Kentucky Wildcats College Football Media Day Quote, 07/20/2022

On what he wants people to know about him as a quarterback:

I would want them to know that everyday I try to make sure that I represent the state and the school the best that I can. I know that as the quarterback, I am a huge representation of them. I’m doing my best to make sure that myself, as well as the team that I am leading, is doing the right thing and that we have things in order, to work towards our ultimate goal which is to be back here in December.

On the three most important characteristics for quarterbacks in this conference:

I’d say one of the three things is confidence, first and foremost. If you don’t believe that you’re the best, regardless of the realistic situation, then things are only going to go negatively for you. You need to go into every situation thinking that it’s going to go your way and that you’re the man. If you don’t have that mindset, then something’s got to be wrong with you. Second, I’d say work ethic. You’ve got to have an extreme work ethic in everything that you do, both on and off the field. Whether you’re studying in the library, going out to eat or in the facility, as a quarterback for a college program, you know that you have to represent yourself in the right way and you need to make sure that you’re working towards bettering yourself in all areas of life, both on and off the field. Third, I’d just say leadership. You have to be a good leader. You have to be someone that guys can look to and look at your actions and know that’s a guy who knows what he’s doing and I want to follow in his footsteps. That’s something that I’ve always done to the best of my ability, whether I was last on the depth chart or first. Having an offseason and being an established starter, I
feel like now I have the ability to act as a leader in a different way, to be a little more vocal, and know that guys are really looking to me to see what to do so that’s been really cool about the offseason.

On his lowest point last season and how he bounced back:

I think the lowest part of the season was after we went on that three-game losing stretch after starting 6-0. We were coming off a huge high, and then going into a little bit of a downward spiral. We needed to make sure that after each one of those losses that our mindset didn’t change and that we weren’t going to point fingers. That we were going to just continue trusting the process and working towards what our goals that were still in play. In the Georgia, Mississippi State and Tennessee games, I had moments that I knew that I wasn’t playing to the level that I knew I could, but the biggest thing was just learning from those mistakes. Going to watch those games, talking through them with the coaches
and understanding that when I’m in those positions next time to make those plays, to just try to make sure that I do make them.