Mark Stoops Press Conference
Kentucky Football
Mark Stoops
April 27, 2020
Opening statement…
“Just like the last time we touched base I hope all of you are doing good and staying healthy. We’re all trying to deal with this situation the best we can. I get asked often how we’re dealing with it and we’re dealing with it the best we can just like everybody else. We are trying to touch base with players virtually, on the phone, Facetime, as much as we can, checking in on them and their families and making sure they’re good. We’ve had a couple of scares. It seems like everybody is healthy. We’ve had a few extended family members that have had it, not myself, but some of our players and their families and they have recovered, so knock on wood everything has been good. We are dealing with things the best we can.
“Our players are doing a good job academically. I just got done having a virtual meeting with our staff this morning. Seems like guys are doing good academically. From what we can tell, physically, guys are doing what they’re supposed to do. Obviously, it’s hard for us to monitor that. So, we’ve just got to go on their word and I believe what they’re telling us. It seems like our players are working very hard. I know come this next month in May we are going to take it up another notch with our summer training and with our strength and conditioning coaches. We are going to mail them some things to help them with their workouts to use such as weighted vests and bands and things of that nature to take it up and step it up with their physical training. As far as when are we going to get back to work and all that, your guess is as good as ours. We are still listening to the people making those decisions. In the meantime, we are doing everything we can to prepare to be ready to play on September 5th.
“As for the draft, I’m very proud of our players. As you know they were a very special group. Proud of them. The two guys that were drafted landed in some great places. For Lynn (Bowden), to be out in Las Vegas and be with the Raiders and part of that organization moving to new city and new stadium, I know there will be a lot of excitement out there when they get going and Lynn will help and he’ll contribute to that organization and to that excitement. I know some guys on their staff very personally and closely and they are excited about having him. I’m very proud of Lynn. He’s come a long way, that’s been well documented, you guys all know that, but one of the best players to wear the Blue and White. He will do a great job in the NFL and we are excited for him.
“Same with Logan. Logan was a mainstay for us for many years. I’ve said it often that I don’t care where he’s drafted, where he went, he’s a guy I believe will play a long time in the NFL. He’s a big, strong, physical guy who is very intelligent. I think he also landed in a great spot in Detroit. I’m excited to watch him and see what he does.
“As for the other guys that signed free agent contracts, I think they all have a great chance to make teams. They are very good football players who have overcome a lot already and I expect them to have a great opportunity.”
On pro teams playing without fans in stands and the challenges for college teams…
“I really don’t know. I think there are definitely some different challenges for us. The first thing that comes to mind is there’s going to be a lot of critics out there. The optics of it, to say you’re going to have college kids allowed to play, line up six inches apart from each other, breathe on each other, sweat on each other, get in big piles and do all that but you’re not allowed to have fans in the stadium? That’s going to be the first thing you hear, right? The optics of it. That’s the decisions people need to make. You know my deal, other people are going to make those decisions. I’m not sure that’s a viable option. The other thing compared to the NFL is financially. I think It’s very important to have people in the stands, universities are counting on that. We need people in the stands. Before this whole situation happened, you heard me talking about it, encouraging our fan base to pick it up and pick up season tickets and get in there because we need them. It makes a difference to us having them in there both financially and for their support.”
On what conversations he has with the players on this situation…
“What I tell them is that the world is a big place and there’s a lot of people affected by this. We know there’s some inconvenience going on right now but we’re not alone, so deal with it. Deal with it the best we can. Just like I tell them often is control the things you can control. That’s how you do academically, what you’re doing with the structure of your day and preparing. When they tell us to go, we’ll be ready to go. That’s the important message from me to them is to not worry about all that the best they can. It affects all of us. It gets discouraging and tough on all of us but you have to deal with it the best you can. I don’t like getting into hypotheticals with them.”
