Coach Golesh Fall Camp Update (08.20.24)

so you know well I I I finally at Martin when dun was there I said Tony I never do this because the photo What U what plan otter plan are you on are you on the business plan well there's three different PL basic Pro and oh uh I think I'm on the pro keeps telling me upload or on business I'm on business yeah I'm on the one that you have the unlimited yes I need the unlimited I yeah I was on Pro I ued it up o write next week you minutes love to I didn't have a headset so it's not on you at all yeah it's not on you at all I didn't have headset so put stuff out there that guys can use you know can take what to say and I will say it is this the time to do it before the game start it's funny talking about how they want to see it stuff they'll give me the quotes they'll even write them out sometimes kind but go oh wait a minute no I'm sure Bishop whatever you want honestly don't know to say like give me a game this is nonsense a nonsense week just filler I've been I've been pill since this is this is getting ridiculous and then next week be another bad team into it what's your over under on the half time score they have these guys Janu practice practice practice can't say back that the guy that's not the back of damn I'm transfering I'm in the like it's ridiculous you can't even say like who's who's what got to couch every single thing well you know the other two guys they got and then they've got the kid from St Augustine entering next year course he's prob okay call I yeah today in fact today's column I have up today posted yesterday is about the back quarter what did you say well I asked that question too close to call after 300 straight Practice still can't still can't decide it that the question today you saw something today what was the one plan that was good goodn all here two just outs the we got no idea what this week even means coach well we ask about yeah we need a game well week zero um got false Sports which is cool Seattle my office we got soccer games coach bu horn and that crew starting on Thursday night with Seattle so good luck to to our men um but today Tuesday of week zero we finished Camp um finished Camp Saturday night um and they stayed in the hotel Saturday night we had a big family cookout we had 500 some odd family members here Saturday afternoon uh to kind of close camp out uh and then we are into a normal game week with Sunday being their off day Monday um Monday was uh meetings workouts and then uh today on the field so today first look of bethon uh for us as a staff a normal game week uh just to get our feet back under under ourselves in terms of game planning what a normal process looks like um and then we'll do a mock game type situational practice on Saturday one week out uh work a lot of uh end to game type situations um to get our substitution and all of that kind of finalized and U and then get rolling with a normal game we get ready for Bon next week uh starting like I said today so questions so from an on the field perspective the only difference the main difference between camp and now is looking at the opponent a little bit more I'm curious about that part of it as far as the in the classroom differences yeah 100% so a normal Monday night for us last night in terms of a install uh for bethon normal Tuesday morning today for us uh um uh getting ready for bethon so for these guys they're on bethon at this point and the Big Challenge to them is there's no school this week which a year ago we had school this week uh no school this week so the challenge is to get get their process now back you know they' they've had essentially three weeks in a hotel where wake up breakfast is there shuttle over here and then they're football all day long now getting used to install last night uh this morning morning install meeting special teams normal down for us offensively defensively right into practice did uh did very little work against each other today um all almost all scout team type work in both special teams offensively and defensively so normal Tuesday so now the challenge to them is normally they would be eating lunch going to class they have nothing right now so extra film treatment um whatever extra work they need to get done but the challenge again to them from our perspective is all right what is your normal Tuesday process going to be so go through it today and then tomorrow what is your normal Wednesday process going to be what is your normal Thursday process going to be in terms of preparation for a game that's why I said Saturday is a mock game for us to where uh it won't be as physical as obviously a scrimmage would be but to get themselves up Hotel get ready for what a game would be uh so just going through it you know as much as you feel like we've got a veteran team a lot of the veterans are are not guys that were with us a year ago so just what does like for a lot of guys morning practices are new guys are used to afternoon practices so just getting themselves in a routine which we again talk about their process and what that looks like dayto day but you mentioned a couple veteran players we're talking about Stokes and uh Sean Atkins just what um all Andrew being having a 30-year-old uh guy putting just what having his experience playing a whole other sport for years what does he bring to your team and what do sea meant in his time year going from a walk- on to a bit off watch guy yeah Andrew Stokes is legitimately probably my favorite person on this football team and gotten to know stoky over the over the last obviously two years man like just a he's 30 he's older than most of our young coaches most of our graduate assistants and analysts um so he he brings such a cool approach cuz he wants to fit in but he's also looked at as a father figure by a lot of those guys in that specialist room talk about those young guys like literally they just follow him around he's like Papa bear um but so mature uh so fun to be around I I hang back with him uh during our punt units and just his mental approach to the game and I mean he's phenomenal he's he's a young man that when we got here was coming off an injury and a rough year and I thought he had a solid year a year ago he had an incredible offseason physic physically mentally um he's I always joke with him like man I hope I never see you in a game but if I do man we got so much confidence in you um just the he's 30 he's in college and hanging out