so so then you enrolled at Colorado in in January of 23 right I came early okay so what so you know 18-year-old kid leaving Derby Kansas to go to to Boulder Colorado what were your expectations heading in going into your first off season at a high level college football program yeah um at the time it was definitely a different vibe there from when I first got there to when I when I end up leaving and transferring and and stuff like that that um when I first got there they were 1 in 11 um it was just a whole lot going on when I first got there just team wise just it was a lot going on and you know it was hard at first on me you know leaving my family and all that I was very homesick but you know I I even had teammates on Colorado you know team that played on the truth as well so I would kind of you know be with them and and just talk it out with them cuz I've always known them so it was it was was just leaning on you know my friends there so it was very hard at first but I mean I got used to it absolutely and and did you ever I mean obviously we know the type of season that you had and some massive games that you had was there a moment um during that that offseason at Colorado where you thought I belong here you know you're surrounded by shadur Sanders probably first round pick Travis Hunter probably first top five top 10 pick Alton MCO was a big- time player his first year at Houston you know you've got you've got Bonafide legitimate proven college guys around you was there a moment for you where you thought you know I knew I belonged you know I thought I belonged here but now I really know I belong here so I think my confidence gained in college uh after our spring game I had a great spring game and I just it just felt good like I felt like it was just a faster paced of high school and and you know bigger guys and stuff like that it was just I was getting used to the game towards the end of spring and um I knew after we had gotten all those new recruits and transfers at Colorado and I had my exit meeting with Coach Prime and my position coach there and they were asking me like you know we're about to get a whole lot of new running backs like we're about to fill the room up like we uh want you to compete is that going to be a problem for you and I said no like I want to compete like bring anybody like I want to show you guys like I'm actually that guy you know what I'm saying I want to be that guy and after that I I competed through all fall camp and after that I I finally got the confidence to know like I belong here like I belong on the same Turf is shador and Travis I belong on the same Turf as all these bigname guys because I'm seeing them in practice every day and they're making plays and I'm making plays too so um it was it was great to know that my confidence got built at Colorado Absol absolutely and I think it's it's cool in a in a day and age where you know we we we've got the the sort of unlimited portal or unlimited transfer opportunities and you see guys sometimes running from that competition it's cool to hear you say that you kind of relished it you said bring I loved it I loved it cuz in in the in the room in the running back room we all loved it like me altim mcco cavasier smoke just Savon Wilkerson those are all thousand yard rushers from their schools mhm and they were all in one room so I was like everyone's little brother and they all like put their hands on me like as in help me out with anything I had going on with fronts just defenses protections like it'll be some days I'll be calling them on face I'm like hey bro you know what I'm saying hey help me out with this play or I don't know these plays help me out bro like please like we got to play this week oh I got you and they'll literally pull up to my house or or literally call me and sit on FaceTime with me for 2 hours those are the type of people like that was in the running back room so um I'm definitely you know was sad when they all left yeah absolutely you know that was sad yeah so you had a big spring you know obviously you kind of you established yourself there at Colorado what did you expect your role to be going into the season yeah um towards the end of fall I knew I was going to um have a contribution contribution to the team and uh I started you know like I said gaining my confidence every single day at practice just trying to make as much plays as possible and I just knew I was I was going to play and the coaches told me I was going to play um the day before the TCU game I got told I was starting and it just I couldn't sleep the night before just just it was a great a great feeling for sure absolutely and then you know obviously most of us watched that game um you know not only to watch you but it was Prime's first game at Colorado you guys were playing the defending national champ runner up and TCU at at TCU you had you know you you kind of in in ways put the team on your back that day I think you scored four touchdowns you had almost 200 200 allpurpose yards what was that feeling like you know you got you got told the night before the game that you're the starter yeah and then you go out there on on in a in a high-scoring game against a good TCU team who had played for the national championship the year prior and you just you lit him up what was that like it was crazy especially the expectations like everyone had of our team and just to know we were playing the runner UPS from the year before that was in the natti that I was watching with on the couch with my friends in high school like just months before going to college it just it was definitely nerve-wracking but um that was probably one of one of the best days you know I've had in a long time it was just it was such a surreal feeling you know and a very emotional day just to know you know a lot of people were just doubting us at the time you know just it was a great feeling but you know I wanted more games like that absolutely you know um get that taste it's hard not to want more right so and that was that was my next question was you know you obviously we'll dive deeper into this conversation after the break but before then I want to tell you about our good friends at HomeField apparel get on over to HomeField apparel.com and get your hands on some of homefields K State selection of over 40 items that are thoughtfully created by homefields [Music] team I personally have several pieces from their Kate selection and I'm wearing my favorite HomeField sweatshirt today featuring an old school Willie the wild cat HomeField apparel is incredibly high quality and comfortable apparel and there's something for everybody at HomeField apparel.com be sure to use the promo code cats and I 24 when you check out to get 10% off your order and when you use that promo code HomeField will donate 10% of your order back to Wildcat nil so we can support KDAY student athletes again get on over to HomeField apparel.com today and use the promo code cats N24 you kind of put the college football World on notice against TCU and then you know Colorado had a little bit of an up and down season the rest of the year and and your your role sort of fluctuates you you had games where you you were prominently featured in the offense and then you had games where you didn't get as many touches what what was it frustrating to to kind of have the es and flows of hey this week I'm getting 15 touches and this week I'm getting five or what was that like um man just some you just it's out of your control it's un uncontrollable so I just tried to do what's best for me as far as you know how I came to practice every day and um just had a smile on my face to know that I was a freshman still playing it didn't matter to me about you know at the time you know 15 touches a game it wasn't it was I'm playing I'm I'm making plays every time I get the ball so I can't complain I mean we're we were I was sad we were losing and everything like that but I couldn't complain that you know I was getting to show my talents every single weekend