On Calvin Taylor Jr. going to the Steelers and Bud Dupree’s new contract…
“I knew Bud had a big payday coming, so I’m very proud of Bud. It does not surprise me that he earned a big contract. It’s very well deserved. He’s worked hard and done the right things, so very proud of Bud.
“With Calvin going to Pittsburgh, I think that’s a great fit for him. Pittsburgh likes big guys like Bud. Big, strong, physically guys just like Benny (Snell). I think Calvin will fit in well with that organization. I did think he would be drafted late but that didn’t happen but maybe that’s a blessing in disguise. Maybe the Steelers needed him and he’ll go there and do well. Calvin has done nothing but overachieve. Again, you know the story and where he comes from. We picked him up late because I saw his size, I saw his raw ability. If anything, he had an opportunity to be a tackle but he was starting to really come along with defensive tackle and we needed him. He was a mainstay for us the past couple of years and contributed quite a bit and with that length, it really helped us. Hopefully he’ll do the same with Pittsburgh.”
On any contact with Logan Stenberg or the Detroit Lions over the weekend …
“Yeah, I talked with Logan after the draft and just wanted to congratulate him and visit with him. He was very excited. I had not talked to him prior to him getting drafted. I know how that goes. I have been around a long time with these guys and that is a very stressful time for these players, it feels like an eternity for them and what they are going through and waiting for their name to be called but as I tell them all: you just have to trust and believe that whatever happens is happening for a reason. I know he is excited about playing in Detroit and playing for that staff. But no, I have not talked to them (Detroit coaches) since the draft. I do know some of them and talked with them prior, but I think that is a good fit and I am excited for him.”
On the player’s diet during this time …
“It is very important, but it really comes down to something we talk a lot about, and that is discipline. It really is because we have worked extremely hard on developing leadership – years and years and years. This is a great example for our players to take advantage to that and adhere to the message that we have been giving them for a long time. It takes great discipline, accountability and dependability to get up and do what you have to do when nobody is watching. You are talking about eating and that is one part of it and it is a major part. It is very important for them and important that they consult with our dieticians and our strength and conditioning staff. I just got off a staff meeting and that was one of the things that I started with was, ‘Where are we at and how do you feel our players are doing?’ The guys that need to watch their weight and cut down, where are they at? Our strength and conditioning coaches gave me an update and we have to take these players’ word for it on where they are at. Then the guys that need to bulk up, and to make sure they are eating and are they getting enough groceries? Do they have the resources to be successful and keep things up? That is one part of it, but the big thing is do they have the discipline to get up every day and take care of their academics, go do their workout any way they can or are they submitting and giving in and caving to what is going on around them? The people that do that are not going to be very successful. The people that get up and have a structure and schedule to them and are being accountable to their teammates and to their organization, then they will be successful. When we come back from this, the teams that do well are going to be the teams that are doing a great job with the things that we are talking about right now because it is hard to monitor them. You have to trust that they are doing the right thing. I believe our players are, but we will see when we get back at it.”
On some examples of players that have stepped up during this time and taken a leadership role …
“I think talking with our coaches I know that some of our players are doing that and getting on the phone and challenging their teammates and checking in with their teammates and making sure they are doing the things necessary to be successful. I know Josh Ali is a guy the players have told me have been on the phone with them and challenging guys to do right. I know there are others and they are checking in on each other. I feel good about it, but again, there is no way to monitor all that. I do trust our team and believe they are doing the right things. I know it is not 100 percent. We talk often about the 10-80-10 rule, right? There is always 10 people in any organization that are elite, there are 80 that are floating around somewhere in the middle and then there are 10 at the bottom. We want to make sure we don’t have too many guys in the bottom 10 percent. We want the guys that are elite to drag guys up and make sure they are doing the right things and make sure we have a hell of a lot of people that are elite and in the top 10 percent of our program.”
