Taylor Martinez presser on chemistry & leadership

[zoogs]

Husker starting QB takes the mic as reporters ask him about his role as a leader...

 

HuskerExtra [Video]

 

Did my best to type up a transcript, below. Didn't get everything, it's quite a long interview.

 

Taylor, how healthy are you coming into this fall?

 

Uh, you guys will find out September 3rd. (Laughs)

 

How anxious are you to just kinda put all these injury questions to rest, I mean, you gotta be pretty tired of answering them...

 

Yeah, I'm very anxious since January, ever since the Spring since I got reinjured in the Spring, and I just can't wait for September 3rd.

 

Taylor, what was the biggest thing you learned as a starting quarterback

 

Um, pretty much everything, through how to play, and like how to call a football game, and just leadership and how to develop all that, and just how to take on the uh, take on like the players, and pretty much just everything.

 

How much more comfortable are you at that #1 position, now that it's yours? (second half of question interrupted)

 

A lot more comfortable. Because it takes pretty much the whole season for me to learn (...something...) the actual quarterback position at the college level.

 

A lot of people have mentioned, a lot of teammates have said how you improved as leader. Can you kinda talk about the evolution of where you were, and (something)?

 

Well pretty much, just, I became a leader pretty much all of a sudden, became leaders together as a team leadership thing, pretty much and every one of us has stepped up, and I think for a team to become really good everyone on the team has to step up and become a leader on the team.

 

A similar question you addressed us in the Spring about, maybe being a little uncomfortable as a young guy in that bunch of seniors last year, how hard was that, to kinda step in and replace a guy that had started the year before?

 

I thought it was pretty hard just because I was a new kid pretty much on the block, just kinda cause I was running the scout team offense the year before that, and then ah, coming as a redshirt freshman, I was pretty much playing quarterback for like three weeks or so, and then coming on and playing quarterback and then pretty much taking on the leadership role, which the starting QB Zac Lee was the year before that, and he was pretty much the leader on the team, and it was pretty hard to try to take the leadership role over him.

 

You think that added an obstacle at all, in your development or (something)

 

Uhm, I say it did, I didn't really want to take over Zac's leadership role.

 

How much easier is it now with some of those guys moving on?

 

Yeah, it's a lot easier now. Pretty much some of the seniors have left, Zac Lee and like pretty much four or five kids on the offense and defense, been a lot easier for me.

 

What have been your focal points this offseason on your, just, game?

 

Um, just watching film and throwing to my receivers, and developing chemistry with the team.

 

(Skipping on a bit now - Taylor is asked about watching film last year and says there's more balance in the Big 10)

 

Do they (Big 10) do the same things you say in the Big 12?

 

Pretty much football is all the same, but they all mix it up just a little bit.

 

What kind of challenges, does it present to not only the team but a quarterback, when you go against defenses you haven't faced before?

 

Well, football's football, and all the defenses are the same, so.

 

(Taylor talks about not taking so many heights on himself and lasting through the whole season. He says he's gained 5 pounds and it'll help him a lot in absorbing hits. He's asked about what he's seen from Bubba so far, and Taylor says he is pretty much like a linebacker).

 

Taylor, you were kinda a mystery man to the public last year, we didn't see you much at times. Do you have any regrets about how you kinda started off last year?

 

I have no regrets at all about how I started off the season, really didn't talk to the media very much. As a freshman, it's kinda hard to come in and talk to the media, you don't really know what to expect. A lot of freshman really don't play that young and coming in and trying to talk to the media, and trying to like, play a huge game, and I think it - it was pretty good for me.

 

You plan on coming in every Monday, media day?

 

As much as I can.

 

How is the offense a better fit for you, can you kinda elaborate on that?

 

It's a more upbeat offense, that's it.

 

How about coach Beck? how different is it and what does he bring?

 

It's a lot different, it's more upbeat with him, and he's an awesome coach and I think he'll do really good as an offensive coordinator at Nebraska.

 

Taylor, Will Compton says the goal is to obviously win a Big Ten championship; he also says the goal is to win a National Title. Do you guys talk openly about that?

 

Throughout the team we do, as a team goal we want to win a Big Ten championship of course, and especially for being, we're the first Nebraska team in the Big Ten, that'd be nice, and then hopefully to win the National Championship.

 

Any motto this year?

 

Pretty much just compete, and do our best, and just stuff like that.

