Penn State S KJ Winston on Being Named Captain, WVU QB Garrett Greene, More 8/27/24 | WVU Week | NSN

morning folks uh we got KJ Winston for you guys um as usual and years past you guys use the raise hand function on zoom and we will get to questions from the room Tyler Don you go ahead and start us off thank you KJ good morning how are you today good morning I'm doing well how you doing I'm good thank you I just wanted to to kind of pick your brain on what it meant for you to be named to Penn State team captain and what you feel like you did here in your third year on campus to really set yourself up for that position like it was a true it's a true blessing you know getting that honor from your teammates and the coaches coaching staff everybody in the building it's a blessing and I'm I don't take that for granted you know what I did in the building it was just I just kept being myself every day going coming in being the same person every day going hard you know respecting everybody in the building you know pushing guys would be great so it wasn't really anything I did you know I say I changed with myself I just kept being myself you know because that's what people always told me keep being and you you know everybody respects you for that so kept being myself I say I was a little more vocal than I have I have ever been at Penn State you know pushing guys Mak trying to make uh get the best out of everybody so I think that part was the the big difference that I uh I kind of like added to it but other than that I think I was just being myself and you know pushing everybody to be great Greg pickle hej good morning thanks for your time yeah thank you uh you guys played West Virginia early last last year so did you went back over their tape from the rest of the season getting ready for this year how did you see their offense change from the time you guys played mid September through the end of the year I mean they I've seen a lot of you know you see different guys in the game you know that was the big difference for me like the first game we play you know certain play we' seen certain players in the game that first game that we and you you know you go to their their last game of the season because I watched watched all the games you go to their last game of the season you're seeing you know different guys that are starting different guys that are getting implemented into the game so that's the big difference for me when I'm watching you know seeing different guys in there and knowing that you know coming into this year we don't know what guys we're going to see this year anyways we got we have have an idea of who we might see so that's the big that was the big difference for me Daniel gallon appreciate the time this morning KJ thank you I appreciate you when you talk about being a team captain and and stepping into that role what do you think that is going to look like for you in terms of interactions with team you know over the course of the season I think for me you know I've been trying to build I've been attempting to build relationship with everybody but I think it's just really going to be being a person that's going to keep it real with everybody in in certain moments and stepping up in a crucial moment like I'm not saying like just tell you to where you're do this do that like like pushing people and you know being a boss in there but just having those tough conversations with people when it's needed and having a tough conversation with the team and being the one to step up and say certain things and moments that you know not a lot of people feel comfortable doing it being able to step out of my comfort zone and and talk to people and just just that that's my big thing being able to you know pull pull the great out of everybody and push them to be their best at uh every moment and on my part that I have to be the same person every day like I said I can't you know come in one day happy upbeat and then another day I'm down and having no energy so my biggest thing is just making sure I'm being the same person every day so I can you know if I'm going to tell other people to do the same I gota make sure I'm pulling my weight rich garcel morning KJ hey I was wondering how would you describe the expectations for your team what do you how would in maybe a few sentences the expectations like our expectations yes sir I just say you know we we we harp on you know we we forget about last season we have a new new team now but our big thing is you know we try to limit explosive plays uh get turnovers and that's our big thing and then tackling you know we do all those things as a defense that's our main we focus on those things we don't we're not really focused on you know the big pictures cuz when you when you you nail it down to those those three things right there that's how you that's how you create a great defense ultimately so that's our big thing right now and that's all we're focused on in practice making sure we're hammering in on those things because when it comes to the game you've been working on those things every day the game is second nature you know you're doing all those things and that that ultimately what leads to being a great defense Seth angle hey KJ thanks for doing this um we heard from coach Franklin yesterday that dwan lane was one of two freshmen who's been green lit going into the year I'm just wondering from your perspective what has he done um to really stand out from the rest of the pack this year and what do you expect from him this season I think the first thing that stood out for him when was when he stepped on campus you know he's he's probably the tallest in the room from from height he's he's a big guy and then when it comes to speed he's he's up there with one like he's very fast like obviously from high school track times but it shows him field as well he's very explosive and then you know he he has you know he's very he's very mature and I think that's another thing that that that stepped out steep uh stood out to me and you know just in practice he's very culturable that's another thing that stands out I respect him a lot for that he's very culturable you know when things don't when he doesn't do something right he's he's willing to learn and things like that and hear from teammates and coaches and you know he goes out there and faces it so that's the big thing but overall just him him as a player and him as a person he's same guy every day and you know willing to learn every day and