Alex Bauman talked last Tuesday and Josh Remetich talked last Wednesday and I never posted what they said. Now I have posted every post-practice interview from Sumrall and his players through practice 11 with the exception of the two days I missed due to COVID plus one Vincent Murphy interview that duplicated a lot of the stuff I got from him at AAC Media Day.
ALEX BAUMAN
On new offense fitting him:
“No doubt. Coach Craddock comes from a tight end background. He told us when he got here he loves using the tight ends, but we have to prove to him that we can show up and make those plays in the run game and the pass game. He gives us opportunities, and when we get those plays called we have to go out and execute.”
On leaving portal:
“It was an easy decision. My heart is here at Tulane. I entered the portal. It might have been a mistake. Who knows, but my heart is in New Orleans, and once coach Sumrall and all the coaches got here, they convinced me like that. It was good.”
On strength training:
“In the spring I was out dealing with a bit of a surgery, but credit to coach Rusty Whitt and the strength staff that they brought in. His regiment is a little different than coach Hester, and I wouldn’t say it benefited me more, but it was a different way of working out and getting stronger and I think that helped me overall because I needed to build up my lower half a little bit more and get a little bit stronger. Coach Whitt and the strength staff really helped me with that.”
More on difference between Kurt Hester and Whitt:
“Hester was really unique. He focused a lot on speed. That was his thin—just speed, speed, speed. Coach Whitt, he focused on both speed and power and getting bigger and looking bigger. Combining those things really helped us out as a team.”
On comfort factor:
“I feel great right now. That’s a credit to the coaches like I said. They’ve been helping us each and every day. They’re believing in us, and that’s also going over the playbook and going over the schemes and stuff. It’s a lot more system based than memorization, and everything kind of works together. It’s a lot easier to work different plays or learn different things in the system.”
On eager for season to start:
“I’m ready to go right now. Obviously we’ve got fall camp. We have to get going, but the season can’t come quick enough. We’re ready to get out there.”
On how big a season he can have:
“That’s all based on the offense. I have to do my part. I set individual goals, but maybe down the road I can look back and say, oh, we won, not I had this many catches or this many touchdowns. It’s more about the team. The Cotton Bowl catch was a big thing to everybody and a big thing to me, but maybe even more down the road I can look back and soak it in a little bit more, but right now I’m focused on the team and winning and stuff like that.”
JOSH REMETICH
On transition to Sumrall and his staff:
“The program that coach Sumrall brought in is completely different. It’s really more about he has these meetings and core values that he wants us to have as a team, and they are very strong and we have meetings about them every off day during fall camp and really doing those and having us tell our stories to each of our teammates really brings us together, and we’re a lot closer because of that than at any time in the last six year. This is the most fun year I’ve had here so far.”
On differences in practice:
“Good on good reps. It’s really fun to go back and forth with your teammates throughout the day and throughout the practice and the energy that the younger staff brings. They are very ecstatic, and it’s fun.”
On being stabilizing piece with a bunch of new players on roster:
“We brought in a lot of talented guys. A lot of guys have experience playing in those positions. I saw one stat on twitter that we had the 10th most snaps across the offensive line in college football. That’s really impressive that we were able to bring in two starters that have a lot of experience and a lot of exposure in big games.”
On him stepping up:
“Whenever we first got here, when it all got set and done in the spring, the first thing we did in the summer was we all went out to eat with each other right before fall camp. It’s kind of just building that relationship through summer workouts and getting to know the guys and the expectations that they’ve brought in. Vinnie Murphy doesn’t say this about himself, but he’s a very demanding guy and it’s kind of wearing off on the offensive line. It’s holding us to a standard and it’s really good for us.”
On backfield:
“The backfield has been amazing to watch during fall camp. The freshman Amauri and Arnold Barnes from here, they’ve all been really explosive and really fun to watch. Shaadie and Makhi were a great duo last year. Makhi’s very explosive and will run right through you. Shaadie’s shifty, he’s good. I expect to see them run the ball up and down the field this fall.”
On Clayton-Johnson:
“When he first got here he was kind of getting told to come along, and now he’s doing it. He’s doing what he talked about. Me and him have sat and talked for hours before, and seeing him put his words into actions is really cool to see. I know he loves coach Rock and I love coach Rock. He recruited me to Southern Miss when he was there.”
