UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster after the last practice of fall camp open to media 8/21

Intro um what's today Wednesday yeah yep yeah we had a good practice today full pads my guys came out and practiced hard um I just like I said the the competitive Spirits are up I love the way that they're competing each each period each drill um taking that into the Scout units our Scout teams are doing a good job giving us good looks so you know I'm pretty proud about that but you know we still got a long way to go got one more week before we really get into Hawaii we we started we started a little bit but you know next week we really Crank It Up End of training camp So when is the official end of training camp I would say satday okay but don't post that cuz I don't want them to see okay you know what I mean start taking it easy exactly that's the only thing I just don't want them to see it but Saturday and um is there going to be a scrimmage maybe is there a scrimmage that we can see no won okay it'll be competitive I'll get the juices going but we won't be tackling to the r yeah okay okay so so since this is the last time we'll talk to you uh before the end of training camp uh how would you say uh it's gone I mean overall first training camp went really well um you just want to see the office take strides with the new plays quarterbacks being able to pick get to lead the rest of the offense and then defensively just guys being around a familiar face and then still having hearing familiar plays because I think the last three years we had switched DCS you know what I'm saying so it's just good that they they've been some continuity able to last four years exactly so the last four years it's just good that they they able to get some continuity and uh you know able to trust the coaches and know that they'll be here when you look back to you know when Where UCLA is now you took the job to where you guys are at now and you putting everything in and your stamp on this program where would you kind of say you guys are um like I said it wasn't broken before you know but we just wanted to change a little bit of stuff I like the way that um just the energy level out here on the field you know we didn't have a lot of energy um I wanted to open it up we've opened it up people come to see us practice but I I kind of I wanted this team to get to a point to where it's player L and not coach driven you know coaches can tend to be like parents so they'll tune you out after they keep hearing the same thing over and over again but if you're able to get some of the players to say the same thing that I'm preaching then it goes easier so I think we've done a good job in just picking up um some leaders that we didn't know were leaders talk about being really curious Game management about your team in an actual game scenario and obviously you can't see that to you play some games how much like game management reps and stuff have you been able to do you have you run through like fourth down two minute all that kind of stuff how's that g for you we're doing all of that you know but just like I said you still got to simulate a game so this Saturday will really be a good chance to just try to simulate as many scenarios and situations that we can that are gang life you know have coaches up in the Box down the getting guys on the the path for special teams switching out subbing somebody else that's in the team you know just stuff that's going to happen after game but yeah you know it's hard when you don't really get preseason like looked like today was was it shri's first a in p no he just got to do a little bit individual okay yes so he did Indie U he's been in P he's just been on the side but you got New defensive coordinator little switching defensive coordinator so early um I think a tao was switching in the LA Bowl how did that help you guys kind of like get ahead and get the events a little bit comfortable before getting in the before get the that well I just like that that he wanted to keep to same ver you know so it was just good that coach Kelly gave okay uh if the Hawaii game was let's say tomorrow instead of uh 10 days from now like you guys are ready ready to play football now or you feel like there's you know a ways to go before you're ready for that first kickoff I mean I think we could play right now you're not a we're not too far off but you know you want all your days that's 10 days is a lot of days so you still want to there's still a a little bit of stuff we can Implement probably a couple more plays coach Eevee you know that that brain has a million plays in him so I know he he has some stuff that he wants to get out but you know I wouldn't if we had to play today I wouldn't shine with him and we saw FEI I think for the first time at least for the early individual periods with the defensive line group is that a sign that that transition's going maybe as as well as you guys would hoped uh is there any significance to that yeah just trying to get him to you know we wanted him to work moves and stuff like that so give him an opportunity to be with TAA Bena but you know he's a linebacker and he's somebody that can do multiple things in our defense and you know we just want to train him and not just throw him in games to do who are some of the player Player voices voices who have stepped up to kind of take that take that off of the co um Ethan's one of them Josh Carin deorio TJ Rico h i mean Rico Rel um I call him Rico H my basketball friends you know exactly he's here he's on about Rico Floren yeah Rico Floren um on defense Jay's doing a good job uh Timmy Kane Carson singer Swift on the back end um so you know it's just it's something that for you to take that next step every team that I've been on that was good it was player L the coaches put us in good position but we basically just you know policing ourselves that's when it's where it needs to be so we're right on the cusp and you know I'm excited to see how this first game goes and just how you know there's going to be some ups and downs and just how see how guys respond we are you going to uh Hawaii plays Saturday are you going to watch that game as a team maybe or how you going to handle that um not sure yet but they all better be watching the game you know but yeah I won't have them all come in here but I'm pretty sure all them watching I just hope that team made it out there did they make it to Hawaii I have no idea yeah they missed their flight but they miss their flight on Tuesday Hawaiian shirt are you going to do the Hawaiian shirt get up out about it there's got to be some UCLA hawaian kind of shirt right but we're not on vacay that's true that's true is not you know bowl games you get you know it's a different feel this is not this is our first game it's people are always saying this is their Super Bowl this is ours too yeah you know we want to get this started off on the right foot you know I think our guys are we have enough Hawaiians with connections to the island that want to go back and win a game so excited as far as H players who you know red shirted last year any of them you know getting closer to being significant contributors as far as if you need them for a couple of snaps here and there m Carter Shaw um Junior on offense um isaah Carlson have a shot um trying to think who are r AJ on the D line Ty Lee or anybody like that t Le is working in there but he'll probably be on all four special teams you know so there's a role for all our guys they're they're coming along especially the young guys they're coming along but the future is bright for us you know we just got to make sure that we uh put a good product out here on the field and let these recruits know what's going on you know they they love the atmosphere but they want to see it bur once we prove that has there been any separation amongst the kickers or any of the special jobs returners any stuff like that returners um it's probably pretty you guys probably know who's the pun returner and kick return I'm pretty sure you can pick up together too punt we're still going through that and then field goal we're still going through that but it's a really it's a it's a Twan race on both of them was close this is a it's a you know we had another kickoff today so we just got to make sure we're putting them in different situations to see who can really function and trying to make it very uncomfortable for him so I just want to I'm going watch the tap one got blocked so I want to see whose fault that was what was going on maybe Lesnar had a low kick but other than that they been doing a good job is that a good problem to have maybe if you have two comp yeah because it's a close race like if it was already separated but it's good that it's a close race but they're they're both kicking at high levels you know especially P pters are doing a good job is that chase and bro pter and then kicker would be matine and Blake y we saw doid Magna is biased a couple times before practice uh is he just have a class conflict or yeah okay do is still in college right now so okay he's knocking that out of any he comes us got it awesome thank you very much apprciate you guys thank