Tulane had its bye week media session today, with Sumrall, Mensah and Fobbs-White talking, but I'l get that stuff out later this week. Last Wednesday, I had the longest one-on-one interview with a player I've done all year--Caleb Thomas.
Thomas has never been a star at Tulane, but he's an invaluable member of the team in his sixth year, providing depth at center and guard (and now as a tight end in the jumbo package) and just being a terrific team player. He's from the Central Coast region of California that Darian Mensah is from, and he hosted him on his recruiting visit before he chose Tulane. Here is the entire interview:
CALEB THOMAS
On growing up close to where Mensah is from:
“We grew up around like 30 minutes from each other. Ended up going to rival high schools. Our high schools are actually caddy-corner from each other at a stoplight. I’m four years older than him, so I never got to play against him obviously, but our high schools have always had a big rivalry, which is kind of funny, and then the fact that he’s now over here, I got to host him on his official visit when he came here. I have a family friend who does quarterback training back home. He actually helped Mensah throughout his high school career in training, so I knew about him, so when I heard that he got the offer to come here, I was excited to host him on his visit and show him around and let him and his family know what a great institution this is. I’m glad he’s here now. Everything’s been going great.”
On knowing Mensah had “it” factor:
“Absolutely. I’ve known him since he was in high school and a little bit younger, but just knowing the kind of training he was doing. I would sometimes snap and then catch the balls with him and my QB training friend, just out there throwing the ball around and talking to him, I could tell he was going to be a player, and I was surprised that he had only two offers. I’m super glad that we got out there. It’s just another example of how the Central Coast in California is not very looked at or sought after in terms of development.”
On college offers:
“I had a few other ones. San Jose State was my first one. UNLV and Cal Poly, the local San Luis Obispo school in Darian’s hometown, and New Mexico State and Tulane. I had five. I only got to visit out here to Tulane, and made my decision from there. It was really Wes Fritz. He emailed my coach when I was out there one time. We were just lifting and emailed and said he liked my tape. I don’t know how they do that. I guess they were just out there scrolling through Hudl.”
On listed as OL/DL for a long time at Tulane:
“Pretty much my first day here I was set to lift with the offense, and I’ve never really looked back and I haven’t taken any defensive reps.”
On where he thought he would play:
“I honestly didn’t know. It was in between because I was in contact with both the D-line and the O-line coach. I was probably leaning and assuming I would be an offensive lineman because that’s what a lot of other colleges were expecting. I only played probably six offensive line games in high school, so it was a transition for me.”
On hardest part of transition to OL:
“Definitely just the commitment to like the every-day process of just like it’s not going to be easy and you’re going to be banged up and you’re not going to feel your best. The position we play for each other and for everybody on team, so I feel like learning it was not all about me. There’s a lot more to it. It’s been great.”
On start against Temple:
"It meant the world. Especially just my coach and our left guard Shadre, him and our coach talked about it and Shadre said he would be willing to let me get that opportunity, and I’m thankful to both of them. It was a great opportunity."
On how it worked:
“I played the whole first series and then it was kind of the normal rotation after that.”
On long time between starts (2021 was the last one):
“It’s been quite the process. I’ve been slowly trying to work at it. My back injury that I’ve had since my freshman year, I’ve had it come and go a little bit, but I’ve been healthy since the middle of spring. It’s a continuous process just trying to get better on and off the field. I’m trying to be ready every time my number’s called. It’s been a great honor because we’ve had a lot of great guys comet through—transfers, young guys—and it’s been a blessing to be a part of it all.”
On what school means to him:
“It obviously means a lot to me because I’ve seen it grow, I’ve seen our expectations change, I've seen our standards change from really 2019 when we were psyched, throwing parties for making to a bowl game, and then now that is what we do. We want the conference championship and we know it’s what we can do, so seeing that change for this school has been remarkable for me. It’s been really cool.”
On if he thought this would happen when he arrived:
“I can’t say that I ever thought we’d get to the point where we were a 16-game conference winning streak, but I feel like after than 2-10 season we had a little bit of a mentality switch to where we weren’t settling for anything, we know that the conference is achievable and that’s what we went ahead and did. That started a little snowball effect and everybody actually believing in it and everybody putting forth the time and effort towards completing it.”
On his best strength:
“I don’t know. I feel like because I’m able to play all three positions that I know the offense very well. I’m really out there just trying to do my job to the best of my ability, and whether that be helping guys know where we’re going or just making sure all five of us are on the same page. I can appreciate when we’re all out there doing the right things and doing everything as a unit. We can all be wrong as a unit, but if one guy is wrong and everybody else is right, then we’re all wrong. We’re all wrong together or we’re all right together. I feel like that’s a big part.”
On if he has played center this year:
“I got in at least twice. I got in late in the Temple game for like two or three plays. I did get a snap to him earlier, which was a cool experience, but I like getting in there at center and helping the young guys get in there and get some plays as well.”
On playing guard and center:
“It’s been a tough transition especially since I played a lot of right guard coming through my career, and then having to switch to left especially after taking a year-and-a-half break where I didn’t take many guard reps at all or two years where I was just taking center reps, so getting back to that guard mentality and then getting my technique right on both sides took some time, but that’s what practice is for. My coaches are always out there trying to get me reps at left guard, trying to get me reps at right guard just to make sure I’m comfortable for when I do go in the game.”
On if he ever thought about leaving:
“I’d say I had thoughts. There were always thoughts, but I knew where my heart was and I just knew the opportunities we had here at this university. I just felt like we just had to commit to it, and I’m glad I bought in. I’m glad things have gone the way they have.”
On his degree:
“I got my undergrad in health and wellness with a minor in anthropology and then I already finished my master’s in sports studies, with two certificates in that, and now I’m working on a sports medicine certificate, so hopefully I’ll be able to finish that in the spring. My eligibility’s out, so we’ll see if I can finish it.”