 

(Taylor talks about how the injury since the Missouri game "killed everything in me".)

 

What young guys impressed you?

 

Jamal Turner, Kenny Bell, a lot of the running backs have been doing very well.

 

When would you say you are 100%

 

You'll find out Sept. 3rd.

 

Are you 100% right now?

 

I don't know. (Laughs)

 

[zoogs]

I just watched the OK-State highlights of Taylor and thought about Taylor's comment on the Missouri game "killing everything" in him.

 

Couldn't be more right, IMO. He played lights effin' out in that OSU game, and it isn't about the poor quality of the defense at all. He made some really good throws, and more than that, take a look how he reacted under pressure. Dodging rushers that were right on top of him while keeping his eyes downfield, keeping the play alive and completing throws. Fast forward to Rattled Taylor against OU and Washington, and you had a deer in the headlights staring down rushers without even the slightest semblance of an effort to react to them. Just stood still waiting to get drilled for a huge loss.

 

The key question for us this year is if Taylor can get that OSU form back, and build on it.

[irafreak]

So we had little chemistry on offense last year...obviously...and Bubba Starling is being looked at for the linebacker position and that is probably why he will play for the royals.

[Nebula]

How much easier is it now with some of those guys moving on?

 

Yeah, it's a lot easier now. Pretty much some of the seniors have left, Zac Lee and like pretty much four or five kids on the offense and defense, been a lot easier for me.

This jump out at anyone else? I think we had a significant attitude issue with a handful of seniors we were really depending on last year. Not the best year for leadership. (In the view of a person who wasn't there, so...)

 

Four or five problem guys, huh? I could guess three, maybe...

[Husker_x]

How much easier is it now with some of those guys moving on?

 

Yeah, it's a lot easier now. Pretty much some of the seniors have left, Zac Lee and like pretty much four or five kids on the offense and defense, been a lot easier for me.

This jump out at anyone else? I think we had a significant attitude issue with a handful of seniors we were really depending on last year. Not the best year for leadership. (In the view of a person who wasn't there, so...)

 

Four or five problem guys, huh? I could guess three, maybe...

 

I think what he meant was when you join a team that has established leadership it's much easier to fill that role once other people aren't filling it. When people are looking to a senior QB who fought for the team the previous year, who knew the offense, and who was probably considered by some to have had his job stolen by a freshman wide receiver, all I can have is sympathy for Taylor. He's an awkward, reserved kid to begin with, and was put in a hard situation for ANYONE, even someone really magnetic and outgoing, to handle. The only thing that's going to make him a strong team leader is time and success.

[okaive]

Uhm, yeah, I pretty much caught the Bubba thing to and thought the exact same thing Freak.

[Nebula]

I think what he meant was when you join a team that has established leadership it's much easier to fill that role once other people aren't filling it. When people are looking to a senior QB who fought for the team the previous year, who knew the offense, and who was probably considered by some to have had his job stolen by a freshman wide receiver, all I can have is sympathy for Taylor. He's an awkward, reserved kid to begin with, and was put in a hard situation for ANYONE, even someone really magnetic and outgoing, to handle. The only thing that's going to make him a strong team leader is time and success.

I'd say that's a perceptive take on the situation. Especially regarding Martinez...it's pretty evident that he is somewhat awkward socially, and that is naturally going to lead to some growing pains in terms of cultivating leadership.

 

So, sure, that's a difficult situation no matter what. I get the feeling we had some particularly notable malcontents last year though...more so than just your average griping. The last crop of Callahan kids, a team and an offense that no longer resembles the one you were recruited for, a coach who seems to put up with a LOT less than the predecessor who brought those seniors to the team in the first place...I dunno.

 

When you have seniors who just directly contributed to a debilitating loss immediately coming out afterwards and blaming fans for being viciously rude, (Nebraska fans!) rather than saying, "Hey, it kills me that I let down my team," you've got attitude issues, and more than that, you have cohesiveness issues. As in, a core group who vocally and pointedly display their unwillingness to endorse the changes being made all around them. Not just at quarterback.

 

I wish all Huskers well, always. No matter what. But for the sake of the team I'm glad to see some guys moving on.

[da skers]

Niles was a huge cancer when it came to Taylor. Williams was a close second.

[Danimal]

Niles was a huge cancer when it came to Taylor. Williams was a close second.

