Q&A with Brian Gamble

Senior linebacker and Butkus Award candidate Brian Gamble sat down with AggieAthletics.com at the end of two-a-days to discuss the team, being a senior and what it's like playing football in Aggieland.

Senior Butkus Award candidate Brian Gamble and the Aggies open the 2002 season Saturday against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Two-a-days are over. Having just come off the field, how do you think it went for you guys?

"I think it went well. I think we got a lot of work done. I think our schedule was favorable for the players to stay fresh and get a lot of quality reps in. The weather helped us out a little bit--the first week it was cool and we got to really get some good reps and some good hard work in. We bonded even more as a team and came together, and that was really good coming out of two-a-days. We'll just have to wait for this first game to roll around to see how well two-a-days really did work for us."

I know you had to be a leader last year on the defense. This year, do you feel like you have to step up even more because you're a senior?

"Yeah, definitely. This is our team. This is the seniors' team. We feel like the direction of this team falls squarely on our shoulders. Not only are we veterans, we are the seniors. We are the guys who's role it is to step up and take a leadership role and to be the vocal and emotional leaders of the team. Not only have I done it but I think all the seniors have done it. That's made my job a lot easier and that's made the team a lot more successful."

Talk about running out onto Kyle Field, with 86,000 fans screaming, is that something you can even put into words?

"You can't. I've tried, I've thought about it. People have asked me before and you can't put it into words. Its something you wish everybody could experience but it's only for the select few. But I guess if you were to try to put it into one word, it's exhilarating, is what it is."

A lot of people know that you're good friends with Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury. What's it like having to put a good friendship like that aside for a few hours every year during the game?

"It's easy. Were both competitors. We love to compete, its' a fun part of our friendship. You know, who's got bragging rights, who beat who, who did what. That's the fun thing. Even when we get together, when he talks about how he's going to light up our defense and I talk about how I'm going to intercept him or knock him down (laughs). That's part of the friendship and that's what's unique about it. We're both coaches' sons, we understand that friendship only goes so far, when you're playing against each other on the field there's no room for it and when the game's over you can rekindle it. That's about how our relationship is."

Question from Michael Gibson '03, Tatum, Texas: Knowing how small a town alto is, because I drive through it every time I go home, what does it take for someone to adjust to playing in front of 80,000 people and what does it take for someone to adjust to playing D-1 talent coming from a smaller 2A school?

"I have to attribute a lot of my success making the step up from high school to college to my father. You know, a lot of college football is just coming in here and getting the plays down. It's so much of a mental game. Physically, I used that redshirt year to adjust to the speed of the game and get some size on me, some muscle and all that, but mentally is where it's at. With a lot of kids, football programs when they were younger weren't that complex and they don't know a lot about football. And that's where I was one, two steps ahead of everyone else.

"As for the crowd...you know, the crowd is great and its real exciting when you first run on the field but once you're in the middle of the game you almost just block it out. It's almost like no one's there. It's hard to explain, but you're so focused on what's going on on the field that the crowd really becomes a non-factor unless (the other team is) audibling at the line."

You almost have to block out the crowd, don't you, to be able to focus on what you need to do?

"Before the play or something, before the opposing offense breaks the huddle, you can try to get the crowd pumped up and stuff like that. But as soon as they break the huddle it's just complete focus on what you're doing."

Question from Lanny Hayes '03, Monahans, Texas: Arguably your most memorable play as an Aggie was recovering the Major Applewhite fumble in the "Bonfire Game" versus Texas in 1999. Can you tell us about that play and how it fits into your personal college highlight reel?

"That's definitely right up there towards the top. I think just that whole game in general is number one on my list. It was a memorable game and my first game against Texas, and I had a pretty successful game. As far as falling on the fumble and the reaction afterward, that's something that's gonna stick around for a while. You don't really think about it after it happens, and you know, I'm still playing, so I really don't think about it now, but its one of those things that you look back on it and you're just gonna be like 'wow, that was me'. It's just an amazing moment."

Question from Jim Belville '68, Oklahoma City: How do you balance your classwork, football and social life during the season?

"It's hard. It's really difficult during football season to maintain everything. You have to try and concentrate on your classwork during the day but then again you have to be working on football. You have to find time to watch film and lift weights and do things like that. And then your practice schedule goes through, and when you get home that night you either have to do your homework or watch film...it's an ongoing process. If I ever have any free time I like to go watch my dad's team play and try to do as much hunting as I can. It's so hard. Football lands right in the middle of deer season and duck season and even dove season, so it's kind of hard to get out hunting. But whenever I get some spare time that's what I like to do."