8/13/2024 Oklahoma RB Gavin Sawchuk post practice interview

good it's been uh it's been great just being back out there with Team uh it's really like one of my first camps fully healthy fully back out there so it's been great you know team's been uh getting together well uh getting that chemistry right it's feeling great you've also been the number one guy and I know you're used to that in high school and things like that but you can come that here so you're the leader of this group how's that changed things for you yeah well you know we had a lot of guys leave you know just try to take on a leadership role um but still competing for jobs you know everybody's hungry everybody's nothing's promised to anybody so out there competing taking on the r stepping up as a leader wherever I can trying to be that for the team wherever wherever I'm needed and just fitting in where I can what do you think you've learned in your time here going in this season and kind of what are you looking to do yeah I think uh just learning the importance of Team learning the importance of you know having somebody that's a leader having somebody that can uh you know you can rely on fall back on that trust Factor uh it's really important that's something that we've been emphasizing as a team is just how can we grow as grow as a team how can we you know mesh well together how can our leaders bring everyone together you know it's always about player Le not coach fed you know player Le teams are the ones that Go the Distance so that's what we're emphasizing what was your biggest for far as you put on weight obviously you're over 200 pounds now but what was your biggest I guess goal this off season and you feel like you've attained that at this point yeah just like you said uh getting a little bit bigger putting on a little more away um contining to be explosive continuing to be fast making guys miss in an open field and that's just stuff that I'm continuing to work on know Camp's a great opportunity you can only really work on those things when you're you know out there on the football field going against other guys so uh just having those opportunities those team session those you know one-on on whatever it may be the opportunities to be able to you know use those skill sets to be able to you know make things happen like that's what that's what I'm trying to do do you feel like it helped your weight I mean it helped your helped you stay healthy your weight does you think it Mak you stay healthy yeah absolutely definitely you know uh putting on a little more weight talking with nutrition you know just being able to take a little couple more hits uh but also being a little stronger being able to deliver the blow a little bit more so I'm not taking as much uh but it it's been I felt great so far what's impressed you about Taylor so far in start c yeah he's a he's a great player he's athletic player um smart guy not afraid of anything you know gets his head in there he's he's willing to battle willing to fight uh competitive extremely competitive he's he's been really impressive have the quarterbacks been in Camp they've been great you know having a lot of leadership in that in that Ro too um with Jackson stepping up uh Mike Hawk stepping up you know they're learning to take on that leadership roal from the quarterback aspect it's a little different but they've been doing great uh I was very impressed what they're doing you know leading the team uh you know getting that chemistry with the wide receivers with the running backs uh trusting the o line they've been they've been doing great your little brother's on the roster yeah how did all that happen yeah you know he uh I'll let him tell his own story I won't I won't tell too much but you know he had the opportunity um was looking at a couple different other schools had the opportunity to come to Oklahoma and you know just loved it here ever since and uh you know was like you know I'm going take my shot take my opportunity so it's been great having him here great having family you know he gives another competitive aspect to it as well I can't lose to my brothers so it's been it's been a lot of fun so are you guys living together or anything crazy like that no he still has to live in the dorms he still has to go through the Freshman freshman routine but we hang out a lot youall see the facility all the time I help him whever I can try to give him help with the things that I struggled with and I was a freshman Each one teach one so how did how did he tell you he was going to come here that he made the decision to be a sooner yeah I I kind of had a feeling he would um he gave me a call but I kind of had a feeling I was trying to tell him you know don't come for me you know make your decision make your decision make your decision but like deep down I wanted him to be here so I I was so excited when you was like yep came last year was obviously pretty tough for javante he almost like a guy this year kind of a new lease on life if you will yeah I mean he's been battling through a lot of adversity and that's one thing about Javonte you know he battles he fights you know he's a hard worker no matter what it is he's going to go out there and give 110% every single time so uh he's been working hard he's been grinding he's been you know looking really good so I'm I'm happy for him I know he's he's been through a lot you know finally things are you know L you know coming into place and he's taking advantage of everything he's doing has there been a moment on the practice field or maybe even off the field as like I think this guy's kind of back he's he's back to where he was yeah I mean like I said like he's he shows he's the same guy every day he's consistent he you know hard worker he's going to bring that same efforts that same energy every day so you know just being out at fall Camp alone you know seeing him uh seeing him back into his groove back into doing his things like I it's just been great I'm I'm excited for him I'm happy for him and it brings you know also another level of competition just having different backs in there and know he's he's