with college kids a lot of us would pay money to do that um I know you're not going to agree with me but that would be fun you know had to go down that road yeah tget but he's he's just brings a mature approach and he not just the specialist room but our special teams unit in general um really intelligent he's got a bright future ahead of him and then Sean Atkins man Sean um you know it was really cool um I have I have our older guys in on our Leadership Council speak to the team uh every night uh during fall camp and it's different guys every night and Shawn spoke towards the end of Camp you know to hear Sea's story uh you know he and he talked for about 15 minutes was was really vulnerable in telling his story it was really the first time he truly opened up in front of the team I thought it was really cool just to hear his challenges coming you know coming out of high school not getting recruited and and the belief his family had in him and really that's what got him through to this point um you know and and Sean you I remember standing with him uh during a special teams walkthrough last fall camp and he was coming off a shoulder and I'm like man like you know you're going to have a big year right Sean and he's like you think like like Sean you're you're going to be really special like slots in this offense are are really got a chance like you're going to have a lot of balls come your way we trust you on third down we trust you in the red zone and it was like really like Sean you're like going to be really really special and um and he talked about that moment in in front of the team the other day like man like like outside of my parents this is the first staff that's believed in me like that and it's not a knock on a previous staff but just he needed that push and that confidence and what you see out of Sean now is juice energy like he talks smack he's he's so fun to be around at practice he has a crazy amount of confidence right now and and I thought as the year went last year he had a crazy amount of confidence and he just talked about uh in front of the team talked about man when I'm out there like no matter my size no matter my speed no matter that I was a walk- on or not he's like I know I'm going to route your butt up and and uh just that confidence he exudes now you know it it it goes throughout the entire team you look at this guy he don't look like what a prototypical slot receiver at this level looks like but he certainly plays that way so really um you know I got a soft spot for a Walk-Ons in my heart and and he he's one that's got a really cool story and um getting a chance to see his parents on Saturday they're so proud of him and he talked about the bowl game after that he's like you know the uh a bowl game on December December 23rd is not the or December 21st is not the standard for this program but seeing my parents after that game and holding that Trophy and he's like man like that was a culmination of a lot and I'm getting sentimental here but it pretty cool story a young man like that to like you said bitov watch list and all these things um for a guy that was working at Meat Market two years ago running food it's pretty cool Alex you Jason vau we spoke to last week and of course last year everybody's getting to know one another new systems and so forth but he mentioned a huge difference this year is that it's becoming more and more of a player Le team that has to be a huge piece of the program building that you've spoken about often yeah you know and I think we still have challenges there we're still continuing to build but but I've told these guys all along and we're certainly closer than we've ever been but as long as it's coach driven and we're the ones holding you accountable for everything from where to be when to be there extra work what the locker room looks like the your body language when you walk in this building as long as the coaches coaches controlling it we're going to be capped at a certain point seven and six would be a great example of that um when it becomes player driven and it's controlled within that locker room there's no ceiling and we're certainly getting closer to that um you know but I think back to places I've been programs that have won for a long time it that's what you recruit to guys walk in it's like the older guys the veteran guys they got recruited on that premise and then they hold the standard in everything we're we're not there um we're slowly creeping that way um we're daily I think getting closer to that but we're not there uh you see you hear more at practice you see more in meetings of guys speaking up and we're encouraging it like crazy we've met a lot more by unit uh for example like quarterbacks with the wide outs and let the quarterbacks run it um dine with the linebackers let the linebackers run it uh in terms of you guys coach it like if you know it like you're supposed to know it you guys coach it and you coach effort and you coach attitude and you coach body language and you coach communication we're not quite there yet but we're Force feeding it at a crazy rate you mention you were talking about Andrew of course he came through that Pro kick program and that's become just really blossoms than one heck of a should we say a theater system for the colleges at all levels right I mean that's really turned out a lot of players that program yeah and Andrew would be a great guy to ask about it you know Johnny over there what they've done they've taken Now High School guys they've taken former rugby players they've taken uh former um Australian Rules Football guys and have t taught him how to punt consistently a little bit unorthodox in some ways which is what you want in the punt game no different than a dual threat quarterback you want a guy that has multiple Tools in his toolbox to be able to to rugby and rugby and kick One Way rugby kick the other pocket punt like and that's that's one thing that Australian punters give you that that traditionally American punters don't is the ability to move the pocket and so yeah what they've done over there is phenomenal um and and it's really cool because they don't really have an allegiance to a certain place they're just trying to make sure that guys go to school for free guys get their education guys get an opportunity to play in the National Football League and and the National Football League is now catching on with multiple Australian punters at in that