UCLA TEs coach Jerry Neuheisel after practice No. 15 of fall camp 8/19

On getting closer to calling plays you guys you know what I've had to talk to you for like 13 years we're good on you what we got so uh coach said something the effect of uh wanted to help you get closer to calling plays part of this move is that is that part of it I mean what's what went into this you know I I I'm just happy to be a part of the team you know I I don't know what went into all the decision but I do know that I love being with the tight ends I love having more of an impact on the running game now and and to be able to help those guys and Coach them it's it's an unbelievable group and and the one thing we're really fortunate to have here is great people to coach they're really smart players and they want to be coach really hard and so I'm happy to be in the tight end room and you know I'm just really happy to be a part of the staff and as you guys know I'm I'm a brewing through and through so to be here and still be a part of this like just the dream come true so getting more On getting more involved with the run game involved with the Run game is that obviously just blocking schemes with the tight ends but receivers did a little some too right I mean I would say you do a lot more in the box so now you're working some counter you're working some power some things like that you're working all the different uh techniques in the Run game um but but at the end of the day the receivers everybody has to be a part of it um I don't really want to give away any Trade Secrets before we go play the next game but uh it's it's a really exciting offense and I'm just excited to see uh what we can put on the field when we get to Hawaii uh what do On the depth at tight end you think about just the depth there obviously you guys lost Hudson early in the spring brought in Bryce um I think it's was it three deep with uh Michael Church uh just what do you think of I guess that overall group right now I think they're playing really really well they're playing really high IQ football they know where to be they know how to be they know how to get open they they're playing about as well as I could ever ask um and now it's just about nailing down the details you know you've figured out the base parts of it now let's put in the details for any defense we're playing against and and let's go find a way to get ourselves open and put ourselves in a position to help the team win um and I think the one thing I love about them is that they're selfless like they don't care about getting touches they just want to help us win and that's all you can ask for as a coach to have a group of guys like that I know you don't On how comfortable he is with the depth want to give away too many state Secrets but in terms of depth how comfortable are you if you had to roll out 12 personel do you feel like you kind of oh yeah we're ready to go I all four of those guys can go play and then we'll get Sam Suma back um hopefully about a week or two into the season he's coming off foot surgery so um as soon as we can we know we're going to love to get Sam back but you know we're excited all the four of those guys can go into a game and help us win and I think that's all we can ask for is that you know they're ready to go go ahead you played here what were On playing at UCLA your thoughts we haven't talked to you since coach Foster got highed just you know to have another Alum great Alum come back and be the head coach here yeah it's it's exciting you know cuz you're talking to somebody who did it right there's something to be said about if you go here you understand what it's about you understand you know how hard it is but you also understand how special it can be you know I would say to anybody this is still the most special place to be part of football it's the only place that I know of where you can play in the Rose Bowl in front of 100,000 people still get the number one public you know education in the entire world and it's it's super special On playing in the Rose Bowl and to know what it means to wear those colors to know what the Traditions are to know what all that really means and to be able to speak on that to the players I think that's been the most you know incredible thing for them is you're listening to some guy who did it who you can put on the highlights and there's him scoring in the Rose bow and when you've got somebody like that you believe it and now you can start to gain that confidence that you know what we're going to go do that on Saturdays as well On working with Neuheisel is there anything I guess different about you know just knowing that now he's the head coach about maybe the way he carries himself in the building or anything that just is a little bit different now I think he always carried himself you know the interesting thing me and FX knew each other when I was a player here he was on staff and I was a player so I've known him my whole life basically as a Bru and he's always been somebody who's always looked out for me and he's always kind of kept me under his wing and you know I've always trusted him you know I think he's an unbelievable person and one of the best coaches I've been around so to be able to work for him and to help him try to hopefully take this place to where we know it can be I think that's an exciting thing for both of us can you talk about Church's growth kind of a On Michael Church throwback journey in the days you know we've got the portal now but just just talk about where he's come maybe in the last year and just over the course of his Michael P church is a grinder he's a grinder and you know what he is one of the most beloved players in not only the tight end room but the locker room like he has just put his head down and work since day one and and he's what everything college football should be about you come in as a walk on you grind on the scout team and now all of a sudden because of you know you know he gets an opportunity he's making the most of it and to see what he's playing to catch these touchdowns to do what he's doing like it's unbelievable and it's part of he's a huge part of it but that's why I'm proud of that whole tight end you know they are playing at the level that we want them to and a level that will help us be successful this season what are your thoughts on Jack Peterson at this ton of improvement from last year I think in terms of a route runner in terms of his understanding of his routes I think he's grown Leaps and Bounds from where he was last year um and with that you can see he's playing faster like he's understanding it more he's trusting himself more I'm just incredibly proud of you know the progress he's made and now it's time to go put it on display on Saturday for everybody else how much input do you and the other offensive assistants have in in the offense and the way it's I would On offensive input say we all have a voice in there everyone has a voice in there everyone has you know it's an open Forum to talk but at the end of the day you also have to have one guy that's going to be the you know the play call and that's when you coach you be and you know I think we all going to follow his lead help him wherever we can and then just make sure hopefully on Saturday we got the best game plan um of the two Sidelines what did you like about price when you guys On Price uh were looking at him in the portal I thought the size the speed the intangibles of being able to drop his weight and get out of it I thought it was a lot of untapped potential and I thought you know I don't know how they were using in ASU um but I did see from the film that he had from when he a receiver in high school to the Jo film like I just thought there was something there and when you talk to him um you you could tell how much he loved the game of football and when you get a guy who loves the game of football who's got that natural ability that's the guys you want to be around and he's been an great addition of the room they love him it's been a really really smooth transition and he's helped us a lot this fall is On future TE coaches there a future coach in that r that you've been able to pick out uh you know what I don't know you know I I don't think church is going to go the coaching route I don't think Jack would either Mo probably not you know what I don't know if I got a future coach in there but hopefully future donors hopefully they go make a lot of money and come doning um future nil boosters uh but you know I think hopefully they all get a chance to go play in the NFL um I hopeful they you know they'll make the most of it I know they're smart enough I know they'll know what to do I know they'll go uh be a value to any team um but beyond that hopefully they go make a lot more money than us coaches do and come out and help us get some more tight ends for us what On offseason was the I guess the offseason like for you just knowing you know how late the coaching change happened and all that when things were still in limbo what was that period like it's same old same old you know it it's every it's a different timeline just because of the coaching change but to be honest it was in a time where we weren't really doing much right it's we're in offseason we're working with our guys and it was you know a great time to transition because it was when the coaches were still here so as the coaches are still here we have time to get around our guys we have time to kind of go through the transition with them rather than us being on the road but it's same old same old and and with f being here before I think there was a lot of familiarity there and all of our guys are super comfortable with them and it's kind of worked out perfect you know I think he's done an unbelievable job of getting these guys ready to play and I think they're just all tired of playing each other ready to go play somebody else awesome thank you so much appreciate it guys appreciate it