On how much it would change the landscape of football operations, including the recruiting period, if the season is pushed back…
“It’ll be different, but it’ll be different for everybody. Again, I know there needs to be some discussion about all of this because we can’t put our heads in the sand, and we have to be ready for all options. But right now, our focus is to be ready for September 5th. We had a conference call with our commissioner (Greg Sankey), assistant commissioners and all of the head coaches last week, and we’re all on the same page on what we feel like… what timeline we feel like we can brings guys back, be safe and have guys ready to play. That’s where our focus is right now.”
On the Raiders’ evaluation process prior to picking Lynn Bowden and how he has grown on and off the field…
“I’m excited about Lynn playing with Vegas. I think he’ll be a great fit. I think the fan base will be energized by him, and I think he will feed off that. I think Coach (Jon) Gruden is a really good fit for Lynn. I know Coach, and I think the way he can relate to Lynn and get things out of him, and continue to help Lynn grow, I think that’s really important. Rich Bisaccia, their special teams coordinator, and I go way back, and we’ve known each other for a long time, and Richie is another one that will be a great mentor for him. Richie coached in college, and he understands that relationship, he understands the developmental piece, and he’ll be a guy that I think Lynn can lean on. Richie can help Lynn continue to grow, and he can trust those guys. I think it’s a really good fit, and hopefully things will work out for both sides.”
On if you think you will need more time than normal to train prior to the season starting because of this setback…
“Well, we’re talking about some adjustments. I don’t really want to get into all of that because right now we’re just taking in a lot of information, and the commissioner and the leagues are gathering some info, but hopefully there will be some type of adjustment. For instance, if we can get back – just saying hypothetically, because y’all love for me to dive into that and you know I generally do not – we can get back in July, then maybe there can be some type of leniency in what we’re allowed to do with these players because of missing spring. You see, our guys, usually, we’re allowed to watch them train, we’re allowed to watch them lift and run and do all of those things, and then we have to leave the field to watch them do 7-on-7, which, the players are going to do anyway. So, maybe it’ll be the type of thing where we say let us watch them do 7-on-7, let us coach them, let us improve the product because we are crunched a little bit. I think, obviously, the first thing we all have to do is put safety first with our players, making sure they’re conditioned and ready to play. Undoubtedly, that’s the No. 1 thing, just to make sure they’re physically ready to play, and in good shape, and taking care of their safety. That’s first and foremost, and then from there, what can we do to make sure we’re putting a good product on the field. We all missed spring, we all have some newcomers, so those are some things that maybe can be discussed, when we get back, we’re maybe allowed to spend some time with them and coach them, and make sure they’re doing things safely. You know, just some common sense issues that we could possibly adjust. Those are just some things that we’re kicking around and talking about in trying to be prepared for it and trying to be ahead so when and if we get this green light, we’re ready to move forward, put the best product on the field and make sure our players are safe.”
On if you think you have the 64th-most difficult schedule in 2020-21 as was noted in ESPN…
“I didn’t look at the (teams) ahead of us, but you know, and I know, nobody in the SEC needs to apologize for their strength of schedule. So, no more needs to be said about that. If anyone thinks it’s easy, let them go ahead and line it up, tee it up against those guys. Yeah, it’s real easy.”
On parents homeschooling their kids and which school subject is most difficult when teaching your kids…
“My kids tease me all of the time because I always ask them, I’m poking them around all the time, what do you need help with, what do you need Dad to help you with, and they kind of just chuckle, they laugh at me a little bit. But, definitely, my oldest boy, the math and the algebra, yeah, I’ve got no chance. I mean, I don’t know how these guys are doing this stuff in the seventh grade. It’s ridiculous. I can still beat them in Monopoly.”
On the growth you saw in J.J. Weaver…
“Quite a bit. As I mentioned, late in the season last year, maybe even postseason, J.J. (Weaver) was probably a guy – you know, we were able to redshirt the entire group – but, I’d definitely say that J.J. could have been a guy who was ready to play by about midseason last year. We got some snaps out of him, and we preserved hat year, so that’s a good thing, but with that new rule, we were able to see quite a bit of growth because we had him playing late in the season. So, they were always ready, mentally, to play, working hard with our coaches. Mentally, physically, instinctually – everything improved for him. He’s a guy that we are very, very high on. He has that size, that length, the twitch that you’re looking for, so J.J. has a bright future, and we’re excited about that.”
