hello and welcome to the Irish NFL show my name is Shane Brenan thank you very much for joining us and I am really excited to be talking to one of the players who will be gracing the fields of the Aviva Stadium as the earling is college football classic kicks off between Florida State and Georgia Tech next month and we really are getting close to the action Lawrence Toof who is a running back who has played for the Florida State seminol for the last few years thank you very much for taking the time out to join us Lawrence I know we're in the middle of July but do you guys get much of a summer break or is do you still have a a pretty a pretty hectic plan or training schedule to get yourself ready for when football comes back around next month you know to be honest we we do get at work every day so we're working every day but it's just not as not as long so we do have like have some free time you know we have we have a little bit more downtime right right now at this moment during the summer but we're still getting our work in every day that's pretty cool and just just I guess uh because obviously mean college football in the way that that you guys have have to go about um go about your lives because obviously you're you're mixing studies with with playing in a pretty high level of sport I'm just very interested in how you guys kind of tackle this summer period but before the football season really starts do you guys get to hang out much to the team or do you spend kind of more time with your family I know you're from Florida so you a you don't haven't got too far to travel what way do you generally approach this time of the year I mean there's some times where we have like week breaks and I'll go home and visit the family but for the most part we're we're up here bonding during this time you know uh we went to the springs it's a Springs around here we we traveled as a team went to the springs and we went to like a a water park an amusement park so like we're definitely taking time to to to Jael and really hang out with each other and we also have time to go see our families and stuff like that before the season kicks off all right well uh well I guess we we might start looking ahead for when the season does kick off because I think it's fair to say that you are you have been in in in the locker uh a while you know what kind of standard Florida State sets one of the highest in the country um I think was was shown really well on the field last season but you're in your in your fifth year I think in inside that locker room now do you feel like there is a greater expectation and responsibility on your shoulders to be a leader for those guys coming up in the same way that people are probably were leader leaders to you when you started in the program a few years ago like we we we worked our hardest like I was here when when we first started so we worked our hard to get the program to where it's at today and I feel like it is a great responsibility for me and I I take accountability of it and I I want to just help the team and hold them to that standard and just to show them the way that Florida State operates and it terms of how the offense is going to attack this season obviously I know you're a running back but you've CAU a lot of passes do you expect many changes in terms of how H how Florida State plays in the field or have you guys really got a chance to to properly figure that out yet because you know you were really potent last season you obviously be were were the MVP in the ACC Championship game when you guys won that you obviously what what what you had last season worked so is it a case of trying not to change too much or what way are you guys planning for for uh for next season I would say we're not going to change too much but we do have a different players and you know different different I would say not too much of a different scheme but we just the different players that we have I like we're making adjustments for them players just to make sure that you know we we're put in the best positions possible to to be able to to succeed you know what I mean so I I wouldn't say it's too much of a change but I would say there will be some adjustments made all how confident are you going into this season I think it's fair to say that for every year you've played you've uh as suppos obviously numbers doesn't always paint the whole picture but your numbers have keep going up your the impact you're making on the field keeps keeps getting better we're heading into another season uh uh you know do you feel confident in your abilities to uh to be a Leading Light in in a team which will be going to defend their ACC Championship yes indeed I'm I'm I'm very confident in myself but uh I am confident in the team so I feel like we have a good a good team and a good Bond built with each other so I feel like that's that's where my confidence comes from from and um the work that we're putting in together man we're putting in some real work and we're really getting able to we're really getting a chance to be able to bond and get to know each other on another level so I feel like all that is going to play in a part of that confidence of when we step on the field that's I think it's an interesting answer the fact that you obviously find your confidence in your teammates and all the guys around you in the bond does that something which Mike Nal and the rest of the coaching guys have kind of drill into you the the because we we talk about so much in teams the balance between you know letting your individual Talent flare and doing what is right for the for the group what way have you guys approached that is that team ethic something that marike nval is drill drill into you guys yes sir uh we can't do you know one player can't do it all by itself you know what I mean so it's going to take the whole team to be able to accomplish the goal and I feel like I am confident in myself but I have more confidence in myself because of the team that we have I I know my line is going to block extra hard so that I can make that play you know what I mean so I feel like it all plays into each other and I'm really excited about it and just in terms of I guess the way you you approach things is there any when you were growing up or when you were now uh going through the season is there anybody who you would could see as a kind of role model as somebody you thought yeah I can be I can be like that guy I'm gonna at least conduct myself in the way that that person did whether it's in football or in other sport somebody you found particularly inspiring I mean honestly uh when when I was a recruit uh visiting Florida State I always looked up to uh cam Acres I always watched him and watched his game and felt like he was a great player but when I got here I actually learned a lot from Jon Corbin one of the uh the older guys when I first got in here and the way he just handled himself the way he led by example and he taught me a lot by and he didn't even really like say much to me I kind of observed it and realized how he was carrying himself and I I definit I try to model myself after that and do you feel that you you should play that role now for young guys coming in do you do you feel like that's something that's a way you want to impact the the guys coming in who will be a part of the future of the team yes sir I take that very seriously because I remember myself coming in not really understanding the standard and understanding the process and I feel like that's that's exactly what I'm pouring back into them and letting them know like okay you don't got to rush it you're not here to to save anybody you know what I mean you just you got to learn and and go through this process you know what I mean it's it's definitely a process that you have to go through but I feel like I'm taking them each step