DeMarco Murray Interview | August 1, 2023

just starting fall Camp just how exciting is this for you guys exciting exciting to get the guys back obviously they've been off for a couple of days and um you know we've been in the office fine-tuning some things as staff um and you know we we are excited guys um got back yesterday so um decided to have them back in the building and obviously you know play some football how did you feel like summer workouts went for that running back room you've got some some young guys you know going through it just what'd you see from their progress oh they they did a great job you know some workouts around here are known for being very very lethal and again just building that mental toughness obviously getting faster more explosive and stronger but our guys handle the well you know just talking to Smitty you know daily weekly just kind of getting that report um you know those those guys worked the tails off and did a bunch of stuff extra and you know that's what you want to hear especially leading into camp hey feels about the overall depth of your room seems like you have several guys that you could turn to if you needed to yeah that was the biggest thing for us you know just having that that competitive depth that um you know we may have not had a year ago um but um we got some good depth and I'm excited to you know obviously get out there and you know get to work with the guys but we got some good depth within that group how do you feel maybe about the different flavors that the guys bring in terms of style and maybe different dinosaurs like that yeah I mean I think they're all different they're all uniquely different in their own ways um you know obviously got some powerful guys got some strong guys but you know um all guys that you know are ready to come into work and compete at a high level every day so uh excited to um obviously continue to you know develop those guys in the right direction and um but you know just the versatility that the room has and itself is exciting for the young guys that you might ask to do more than they've ever done before in terms of carrying a load but what don't they know about at 12 13 14 game season and what it takes to be healthy but to be able to run through through that span you just can't get tired you know you can't get tired of doing little things over and over and over and I think I try to you know tell those guys that often you know consistency you know whether it's the film room whether it's the training room whether it's watching extra film you know by yourself you know as a group but you can't get tired of doing the little things week one to week five to week 12 13 and so forth and so on so um you know just staying on them keep your thumb on them as much you can but at some point you know they got to understand how important it is to you know withstand you know the grueling season because it's long it's it's long mentally visually emotionally and um but I think our guys are up for the challenge when did you learn all that stuff you can think back to your time here you know really just you know I would say you know I was able to red shirt you know and just just watching that year kind of unfold and you know got turf toe and you know so I had the red shirt because of that but just watching that year unfold and and how long it was mentally more than physically you know that was the biggest thing and then just watching guys you know Venture guys and Paul Thompson's other world Adrians obviously um with the world Malcolm Kelly's you know just watching those guys just want to take care of their bodies throughout the season but two and we'll never get tired of doing the little things over and over again I think that was the most impactful thing for me as a young player how important is this officer Javonte and where are you expecting the most growth mama's been it's been a huge off-season you know he's he's physically he looks good um and again you know can he you know was staying at 12 or 13. Game season you know I mean last year obviously did some really amazing things for us and that was last year you know he knows every single day he has to put in the work um just like the other guys to um you know get that opportunity to get on the field and be one of the guys so I'm excited about him decided where he's at right now um but again we got a lot of a lot of depth there I see how different or what's the confidence level like for having come coming up I'm great I mean uh I couldn't tell you that but you know just looking at him watching him um you know a guy who doesn't say nothing just puts his head down every single day and works you know whether it's in a classroom whether it's in the community um and obviously on the practice field in the weight room so um he's at an exceptional off-season um really excited about gab and the work that he's put in physically the weight that he's gained at the right level again obviously kudos to coach Smith and his staff but um he's had a really good off-season along those lines I got like Marcus you know Jeff mentioned him earlier is you know he was productive and had some success you know last year before he got injured what's the key for someone like him who's been around the program you know with some of the injuries he's had just keeping him healthy I think that's the biggest thing keeping him healthy um you know Marcus has been around for a while um you know you know just athletically you know probably one of the best on the team you know he's a special kid great kid works his tail off but you know I've been prone to you know future and freak accidents you know when it comes to the injury department but again you gotta you know just stay in that training room um but again he's a veteran player that you know hadn't played a lot of football but he's been around for a while um and he's done some good things on the field so we need to just keep him healthy and you know if he's healthy we'll be happy at the end of the season what do you expect of some guys like Barnes and Solitude this year another year oh I'm just just more of a just vocal presence you know and again I know it's a freshman it's a little hard to do that at times but I think those guys have earned the respect of their peers you know just the way that they go about their business how they work how they conduct themselves that you know Mom they need to step out of that Comfort zones a little bit and be a little bit more vocal but more importantly you know they got to produce you know that's the name of the game you guys welcomed in a transfer from Washington what have you seen from him this conversation yeah Mecca's been it's been good you know again he's another guy that's been you know banged up a little bit and um coming out of high school it's been a a really good player to have for us um great kid and again just excited to obviously you know get him healthy and get up and feel having some opportunities we chatted this time last year about what Eric Curry had as a pass catcher and then to mention that brought do you see anyone in your group right now Who projects in a similar way to him um Eric was unique in his his style play um you know so we have a bunch of guys who can catch the ball just like him um you know I think a guy that kind of comes to mind first off the top of my head is dalen uh he's um very natural in catching the ball on really good route Runner um smooth but um just you know those those are things you got to work on and again we got a young group but you know a group that's hungry and ready to be coached we're talking about Eric obviously God it was really productive last year and spent a lot of time on the field you know with him gone going into this season do you see this as you know looking for somebody to kind of replace that production or is it more like a committee kind of approach get even how productive he was oh no you know you want to have a Bell cow you want to have a guy that you can you know count on day in and day out just like I did with Eric and then obviously some guys that spell you know I just thinking this this point in our in our room you know we gotta got a lot more Talent than we had a year ago you know just overall so um you know I think they understand that you know I understand that but again you know we need a guy that's going to line up out there every single day and set the tone for us as a group and then um you know have other guys feed off of it do you know who that guy is yeah we don't I don't know so that's what that's what training camp is about if Javonte and Gavin are the two primary guys who are you feeling best or the strongest competition for a third position well there's no primary guys I'm looking for a starter um so again they know that um those guys are putting themselves in position to obviously work and get some some reps but um you know we're looking for a starter you know obviously we gotta you know we have some some good talent and um but as far as the number one guy we don't we don't have that right now it can't be everything but have you noticed a significance difference of recruiting since the announcement to the SEC since having the schedule in front of the 24th class um I wouldn't know to be honest um I don't you know I think it's been um I think the recruiting has just been been what it is you know I don't think it's been more or less because the SEC I'm sure you know I don't pay too much attention to that I just kind of you know recruit how I see fit and uh but I'm sure you know a lot of people are excited definitely about the transition for sure so so am I but um you know it's definitely obviously a huge I guess asset for us to go there how much momentum did they give you going into the off-season and how much does it give you going into the training camp yeah it was a good game I also we hope to win the game um and again those guys played play fairly well and obviously did some things that you know get back you know um you know they they've worked hard and again and feel really good about the room where we are and where we're heading again just to have those guys all healthy and ready to go and compete at a high levels it's great so um we're excited Marcus when he's been healthy Marcus major he's been productive yeah