league as well um but no it's the the pro kick system is incredible in terms of you hop on a zoom call and see 20 guys that are really really special um you know and they do tours in the summer and come through and it's like it's the first time you meet a lot of these guys but but Stokes is is a guy that came through that program and is hitting his Peak right now what kind of season do you think Andre had last year as a punter um I think he would tell you probably inconsistent um you know I think there was fine-tuned things to fine tune um you know in terms of in terms of Pooch puning and being able to to pin him deep um he'll he'll be the first one to tell you there was inconsistencies up and down um but like I said you look look at spring into fall Camp he's been one of the most consistent guys in our program I don't know how unusual it was you didn't have any touchbacks maybe there other guys around the country didn't have that but seemed maybe I didn't think about it at the time but but he just didn't Pooch it far enough in I mean no Touchback seems like yeah interesting it is super interesting it's certainly a good thing I think again if you ask Andrew he'll tell you man like the 19's better than the 20 but man the five is five is going to be better than 10 uh so it's again there's a difference between being good and being Elite and and Stokes a standard same as ours are for him is to be elite when you in a game situation and you're trying to decide whether to go for and forth down or punt it are you working off a chart are you working off feel have you thought through every possible field down and distance situation how do you just make that decision yeah um so analytics go into it um you know we've we''ve got we we've got analytics going into every Drive uh based on a lot of different factors uh people way smarter than you and algorithms also way smarter than you and I that that provide it weekly every game is different based on a lot of different factors um but you start to get a feel as the game goes in terms of man I feel like I feel like it's worth the risk or not um you know you get a sense for how you're defense is playing you get a sense for the tempo of the game you know going into the game like I know how many drives we're going to have and based on how fast we go based on how fast or slow the other team goes so do you need to steal a possession or not um and then how are you playing you know in terms of are we hitting on all cylinders or are we not and cu the worst thing you want to do is put your defense in a bad spot too so I can honestly tell you that every time we went for on fourth down a year ago I thought we were going to get it and I know it sounds cliche but like like if I ever thought man we don't have a good plan here or I don't have a great field for what the defense is doing or defensively we're playing lights out and the only thing I can do screw this up will punt it where we were in a unique spot a year ago and we talked about this a lot in the spring is is we were in that 35 to 40 yd line range a lot on fourth down um where it's like man you're fourth and five I'm giving you more than you probably need to know but you're fourth and five you're just out of where we felt like field goal range a year ago um which we've addressed that issue as well but where you felt like you were just out of field goal range and you're really too tight to punt it but I you don't feel comfortable on Fourth and five here going for you saw us take delays at times to to give Andrew a better shot to to pin it uh but you also saw us go for it on Fourth and five fourth and four fourth and six sometimes where I'm like analytically it it's not not the smartest thing but you're like in this gray area of what do you do here and so offensively obviously addressed I feel like what we've got in a field goal situation right now with with John and Tai and and Nico still competing but feel like we've got deeper range I think you're going to have a lot less of those situations where um where you're either going to kick it or you're going to be in a fourth and one situation where you're going to feel like you can go for it fourth and two fourth and three one more on this could just when you think back when you got into coaching to now is going forward on fourth down a different animal uh has has the mindset changed have people have gotten more aggressive or like you're trying to steal a possession that you feel like you the odds are on you you really need to go for it on fourth down versus I don't know if it's changed I think it's always been a philosophical approach I think analytics obviously has become more of a factor in it I think used to do your own analytics in terms of what you what you feel you know I I feel like I go into every game knowing now all right we're going to take our chances either early or we're going to hold to take our chances until later um I I feel like I game plan more fourth and one to threes fourth and fours more than I ever have probably because now I'm the one making the decision on whether we're going to go for it I don't know if the game's changed I think it's it's you maybe what we do offensively I always feel like you got a shot um um but I don't know if it's changed I think just maybe been more in the Forefront because of the analytics you mentioned that some of your players are slowly but surely providing the lead leadership you you wanted do you see any future football coaches in that room yeah I see a ton of future football coaches it's funny like there's a there's guys I always joke with like man like you'll be working here in in a couple years whenever your career is over and they're always like man like I don't know if I want these hours so uh you know and with with nil the way it is I don't know if anybody wants to take a pay cut you think you think I'm joking so but yes you see a bunch of former uh bunch of future coaches and a bunch of dudes that you're like man these guys see the game a different way and uh I'm the first one to grab them like you're going to be coaching you're going to be coaching and it's always the same answer like man these hours like that we see when your your car is here at whatever time like yeah dude like who would some of the those guys be um man it's a great question uh Sean Atkins is one uh Mike Lofton I talk to all the time about coaching I think Matt Harris is going to end up coaching Rashad Cheney