Hello HOB. Hope your weekend is going well. I’m back over at the JCFTC awaiting Mark Stoops & Co. after today’s practice. Should be interesting to hear what the UK boss has to say after a couple of weeks in the books. Practice is scheduled to end at approx 1:15 ET. Stay tuned…
MARK STOOPS Q&A:
* Stoops comes off the field “a little pissed off” today. A couple of lackluster days. Liked the Pro Day yesterday, proud of those guys, but the guys they have right now seem to think you can just roll out of bed and be good. Want to see them get back to their tough, physical brand, and he’s not seeing it now.
* Who do you look to now? No leadership showing up, he says.
* “Entitled.” Thinks some guys watched Pro Day and just thinks they’re automatically going to make it without the work.
* “Bullshit.” Getting a bit angrier the more he talks about it. Not a happy camper today, as you can tell. Stoops declines to speak about any players individually. Don’t deserve it. "It's the whole group."
* Normal practice today. Not a full Saturday scrimmage.
* WR Jordan Anthony hasn’t joined them from track and field yet.
* Would like to be a player-led team right now, “but obviously we’re not,' so the coaches have to lean on them harder.
* Anything he expected? No. It's always day-to-day with a new team.
* On what he's looking for... "A toughness and an attitude."
* Less than 4 minutes today. Mark made it clear he didnt want to spend much time talking today. Made his point and got out.
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DEVIN LEARY Q&A:
* Says Stoops’ message after practice is we’ve got to get back to being more hard-nosed like the UK team he always saw on TV even before he transferred here.
* Wants to take a bigger role in leadership. Has been trying to blend in and earn that job.
* Players left the field pissed off, too, after being undressed by Stoops. Thinks they will respond.
* Greart teams are player-led, Leary said. They have to want it more than the coaches do. And it has to start today. Can’t take any days off from now on.
JJ WEAVER Q&A:
* Says he’s trying to accept leadership and come out of his a shell more. It’s been something he hasn’t had to do a lot with guys like Square and Jones around, but he’s got to do it now. Team has a lot of young guys who tend to pout at times.
* Says he even needs to be able to get on the offense at times, too, when he sees that is not going well.
ELI COX Q&A:
* Harder to build a team these days, Cox said. There’s a lot more turnover now. Guys trying to figure each other out. So many guys don’t know the culture yet.
* Brand means a lot to him because he grew up in it here. He’s a KY kid. Some of the other guys may not be used to that yet, though.
* Cox said they may mix and match positions thru the rest of the spring. “Whatever it takes to get the best 5 guys out there.”
* There’s only 4-5 guys who were here when Schlarman was still alive. No one is happy with the direction they went last year. Have to get back to moving people off the ball.
ALEX AFARI Q&A:
* Not much energy today. Disappointing,
* Likes playing anywhere on the field. Considers himself “just a football player.”
MARK STOOPS Q&A:
* Stoops comes off the field “a little pissed off” today. A couple of lackluster days. Liked the Pro Day yesterday, proud of those guys, but the guys they have right now seem to think you can just roll out of bed and be good. Want to see them get back to their tough, physical brand, and he’s not seeing it now.
* Who do you look to now? No leadership showing up, he says.
* “Entitled.” Thinks some guys watched Pro Day and just thinks they’re automatically going to make it without the work.
* “Bullshit.” Getting a bit angrier the more he talks about it. Not a happy camper today, as you can tell. Stoops declines to speak about any players individually. Don’t deserve it. "It's the whole group."
* Normal practice today. Not a full Saturday scrimmage.
* WR Jordan Anthony hasn’t joined them from track and field yet.
* Would like to be a player-led team right now, “but obviously we’re not,' so the coaches have to lean on them harder.
* Anything he expected? No. It's always day-to-day with a new team.
* On what he's looking for... "A toughness and an attitude."
* Less than 4 minutes today. Mark made it clear he didnt want to spend much time talking today. Made his point and got out.
*****
*****
DEVIN LEARY Q&A:
* Says Stoops’ message after practice is we’ve got to get back to being more hard-nosed like the UK team he always saw on TV even before he transferred here.
* Wants to take a bigger role in leadership. Has been trying to blend in and earn that job.
* Players left the field pissed off, too, after being undressed by Stoops. Thinks they will respond.
* Greart teams are player-led, Leary said. They have to want it more than the coaches do. And it has to start today. Can’t take any days off from now on.
JJ WEAVER Q&A:
* Says he’s trying to accept leadership and come out of his a shell more. It’s been something he hasn’t had to do a lot with guys like Square and Jones around, but he’s got to do it now. Team has a lot of young guys who tend to pout at times.
* Says he even needs to be able to get on the offense at times, too, when he sees that is not going well.
ELI COX Q&A:
* Harder to build a team these days, Cox said. There’s a lot more turnover now. Guys trying to figure each other out. So many guys don’t know the culture yet.
* Brand means a lot to him because he grew up in it here. He’s a KY kid. Some of the other guys may not be used to that yet, though.
* Cox said they may mix and match positions thru the rest of the spring. “Whatever it takes to get the best 5 guys out there.”
* There’s only 4-5 guys who were here when Schlarman was still alive. No one is happy with the direction they went last year. Have to get back to moving people off the ball.
ALEX AFARI Q&A:
* Not much energy today. Disappointing,
* Likes playing anywhere on the field. Considers himself “just a football player.”