Thomas has never been a star at Tulane, but he's an invaluable member of the team in his sixth year, providing depth at center and guard (and now as a tight end in the jumbo package) and just being a terrific team player. He's from the Central Coast region of California that Darian Mensah is from, and he hosted him on his recruiting visit before he chose Tulane. Here is the entire interview:
CALEB THOMAS
On growing up close to where Mensah is from:
“We grew up around like 30 minutes from each other. Ended up going to rival high schools. Our high schools are actually caddy-corner from each other at a stoplight. I’m four years older than him, so I never got to play against him obviously, but our high schools have always had a big rivalry, which is kind of funny, and then the fact that he’s now over here, I got to host him on his official visit when he came here. I have a family friend who does quarterback training back home. He actually helped Mensah throughout his high school career in training, so I knew about him, so when I heard that he got the offer to come here, I was excited to host him on his visit and show him around and let him and his family know what a great institution this is. I’m glad he’s here now. Everything’s been going great.”
On knowing Mensah had “it” factor:
“Absolutely. I’ve known him since he was in high school and a little bit younger, but just knowing the kind of training he was doing. I would sometimes snap and then catch the balls with him and my QB training friend, just out there throwing the ball around and talking to him, I could tell he was going to be a player, and I was surprised that he had only two offers. I’m super glad that we got out there. It’s just another example of how the Central Coast in California is not very looked at or sought after in terms of development.”
On college offers:
“I had a few other ones. San Jose State was my first one. UNLV and Cal Poly, the local San Luis Obispo school in Darian’s hometown, and New Mexico State and Tulane. I had five. I only got to visit out here to Tulane, and made my decision from there. It was really Wes Fritz. He emailed my coach when I was out there one time. We were just lifting and emailed and said he liked my tape. I don’t know how they do that. I guess they were just out there scrolling through Hudl.”
On listed as OL/DL for a long time at Tulane:
“Pretty much my first day here I was set to lift with the offense, and I’ve never really looked back and I haven’t taken any defensive reps.”
On where he thought he would play:
“I honestly didn’t know. It was in between because I was in contact with both the D-line and the O-line coach. I was probably leaning and assuming I would be an offensive lineman because that’s what a lot of other colleges were expecting. I only played probably six offensive line games in high school, so it was a transition for me.”
On hardest part of transition to OL:
“Definitely just the commitment to like the every-day process of just like it’s not going to be easy and you’re going to be banged up and you’re not going to feel your best. The position we play for each other and for everybody on team, so I feel like learning it was not all about me. There’s a lot more to it. It’s been great.”
On start against Temple:
"It meant the world. Especially just my coach and our left guard Shadre, him and our coach talked about it and Shadre said he would be willing to let me get that opportunity, and I’m thankful to both of them. It was a great opportunity."
On how it worked:
“I played the whole first series and then it was kind of the normal rotation after that.”
On long time between starts (2021 was the last one):
“It’s been quite the process. I’ve been slowly trying to work at it. My back injury that I’ve had since my freshman year, I’ve had it come and go a little bit, but I’ve been healthy since the middle of spring. It’s a continuous process just trying to get better on and off the field. I’m trying to be ready every time my number’s called. It’s been a great honor because we’ve had a lot of great guys comet through—transfers, young guys—and it’s been a blessing to be a part of it all.”
On what school means to him:
“It obviously means a lot to me because I’ve seen it grow, I’ve seen our expectations change, I've seen our standards change from really 2019 when we were psyched, throwing parties for making to a bowl game, and then now that is what we do. We want the conference championship and we know it’s what we can do, so seeing that change for this school has been remarkable for me. It’s been really cool.”
On if he thought this would happen when he arrived:
“I can’t say that I ever thought we’d get to the point where we were a 16-game conference winning streak, but I feel like after than 2-10 season we had a little bit of a mentality switch to where we weren’t settling for anything, we know that the conference is achievable and that’s what we went ahead and did. That started a little snowball effect and everybody actually believing in it and everybody putting forth the time and effort towards completing it.”
On his best strength:
“I don’t know. I feel like because I’m able to play all three positions that I know the offense very well. I’m really out there just trying to do my job to the best of my ability, and whether that be helping guys know where we’re going or just making sure all five of us are on the same page. I can appreciate when we’re all out there doing the right things and doing everything as a unit. We can all be wrong as a unit, but if one guy is wrong and everybody else is right, then we’re all wrong. We’re all wrong together or we’re all right together. I feel like that’s a big part.”
On if he has played center this year:
“I got in at least twice. I got in late in the Temple game for like two or three plays. I did get a snap to him earlier, which was a cool experience, but I like getting in there at center and helping the young guys get in there and get some plays as well.”
On playing guard and center:
“It’s been a tough transition especially since I played a lot of right guard coming through my career, and then having to switch to left especially after taking a year-and-a-half break where I didn’t take many guard reps at all or two years where I was just taking center reps, so getting back to that guard mentality and then getting my technique right on both sides took some time, but that’s what practice is for. My coaches are always out there trying to get me reps at left guard, trying to get me reps at right guard just to make sure I’m comfortable for when I do go in the game.”
On if he ever thought about leaving:
“I’d say I had thoughts. There were always thoughts, but I knew where my heart was and I just knew the opportunities we had here at this university. I just felt like we just had to commit to it, and I’m glad I bought in. I’m glad things have gone the way they have.”
On his degree:
“I got my undergrad in health and wellness with a minor in anthropology and then I already finished my master’s in sports studies, with two certificates in that, and now I’m working on a sports medicine certificate, so hopefully I’ll be able to finish that in the spring. My eligibility’s out, so we’ll see if I can finish it.”
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