GNA end up coaching um Byron will end up coaching at some point he says no way but he'll end up coaching uh Jaden Alexis J Alexis is like a coach in in in there non-stop um those are the guys that come to mind you talked about the story a little bit already but now the tape is out on Sean can't sneak up on teams anymore do you think team are going to kind of key in on him more and is it fair to say that he can reproduce what he did last year and even you know take it to another level yeah I I think I I think um the secret was out on Sean probably after the first couple games um you saw a lot more bracket type coverages you saw a lot more guys playing softer um he Sean will be the the first one to tell you you still got to stop him um but you know how we're built where if you're going to bracket somebody out then we're going to go somewhere else with the ball and and that's just as beneficial if you're going to draw coverage like that um I I think Shan Sean can can do whatever it is that that his body allows him to do cuz mentally he's in the best space he's ever been in he knows right now that he's the best best receiver in this conference and he he knows he's one of the best receivers in the country and I think like we talked about confidence a year ago I think he we knew that I think he was starting to believe it right now the way he's worked the way he had he had a spring he didn't have a spring a year ago he had a full summer um I think obviously people know who he is but still got to stop him Coach I'm reading Joe Madden just one question you got two I'm going to get two I'm reading Joe Madden's book he talks about the five levels of professionalism when it comes to a coaching his first three are really interesting talks about you got to go through you're happy to be there then you survive the third one was interesting you belong do you think that applies to you and if it does when did you feel you belonged you always got me thinking um I don't know if I ever if I ever felt the first two I I waited to to take a job until I thought I was ready I I I think I've been really open about I I never never thought about um being a head coach I think probably because I was just so busy doing whatever job I was doing at the time um I I thought when I when I felt like I was ready is when I took the the job I felt like I belonged right away um you know I I think you need just like anybody else you need validation from proof of concept uh and I'm not saying I didn't screw a bunch of stuff up I did but but I I felt like I belong from the minute that I stepped in here you have to because if you show any sign of weakness or you have weakness you're going to get exposed in this deal it just happens too fast so I I don't know that I ever felt the first two coach my second one you got two pens on that whistle is there a reason for it is like one good thing and one bad thing yeah no the red the red is is we need to change immediately the black is just notes for later in the day thank you and also usually I'll lose one they they uh break what did you screw up and how and what are you going to be better at um man you know probably better question for the when I retire um honestly um I think when I when I got here the the best advice I ever got was man get move on from everybody if if you're no matter if you're taking over a winning program a losing program you got to get your own people in here um I don't know that I it wasn't at 100% I felt like a year in I had to make changes to where it I truly felt like they were all my people um I'm talking from a from a Personnel standpoint coaching um support staff um you know I I think probably at times um you know I don't know I I felt like I was trying to always find a gray area like not a gray area but a find medium of making sure that that we're having fun while working um you know I I feel like as we've recruited we've recruited guys that can have fun while working really really hard um that's probably one I I think the things I did extremely well were we never talked about the past never talked about the future just talked about the present that was probably the biggest thing was just attacking today um but those are probably the two biggest things unless you start talking like in-game there's a couple calls I'd like back is there anything about you know and you talked about this when you got the job just and you told your wife you know this going to be different the calls come in at 3:00 a.m. that I got to take and I got to solve this problem and people recognizing me and is the all the external stuff ever strange or it's just just just rolling with it like this is just part of the deal yeah I think a lot of that the time at Tennessee probably prepared me for um in that regard strange no I I just I think you're you're never off like you're you're you're always there's 130 players and 70 whatever people work with us that are constantly watching what you're doing um outside of the community and all that but like like you can't you could be yourself but you can't ever um you got to be careful what you say and your emotional attachment to what you say um so that's probably the most unique thing so you say it say it not right it's going to follow you and then just yep you better you better think twice when you say something in front of the team in front of the staff um so you always are on you're never like yeah you're never unnoticed never off the Record never off the Record that's probably the best way to put it thank awesome thank you guys app have a great day too and broke all our season records last year on PA break our career records this year what's going on Sean you have spoken about your story uh it's widely known but I guess did you say did you give a different version to the team coach was saying you you spoke and you a more emotional about it or something yeah I kind of went into more of uh the mental health side of uh you know playing college football um you know it's hard on all of us you know the days are long taxing and you got to also battle with a social life outside of it um you know not everything's going to go your way but um it's kind of just what I explain to them is football has been My Sanctuary you know that that's the place that I go U whenever my head's not right um I can come out here and you know you're just trying to perfect the play in front of you you know so this thing is really elevated myself in my life