On what having someone who is an all-purpose weapon, like Lynn Bowden, can do schematically for an offense…
“Well, it can create a lot of problems. You saw that last year with LSU and what a great job they did at using their running backs in the receiver position. It put a lot of stress on defenses all year. They did a remarkable job. I know Coach Gruden will have his wrinkles and have his way to use him (Lynn), but I think that’s the first thing that you think of, if you’re going to use him primarily at running back, you think of the ways you can possibly motion him out or line him up, to move or return him. He can do a lot of things, and so that’s what we had hoped moving into the draft, that his versatility would really help Lynn. I believe it did, and you can see that with them talking about possibly playing him at running back, which we never really did except in the direct snap situation. It’s not that he couldn’t have, because he certainly could, but we had quite a few running backs that we trusted and so we utilized him in a different way. But, prior to the draft, you heard us talking about Lynn could play a lot of positions and running back was one of them. So, that’ll be exciting to see him play there. I know he can do it. The weapon that he can be, getting him out of the backfield and getting him into empty (backfield) situations or free releasing him out of the backfield, will be fun to watch him get the ball in his hands. That’ll be a way to get the ball in his hands, and Gruden will utilize him the right way, and be creative, so it’ll be fun to watch.”
On how the staff is being creative with communication and technology to maximize this opportunity (example, quarterbacks playing “Coverage Jeopardy”)…
“I think just like you’re talking about, that’s a great example, Coach (Darin) Hinshaw, because he is meeting with those guys quite a bit. I think that’s one position (quarterback) where this is extremely important. It is to all positions, but as you know, kids learn in different ways. I think at that position, you can’t get enough film study. That’s one position where it is extremely important for the quarterbacks and the receivers to get on the same page and really study the game and understand it. The way Coach Hinshaw is using some Jeopardy… he sends me a format each and every week of what his plan is for the week and what his plan is to teach. I like seeing that. I like seeing the organization of it. I like seeing the creativity and making it fun. That’s part of being a good coach. There are times when you’ve got to love them up, there are times when you’ve got to get on them, and it’s the same way when you’re dealing with the whole team, and that’s a part of whether you’re going to have success or not, of knowing the pulse of your group. It starts in your position room. I tell coaches all the time, you can know the X’s and O’s all you want, but you better have some talent. What I mean by that, is you better have talent, you better get the kids. You better get to them, and they better be ready to play for you, and they need to understand, and they need to be motivated. That starts with each position coach having the talent to get to people, to get the recruits and to connect with them. I think our guys are doing a really good job and I feel very confident in this staff.”
On how Terry Wilson is doing and what his rehab process looks like…
“He is doing a good job. He is a guy, because of his situation, he is able to come in a few times a week to work one-on-one with our trainer, with Gabe (Amponsah). That was a video that you saw of him running on the treadmill. That is one of those treadmills where it is zero gravity, so not much pressure on him. Again, Gabe was on our conference call this morning and gave me an update on him. He tells me that the size is there, the mass is back, so that means that the both right and left quads are the same size, so that’s a good sign, but he is still not at 100 percent in strength, so he has to concentrate on that, to get that strength up. But, that’ll come. You saw him on the treadmill, the zero-gravity treadmill, but eventually he will keep on moving to a regular treadmill, running underwater and things like that. The trainers will have him ready, but he fully expects him to be at 100 percent by the time we start.”
On discussions about highest-earning coaches giving back salary…
“I think I told you that day one that I’d be willing and want to help. I am trying to do the things necessary, my wife and I, to be very generous in this situation to a lot of different organizations because there are so many people that need it right now. We’re trying to spread it around and make a difference and do our part and help as best we can, and certainly the University is part of that. I have brought it up two or three times to Mitch (Barnhart). I imagine that time will come, but it hasn’t been the time to address it to this point.”
