Montana State's Tommy Mellott on spring ball, end of 2023 season and more

um how was this uh it's been a blessing to be with these guys again for another winner um I think what was that my fourth fourth my fifth my fourth my fourth winner here with the with the team so it's been cool to see guys you know come and go and and just continue to build relationships you know it's it's a time that I can really invest into people and invest into building relationships with you know some of my teammates and and um so it was very meaningful for those you know those eight weeks to be uh you know back here for a fourth year how's it been building that new relationship yeah it's been great um super high energy guy you know I've really enjoyed being in there with a meeting room you know talking ex no with him um but just uh you know personal life as well you know he's made a big impact on me so far um in the couple months he's been [Music] here yeah um you know I've been able to discuss a little bit about how his career was when he was at Utah State um you know I definitely do see some parallels there um and I think you know everyone has trials and tribulations for sure but I think he has uh you know done a good job of you know somewhat um you know just a good job communicating with us and how he feels about certain things and just you know his perspective you know that mental part of it as well that's been um impactful so far we can also talk about how hungry you know this class is that in theor class talk a little more about that last yeah absolutely um you know our season ended early um that was early as it's been for you know since I've been here since before I even got here right so um it was it was not it was a a you know a sour taste in our mouth for a lot of December and into January and and you know I know a lot of guys you know were able to go home and invest in relationships with their families but they also you know got after it from right then right when they you know got to go home for that break and um you know it was shown right when we got back um you know I think coach Haron did a great job of of you know really progressing you know who we are as as an outfit here and and um you know I definitely just have to Echo that is I I you know I definitely do feel a hunger with this team and going out there for Spring ball um it's just continuing uh we're going into week three here so uh obviously we got to keep that thing rolling so being a returning Captain what's that level of leadership like yeah um I think it's just an energy level that's uh you know it's pretty special to have guys that have that are returning you know captains it's you know quite often that it's typically just seniors and and and to some extent it's because these guys they're really on their last straw you know they don't have anything else after that but um it was for sure a blessing to have a couple of guys you know returning for uh you know obviously their senior year and being captains and and uh you know just being able to be vocal and and Lead because they've seen what it looks like to be successful and you know they've also seen what it looks like to go home early in December so um you know we can kind of you know weade through that and uh you know we we get to progress and we get to learn just along with everyone else with that process of of being that leader going into your senior year what's an area Focus that you've been really trying to yeah I mean there's so many things that you know I've been able to invest in just with my own game but I think the biggest thing for this year is is just everyone else around me I think that you know um it's really easy to just be focused on yourself and be focused on you know Pro you know typically problems with yourself right and so I think that you know certainly there's Solutions you know to those problems that I'm trying to work on but I think overall I mean it's just that that you know intrinsic motivation of just loving the guys around you and and just giving everything for those guys because you know ultimately you know this program is going to go on after I leave this place and you know just how are you going to leave you going to leave it a better place and like you found it are you going to leave it a better place than where you were last year so I think that's my biggest my biggest Focus this year is just really investing into this team and and making sure that you know um you know once um that final second drops from you know my senior years that you know this team is in in a great place whatever that might look like uh no I just felt like growing it out a little bit I I got it cut um I think in December and just haven't decided to get a cut yet so seeing how we're rolling um you've worked CL sh last couple years what have been theg differ no uh Sean oh Chambers yeah okay I didn't know if you meant Heron I get you um quarterback was like uh no but yeah Sean's been great um you know I've been he's able to come back this week for pro day and I'm really excited to see you know how he performs um he's someone that was obviously influential to me throughout my career and when he got here in my second season so uh it's been great to see him back here um but I don't know I think again it's just just as he did you know he invested in the guys around him and and made about the team and you know I think I learned a lot from that so that's kind of what my focus is throughout the senior year being that LE um no I don't think it's much of a transition I think that I think we both LED you know really really well and I don't think that it was like a substitute from one another I think you know we are kind of two separate um independent entities you know as Leaders on this team so um I don't think that like necessarily that like once he left like you know I had to find a different Gear with that stuff but again you know we're kind of feeling stuff out too it's the first time um that I've been in this position you know so um you know I got to learn just along with everybody else with that process there's a huge guys what's it like to have is it 23 I guess of you guys um compared to last year what's that like uh it's a blessing for for sure a lot of these guys you know I came in with a lot of these guys I knew um because they you know got here in 2019 and they're seniors now but um I knew from high school and so L those Montana guys right so it's just been a blessing to to be with these guys for so many years and get to know them and um you know certainly they're just very invested in this program you know sticking through you know obviously ups and downs at this point and um you know just like I said they they've seen both sides of it and so I think um I think you know we're doing the right things that we can set ourselves up for Success obviously yeah Ran's got some great energy it's been great for him to be over here you know he got here early in the uh in the winter um right away and and he made an impression on everybody with just his you know his ability is and his you know diligence and consistency and work work ethic all those you know pieces were shown for know January February and now you know through March into Spring ball and was continuing that but just his energy out there practice is just contagious and um you know I think that he's he's had a very good start so far has been asked already but the the final game how much kind of motivation does that give you especially individually and as a team considering you exited that game with an injury and it was obious very close yeah I don't think that I'd necessarily just look at one game I think the entire season last year was just motivating um you know I think we had very high expectations and I think that uh you know to some extent we weren't able to handle that very well and so I'm just very excited to to have an opportunity to come back and learn from that and and be a better team this year playing as well as you did in that last game is that give you confidence going into the season or extra confidence yeah um I mean I think that it's just uh it just that ability to to find Solutions and whatever um you know is throwing your way and that selfefficacy and I don't think that NE changes from game to game depending on you know what happened previously because I suppose there's also bad games and if you know you always just let what happened the prior game you know dictate how you're going to feel in the future you know It's just tough but it certainly does you know it felt you know like it was a unfortunate that um we weren't able to finish that game the right way um but I I don't think that necessarily just because of the last game you know I played really well that I know like I know I'm going to play well in the future um regardless if it was a bad game a good game so yeah you just mentioned yeah uh it's been emotional I mean just being able to realize at the end of that last you know winter period our last you know winter workout you know you uh really do build a lot of relationships and see you know guys really laying it down on the line for you um in difficult situations and so you know that last winter workout was for sure emotional just realizing that you know that's the last one and and um it just it's a great opportunity to just kind of count your blessings and see where you're at and see where your feet are at right now and and obviously take it one step at a time because there's not very many left for me so it's exciting