in a like aspect that I never thought it would really happen and uh I was just trying to be vulnerable with them and just tell all the young guys that like you're going to have those dark days but it's always going to be worth it in the end are you are you example to somebody in that room that doesn't think I got a shot here that I can look at you yeah for sure um I I have conversations with them all day um you know everything is about the details you know you got to come in every day um and focus on everything that you know the coaches want you to work on um you want to be able to perfect your craft in whatever way you know scout team just happened and personally that was my favorite time you know you could try whatever you want you know without any penalty uh you kind of just go out there and play football and just have fun and just perfect your craft and and then whenever the moment comes you're ready for it because you repped it a 100 times you're going against the defense every day you know so you you get to go and sharpen your skills and then and then um you kind of earn the respect of the defense as well coach said you were a little uncertain at the start of last year about how good you could be you said now you realize you're you're the best receiver in the conference one of the best in the country when how did that evolve when yeah I think just understanding how to get your process right um you know that guy really harps on your process and making sure that you do everything right off the field you know get your body right you're studying you know cuz preparation is the main key for uh success so whenever you get everything right and you're going out there and having real confidence and really playing at a high level you know you kind of go out there and just you just react you're not really thinking you're just putting yourself in the best position and you know Byrum's going to find you you know Byrum's a dog so he's going to get all his Playmakers the ball um and it's just my job to go make those plays whenever it's my duty and then the confidence aspect of it um kind of just came with just really repetition and just realizing that like I'm past what I was in the past and I am who I am now and that football player is just somebody that plays at a high level every player he also said he thought you would be a coach one day does that yeah yeah yeah so I I would uh I I never want to shut that out you know I love football too much to just kind of step away from it um and he jokes with me all the time you know maybe I'll work for him one day I don't know if I can handle him that long though a lot of people they look at they call it Swagger or whatever that it factor and you know he talks to you all the time how do you play off of that you know the things that he says and private moments and just how he Jabs you maybe or whatever how do you play off of what he tries to put your head yeah he really makes like a relationship where you know you can really trust him you know whenever he's having fun you're having fun when he when it's time to lock in you're kind of locked in um but whenever you make a play and you come over and he's the first person to run off and jump up with you um it means something you know it it really keeps you going um I think I threw a pass to Bar him one time and he was more excited than I was you know so just seeing that and his reaction and just the love that he has for every one of us um it's just something special and he he really kind of has his own Swagger I don't know how to describe it and he has a good taste of music too though Sean yeah Sean can you talk about the new players in the receiver room I mean last year at this time you're still trying to figure out what's going on there who's who a lot of new faces this season sounds like you got a lot of depth some new guys that have come in and are doing doing very well in Camp if you could talk about that yeah so all the new guys you know they're coming in they're hungry you know they they transfer for a reason they want to be that guy so I kind of feel like everybody's just still playing with a chip on their shoulder you know we got a lot of young guys from last year uh still trying to prove their way and prove their worth and trying to make ways uh trying to make plays in practice to get on the field um and it honestly pushes me as well you know like whenever I see the young guys making plays I just have that like competitiveness that I want to go out and make plays and I think we kind of just build off of one another um and the Death part of it I think is just better for everybody you know we can kind of go out in a healthy uh with a healthy room and you never know who's going to start each week you know so just having the ability to you know use different pieces and all of us have different skill sets and it just kind of keeps the defense guessing I feel like there competition among you guys too yeah for sure you know I feel like uh I feel like we just compete with one another I think that the whole room is just super competitive um and we we kind of just push each other to get the best out of one another how do how do you feel about the tight ends the group of tight ends you have yeah you know um I was uh I was uh watching Jonathan eckl's highlights yesterday yeah if you guys want to see some highlights go watch the sophomore highlights yeah that guy's a different animal but uh all those guys you know they they have a unique skill set um Payton you know he came in from Cincinnati and he's he's playing at a really high clip you know Gunner he's always going to do what he wants to do and Wes you know we got to him get him back healthy and get back on the field Sean when you look at your roster I think you have 22 graduate students so you have a whole array of guys that are physically and mentally mature on this team what do you what do you think that means for for the team I just whenever you have experience on the team you know you can it it builds off of one another you know you kind of just pick up on ways that uh you know the older guys are doing it the people that have played um because in game is a lot different than practice reps um you kind of just get a different feel and when you have guys like that they can teach the younger guys and just kind of look for things that you normally wouldn't look for whenever you don't experience Sean I don't know if you're familiar with