through the way and making sure like anything that they have problems with I'm I'm kind of trying to help them and pull them along so yeah I take that very seriously I guess we gonna move uh on to H to Dublin that's something that we're obviously very excited about here in Ireland H I think it's where were due a pretty good game between Florida State and Georgia Tech and just to terms I guess the the novelty of playing a game abroad we've seen NFL teams do this for the last couple of years I think it's it's it is unusual I can't imagine when you began your college career the idea of playing a game in Europe would be was a part of your plan how have you guys approached the logistics and even the mentality of taking everything that you do on the road to a completely new city New Country H and is that something you were looking forward to or you see that as a bigger challenge than it is an opportunity very excited to to you know take that trip I actually myself personally never never been out the country so this is going to be my first time out the country and I I'm definitely excited about that but I feel like the team we we we have that standard you know what I mean so I kind of feel like it doesn't matter where we're at or what what's going on we're going to get our work in and you know we're going to be ready we're going to get ourselves prepared for that for that game situation but we're definitely excited to uh you know get to see that different culture and just to play over you know what I mean this it's definitely going to be a different experience and in terms of the fact that you were playing against uh that or that you're playing against Georgia Tech you're coming in into Dublin does do you approach this game because it's in Dublin differently than let's say if you would whether it was in Florida State or it was in Florida or Georgia does the fact does the does the factor of it being taken across the Atlantic change how you guys are planning for for for playing that particular game I mean I I feel like we approach every game this same way yeah we try to approach it as as if it's the the last game we would ever play but uh I feel like the difference would be the experience we're going to uh we're definitely going to practice and do everything that we're supposed to do to get the work in to be prepared but I feel like we're going to we're definitely going to enjoy that experience being able to see the different culture and just traveling as a team together as a big family and I'm excited about that and just I guess one last thing quickly I think this this game I'm R and saying is a kind of prime time fixtion it's it's it's kind of on on its own it's it's the it is the curtain Riser of the college football season you know you got have a lot of eyes watching you play is that something which which makes people kind of more nervous or is that something you you feel like you you guys embrace the spotlight and think okay this is our this is our time to shine our time to be Florida State yeah I feel like we we try to embrace that we try to embrace that that that culture you know we we're happy about it you know if you can get all the eyes on us that's cool we're going to try to put our best our best ball on display and uh and quickly just for us fans who have never experienced what is like to be or to to listen to the Florida State fans sort of do the the the tomahawk job what is that like that must give you guys such energy to to go out and fight as I imagine it like I imagine is is the point of it but I mean what is it like being on the field when when that the band is playing and you guys there this is my fifth year and I ain't even gonna lie every time every time they they do the chomp and everybody's in sync and all you hear is the Florida state noise I still get goosebumps you know what I mean it's it's just a surer a surreal feeling and I'm I'm very grateful uh I think I'm just GNA talk a little bit about um I guess about what what your aim is for this entire season I think it's fair to say that that last season probably didn't finish the way that Mar in Florida State hope that it would because you've shown such great potential and played so fantastically well throughout regular season but things maybe didn't quite conspire in a way that H that the final that the final result was what people in Florida State wanted do you think that this game is kind of the start of a a sort of redemption Arc or a mission to make things right for for Florida State after after the way last season ended I feel like it's just our chance to show what what what we know we could be and uh you know capitalize on this game not we don't really too much dwell on on we know what happened the past year but you know we definitely take it in take it into our thoughts and we're taking that mentality into this next game we're going to try to you know make a statement and just in terms of Georgia Tech obviously you're on the offensive side of the ball is there anything about their defense that you guys are um are particularly worried about or some or in a way that they play that you think is particularly tough or if you guys started analyzing um analyzing that part of the game yet if I'm being honest with you uh you know things change every year so we're kind of like going based off of last year and things could be changing so I kind of feel like it's going to be a game time adjustment to what to what they're going to be giving us and we're going to just have to you know react and make adjustments as as needed so I feel like we feel good going into the game watching all this film but I I honestly feel like the year is changing it's going to be the the current opener like you said um we're really just going to have to see see what we get and make adjustments from that and in terms of I guess the fact that because the nature of college football teams change so much every year does that then affect how you guys really um deal with adversity because every team obviously has to the university you know Florida state has the same do you feel like uh as a player who has been there h a while that you have that you and as a group have a good way of dealing with that kind of adversity and finding a way to to get the results that you want I I would say coach Norville tries to he definitely gives you adversity every day throughout practice and things like that and we all we all have to find a way to be able to overcome it and I feel like just by doing that as a team we we're definitely building that overcoming adversity like mentality you know what I mean so anytime there's adversity in our way we we're going to go harder and we're we're kind of expecting it because we're used to it so I feel like we're going to handle it we're g to handle it good fair enough and I guess one final question because I'm I'm my own personal excitement for the game is building up is there something about the the the game in Dublin that I think fans here should really be excited about we've talked about the chant already I'm sure there's something else on field or onfield that you think guys should really should really be excited for I mean I honestly college football you if you haven't been to a game you definitely need to come and just get that experience with the with the atmosphere it's definitely a different atmosphere and it's definitely a lot of fun so I I would say if you haven't been the one you you definitely need to get that experience under your belt well I Echo that say it's Lawrence toili from Florida State University thank you very much for taking the time to join us I'm really looking forward to seeing you play here in doblin in what five six weeks time it's getting pretty close sir it's getting close yes sir hey I appreciate it and I'm very excited man I'm very grateful grateful for you having me on here