Oklahoma Sooners College Football Postgame Quote, 12/30/2020

Tre, walk us through that interception to start the game and how important was it for this defense to get off to a hot start?

NB TRE NORWOOD: The play with the interception is just kind of trusting my technique, trusting the call and then just trying to take advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself. And for our defense, I think just that first quarter, how we started off was big, just creating the energy for the team as a whole. I mean, all three of our takeaways came in the first quarter. So I think that kind of just got a big momentum swing for us and got the energy going on all three sides of the ball.

Brian, we heard so much about all the optouts for Florida. How did you not allow that to become a distraction and still just focus on what you guys had to do tonight?

WILL BRIAN ASAMOAH: One thing that Coach [Alex] Grinch always says is it’s still you on film. Whether or not you are playing or not, you are still on tape. So you have to take advantage of that moment and every time you get an opportunity to play football, you got to play, you know, full speed and do your responsibility to the best of your ability every time. So like I said, it’s another opportunity to play football. We decided to play that game and, you know, we’re excited that we got the W.

I wanted to ask really any player can answer this, but the Malcolm Kelly rap that you were doing a rendition of after the game, I’m curious, what that moment was like for you guys and also just, you know, what this night in general kind of means for you all.

DT ISAIAH THOMAS: That meant a lot to us because, you know, we all play for Oklahoma. We know what that freestyle hold, you know, that’s something that we always listen to on our own time. We see it on social media all the time. For us to reenact that moment after we won the big game, it was special to us. It’s a like a brotherhood thing. It’s like our team’s, like, national anthem, I guess you could say. So it was special for, you know, this new team to be able to do that, know the lyrics word for word.

It shows how much this tradition means to us and that this team upholds throughout the history of OU football and we decided to do our own little thing and sing it up there on that stage.

This is for Tre and Isaiah both. You guys both came in the 2017 class and have seen this whole thing through with the defense and the culture and I know we talked about it all year. You are guys are just lauded nationally with the way you are playing defense. What does that mean?

NB TRE NORWOOD: It means a lot, as you just stated at the beginning of your question. I mean, me and Isaiah, we have been here, this is our fourth year. Just seeing culture change from our first two years to these last two years has been huge. And as a guy that plays defense, you have to love that. It’s very exciting to have the coaching staff especially on the defensive side. Just the way they push us, what they bring as coaches, I mean, it’s a trickledown effect. It’s contagious. Every guy from the top to the bottom on the defensive side of the ball is all bought in. And I think that’s just the biggest thing, just the mentality, the mindset, and the want to, to go out there each and every day, each and every rep to get better, and to to give it your all. I mean, like I said, you never know how many opportunities you are going to get. So just taking advantage of each and every opportunity and each and every rep that we get.

 I would have to agree with Woodi [Washington]. He hit it right on the head, with coming in, in that 2017 class, we have seen how the defensive class has evolved over the last three or four years, and it’s special to be a part of it. Coach [Alex] Grinch came in here and he changed the culture and he changed the standard and the guys behind him, Coach Tibbs (Calvin Thibodeaux), [Roy] Manning, [Brian] Odom, and then Coach [Jamar] Cain, they follow suit. 
And us players, we put it out there on film. Especially after that Iowa State loss the first time, ever since then, we have been firing on all cylinders. there’s been takeaways, TFLs, sacks, stopping the runs, big things like that, we have been able to do that against every opponent, ever since that game, no matter what conference they play in.

I wanted to follow up with Woodi. You get on IG Live, like after a big win. What is all of this like, man, for you to kind of be a part of this ride and for kind of just the highs of the season? What has it been like for you?

CB WOODI WASHINGTON: It’s definitely been exciting, just like you said. We all came together at the beginning of the year. We knew what goal we had set up for ourselves. Just for us to be able to come out here and have another opportunity to do what we love is just is just an exciting moment.

Yes, this question is for Tre. Obviously this year, you talked about capitalizing on every opportunity. And [Alex] Grinch mentioned to us a lot last year how you kept your head down and continued to work despite what you were going through. And now this year, leading the Big 12 and your team in interceptions, what has this ride been like for you and how much fun is it to capitalize on those opportunities?