the collegiate career of Hunter Renfro up at Clemson yeah very strikingly similar the years walk on at Clemson he catches the pass to win the national championship and gets drafted wouldn't that be nice yeah it would um you know he's an absolute dog you know I feel like I picked up some things from his game um that I Incorporated in my game you know I think that both of us are just trying to make people miss and I feel like we use that to best ability Sean I think you were in the back when he said this but uh will you be the first to tell me that someone still has to stop you is that the mentality that you take into this season absolutely you know if you win one rep uh I have the mindset I tell all the guys like if a DB wins one rep you got to keep guarding me every play like it's a long game you know so you got to keep going guarding me over and over again and I just feel like I'm going to win more than you that's just how I feel I think I know the answer to this but I'm guessing you did not have any thoughts about changing your number but you know it's not a receiver number could you just take us to your angle on that yeah 38 just ever since I got here you know it just reminds me of that person um you know just walking in and kind of starting at the bottom of the depth chart you know the ladder whatever the case may be um and it just means something to me you know like it just reminds me of all the work that I put in to get to where I am today um and it's just something that I would never change okay so just honestly you didn't even think about it like maybe 17 or anything like that it's more of a receiver sounding or 81 number never I mean I could ask BM to get 17 I don't know bad example bad example 81 like in ' 80s yeah yeah I just I I I think if I was to change I'd probably go to zero I don't know I don't know you would have changed your number that would have been terribly disappointing actually I think so I don't think I'd play with any confidence yeah exactly synonymous with your journey right yeah exactly do you feel a little bit more pressure to perform this season to reproduce what you did last year are you can improve on that yeah so so um I wouldn't say that uh golish and LD do a really good job of just uh you know relaying information to me about like expectations or just other people's opinions um it as long as you go out and perfect your craft and continue to make the plays how you make plays every time you're out on the field um everything's just going to take care of itself so if you put pressure on yourself you're going to do things out of the ordinary um and and you're not going to play your style of football your game so I I feel like I just do I just want to stay in the present and just continue to work hard every play thanks Sean apprciate appr it thank you L from Australia stes how we doing good so what kind of a season do you think you had last year I asked coach that but what do you think yeah I I mean personally I don't think it was where I wanted it to be or where I saw it going um it's just very up and down inconsistent like coach said it was obviously I want to be doing my best effort for the team and and that means being consistent in every single one of my punts so yeah it wasn't wasn't quite the standard of where I wanted to be but I mean that's why we come back have the offseason go to work and and get better so the the offseason coach has mentioned you a lot you feel like you're primed for for a good one here based on your yeah I think I am I think I've made a lot of changes in I guess my routines and my processes and trying to figure out what works for me and what worked last year what didn't and I've gone back and watched countless hours of film to to Really hone in on on what I can do to be better and um yeah I think the consistency piece is it's still getting better there it's never going to be where I want it because I'm chasing Perfection but it's definitely a lot more consistent than where I was so it's it's a lot of just talking to my coaches and finding out seeing what they can see and then watching the film and and seeing it for myself Andrew did uh how did USF get on your radar did trench Schneider have anything to do with that um I don't think initially he had anything to do with it the way it sort of works with Pro kick they'll try and find a school where an Aussie might be in their last year and um will possibly be like graduating so um I put together some film when I was back home and they ended up uh sending the film over to a few schools and USF were the first ones to to offer me a a full ride so yeah it was just for me it was an awesome opportunity to get to go to another country and play a high level Sport and just have a unique experience that none of my friends back home would have so yeah it was as soon as I found out I was I was committing right then and there right are some of the guys on the front end that maybe you know really gave Pro kick a lot of attention I had Mitch wowski there Tom hacket some years ago yeah C cam Johnston Tom hacket Mitch wishnowski they're they're probably the ones Aaron cpos as well he played at uh the Eagles for a little bit so I mean those guys are pivotal to getting the pro kick name out there and and really showing like the pathway of how it can be done and and what Aussies can do and and putting it on National Television so I mean there's there's a lot of guys in college now from Pro kick so I mean they're also getting getting some notice and it's it's helping the helping the pro kick pathway a lot and have you shared your experiences with a lot of the youth back in Australia you know let's say this is something that you could do as well because the opportunity is there yeah I've definitely had uh definitely had guys back home reach out to me and and ask and how is it all going what's it like was it worth it and all these kind of stuff so yeah I mean I I tell them all it's it's extremely worth it you're you're getting an education you're getting a new experience that you won't you won't regret um so yeah I mean it's definitely definitely something I'm I'm passing on to to the guys back home how many years of Eligibility do you have remaining now that this is my last this is the last one okay okay and G SCH called you the papa bear of the Special Teams room does it ever get tiring or does it kind of amuse you when people reference your age and your your your veteran status