Texas Longhorns College Football Pregame Quote, 01/08/2025

Q. I don’t know if you follow how college football is going to look, in terms of conferencing and players. So there’s this idea that Texas and Ohio State are a couple of the ones that are going to rule the world because they’ve got more money than anybody else to spend.

You’re a player. Do you buy that?

DB JAHDAE BARRON: I do not buy that.

Q. Why not?

DB JAHDAE BARRON: I think, for one, if that was the case, you don’t know what they would do with their money. Some people can mess up their money. Some people can use their money to invest.

But at the end of the day, everybody can be successful in their own ways and make money in their own ways.

So, I don’t think counting or trying to assume the amount they have in their pockets will benefit anybody from being successful. But I think it’s a crazy business that we live in now. I’m blessed to be a part of it, obviously.

Q. So you don’t think they have just a massive advantage over, let’s say, somebody with less money? You play and you see it every week, so you would know better than I would.

DB JAHDAE BARRON: I wouldn’t say that. Money is one thing, but development is a whole other thing. So if you have the staff that can develop talent, I mean, I think that’s a big thing.

But money is one thing, and development is a whole other thing. But if you put money and development together, then that’s dangerous.

So from our standpoint, it would be dangerous, because we have money and development.

Q. How much does this feel like unfinished business? You guys made it to the Semifinals here last year. A lot of you guys are back. How much does it feel like unfinished business?

DB JAHDAE BARRON: I just look at it as another opportunity. We’re blessed to have another opportunity to be where we’re at today, basically where we were a year ago.

So, just to take it on and don’t take anything for granted. You know, give it all you have. Give every second and every minute and every hour and every day and every next day all it deserves.

Q. The team played at AT&T Stadium last year. A lot of the guys are from around here and have played in this stadium before. How cool is it to just be down the road from the Semifinal game?

DB JAHDAE BARRON: It’s a blessing to be close to the stadium. It’s a blessing to have another opportunity to be in the stadium, to make the most of it, and we won’t take anything for granted.

Q. Do you have a favorite memory so far? This 2024 team, just something that sticks in your mind.

DB JAHDAE BARRON: I would think last week, just in the hospitality room where everybody was playing games. You could see the whole team in there, everybody was connected. That was a really good vibe.

People were playing “Madden” and “Fortnite,” ping pong. Just all types of vibes. It was just so loud. I stopped for like ten seconds, and I could just hear like boom, boom. It kind of seemed like a movie. It was just funny to me.

But I would say, honestly, these last two weeks, just being you know, going home for a little vacation and coming back. But really just being with the guys. Like, this is my family. We’re with each other all the time. You know, meetings, practice, locker room, things like that. So we’re just always with each other.

But I would say the connection that we have.

Q. You catch yourself being more reflective than usual when you know that the end is near?

DB JAHDAE BARRON: No. I did that last year, and it messed me up. It messed me up just mentally, things like that. I’m just going about it, it’s just business. We’re not promised the next second, so I’m just enjoying every single moment that I have.

I’m not looking back. I’m not looking past. I’m just enjoying every single moment, every single second.

Q. I heard you talking about the Washington game last year. Tre (Quintrevion Wisner) said he thinks it helped send your guys closer and to set that emotion. What does that mean to you?

DB JAHDAE BARRON: Most definitely. I think when you’ve been somewhere and it didn’t go as planned, now you have that taste in your mouth. Rather than when somebody’s never been there and they get the first taste like last year when we got the taste, and it hurt bad.

Now you know what that taste is like. Kind of like when you touch a stove. You’re not going to touch that stove again. So we don’t want to be on the other side of that again. That most definitely helped people’s mindset and how we go about business and things like that.

But this culture has been growing, from the moment Coach Sark (Steve Sarkisian) stepped on campus with 10 guys, 15 guys, 20 guys. It just keeps going.

Q. Sark (Coach Steve Sarkisian) used that word obsession, obsessed. Do you guys still feel like you’re obsessed with finishing this out?

DB JAHDAE BARRON: Most definitely. We’re obsessed with finishing up, but we’re obsessed with being enamored with us, and giving every day the respect that it deserves. And just being loving to one another and having a level bond with one another and continuing to build the culture.

Q. I know you guys always practice and prep to your standard, but with the fact that you’re doing it for the first time in almost two years as an underdog, did it add any juice to the practice field or anything?

DB JAHDAE BARRON: I mean, it always adds juice, but at the end of the day, Coach Sark (Steve Sarkisian), he teaches us to be enamored with us, worry about us, and focus on us. I told you that’s my favorite word, “enamored.”

If we could just do that as a team, focus on us and the game plan that they have for us, everything will go well.

Q. When you’re breaking down Ohio State, I know there’s not just one thing. But what’s the one thing for you that’s like, we have got to slow down this or stop this if we’re going to walk away with the win?

DB JAHDAE BARRON: Most definitely getting to the quarterback. We have a tremendous D line. They have a tremendous team. But just getting the quarterback off his mark and things like that. That will be a key to this.

Q. This culture that you all talk so much about it, how did that happen over the past few years?

DB JAHDAE BARRON: It’s the Culture Wednesdays and the Culture Fridays. We do these activities where we open up to someone. You open up to everybody. The coaches open up. They always start it off. Coach Sark (Steve Sarkisian) breaks everybody into groups. We have about 11 groups. We do it for about 30 or 40 minutes every Wednesday.

But we create a level of bond where you know what they’ve been through and the things that they face, the obstacles they faced, the challenges, all types of crazy things, and good things, happy stories, sad stories.

But that’s where it started, in the summer. The first year, just listening to someone talk. Even myself, when I used to talk in front of the groups, you’d leave out some stuff. But then it’s kind of like, you’re not getting the full thing.

But the more I was opening up more and more, you could see I was pouring in. I was giving everything to my story and not leaving anything out. I think that’s when you get the most of someone, and that’s when you can know someone best, when they’re not leaving anything out.

When I was able to do it, it allowed others to open up about their story, and it just kept creating a level bond and a stronger bond and a belief in a strong culture.

So those Culture Wednesdays and Fridays, that’s what got us here today.