2024 Tribe Football - Week 1 Press Conference

and about your team how's your fall Camp gone do you feel healthy and and is your team ready to roll yeah we we had a really good uh uh training camp lot of uh lot of lot of guys had opportunity to get the Reps and a lot of guys had opportunity to you know show what they could do you know about 30 of our players are new players you know based on everyone having to deal with the the co year kids finishing up guys that have graduated moved on but we were also able to to get a few players you know that have got into our grad schools um you know young players that have been introduced to the to the program they all had opportunities as well to get reps and so the veterans you know we simulated well with uh our team is has gotten better in terms of you know our football IQ and hopefully that'll continue on you're always worried about you know you go against each other like your little brother you you're fighting your brother all the time and there comes a point where you got to play somebody else and uh we're about at that point and ready for this last few days of preparation prior to playing um the cadets first question this afternoon from Dave Johnson hello Dave hey guys how you doing um Mike obviously uh you've got a lot of different faces uh on the defensive side or at least um guys who haven't played maybe as much as some others uh but you have two veterans in Alex and Quinn as as Captain of of the team captains obviously of the defense how how big of of impact are they do you feel with their leadership in this situation ah they've been a tremendous impact for the for the not only for the defense but for the program guys that have been around through demonstrated performance Quinn was a scholarship uh linebacker coming in and Alex was a a guy that walked on became a scholarship player and then became a captain so that speaks to you know to who he is and what he offers to the program and then we're surrounded by guys that uh that played in played in games played a dedicated amount of reps in football games and so we we missed a guy like you know Ryan P and and Nate ly I can go on and on but then there's also guys that are back that have played in a lot of uh college football games for us and so we're relying on those guys because they've been game tested game ready uh to step out and step up uh in a big way for us so we're excited about uh the opportunities for you know our team to finally get a chance to to play this 24 season and just to follow up um just you you got a lot of young or different people too in the kicking game uh have you made calls there yet at punter Place kicker kickoff and all that um we have the guys that are there obviously you lose some guys but I feel good about the guys that we have uh that are that are that are here involved in our place kicking and our puning our snapping our returning um our punter and and the place kickers you know they're they're guys that are played in college football games you know and and so we we feel pretty good from that standpoint because they they've got dedr demonstrated performance in games you know so um that'll be a big part of what we do and how we do it it's a big special teams as we all know is a big part of of where you get the ball where they get the ball and one of the other areas pretty excited about is the return game you know the return game of of Dre SE Kendricks or Bronson yod or Malachai IMO or Hollis matthys to be back there returning kickoffs or punts and so um the Special Teams aspects for us have been have been pretty good for us and we're looking forward to for that those particular units to be highly effective for us thanks Mike thank you Mike next question from John count go ahead John uh thanks hey coach London where where would you project Isaiah leand in your receiver rotation as you headed into this game thank you um a guy that's uh has has come in and has just worked I mean worked really hard to where he has put himself in the in the conversation of playing you know in scrimmage snaps being a three four phase special teams guy uh he's done he's done done a really good job of just coming and being a great teammate and so um you know he uh um his his contributions to our to our offense and to our defense as you to our our special teams has been noticeable and um you know we we like him because he's you know he's he's all about team and um you know we're excited for him and his opportunities coach it's been a while since VMI and William and Mary have gotten together you're a state guy from way back I wonder you can speak to the value of these two programs meeting yeah i' I've uh you know like you said having been and enjoy the opportunities to been at Richmond in VMI at even at UVA and having opportunities to to be involved with games like this to be involved with people that you know Danny Rocko and myself you know we're on Coach gr's original staff so I I consider Danny a really good friend really good coach and um you know and it's good it's good for the state you know state of Virginia to have schools playing you know each other and and the because of the the camaraderie because of you know the alumni base and all those things like that I just think it makes it for good football and um and and so we look forward to having an opportunity for the BMI to be down here and and revisit with with guys that I've known for a long time thank you Mike thanks John Mike you go into the the uh the season with a veteran uh group in your back field with Darius in his fourth year and and Bronson Malachi Martin Lucas guys who have played a lot of snaps for you how how much is that nice as a head coach when you go into your opener with so much so much experience in those skill positions you know what it it takes it it takes time to build uh a program and then it takes time to have individuals that have been game tested and the circumstances were such that we lost Bronson game four of last season he decided to come back uh Malachi being back and as you said Darius being a a quarterback for starting quarterback for four years here since he's been here those things are postive POS things and so but we just can't rest on you know those things we have to continue with our what we do how we use their legs their arms or whatever it might be and but to have guys that have had demonstrated performance and helping us win football games all those guys you mentioned have been uh instrumental in us you know um in a conference Championship uh in 22 so to have that experience and a level of uh you know maturity it only helps not only offense but it helps our football team got from John go ahead John hey thank you coach London it was a great start the last season for the tribe and after Bronson got hurt uh it was sort of a sour ending wonder how much uh the Way That season ended helps motivation for this season thank you yeah yeah I think our guys talked about that you know during the ca media days I mean Les leaves a bitter taste in your mouth knowing that uh you want more and the expectation of the of the program what's been built here is that we want more and so um you know the things we can control are obviously you know the the things that we do and how we play and um this team is like I said with the leadership the captains that I you know we just mentioned not only you know qu and and and Alex but Ryan McKenna you know Yoda and Hollis matthys you know uh Charles Grant I mean those guys are are are are guys that are committed to to helping this program win and so that's that's the mindset and so we look forward I said to this 24 season thank you Mike thanks John you got a follow up from Dave go ahead Dave M Mike if memory serves your first game here was a home opener in 2019 against Lafayette but I don't think you guys have opened at home since then is that give a little added excitement to it at all at home anytime you can play at home uh you know particularly like you said your opener it's it's great I mean you know I've been on the other side where you play your FBS opponent you you go travel and things like that but uh uh even then um playing Lafayette if I recall John Garrett was uh was the head coach at that time and again there were some UVA ties to that but um it is good to have uh you know a home game first game you know we just uh our incoming students were here yesterday kind of like a a quasi pep rally where the where they were in the stands and we were talking about you know know making make making a lot of noise and cheering the team on so you know uh I expect you know campus and the game to be um you know with a lot of people there cheering us on I'm quite sure VMI will bring their contingent but it is great to have your first opportunity you know at home appreciate it thanks Mike Before I Let You Go as you said you and Coach roo have a lot of familiarity with each other what are some of the challenges that this VMI team will present for you yeah yeah they uh offensively uh their running back is a a big big big guy that uh you know he's a downhill Runner and he will you know he'll put his shoulders pads down and he'll go um wild cat guy so he gets the ball direct snaap to him so they feature him a lot quarterback is is a really good player too that he distributes the ball he manages the game he can run he can throw all those things they got a receiver number three Sumi I believe is his name is that you know he's he's uh you know he's done a really good he's really done a really good job of on their special teams as well I mean he's a guy that catches the ball punts kickoffs and he goes to the house and so Danny's really really bit a good football team from the off offensive side of the ball where you can find out what you do and how you do it and utilize your strengths defensively you know I've known Rich janner another another guy that I've known uh with the UVA ties you know as a coordinat there you know kind of their their defensive look three down look and play a lot of quarters and so their football team is a is a good football team of guys that are you know that you have a lot of respect for because you know they're they're at a Military Academy school and there's a lot of discipline there there there's a lot of honor and integrity that they talk about so everybody gets their best game we'll get their best game I'm sure but we looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge all right Mike thanks so much for taking time with us this afternoon good luck on Thursday night against BMI and look forward to next talking next week thank you have a good day thank you how are you too