yeah it's it's kind of a just a laugh now I mean I I don't really take myself too seriously so I probably make more old jokes about myself than any of the other guys so it just takes away their Joy they can't do it but um yeah I mean it's it's all part of the fun I mean I knew I would have that when I first came in that the age was going to be different to a lot of guys and um yeah I mean you just got to have fun with it it makes the guys happy when they get to joke about it it makes me happy and even the coaches joke about it as well so yeah it's it's all in good nature and yeah only they can only do it for six more months CU then I'll be graduating so are you 30 I am 30 when you when are you 31 December 14th December 14th yeah so so you're you're on the field with some I think 17y olds are they are they teammates or are they kids how do you look at those guys it just depends on what scenario I mean it's it's uh it's difficult when you hear that they're born in 2004 or something like that that's that's not always fun to to hear but yeah no it's I mean their teammates I love them all the same whether they're the older ones like Kelly Joiner or they are younger in 17 I think for me it's about teaching them what I know about football and and how I can help them but also I guess just being there for them and life advice I feel like with the sport I played back home and then coming here I've got a different outlook on how to handle things and can I guess push some life advice onto them so I feel like I do that really well in our room in the in the specialist room and I think for the most part they appreciate it sometimes there's hard truth told but I think yeah for the most part they appreciate it and and just helps them Co coach goolish said you are his favorite player can you talk about your relationship with him yeah I can I can definitely see that it's probably just because we're the closest in age but I uh yeah he's he's awesome I think it's the Australian culture back home is very sarcastic and very I mean you poke fun at each other all the time so having a coach like that makes football for me more fun it just feel makes me feel like I'm at home it's I'll be out there lining up to punt and he'll come up and just say something in my ear just to try and throw me off but it's it's all in good fun and I think that not just for me but amongst the whole team really creates that fun environment and allows you to enjoy football and and you're going to get the best out of yourself from that do you have family here in the states or is everybody back home everyone's back home so yeah they've been able to come to see you uh yeah my mom and uncle came over last year for about a month and saw a few games I think they saw I think maybe two or three um but yeah this year my my mom and dad are going to come over again for two months and that way they get to do senior game and graduation and my birthday and then Christmas which will be nice cuz you don't always get to have Christmas at home so um but yeah it I'm super pumped to have them come over and Dad's never been he's been to America but he's never seen college football and it's the atmosphere is like nothing I've ever experienced so I know he loves his sport loves watching me do what I want to do so yeah he's uh he's going to be pumped your mother I imagine that was her first exposure to American football in person then when she was here last year yeah she she had watched a couple of games um that were featured on the TV back home but I mean she was up at 2:00 a.m. 3:00 a.m. in the morning to watch them and to be honest there was no point cuz she didn't really know what was going on anyway talked to her the next day and she's like oh did you even play I'm like yeah yeah I did so she'd she'd have to rewind and and find the find the punts but um yeah even even seeing her in the stands last year and being able to watch it in person she still didn't really have any idea of what was going on but there's a lot of families around there that would helping her out and and telling her what was going on so I know she had an absolute ball and she's going to love it again I'm sure it had to be a really neat time for you to have family there last year right that was very proud moment I'm sure yeah it it really was I mean it's it's always tough like come out after a game and everyone's going to see their families and usually I'll attach myself to going to Green world's family and go and see them but um yeah it was just it was cool having them experience what what I've Loved for the last couple of years while I've been here and and what I like to do and just uh I could explain it so many times to them but they never understand truly what goes into a practice what goes into games and until they actually experience it so to have them there was really important for me and then to have them here this year again for graduation and things like that will be even more important I don't want you to give away any Trade Secrets but when the personal protector turns around and whatever code word it is they're coming here comes 10 guys who try to block the what goes through your mind uh it's usually I hope I've created a strong enough relationship with the other 11 players on that team cuz cuz if one of them doesn't like me too much they might let someone through but no I'm really close with all the guys on the punt unit and I think our team is quite we're not we don't really keep to ourselves we're all intermingle so um yeah I've got a really close relationship with all the guys on the shield and and on the front line as well and I know they they said that they're going to do everything in their power to make sure that no one touches me so it's it's very it's it's nice it's comforting feeling having them protect me like that directional punning everybody thinks that easy it's not is it yes it's it's not not super easy there's a lot punting in general I think it's it's 90% mental 10% physical that's that's just how we look at it I think everything's everything has to be just right it's such a specific the way you drop the ball the angle to how big your steps are to there's a lot that goes into it and if just one of them is off then all of a sudden the whole punt can can go to waste so yeah it's it's really specific but it's more mental than than anything last question punting the point it almost looks like a sand wedge when it comes down it hits and