that's what I think allowed him to you know keep elevating throughout camp and be ready to you know go Johnny mcgonagle KJ thanks for your time much appreciated um you know as a member of the 2022 recruiting class you know a lot of early starters a lot of contributors a lot of leaders in that group uh do you feel like it's uh you know looking forward to this season uh that you guys as a class as a junior group are are taking more on in terms of a leadership and and setting expectations Within in the program yeah there's guys in every class taking on that leadership role obviously but yeah I do I do feel like there a lot of guys in our class that are stepping up as well as the you know different classes but I see a lot of guys in our class are stepping up not just you know even the guys that you know people don't really speak on about being leaders there's a lot of guys in this class that are you know stepping up talking when need to be talked talking when they need need to but you know that that's that's in every room I can say and you know that that's what takes it that's what take us a far away as a team cuz you can't just be one person or two people people or even just the four captains it can't just be that it has to be everybody being real with themselves being real with everybody and yeah I do think that this junior class A lot of guys are being leaders right now Max Ralph hey KJ how you doing I'm doing good how you doing well um you know obviously you guys saw Garrick green last year as part of this WV offense uh coach Franklin said after the game he was a guy who's going to cause some problems played pretty well down the stret what have you seen on his tape how how can he present challenges to you as a defense yeah I must respect to him he's a great quarterback you know you can throw the ball he's very you know confident in his game and that's what that's really presents you know kind of a uh problem when you playing against him you know he's not afraid to you know run especially run the ball that's that's the obvious is his legs he's very good at running the ball very fast guy a big threat when it comes to running but you know people don't really you know a lot of times when I'm watching film I'm seeing certain throws he's making can he can also throw the ball and that's also when you have a quarterback that's a dual threat can throw and run that presents a lot of problems but you know I have much respect for him you know looking forward to go out there and play against them Audrey Snider KJ thanks for your time today you're welcome going back to Johnny's question kind of about the 2022 class um what can you maybe tell us about Drew Eller the person that maybe it's something we don't know or that we don't see about him I say you know a lot of people know a lot of people you know think they say like he's qu well everybody knows Drew is usually a quiet guy but I say right now he's been stepping out of that and he's been you know being a leader a lot stepping talking up to certain guys and a lot of people don't know that but like lately he's been you know Drew law has been being a leader and talking to people you know expressing and pushing guys to you know be great and making sure know he's having extra meetings with guys you know he's starting to take control of that offense and make sure everything's in control so that's the big thing I say people probably don't really know but you know I'm looking forward to you know he's had a great great camp and everything great offseason so I'm looking forward to the season for Drew do two more questions for KJ Tyler dongh and then rck garcel will close us out go ahead Tyler thank you um one of your 2022 classmates Deni Dennis Sutton spoke with us after practice last week and he really wanted to emphasize that he feels like he can be the best defensive end in college football he's felt that way since high school what have you seen him do throughout his career but more specifically now in year three that can put himself in a position to be that guy you know when I talk about denying you you know I say being the same person every day like I say he that that's what he is he's been a pro since he walked into Penn State and how he's operated you know he came in looking like an NFL player already so you know when you have a guy that look some most time you know they look like that they think that that's going to take them the whole way he he's nothing like that he's very critical on his game and he criticized himself on every little thing trying to be you know trying to be perfect and that's that's that's what I see in Deni and I think with just how how he how he operates and moves around the building how he how he does his thing and how you know you know how he does everything in the building and everything and take care of take care of his body know working on his game and watching film I think that's what's going to take him to that next level this season I think with experience his big thing is going to be experience because he already had everything to me to be to be great again I think what experience that's what's going to take that off to take it to take him to another level rich carcella last question thanks Matt KJ we've talked about your leadership and I know you're on the other side of the ball but what kind kind of a leader is Nick Dawkins and how does he show that yeah Nick Dawkins that's that's that's an easy question to answer he's a he's a great leader you know when I talk about him he's he's willing to speak up on anything you know he says it every time he says something he says it the perfect way if you need him to go tell somebody something he's going to say it the right way say it the perfect way and he's just a standup guy all around you know when it come that like when you think of a leader that's that's I'm thinking Nick Dawkins in every aspect I'm not thinking just football I'm thinking like life and everything like when it's just being in the locker room if you need somebody to talk to about some you know something with life and real stuff Nick D is the guy to talk to and that you know that's my guy and you know a lot of times I even talk to him about certain things and he'll give you the perfect answer every time and he's a guy very smart guy with a lot of knowledge and you know that's you have a guy like that that can do that off the field and then come on the field and Lead as well you know that's that's amazing thanks folks appreciate it KJ