Our latest spring practice report centers on the secondary.
Despite the loss of some defensive leaders, a dominating performance in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl was anchored by the secondary. Five of the top seven tacklers in that game are back in 2019, including rising sophomore Leon O'Neal.
Listen to the latest episode of Studio 12, featuring the interview with Leon O'Neal and an extended sit-down with hall of famer and Aggie Radio Network analyst Dave Elmendorf. Subscribe for free to the podcast below.
The last time we saw you you were getting that first career interception in the Gator Bowl a big win against N.C. State on New Year's Eve. Do you feel momentum has carried over from that into these sessions in the spring?
"Yeah, every day. Every day for the most part you've got older guys stepping up, got young guys stepping up, and it's just like we all kind of like maturing together and that's the best part about this team. I think everybody pushes each other, as much as you've got coaches talking and they want it, these players want it too. You can see it, first day out, the defense played really (well) I thought on our side and I'm just excited about the season coming up."
The thing about the Gator Bowl is five of the top seven tacklers from that night are back. Now, a lot of them are you and the guys in the secondary. People are going to want to talk about how the defense lost the top six tacklers from the season, guys like Donovan Wilson, Otaro Alaka, Tyrel Dodson, but with you guys returning, is there something to prove?
"You've got so many different players that are just learning. That's the best part. I mean I was sitting behind Dono (Wilson) and I learned so much. I learned so much, mentally. Mentally, physically. I'm sure the linebackers did too as far as Buddy and everybody else that came
behind them. But I mean for the most part everybody is really comfortable with where we're at. We're not settling for anything. We all want to be at the top spot. That's what makes us here. I don't want any other players to play here if you're not trying to be in the top spot. So we got guys."
Miss Donovan a little bit though? Day 1 without him back there?
"Yeah, you can see the tempo kind of like, I mean like you got guys that were turnt up, we're used to it man. We had so many practices together, so many reps together, so all of us are just like brothers. And at the same time we're just playing a sport that we love so we're always lit. You know me, I'm a handful. You can ask Coach Elko that."
Nice to be back out there with him because we've talked about it before not only is he the defensive coordinator he's so hands on with you guys at the safety position.
"Yeah that's the crazy thing and I think that's a big reason why I came here. He's maturing me a lot at the safety position. I came here with a lot of words, he shut me up quick and just made sure that I was focused. For the most part you've got these guys that's coming in there every single day trying to learn because we've got our defensive coordinator as our DB coach. You don't get that opportunity every day. Matter of fact, you're the captain of the defense, because you know everything from the front and the back. And he'll let you know in the meeting room. We get quizzes, different type stuff like that but for the most part man it's unbelievable to have him in that position."
How important is the communication aspect of the spring? I know you get in drills with your safeties but in team aspects you're over there with the corners. How much is the communication with the corners and safety is a big part of the spring?
"It's so important. You can't play defense without having a full secondary on the same page. Even when we run a defense to where we got split safeties, that side of the field has got to be communicating with what we call the whip, the free safety, or they got to communicate with the boundary cornerback really well. And also we got the nickel involved to the field side with me. You've got to communicate with that field corner really well, and complement each other very well and that's why we got to communicate."
Finally this for you, you don't lack confidence. Where does it come from?
Coming up as a kid and being in the position that I'm in, I'm blessed. I'm blessed beyond words, and I'm going to take advantage of every situation. My mom, my family, my sisters, and all my boys (out here), we all deserve better, you know what I mean? We're going to get better here."
Despite the loss of some defensive leaders, a dominating performance in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl was anchored by the secondary. Five of the top seven tacklers in that game are back in 2019, including rising sophomore Leon O'Neal.
"We've got older guys stepping up, we've got young guys stepping up. We're all maturing together and that's the best part about this team."
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) March 22, 2019
?? @WakeEmUp9@Academy // #GigEm pic.twitter.com/wQfIMR9B8C
Listen to the latest episode of Studio 12, featuring the interview with Leon O'Neal and an extended sit-down with hall of famer and Aggie Radio Network analyst Dave Elmendorf. Subscribe for free to the podcast below.
Leon O'Neal Interview Transcript
The last time we saw you you were getting that first career interception in the Gator Bowl a big win against N.C. State on New Year's Eve. Do you feel momentum has carried over from that into these sessions in the spring?
"Yeah, every day. Every day for the most part you've got older guys stepping up, got young guys stepping up, and it's just like we all kind of like maturing together and that's the best part about this team. I think everybody pushes each other, as much as you've got coaches talking and they want it, these players want it too. You can see it, first day out, the defense played really (well) I thought on our side and I'm just excited about the season coming up."
The thing about the Gator Bowl is five of the top seven tacklers from that night are back. Now, a lot of them are you and the guys in the secondary. People are going to want to talk about how the defense lost the top six tacklers from the season, guys like Donovan Wilson, Otaro Alaka, Tyrel Dodson, but with you guys returning, is there something to prove?
"You've got so many different players that are just learning. That's the best part. I mean I was sitting behind Dono (Wilson) and I learned so much. I learned so much, mentally. Mentally, physically. I'm sure the linebackers did too as far as Buddy and everybody else that came
behind them. But I mean for the most part everybody is really comfortable with where we're at. We're not settling for anything. We all want to be at the top spot. That's what makes us here. I don't want any other players to play here if you're not trying to be in the top spot. So we got guys."
Miss Donovan a little bit though? Day 1 without him back there?
"Yeah, you can see the tempo kind of like, I mean like you got guys that were turnt up, we're used to it man. We had so many practices together, so many reps together, so all of us are just like brothers. And at the same time we're just playing a sport that we love so we're always lit. You know me, I'm a handful. You can ask Coach Elko that."
Nice to be back out there with him because we've talked about it before not only is he the defensive coordinator he's so hands on with you guys at the safety position.
"Yeah that's the crazy thing and I think that's a big reason why I came here. He's maturing me a lot at the safety position. I came here with a lot of words, he shut me up quick and just made sure that I was focused. For the most part you've got these guys that's coming in there every single day trying to learn because we've got our defensive coordinator as our DB coach. You don't get that opportunity every day. Matter of fact, you're the captain of the defense, because you know everything from the front and the back. And he'll let you know in the meeting room. We get quizzes, different type stuff like that but for the most part man it's unbelievable to have him in that position."
How important is the communication aspect of the spring? I know you get in drills with your safeties but in team aspects you're over there with the corners. How much is the communication with the corners and safety is a big part of the spring?
"It's so important. You can't play defense without having a full secondary on the same page. Even when we run a defense to where we got split safeties, that side of the field has got to be communicating with what we call the whip, the free safety, or they got to communicate with the boundary cornerback really well. And also we got the nickel involved to the field side with me. You've got to communicate with that field corner really well, and complement each other very well and that's why we got to communicate."
Finally this for you, you don't lack confidence. Where does it come from?
Coming up as a kid and being in the position that I'm in, I'm blessed. I'm blessed beyond words, and I'm going to take advantage of every situation. My mom, my family, my sisters, and all my boys (out here), we all deserve better, you know what I mean? We're going to get better here."