Wednesday, September 11, 2019
(On what the week was like for him) “Just like any other week. Trying to be the best I can for the team. The role changes, but the approach doesn’t.”
(On what he did during his off day) “Got to go over to the Boys & Girls Club. Awesome place where a lot of kids can go, kind of escape some of the troubles that they’re facing in a safe environment. Some of the stuff that they had there was so cool. I want to go back and just hang out more than anything, but that was a lot of fun.”
(On what his favorite football team and quarterback was growing up) “I was a big Florida fan. I liked Tim Tebow and Chris Leak before him. My dad, he played at D-3. My mom, she went to Mississippi State for a little bit, then Georgia State. They didn’t have football. I didn’t really have a team that much, but I liked Florida because they were good and they had good quarterbacks.”
(On what the last couple of days has been like for him) “It’s been awesome, just the support. I feel very blessed to have some great people around me and that’s evident in the good times and I’m fortunate it’s evident in the bad times as well, so it wasn’t too out of the norm.”
(On what the best message or call he has received was) “Any time [Washington State Head Coach Mike] Leach tweets about you that’s pretty cool. He lives for that. But yeah, just seeing all of the former coaches and players, guys that I’ve been around, who have seen everything, the road to this point, the guys that’ve done it with me, getting those messages from them has been super cool.”
(On if the ‘Minshew mania’ has ever been too big for him and if he ever imagined it) “It’s pretty wild. And part of that is we have some of the best fans at Wazzou, so up there it was chaotic, it was crazy. In that little corner of the country, it was something else. So, that was a lot of fun, but it’s something you embrace and try to use your platform for good to share positive messages with people.”
(On if he thinks about how his path would have been different if he chose to attend Alabama) “No, I’ve moved too many times to look back. If you look back, you’ll drive yourself crazy with what-if’s and anything like that, so anywhere I go I’m all in going forward. Anything other than that is a mistake.”
(On why he thinks ‘Minshew mania’ took off at Washington State) “I’d say because we were winning games and having a lot of fun. It was time for that community, going through a lot of healing with the passing of Tyler Hilinski. So, I’m just really trying to honor that legacy and bring hope to a community that was pretty down right there.”
(On how the passing of Tyler Hilinski shaped him to be a leader and if he’d ever been in a situation like that before) “No, I’ve never been through that, but I learned a lot of things going to different schools and learning the right way to step in and try to lead. And that’s through going in and earning respect and not demanding respect. Earn it with how you work, with your habits, everything like that, instead of just going in, and talking and being loud. So, that’s been one thing that’s served me well through my whole career.”
(On what stands out about the Houston Texans) “They’re really good. They’ve got the same defensive coordinator they’ve had for a little while. They’re very disciplined. 99 [J.J. Watt], awesome player. A guy I’ve watched for a long time, he’s dominated, so that’s going to be a fun challenge. And they’ve got talent across the board, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
(On if he has a pregame routine to get familiar with the game clock when traveling to new stadiums) “Yeah, I think you throw a couple hours before the game, get your depth perception, because that’s always a little different. And then you should see the play clocks, some people make a big deal about it, but it’s nothing crazy.”
(On if he felt he did well on the Wonderlic test) “No I was hoping for a 50 on that one, so I was pretty disappointed on that. I thought I made a 50, then it came back and I realized I was below.”
(On if he knows his Wonderlic test score was the highest in his class) “No, there was one guy that beat me. Ryan Finley beat me, so that was disappointing.”
(On why he is able to take what he has leaned in the classroom and apply it on the field so quickly) “I think part of it is being raised right. You have parents, and when they tell you to do something, you do it. So anytime somebody tells me to do something from an authority position, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability. So, I think more than anything it’s just a respect for the coaches and a commitment to the craft.”
(On how veterans Marqise Lee and Brandon Linder have helped him) “It’s awesome, it helps calm me down. It’s a lot easier when everybody else kind of knows what they’re doing too, you just kind of blend in. Bu, they’re awesome man. They’ve made it a lot easier for me.”
(On if he has gone through the playbook with Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo) “A good amount. We’ve gotten to go through our install each day. Today was a base day, tomorrow’s going to be third down and going to red zone. So, each step of the way he asks me for input, but at the end of the day, it’s my job to do what ever he calls. So, I’m going to do that to the best of my ability.”
(On what it’s like to have a quarterback room that has changed in the past few weeks) “I was joking out there, I was like, ‘Dang, I’ve been here longer than anybody,’ that’s kind of crazy. They’re asking me questions, I’m like, ‘Golly’. But no, it’s awesome. And great guys, young guys. We have a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to challenging each other, helping each other and winning games together.”
(On if he and Joshua Dobbs would put their IQs up against any quarterback room in the league) “I don’t know. He’s kind of in his own deal. I have a communications degree. I know all of you know about it. Shoot. I belong more in this room than that one.””
(On Nick Foles’ injury) “Yeah, my heart goes out to him. He’s poured so much into this, the community, everything going on. So, that hurts obviously. But I know the biggest thing he’d want me to do is go in there and win games, help this team win. So, I’m going to do that to the best of my ability and do it for these guys.”
(On what Foles relayed to him on the sidelines during Week 1) “He’s always instilling confidence, a belief in yourself. Just telling you one play at a time. Don’t look past anything. It’s great perspective on things. he’s been around the league a long time, played a lot of great ball and great perspective on everything really. So anytime he talks I’ll listen.”