bounces back yeah why is that I think it's just the rotation of the ball sometimes you get lucky and it it bounces your way there's definitely been times where it's it's bounced forward so yeah it's I could sit here and and tell you guys that yeah I created it to bounce backwards but yeah it's it's just not how it happens it it's uh it's just the way it bounces unfortunately it's a funny shape ball and sometimes it bounces your way thanks even though you are Alex gish's favorite player you are the player he doesn't want to see play on the field what's what's that like for to be a punter and a with a head coach that's all about offense and making first downs and and he don't want you in the game yeah I mean I usually joke with him and and ask him for at least one punt especially when my family's here just so they can see it but um I mean like it's that's just the nature of of the position I mean like obviously I love being able to play but I know that if I'm not playing it's a good thing and that that the team's doing good and we're winning and that's ultimately where I want to be I mean we've mentioned that I'm 30 I'm getting older bit so if I if I can rest my body some weeks that's even better but no it's it's just how it how football is and if if the team's winning I mean we had a first my first two years were pretty rough and we didn't really see too many wins so uh I'd just like to keep the winds rolling and if if that's how it's going to be and I don't get to play as much then so be it I got to sneak one more in when you're watching a game NFL college whatever if the punter makes a tackle and he's viciously aggressive you can go that's an aussy guy why is that yeah I think that goes back to our our national sport the AFL um all guys have to be able to kick the ball you have to be able to tackle defend and all this kind of stuff so I think somewhere deep down inside all the Aussie punters there's a bit of that nature in them that they miss being able to tackle and and get in there and be a bit rough and and enjoy that kind of physical nature of the game so I mean when you get to if you get the chance you got to take it Andrew what was the biggest challenge for you as it pertained to the American style of playing uh I think it was more the biggest challenge for me was definitely the the rules and understanding that I know when I first got here I had some of my teammates and I'm I used to tell them like when I go out there to punt at practice like you need to show me how fast how far back I have to stand cuz I was still learning a few of those things and just like the rules and intricacies of it but um I mean we watched so much film and I was asking ask the guys on the sideline whether it's my position or not ask them questions and and just try and build my knowledge that way but yeah it it was definitely understanding the game and and when I when I'm needed and when it's crucial and when I'm not you want to play pro football love to yeah yeah so when when when that is finally done what what will you do with your life uh I mean I want to be involved in sport at some cap capacity I know coach was talking about guys who might want to be football coaches and I don't know if I want to be a full-time football coach but I could I feel like I've got the the skills to be able to teach punting and and kicking of some sort so potentially that but I mean I'm I'm just a lover of sport I want to be involved in it at at some level so yeah that's that's probably the route that I'll take you've got your master's degree no this is undergraduate okay yeah and what what was your what's your degree Communications Communications so by no means are you old at age 30 but you're people who are 30 are sitting in an office doing adult things yeah you're being young by being around younger people do you think that'll serve you well in some fashion moving on with your life that you have this youthful Outlook yeah I think so in in some respect it's I sit there and wonder should I be working right now but I think for me it's I want to play sport for as long as I can and this is an awesome opportunity to get a great education and at a great University so um if I was working in office I wouldn't have I probably wouldn't be in America right now I wouldn't be getting my degree and all that kind of stuff so or making the friends that I have here so I think I do look at that and think uh maybe I should have gone that route but for me I just remind myself that we're all on a different path and there's no timeline there's no set timeline for everyone so I'm just happy to live in the present and and figure out the rest of it when I need to what line of work were you in as you were going through the pro kick program uh uh I used to do I used to be a manager for a hospitality and Catering Warehouse so um not not quite the office job it was a little bit dirtier than that but after being there for about 7 years it was kind of time to move on I was looking for a new adventure and when I heard about Pro kick I I took the took the chance but yeah I I did that for quite a while and I'm glad I'm here now how old were you when you entered the pro kick program I was 27 when I end entered it yeah so a lot older than most what was your family's reaction when you said hey I'm going to go to Tampa Florida USF yeah it was it was uh quite different I my family and I are really close so they're they're very happy being comfortable and I mean for me I I like to have new experiences and so I'm kind of the opposite to to most of them but yeah I remember telling them that I was joining Pro kick and they were asking me what it's about and I said it makes punters and sends them to to America and Mom Mom wasn't happy I mean she was she was crying um cuz then her her baby boy is about to leave and not just to the other side of the country it's to the other side of the world so um yeah she she wasn't super she was happy but she was obviously sad at the the idea of it but then yeah for my dad he was kind of a bit unsure I mean in my when I was a bit younger used to just full head of steam into any idea without really thinking it through so we never really knew much about American football or scholarships and all this kind of stuff so he was uh on the back foot until I got a got a scholarship and then he he realized that I'd actually thought this one through for once thank you than very much Wonder exploring how are you saf Wednesday