Texas A&M Media Day/Fan Day

The Aggies met the media and took team pictures on Sunday morning before spending time with the 12th Man on Fan Day. Follow along with the day's activities below. Continued coverage of Fall Camp is brought to you by Academy Sports + Outdoors.  

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"It's been a good camp. As far as I think physicality we're learning to be more physical, which you're always going to hear me say. In this game you cannot ever overestimate or underestimate that. I think it's something that's a true reality of really good football teams. Learning how to compete, learning how to practice, that's some of the things we're learning how to do. Stay physical without injuring each other as much as you can, stay off the ground,  those things. But the competition's been good, a lot of new faces, they're making progress. I have been very pleased with the young guys as far as their knowledge of picking up schemes offensively, defensively, special teams wise. They're allowing them to use their athleticism because I say it's hard to ever judge a guy how he's playing until he really learns what he's doing. These guys have done a really good job of learning. Our coaches are doing a good job of teaching while the older upperclassmen you can see improvement to them, size, strength and difference in their bodies in a year, and also knowledge of what to do and how to practice and do those things. So I think it's been a good camp so far. We've got a lot of work to do. We're nowhere close where we need to be. And I know that sounds like coach talk but that's the truth. That's just where we're at right now. As I say camp's just now really begun in the last day or two because you get those six, seven, eight practices in, you start getting a little bruised up get a little tired, you don't feel like you're getting enough sleep and when you're in competition you're worrying about am I going to play, am I not going to play, all those things. Those are all part of the mental and psychological disposition you've got to endure to be able to compete. And that's what we're being able to judge right now. Our first scrimmage will be tomorrow night, so another good practice today hopefully then we'll be ready to go."
 

On what he's learned about Coach Elko after year one: "Well I think first of all he's a relentless worker and competitor himself. I think that's first and foremost. The knowledge of the game is tremendous, but you know as a coach we all know a lot, we do, but he's a grinder. That's one of the things I think I truly appreciate. But he's in there figuring out different ways, you know, maybe this was the way we did things in this position here we may have more strength here to here and how to compensate for that or how to feature another position in his defense that may be a true strength that year. I think he's a guy that really loves football. He is very meticulous, like myself. I think he's very detail-oriented and tries to be perfect on everything and demands and has a great presence. His competitive nature allows him to really produce good defenses. His knowledge of the game is excellent but also he's willing to put in the time to work and does a great job putting his players by their physical skills in position to be successful."
 
On the biggest difference in his team from this time last year to now: "I think there's psychological disposition to understanding what it takes to play the highest level. I think we're still getting there but understanding the true commitment of no, we're not trying to play well, we're trying to be successful and win and what that entails. You think well, they should know, but you don't know until you go to that level and then there's the elite levels where I think we're still in the process of learning how consistent and how relevant that is. But we're much, much closer to this psychological disposition of understanding that. And once you understand that everything else falls in place, it really does. It all gets back to how you know what you've got to do and how you've got to do it to the highest level, and I think we're getting to that level. That's the biggest difference in our football team."
 

   
On the defensive front: "I think we've got some young guys ready to take the next step. Really excited with what some of those guys are doing. I think Justin Madubuike has really improved his game, looking for him to become a dominant factor for us. And then guys like Tre Brown, (Jayden) Peevy, Michael Clemons getting in there, Tyree Johnson developing, and then behind them Max Wright, Marv Leal… I think we've got some really talented players up there we just need them to continue to take the next step to get them where we need to go."
 
On there being a slow buy-in last year that changed as the year went on: "I don't know that I would quite word it like that. I think everything was different, the way we want to play defense, the things we were asking them to do, the commitment we were asking from them week in and week out from a game plan standpoint. I don't know that necessarily they were consciously not buying in, I think it just took a little while for it to all come together and our kids started to realize as the year went on if we do this thing the right way together we could be really, really successful. I just think that's the natural progression of going from where we were to where we want to be as a group and as a defense so I certainly saw the development. I don't know that there was that conscious non buy-in but I think certainly we started to play things more the way we wanted to as the year went on."
 
On remaining at A&M after being courted in the offseason: "What isn't there about it to love? Love the school, love everything that it stands for, love Coach Fisher, the program he's building,  love the guys we have in the locker room, love the guys we've brought in, love the community, love the fan base…this place is special and I think making the decision to come down here, making the decision to stay, I think everything in that regard kind of backs that up."
 
On getting back to the elite level of 'Wrecking Crew' defense: "I just I think we have to keep buying into playing defense relentlessly, being physical, playing as a group, doing the things that we're asking them to do consistently, play in and play out. I think at moments last year we played dominating football. We did not consistently do that and there were too many lapses from game to game within games that cost us. I think if we can consistently play at our highest level I think we're capable of putting a pretty good product out there."
 
On a particular position on defense that you find tough to recruit for: "Maybe at previous stops. I think here, with everything that we have, with the resources we have, with the momentum for this program and what people are talking about and how they're talking about this program, no. I think we have the ability to go out and get what we need. Maybe some of it we have to look in different places of the country but I think by and large this place allows us to attract exactly what we're looking for at every position."

 

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