Pitt Panthers College Football Media Day Quote, 07/21/2021

What did you take away from Rashad Weaver, what he meant to you as you move forward? What are some of those pieces you think had an effect on you from him?

Mostly just his approach to the game, his respect for the game. To do the things that he was able to do, every day, how he watched film, how he prepared was just tremendous. It showed on the field.

13 of the 14 schools return experienced quarterbacks. I don’t even remember that happening in the history of the ACC. How does that complicate preparations for defensive ends like yourself?

No matter who the quarterback is, we still got to prepare, prepare the same way. Give everybody the respect they truly deserve. The ACC is a great conference. You can never take a day off. We’ll be ready.

What is it like switching positions on the defensive line? To the casual fan, I’m sure they would say it’s probably not too tough to switch positions.

It’s not as difficult if you put the time in, you put the work in, do all the little details it takes. It’s just like putting your shoes on or wearing your pants: as long as you put the right amount of work to do it, it’s not that hard.

How do you think the D-line is coming along after losing all the talent to the NFL?

D-line is getting stronger. I keep hearing this question all day, what we lost. What those guys did, they set the foundation for us. They showed us how to work, they showed us how to prepare. I’m very excited for what we have upcoming for next season. We got a lot of talented guys in our room, guys that are going to make a lot of plays for us this year.

Can you tell me about the deals you’ve pursued via NIL and your approach on that front?

Right now I’m not really giving it much attention just because I’m trying to focus on the task at hand, which is football. Just taking a few meetings. If I don’t get my job done on the football field, all these opportunities won’t be — just trying to focus on that, keep the main task at hand.

Being a part of Pittsburgh’s defense, obviously the history of that holds a lot of weight. Speak on this season, kind of the over-arcing piece of it, which is why did you want to become part of Pittsburgh’s historic defense?

Just like you said, the historic defense. The guys who came before me, the guys who paved the way for us to be able to speak like this. Even Coach Partridge preparing us all day. All that comes in handy, me making a choice to want to come here, be a part of this great historical…

You registered some really good numbers against Florida schools in your career. Is there an extra motivation for you when you play against Florida schools given that you’re from the Sunshine State?

Yes, just because a lot of guys I went against in high school are on these teams. A lot of friends of mine is on these teams. It’s always cool playing against people you grew up with, grew up around. Just brings a little bit extra competitive edge. But you still prepare for everybody just the same.