On how the current circumstances may affect the future…
“It would be total speculation at this point. I don’t know, I really don’t know. I think in life it’s been a good time to hit pause. I think, for all of us, and I know for me, you’re used to going, going, going, going. This is a different time, it’s unprecedented in my life. So, I think a lot of things are going to change moving forward.”
On the unique challenges you face of not being able to bring new enrollees on campus and …
“It’s my understanding at this point in time that they can enroll in summer school classes, and that’ll be good to get them going, and to get them incorporated into our virtual meetings. We’re making sure we’re doing our part to connect with those guys, and that may be something where we meet with them individually, because they have to meet at a slower pace. So, we may have to take our incoming freshman and have our coaches do a virtual meeting with them, just one-on-one, or with their group. That’s one way to help bring them along until they’re caught up to speed. It’s very different to learn just one way, and certainly we could plug in film and have them watch right now, and we could plug in a chalkboard attached to the film, but that’s still just one way of learning. Other kids learn from walkthroughs and being out there on the field with their players, so it’s going to be different.”
Do you expect any other players to sign free-agent contracts?
“I would expect Kash to sign a free-agent contract. There’s been a few teams that were interested, so hopefully I expect Kash to sign. I’m not sure about any of the other guys out there, they could be, I haven’t heard much yet. There certainly could be some more.”
Impact of not having UK football camps …
“Financially, it won’t affect the school very much. That’s not much there (financially). It will affect us in our evaluation process and getting kids on campus. That’s a great way to get kids … sometimes they haven’t been here yet. It’s a way to get them introduced to the campus, to see Lexington, to meet our coaches and be around our coaches in a coaching environment, see the way we coach and interact with kids. It hurts us that way, really hurts in the recruiting aspect more than anything with us, a way for us to get our eyes on kids. As far as the community, it hurts, it hurts my children. They’re used to going to baseball camps, and basketball camps, and so on, just being a part of it and doing things to keep them active. In that part, it’s going to drive a lot of moms crazy. That’s always a good way to get them out of the house for a couple of days. For us, as coaches, to interact with them and spend some time with them, and have some fun with some young kids. Just like all this, just different, different year, we all have to adapt to it as best we can.”
Re: Jamar “Boogie” Watson and the possibility of having a Josh Allen type of season …
“I think it’s definitely a possibility. I know Boogie is highly motivated, he’s worked really hard. Just like any player, you go through some ups and downs, mentally, physically. I know he was highly motivated to put it all together this last year, to be a great leader, to be a great teammate, to do everything necessary to prepare himself for this year. There’s a guy I have full confidence in. During this time he’s doing everything he can to make sure he’s ready to play. I do expect big things out of Boogie.”
When do you think the season will start and fans will be allowed …
“I really don’t know and that’s just the truth. Obviously, I want to be there. Our staff and our players want to be there and they want the fans to be able to attend. It’s my opinion we should play football with fans in attendance. I’m going to do the things that I’ve been told, and that’s to go about my business and do the best we can to prepare our team to be able to play September 5th. That’s what we’re doing. Until somebody tells me otherwise, that’s the way I’m going to go about my business, is getting the team ready to play. If it does get pushed back, then we’ll deal with it, we’ll deal with it the best we can. But it’s really important for us to be out there. It’s important for our state and our community for our fans to be there. I know everybody’s going a little stir-crazy right now, everybody’s starving for some live sports. We want to provide that, we want to be out there and provide an outlet for people, a way to escape some of this. Obviously we have to do it in a safe manner. You know the answer to that, you know it’s not my decision, that’s for people a lot smarter than me. When they tell us it’s safe to come, then we want to be out there. I want to be out there with fans in attendance. I believe they make a difference. We feel that energy, it’s a part of our sport, and that’s the way I want to see it.”
