Football: Bill O'Brien Media Availability (Aug. 7, 2024)

Intro felt like your best practice of the day well at Camp so far just overall in terms of competition intensity become s way um I think we're getting better uh I don't really you know I don't want to get into you know rating the practices but I think I definitely think we're improving I think they're approaching practice the right way right they show up every day with a good energy a good mindset they're trying to practice the way we we want to practice and and I'm really happy with how they approach things if that if that makes sense bill I want to ask you about the 30,000 foot view right now of the operations here How are you feeling and your team and how are you feeling at this point going into uh what is this your fifth your fifth day right yeah this was five yeah I feel good I mean I think that um I think this football team really works hard I think we've got a lot of good players I I really do I think these guys have uh they've bought into how we want to do things on and off the field um I I really love the staff um the operation staff um the medical staff St the the recruiting staff uh equipment staff all the way around everybody's been very supportive and so as long as we can all just continue to try to get better every single day I think we're on the right track but you know we got a long way to go but I'm I'm I'm happy with where we are right now and for yourself personally leaving the NFL coming here obviously this year just in terms of the differences it does seem Is it a Pro system like somewhat of a Pro system that you're putting in place here we seeing Jack Del Rio and R all these other guys yourself is that is that the case am I reading into that or no no we we um yeah you know we've been in the NFL for a while some of us and so we have a lot of you know people that we know in that in that League that want to you know come spend some time with us um we have uh three former NFL head coaches on the staff and myself Doug Marone and Rob chinski we're we're all and then Jack's here so we're all a member of the fired football coaches association um but uh no but it it's been good I I think our guys are understanding again how we want to practice um the approach to it is is is a philosophy that's been put together over many many years these guys understand what we're trying to do they're very smart kids they they they come with the right mentality every single day so it's been it's been good it's I've been really happy with how they approach it just in terms of the practice schedule you know five days off Practice schedule tomorrow's first off day and then you go I think every day next week or course to it just kind of what went into the schedule well what we did was when we reported we had the day that we reported and we had a lot of administrative meetings and things like that and then the next day uh we had a day off from practice so that was counted as a day off so that we could get some football installation done and then we started practice you know the day after that so we've already had a day off if that makes sense so I think the way we've laid this out is pretty good now next week like you said it'll be a grind but that's what training camp is it is a grind it's it's about trying to get like I said the other day like trying to get your body calloused to what the the the season is going to be so it's about building a foundation with with with individuals and units and then obviously the team so it's it's uh you know I think I think we're on the right track with our schedule and the night practice Night practice on Saturday if it doesn't work whatever um just sort of what went into did that b process I think just like you know we play at night uh the opening games at night uh I think when these guys get into that stadium with the lights on we've had our walkthroughs at night in the stadium that that excites these guys um so I think it's a combination of just you know being ready to play at night give him that experience what's that going to be like just from the lights and field kicks and catching passes and having to play at night with the lights on and then just the overall excitement of playing at night a lot of these guys played High School football Friday night you know Saturday night so um I think that'll be a good night for us coach is College practice it refreshing to be at a practice like this you know college practice just a different energy than what you see at an NFL training camp around this time of year yeah I mean you know college is different um you know pro football as you guys know I've been in pro football for a while and I love pro football but there's a there's a certain spirit in college football that's really pretty cool and um these kids are very spirited they they like I've said they they really understand you know what they're trying to get done in practice but they do have fun doing it and so there's a there's a good energy on the team a good enthusiasm it's not false enthusiasm I think they really you know are genuine in their energy and what they're trying to do so it's been it's been good to be around that and 5 days in how do you Thoughts on team feel about the team right now I feel good look we got a long way to go I mean but but through five practices I you know I think we're getting better uh there's definitely areas we have to continue to get better uh technically we have to get better at understanding all three phases of the game scheme wise um there's individuals that need to continue to get better to really help us this year but I think the team as a whole is in a good spot you know I think they're in Fairly good condition for this time of training camp I think that they're understanding again like how we want to practice and our approach to practice and uh so we we we're fairly organized out there which is a good thing and so we just got to keep trying to get better this is not intended to be a whole conversation about the transfer portal but I look at this roster here and a lot of these guys I see other Recruiting colleges next to their names what percentage of these guys are your guys or guys that you've been able to get here uh as opposed to were here already and are kind of you know with the old system and are now coming into yours I would say that every guy that is on this team right now was here when we got here there there's nobody that's been I mean now freshman came in but they were recruited by the previous step to me like you know that's something that I preach to these guys all the time we're we're we're one we're a family we we don't really care where where you came from how you got here um we're trying to build this Boston College football program relative to who you guys are and where we see you guys being successful and you know our recruiting is in the 25 and the 26 class right now so we these guys that are here right now were brought in by the previous staff and I think that's even better when when it when when you think about these guys buying in and and trying to do things the way we want to do it's a new way of doing things and uh they've been really good about it one unit in particular has Defensive Line stood out defensive line um that front four is obviously good but there's depth behind them too what have you thought about that yeah there is depth I think that when you look at the first four guys with Donovan and uh Cam horley and then you know George Rooks and Netto I think that is a good front four those guys have worked hard to get better they've definitely improved in the six months that we've been here and then you know when you when you look at the guys that'll play a lot I don't even to list them behind them especially inside like said McConnell Owen STM like these guys are really good players you know you got Josiah Griffin Q Hutchins uh Edwin kingi on the edge you know we you're right I think we have some really good depth there and you know I'm excited to see how these guys would play Bill last Competition question for me is how many of these positions are essentially up for grabs I mean are these guys at the position now you've mentioned some names guys who've been here right been starters or whatever can they get pushed by some of these other guys absolutely I think there's a lot of competition on the roster I don't think like if you look at a running back right now for example there's there's some guys that are really playing well right you got Kai robishaw from last year but then you have Tre Shawn Ward and and you have DayDay Jones uh from right here in Boston and then we got a freshman that just came in Turbo who's really had a good training camp so you got four guys right there that are playing really well so that's just an example I could probably say that about a lot of different positions will Azie trapillo start at right tackle yes will Drew Condell Kendall start at uh Center yes but there's other positions that that are that are definitely uh you know I would say in competition for No Doubt Health just last one for me real quick healthwise where you guys at right now I think it's okay um I think it's okay we we've had a couple bumps and bruises nothing major knock on wood thank God uh these guys have tried to practice on their feet and I think that helps when they're when they understand how to practice kind of like going back to the the pro model that we were talking about we're trying to teach them about playing on your feet you know we don't do a lot of live things until we get full pads on so I think it's been okay Norm training camp you know soft tissue things and things like that but I think so far knock on wood has been pretty good coach Pro Head Coaches how much does it help having all these Pro head coaches around you know it does set more of a professional feeling with the program do you think that's good for the the staff good for the players I think so I mean I think these guys look out there and you see you know their Scouts here we've opened up the practices to the NFL Scouts as much as they want to come here there's no no real they can come anytime they want other than like the day before a game you know they can come anytime they want so that's one thing then you know we have a lot of guys that visit us we had Mark Whipple here today Jack Del Rio like you guys saw earlier and then you know we have we have guys with Pro experience on our staff you know with Tim Lewis and darl Wyatt and Doug Marrone and and Rob chinski and will long so we have a lot of guys on the staff that have NFL experience so I think for our players to see that that some of us have coached at the highest level I think that's good you know it shows that we're competent staff we know what we're we're talking about and and these guys have uh you know followed our lead to this point which has been good thank you thank you guys