 

Recurring themes this year seem to be leadership, cohesion, and team-building. The more I read about last year the more I see why.

[zoogs]

How much easier is it now with some of those guys moving on?

 

Yeah, it's a lot easier now. Pretty much some of the seniors have left, Zac Lee and like pretty much four or five kids on the offense and defense, been a lot easier for me.

This jump out at anyone else? I think we had a significant attitude issue with a handful of seniors we were really depending on last year. Not the best year for leadership. (In the view of a person who wasn't there, so...)

 

Four or five problem guys, huh? I could guess three, maybe...

 

That jumped out at me. I don't think he meant to say "I'm glad Zac and four or five guys are gone now, life's easier for me." But it's what he did say.

[The Dude]

I just watched the OK-State highlights of Taylor and thought about Taylor's comment on the Missouri game "killing everything" in him.

 

Couldn't be more right, IMO. He played lights effin' out in that OSU game, and it isn't about the poor quality of the defense at all. He made some really good throws, and more than that, take a look how he reacted under pressure. Dodging rushers that were right on top of him while keeping his eyes downfield, keeping the play alive and completing throws. Fast forward to Rattled Taylor against OU and Washington, and you had a deer in the headlights staring down rushers without even the slightest semblance of an effort to react to them. Just stood still waiting to get drilled for a huge loss.

 

The key question for us this year is if Taylor can get that OSU form back, and build on it.

This made me go back and check out some highlights, and I have to agree with everything you say here. One thing I also noticed was how poor our run defense could actually be, and it wasn't just Bo's "bend but don't break" strategy. It was a lack of hussle, very sloppy tackling (not just by the safeties), and the d-line flat out getting beat. That was ugly, hopefully we get that fixed this fall.

[Hercules]

How much easier is it now with some of those guys moving on?

 

Yeah, it's a lot easier now. Pretty much some of the seniors have left, Zac Lee and like pretty much four or five kids on the offense and defense, been a lot easier for me.

This jump out at anyone else? I think we had a significant attitude issue with a handful of seniors we were really depending on last year. Not the best year for leadership. (In the view of a person who wasn't there, so...)

 

Four or five problem guys, huh? I could guess three, maybe...

 

That jumped out at me. I don't think he meant to say "I'm glad Zac and four or five guys are gone now, life's easier for me." But it's what he did say.

 

I don't think Zac was the problem though. I think Taylor looked up to Zac before he became the starter, maybe after he became the starter, and I think Zac was considered one of the main leaders on the team, and it seems that Taylor didn't feel comfortable just stepping in and replacing Zac as that kind of leader. However it seems like some of the other seniors didn't like the new offense, and they didn't like the fact that their buddy wasn't QB. Zac never seemed to be anything but fully supportive.

 

The good news is that it's in the past, and it seems that this year's team has learned from it and has made a considerable effort in improving team chemistry. I'm not sure this team is as talented as last year's team, but it might have its head screwed on straight.

[druski_2k5]

How much easier is it now with some of those guys moving on?

 

Yeah, it's a lot easier now. Pretty much some of the seniors have left, Zac Lee and like pretty much four or five kids on the offense and defense, been a lot easier for me.

This jump out at anyone else? I think we had a significant attitude issue with a handful of seniors we were really depending on last year. Not the best year for leadership. (In the view of a person who wasn't there, so...)

 

Four or five problem guys, huh? I could guess three, maybe...

 

That jumped out at me. I don't think he meant to say "I'm glad Zac and four or five guys are gone now, life's easier for me." But it's what he did say.

 

Agreed Zoogies. That jumped out at me too. I wonder what kind of chemistry/team-mate issues we really had on offense last year. Things are starting to add up why we saw what we saw at times last year....

[Landlord]

Niles was a huge cancer when it came to Taylor. Williams was a close second.

 

Recurring themes this year seem to be leadership, cohesion, and team-building. The more I read about last year the more I see why.

 

 

This seems like revisionist history to me. We heard the exact same things last off-season, with the bracelets, the posters saying "finish", etc. etc., and Niles Paul was at the forefront of it. We'll see if these words actually mean anything.

[zoogs]

The good news is that it's in the past, and it seems that this year's team has learned from it and has made a considerable effort in improving team chemistry. I'm not sure this team is as talented as last year's team, but it might have its head screwed on straight.

 

That's the big question and it's going to make all the difference, I think.