On loving how coaching change works out:
“The way that coach Sumrall came in, I was very happy to see. He was recruiting me while he was at Kentucky and I was in high school, so I had a previous relationship with him and now we’re able to get together and build on that relationship. I’ve had seven offensive line coaches since I’ve been here, so a little coaching change is not going to hurt.”
ALEX BAUMAN
On new offense fitting him:
“No doubt. Coach Craddock comes from a tight end background. He told us when he got here he loves using the tight ends, but we have to prove to him that we can show up and make those plays in the run game and the pass game. He gives us opportunities, and when we get those plays called we have to go out and execute.”
On leaving portal:
“It was an easy decision. My heart is here at Tulane. I entered the portal. It might have been a mistake. Who knows, but my heart is in New Orleans, and once coach Sumrall and all the coaches got here, they convinced me like that. It was good.”
On strength training:
“In the spring I was out dealing with a bit of a surgery, but credit to coach Rusty Whitt and the strength staff that they brought in. His regiment is a little different than coach Hester, and I wouldn’t say it benefited me more, but it was a different way of working out and getting stronger and I think that helped me overall because I needed to build up my lower half a little bit more and get a little bit stronger. Coach Whitt and the strength staff really helped me with that.”
More on difference between Kurt Hester and Whitt:
“Hester was really unique. He focused a lot on speed. That was his thin—just speed, speed, speed. Coach Whitt, he focused on both speed and power and getting bigger and looking bigger. Combining those things really helped us out as a team.”
On comfort factor:
“I feel great right now. That’s a credit to the coaches like I said. They’ve been helping us each and every day. They’re believing in us, and that’s also going over the playbook and going over the schemes and stuff. It’s a lot more system based than memorization, and everything kind of works together. It’s a lot easier to work different plays or learn different things in the system.”
On eager for season to start:
“I’m ready to go right now. Obviously we’ve got fall camp. We have to get going, but the season can’t come quick enough. We’re ready to get out there.”
On how big a season he can have:
“That’s all based on the offense. I have to do my part. I set individual goals, but maybe down the road I can look back and say, oh, we won, not I had this many catches or this many touchdowns. It’s more about the team. The Cotton Bowl catch was a big thing to everybody and a big thing to me, but maybe even more down the road I can look back and soak it in a little bit more, but right now I’m focused on the team and winning and stuff like that.”
JOSH REMETICH
On transition to Sumrall and his staff:
“The program that coach Sumrall brought in is completely different. It’s really more about he has these meetings and core values that he wants us to have as a team, and they are very strong and we have meetings about them every off day during fall camp and really doing those and having us tell our stories to each of our teammates really brings us together, and we’re a lot closer because of that than at any time in the last six year. This is the most fun year I’ve had here so far.”
On differences in practice:
“Good on good reps. It’s really fun to go back and forth with your teammates throughout the day and throughout the practice and the energy that the younger staff brings. They are very ecstatic, and it’s fun.”
On being stabilizing piece with a bunch of new players on roster:
“We brought in a lot of talented guys. A lot of guys have experience playing in those positions. I saw one stat on twitter that we had the 10th most snaps across the offensive line in college football. That’s really impressive that we were able to bring in two starters that have a lot of experience and a lot of exposure in big games.”
On him stepping up:
“Whenever we first got here, when it all got set and done in the spring, the first thing we did in the summer was we all went out to eat with each other right before fall camp. It’s kind of just building that relationship through summer workouts and getting to know the guys and the expectations that they’ve brought in. Vinnie Murphy doesn’t say this about himself, but he’s a very demanding guy and it’s kind of wearing off on the offensive line. It’s holding us to a standard and it’s really good for us.”
On backfield:
“The backfield has been amazing to watch during fall camp. The freshman Amauri and Arnold Barnes from here, they’ve all been really explosive and really fun to watch. Shaadie and Makhi were a great duo last year. Makhi’s very explosive and will run right through you. Shaadie’s shifty, he’s good. I expect to see them run the ball up and down the field this fall.”
On Clayton-Johnson:
“When he first got here he was kind of getting told to come along, and now he’s doing it. He’s doing what he talked about. Me and him have sat and talked for hours before, and seeing him put his words into actions is really cool to see. I know he loves coach Rock and I love coach Rock. He recruited me to Southern Miss when he was there.”
On loving how coaching change works out:
“The way that coach Sumrall came in, I was very happy to see. He was recruiting me while he was at Kentucky and I was in high school, so I had a previous relationship with him and now we’re able to get together and build on that relationship. I’ve had seven offensive line coaches since I’ve been here, so a little coaching change is not going to hurt.”