a great teammate as well so supportive of other people to helping them out whenever they need anything so he's been great trying to get this cohesion with your offensive line it's kind of a new offensive line how's that coming along it's coming great you know know um those those are the guys that you know we love the most especially as running back so however we can you know create relationships with them bond with them you know start to understand you know how they play different things uh it's it's been coming along great and Coach B has been doing a great job with them you know working them getting them ready for the season I'm excited for it having Seth and Joe John take over the offense what's been your favorite thing about how that's changed maybe your role in the offense yeah you know they're just um I'd say they're creative you know they're creative and getting people the ball that uh you know are making plays so whether that's me whether that's anybody else on the team they created finding ways to get them the ball so I've love that you know making uh putting up matchups um so to help us in the Run game or the pass game whatever it may be they've been creating a lot of different matchups and opportunities for us to succeed as an offense you and javante both were dinged up at similar times last season you with the hamstring him with the foot and the knee does that help you guys I guess become a closer unit more more Brothers you know help each other out lean on each other and has that helped you on the field as well just kind of you know with the teammate aspect of it yeah absolutely I mean uh as there's only really one running back on the field but it's such a you know useful position in having someone else having other people you know there with you sometimes you know your day may be off and then his day is hitting or you know vice versa whatever it may be but to have somebody that you know maybe something's not hitting for you and all of a sudden he blows something up and then you know everything else is opening up like just be able to have that that combo whatever it may be however many running backs you have in the game like to have that opportunity to have that it's been great and you know like I said he's a great teammate he's supportive everyone that's in there he's challenging everyone that's in there he's doing those same things and then he's going out there and doing it himself as well so he's great Serving Leader doing what he's doing and you know it's it's been great kin where have you seen yourself improve from last season to this season yeah uh definitely putting on some more weight um but also getting better you know in open space that's one thing I wanted to work on is one-onone titles in open space a good play great play uh that's one thing that's been it's been it's been good you know I've been able to work on that fall Camp having that opportunity to know go against a great defense I have those one-on-one situations where I can work my skills and how do you feel like Seth trell's offense sets you guys up for success in that yeah like I was saying he he does a great job you know creating matchups um he's he's really creative same with Joe John fil um they've been doing great jobs you know creating plays and creating matchups getting the balls play you know making plays get them in space getting them uh you know with one-onone opportunities so just them being able to do that has been great been your early impression of the young running backs the two freshman yeah they've been doing great um better than a lot of when I did my freshman that but uh you know they've been doing great they've been taking on a lot of you know the hard coaching from Marco um you know some of the leaders like Javon me stepping up and try to teach them what we can but you know they've been hitting the thing full speed what's hard about what hard to cut you off what's hard about being a running back as a freshman at Oklahoma yeah well I mean let alone just fall Camp Fall Camp going through you know that struggle every day out here in this 100 Dee heat you know it's a battle every day and they've stepped up to the plate you know they they grinded they've worked hard and everything that they've done um and it's just hard just you know being it's new situation coming from high school to college you know it's a lot faster a lot more physical pass Pro and those pickups and all that stuff yeah they've been they've been they've been stepping up to the challenge for sure hey Gavin can I ask you just real quickly about your Puerto Rican Heritage like where does that come from what side of the family and all of that so from my dad's side my uh grandma she was born in Puerto Rico she moved in New Jersey but um she she definitely brings that culture into the family Mak a lot of P ran food and we're back home uh a lot of enjoying you know spending holidays there and enjoying that time so something that I love to tap into how does that impact you on a day-to-day basis I mean it's part it's you obviously so yeah I mean I think it's just a I don't know if i' say fun fact but I mean it's just a surprising thing a lot of people don't even know that about me but it's you know something that I take pride in and that's my culture got aite food grandma grandma fixes yeah she makes some rice and beans that I got the recipe but I just I can't make it quite like her but she just some rice and beans that grandparents love and there she it makes a differ some simple rice and beans and it's just it's different so what she think about you as a football player Puerto Rico I mean not really a football hot what does she think about or or even the Puerto Rican side of your family think about you as football yeah no they they love it I mean she really doesn't know too much about it but you know uh they're really supportive you all her cousins all my cousins know just being able to you know have that support from them they'll come out to the games they'll support whatever whatever way they can it's just been it's been great to have that side of the family is the Immigrant history oh sorry