NB TRE NORWOOD: It’s been a great journey. I tell people all the time, I wouldn’t change. Just being strong in my faith and knowing everything happens for a reason. Just trusting in above and putting my head down and working. And just being able to be with guys like BA (Brian Asamoah), Woodi (Washington), IT (Isaiah Thomas) and the rest of the team, just having brothers like that. Just being close, creating those bonds on and off the field, it’s something that is special. So just being able to go throughout my journey of the past year and coming to this year. I mean, at the beginning of this year, we didn’t know if we were going to have a season. So just seeing how everything happened from the beginning of the I mean, the pandemic, quarantine, everything, to us being able to come out and finish out 2020 with winning a bowl game, winning a championship, it says a lot about this team as a whole, just kind of like just kind of how we are. You know what I mean? We just put our head down and work each and every day. I feel like it’s all paid off.

This is for Brian. You guys got up 170 pretty quick. And then they had a couple of short fields on you guys and you held to field goals. What was the message to keep them in check and to not let them get back in the game?

WILL BRIAN ASAMOAH: We go by the mindset of you can’t win a game until the fourth quarter. So us being up 170 or down 170, you can’t beat anyone until the fourth quarter. So our mindset was to continue to play the game, you know, keep your head level, doesn’t matter what the score is, and continue to play football. despite the score, being up 170 or down 170, we have to play four quarters of football.

Back to Brian again. I wanted to ask you, man, just with the bulletin board material that was thrown your guys’ way from the Florida linebacker and the way it seems like you guys have been feeding off of maybe some of the disrespect. Do you think you can articulate just what does this do for the perception of this OU defense? Do you feel like you maybe accomplished something with tonight’s victory, just as far as what you want to put out and show to the world?

WILL BRIAN ASAMOAH: I wouldn’t necessarily say accomplished something just off of tonight’s victory. It’s been what we’ve done after Iowa State. You look at the statistics. You know, where we are in sacks, where we are in third down defense and where we are in TFL. One game against Florida doesn’t change the narrative of what we have going on and brewing here in Norman, but we are here to play defensive football here, and you guys see that and now it’s time for the whole world to take notice as well.

This is really a question for all four of y’all, but, Woodi Washington, I will start off with you. What does this performance tonight defensively say about the momentum of this group moving forward and how important can this be for the 2021 season?

CB WOODI WASHINGTON: I would just have to say, it was a big step because, like you said earlier, Kyle Trask is one of the better quarterbacks in the country and got a couple of takeaways on him. I would just say that for next year, it set we already have a standard set but we are going to keep pushing for that standard.

DT ISAIAH THOMAS: Like Woodi said, we already have a standard set for us. and going into the 2021 season off a win, it’s a big accomplishment, because, you know, we haven’t been able to do that for the past three seasons, so that’s a lot of momentum going into the next season. Our defense played outstanding today.

We had things we could have done better, but Coach [Alex] Grinch always tells us you won’t beat our team scoring in threes and with Coach [Lincoln] Riley’s highpowered offense, and that showed tonight. If we stick to our bottom line, we will prevail and come out victorious, just like we did tonight. You know, these coaches definitely, we had these coaches and this team, the staff, we have a lot of momentum going into 2021. I feel like we deserve a little more respect in our name. And like Brian Asamoah said, the stats speak for themselves. We have been playing outstanding, but we definitely have a lot of momentum going into the next season.

WILL BRIAN ASAMOAH: To piggyback on Isaiah, I believe we finished 2020 the right way. The 2021 season will be a new season for us to identify us as identify us, ourselves again as a defense and continue to do what we have been doing this past season. So we’re excited for the challenge because there will be challenges in the future, and we’re excited for that moment.

Isaiah, this one is for you. When you get those three takeaways like that in the first quarter, how does that just sort of say just how well the message that Alex Grinch has put into you guys, how well is it accepted and received and how you guys have really found your groove?

DT ISAIAH THOMAS: Yeah, we take pride in it. We take pride in getting takeaways. I believe, if I’m not mistaken, we have six in the past two games. These guys up here with me, they’re outstanding players, and to be able to get those takeaways, it speaks volumes to what Coach [Alex] Grinch speaks to this defense. And Florida, they were a good matchup, but they aren’t the Big 12. They are not the Oklahoma Sooners. So we definitely take pride in who we are and what we do. And I’m with these boys 100%, behind them and I know they’re behind me. So I’m riding with ’em.

This question is for Woodi Washington. Woodi, you got your feet wet last year against LSU in a bowl game. Now to be able to come back this year in a bowl game and get the interception, what is that feeling like to establish yourself and make a big play like that in a bowl game?

CB WOODI WASHINGTON: It’s definitely exciting. I learned a lot from that LSU game last year. Just to keep my head up and just trust in God, and look where He got me now. Like I said, that was an exciting moment for sure that I actually got to play a lot in this game, just throughout the year. Like you said, I got my feet wet in that game. So it’s just an exciting moment.