how's your nine going so far it's good man I'm enjoying it you know with the guys the offense the team uh just enjoying the moment you know being being where my feet are and and just enjoying every day so we can remember this your what's your birthday today it's April 2nd yeah seriously yeah it's today wow birthday today you are how old today we don't need to talk about that 26 happy birthday appreciate it thanks guys so gu what was the the decision process like thinking about whether to whether to come back for a ninth year just the guys around here really um you know the tight end room that the team the coaches it was really it all played a factor and like just I just want to leave here on my terms rather than like not on my terms and and the coaches the players the guys around it made it a really an easy decision for me to to want to do that um and that's why I decided to come young guy in that TI Elijah laugh kind of making some go what he's doing a really good job and's elevating everybody in this room and he needs to keep holding himself to a high stand because he's going to be play a big role in this offense for us this year and I guess what what do you want to improve the most on going you know in the spring and and going into the fall uh I just want to become a better leader I mean you know scratch that I don't even want that what I want to improve on is building up the guys around me and having these guys be excited for each other's success cuz there this room is going to be there's going to be a lot of success in this room and I don't want guys to get to that selfish aspect um I want us all celebrate each other's success and and build each other up when we get out there and we we each make a play and we can all be happy for each other and Riley was saying that you guys hang out a lot you know off the field just you know on a day-to-day kind of basis what are what are those you know what are that what's that like for you guys yeah we we want to be a connected room um so we try outside of here like obviously we're brothers here but when we leave here we want to get together go eat hang out kind of do those things outside of football because this life is more about more than football um so just being able to build those relationships that those lifelong relationships with each other is is kind of what we try to do so what kind of role are you trying to carve for yourself on this team I'm really I'm willing to do whatever I I they they want me to do whether that's run block asket uh whatever that is be a leader you know whatever my rule is I'm going to you know approach my rule with 100% and and uh and give it m and being a ninth year guy that's not a a common PAD as far as I know you're the you'll be the first ninth year college player what's that again like is it weird knowing that like this is a brand new thing a brand new situation for kind of the whole country um I I wouldn't really say it's weird um you know I obviously that I had some unfortunate circumstances that happened um and I've been blessed to be able to play this long um so I mean it's definitely cool I mean I'm the first person to play 9 years like that's that's something that holds value to it you know what I'm saying so and I don't know if another person will ever you know get to that point but um no it it's cool that to I guess own that title with ideally no one will because that means they have to get hurt and stuff and go through a hurt Co all that type of stuff so yeah how's uh Elijah Royal been looking to you it seems like this is the healthiest he's been in a long time I imagine he probably leans on you given what you've gone through in your career yeah he's doing he's doing really good um obviously he's like you said he his back healthy um looking really good um explosive and fast and you know his ability is out the roof so he's he's been showing a lot of us teammates and you know a lot of good positive things so look forward to seeing what he can do this year what about the progress of Riley Williams who we just talk to uh seeing him heading into his second year yeah R you know last year Riley came he was young same with Elijah those guys were Elijah LOF and they were they were both young so the growth Riley's made from year one to year two has been you know it's been huge um and and I've been happy to see where his growth has gone because obviously that's like a little brother to me so trying to get him to you know look at it a in a different lens um it's helped him out a lot and what about Jackson Carver who's you know he's still you know learning the position I'm sure like you he was new to the new to Rel he was new to football last year he's doing a lot better this year um I think with anybody playing football for the first time there's things that you got to work on and and that's goes for everybody as well but he's obviously came came in playing football later so it's taking him he's behind the eightball so we're trying to you know throw as much as it at we can as him to help him get better and help him be that player that he wants to be so any more specifics on Elijah to Lon you know what he what is he doing well I know he's a freshman but he's doing everything well he he just needs to keep diving down with his head down and go to work every day like he's been doing um and the results will come you a couple years ago you faced cam W the last that game it looked like it was crazy what do you remember about that game what were your impressions of Cam then yeah Cam's a Cam's a good player um as long as all the other quarterbacks in that room they're really good players and you know they're all here competing for for that job um we playing against cam a couple years ago when I was my previous school um he's an explosive player you know he makes plays he extends plays and and you got to be ready for everything with him so I'm glad he's on our side now anything else