positions where we're void of players you know last two years we've gone into the season with positions that we've just been void of players that could play and win for you we don't have that anymore and and we invested in the young players they're growing up and um and so it's it's fun to see every day in practice you mentioned dialing back on the gunsling just a little bit where else you want to see him take another lead forward in his decision makeall no I just think I think he's got to understand that it's it's it's our offense versus their defense and sometimes that means we got to run the ball sometimes it means we throw it um sometimes we don't go so fast sometimes we go fast I mean it's up to us to use um the proper plan for the situation and that's you know every every plan doesn't work in every situation you know there's a time to play fast and there's a time to take the air out of the ball and and I think it's experience that he learns uh from being in those situations that uh will allow him to apply that you know and and that's what experience teaches you and and um you know we're seeing that from Braden now and and and he's had he's had a lot of situations under his belt that he can learn from and draw to and you know and then I can remind him hey remember last year when this happened you know be smart about this and um and that's helpful too that you got common situations that you can draw upon and and to get him refocused so thank thanks