Football: Bill O'Brien Media Availability (Aug. 17, 2024)

so defense had a 12 a day what 14 days in now are you sort of where you thought you would be or um not yet yeah no I look I think for 14 days yeah I definitely um I'm happy with where we are I think like what I talked to the team about today was I think we're definitely physically we're getting to where we want to get to from a from a contact standpoint but mentally we have to we have to deal with adversity better you know football that's what football is football is a is is about how do you deal with adversity when you get knocked down um if there's 170 total plays in a game right offense defense special teams are every one of those plays going to be perfect for you no so when there's a bad play like how do you deal with that do you learn from it and then move on to the next play or do you dwell on it and then let it go downhill and I think you know we we've got to do a better job of that as a team I think defensively they did a good job of that today and offensively you know we we we got to get better at that Max Tucker had a couple interceptions today what does he like as a quarterback what do you think of his play so far so far yeah I really like Max I like how he he he he approaches the game uh this is the type of guy we want to recruit at Boston College for every year I'm here this is what we're looking for he's a Boston guy he's a tough guy he's a competitive guy he's very smart guy he's never on any lists does everything the right way uh list by meaning like never misses class on time all the time uh really what it's all about at BC and he's a really good player and he's getting better and better every day and he had a good day today um another kid who put on show today nto you seen from him since you've been here yeah neto's done good the last couple days he's he's tough to block I mean he's a good rusher he's learning how to set the edge better in the running game he's a disruptive guy he's a strong player he's not the biggest guy but he's built he's power packed you know the way he's built so really happy with the way n's playing TR Ward looks like he has a competitive toughness Edge to him yeah you talk a little about that yeah absolutely he's uh he's not the biggest guy in the world but again he's he's a he's a physically strong guy uh he runs low to the ground he's very smart very instinctive has good pad level almost built-in pad level and so he he can get underneath tacklers and uh he does a great job in a passing game we're we're really happy to have him uh any injury updates I said we saw Kai Jaden out there log just sort of precautionary this point yeah nothing major definitely precautionary just you know a lot of bumps and bruises keev for this time of the training camp you know nothing uh nothing that I would say you know is life-threatening or you know require surgery or anything like that um you know just typical you know soft tissue ankles you know a couple things like that I think we'll get better seen some plays recently from SE McConnell yeah can you talk you know he's new to the school can you talk a little bit about him yeah transfer from University Illinois when we first got here I'll be honest with you he he he was doing okay you know and uh we sat down we talked for a while um had a good talk spoke to his mom uh this is a guy that takes a lot of pride in in playing good football uh he's bought into what we're what we're talking about and he's he's really turned it around over the last three four months he had a great summer and he's had a really good training camp so we're expecting good things out of him this year no doubt um high school ball once he started around here today the relationship building for the coaching staffs how important is that and how has it gone so far yeah there's nothing better than Massachusetts high school football I mean we we we love it you know I grew up here I played High School football here um you know starting on Monday I think most of the teams started on Monday and and you know I wished them luck on on Insta chat there and uh you know I look I I think the world of Massachusetts high school football the coaches the players like I've said from day one you know we want the bulk of this roster eventually to come from the local area they won't all come from Massachusetts we understand that but you know we've got to do a great job of recruiting the area but also like that 400 mile radius around Massachusetts like where their parents can come drive and watch them play that's going to be the buk of the roster hopefully come you're over the summer your son played for the um Worcester Brave how was that it was good yeah he played for the Worcester bravehearts and then um he he in some ways he got traded to the uh to the Inner City League to the Lexington um blue socks and uh yeah he loves it he he's uh he's he's playing there's like three tough teammates on that team with him and uh yeah he loves it good coach uh good team yeah it's they play like you know 8 o00 at night so I haven't been able to see him because we have our walkthroughs and stuff but my wife Colleen has driven up to see him pitch a couple times yeah he's loving it he's loving it good yep thank you guys y appreciate it