BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University football team returned to FAU Stadium for their second night practice of the young preseason on Saturday. The practice was one of their designated full pad practices which allowed the coaches to see the players respond to full contact.
Here is a bonus edition of this week’s press coverage.
QUOTABLESophomore Wide Receiver LaJohntay Wester
On his first true camp with FAU. His first two were under COVID-19 guidelines
“It’s going great. (I’m) making big plays, helping the younger guys, it’s more like I’m in the vet position now, so I’m helping the younger guys and kind of being a second coach out there.”
On the younger receivers
“They listen, they work hard. Jayshon Platt, Omari Hayes, ‘Ace’ A’ceon Cobb, Wyatt Sullivan, all of them. That’s why our receiver room is so great right now because it’s a challenge every day. You have to be on point, or the next man is going to come and take your spot.”
On playing with his brother Outside Linebacker Jaylen Wester
“He actually tackled me yesterday. It was a cool experience for him. He got up on me.”
On teaching the younger receivers work ethic
“Like I told the younger guys yesterday, make sure you’re getting some rest, hydrating, and going to sleep at night. Camp’s tough. It’s going to be all day, it’s going to be hot, so you might as well take care of your body so you can be able to produce better the next day.”
Junior Cornerback “Smoke” Romain Mungin
On his camp so far
“Summer camp I go in with the mindset of I have to be the best one, I have to be the better one out of my group and be the leader.”
On players in his position who are shining
“J-Will (Jayden Williams) because they just moved him to nickel. I see how he’s taken the preparation into playing that spot and letting the coach know he can play any spot he wants.”
On the transfer cornerbacks adding more depth
“Since I have been here, we haven’t had good depth in our corner room…they show a lot of progression for us.”
On being a veteran for the cornerback room
“With me doing that, that shows a great improvement in leadership for me, and I’m just showing them that whatever it takes, I’ll just go out there and do it no matter what happens.”
Redshirt Freshman Wide Receiver Tony Johnson
On his impressive spring practices
“The new coaching staff came in and pretty much showed me the boundaries of what they wanted to get done. Coach (Brent) Dearmon did a lot of meetings going over coverages and that helped me slow the game down and adjust to college and the speed of the game.”
On balancing academics and football
“I’ve been doing it all my life. My mom pushed me to make sure I put school first and sports second. Academics are always first for me.”
On his expectations
“I haven’t done anything yet. Fall hasn’t even started. I have no stats, nothing yet. I’m still trying to prove my way. I want to be a starter, show everybody what I can do, and put up the numbers.”
On the offense
“We have a lot more playmakers, young guys coming in learning. We have older guys taking more time in the film room, learning the plays and coverages. I think that we’ll be way more explosive.”
Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Willie Taggart
On young receivers competing in camp
“One kid I’m very excited about is Jayshon Platt. He’s had a really good camp so far. He’s getting noticed. When his teammates know his name, he’s doing something good.”
On “Smoke” Romain Mungin
“I’m hearing it now at training camp that he’s a lot more vocal than he’s been before. It’s all maturity. A lot of these guys are older now, a lot of them are in year three, those things are supposed to happen.”
On transfer cornerbacks Daemon Hill and Michal Antoine Jr.
“We were concerned about (depth and competition) in the offseason, back in the spring. Getting both of those guys on board has been big for us. They both have been everything that we thought they would be, and it’s been fun watching those guys competing with the rest of the guys. We feel really good about those two young men and what they can do in helping us win ball games.”
On N’Kosi Perry
“He is a lot better than what he was last year, and I thought he wasn’t bad last year. I think now having some more weapons and having a whole year here, you see the comfortability and you see how he is handling every rep. He’s making some throws out there. But he put the work in too. That young man all offseason was in the office, not by himself but with a receiver. You’re seeing those things pay off for us in training camp. He’s still not where he wants to be, but we have some more practices to make sure he’s there by August 27.”
On the quarterback room
“I like the quarterback room. Those guys are so much better than where they were in the spring. They always say you don’t have to get ready if you stay ready, so we need those guys to stay ready, get ready, and continue to compete.”
SEASON OPENER
FAU will open the 2022 season on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, versus Charlotte at FAU Stadium. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. and will be televised on CBSSN and will air locally on Sports640 AM South Florida.
TICKETS
To purchase FAU tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or click HERE or HERE. Individual tickets are now on sale as well. Call the FAU ticket office, today, to secure your tickets. Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com, or through football’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball.
