Spring Practice Report No. 2 – Brandon Shelby, Cam Jones & Marcelino McCrary-Ball

Below are partial transcriptions of Zoom press conferences with assistant head coach/cornerbacks Brandon Shelby, linebacker Cam Jones and husky Marcelino McCrary-Ball on Thursday, March 11.

Assistant Head Coach/Cornerbacks Brandon Shelby
Q. On Tiawan Mullen…
SHELBY: When you think about the great ones, you really do not have to push those guys. He is self-motivated because his ultimate goal is to push himself to win all the awards, to help our team get better, and have an opportunity to play at the next level. The only way that you can do that is to hone in on the little things technique-wise. He needs to push himself in that aspect, watch more film, study the opponent. Those are the ways for him, where athletically he is pretty doggone good, but can he get the mental stuff down a little sharper. Those are the ways I try to push him. We are holding him to that standard.

Q. On the importance of a full spring practice for the young guys…
SHELBY: As bad as the COVID-19 pandemic was for our University and our country, when it comes to football and young freshmen coming in, they all got a free year to develop and get used to the speed of the game. They also had an opportunity to get used to the classwork and the expectations. When you come from high school, the speed of the game, the expectations, the time management, those are the types of things that hold guys back. When you look at Lem Watley-Neely and Christopher Keys, they had the opportunity to catch up and actually learn the defense. Now, they can hit the ground running.

Q. What do you expect the assistant head coach role to entail…
SHELBY: Ultimately when I first met Coach Tom Allen, he asked me what my long-term goals were, and they were to move up, not just be a corners coach but maybe have the opportunity to be a defensive coordinator then ultimately a head coach somewhere and to have the opportunity to sit in his seat. When the opportunity arose after Mike Hart left, I just thought it was a good opportunity, not from just the coaching side but the administrative side, to see some of the things he has to deal with to get on some panels and to get on some different boards. Now when the opportunity comes, God willing, I have sat on both sides. As football coaches sometimes we are greedy and we want this, this, and this, but sometimes it does not line up with the administrative side. So, it is a give and take deal and I am just excited for getting this opportunity to go across the hall, to have meetings with the associate athletic directors, the people in facilities, and to learn. Now they have this image and brand deal coming out so to sit on these committees and learning will hopefully put me ahead of the curve and when that opportunity comes, I will hopefully jump in and hit the ground running. Thankful he saw that in me and gave me that opportunity.

LB Cam Jones
Q. On having Marcelino-McCrary-Ball back this season…
JONES: Marcelino has always been a great leader, a great teammate. He was a guy that took me under his wing and helped me out with the defense. I'm glad to see him back out there balling and doing what he loves to do. He's a passionate guy, works hard, and I'm just glad to be around him every single day.

Q. What it's been like with Coach Warren this week…
JONES: Coach Warren has brought a lot of energy to the table, a lot of technique, and fundamentals. It's been great having him, his mindset, and his work ethic coming into this defense that we have has been amazing and I'm glad to have him as a coach. I just can't wait to see what he can do for us, this linebacker group, and this defense.

Q. On how the end of last season is motivating him this season…
JONES: Last year didn't end well as you know, but I feel like this defense, this team, the offense, we are all in. I thought about this the other day, my freshman year, Coach Allen challenged us in the Team Room and he gave us a chip. On the chip it said "All In" and if you were all in, you would put it in the bucket. Now I think this whole team is all in, the whole coaching staff is all in. We fought together. We're brothers and we just can't wait.

DB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
Q. On what it was like watching the team's success from the sidelines last season…
BALL: Of course, I wish I was able to contribute. I have had some battles with the athletic trainer, Kyle Blackman, because around the Wisconsin game I remember looking up the quickest you can come back from an ACL injury and things like that. Watching them play I was like man they are going off. The whole defense just swarming around, doing all these zone blitzes and doing all these things that were successful. The offense was going off too, like Michael Penix Jr., Ty Fryfogle, and Whop Philyor, Even the offensive line was going off. For me, I was happy for them for sure. I recorded the whole Penn State game on Instagram Live. It was the day of my surgery, so it was good to see them ball out and I did not have any negative thought. I was just like can I go out there and play? Just me in a zone. I probably cannot play man-to-man right now but just put in a little cover-three, cover-four. I could go out there right now.

Q. On where he is in his recovery…
McCRARY-BALL: I'm pretty far out I think. As far as practicing with the team and doing team specific things that will come a little later. It's all the good. The stuff I'm doing with my guys, Sam Daugstrup, Kahlil Benson, us three, we had our surgery on the same day, so we are basically on the same time frame. When we train with Jacob we train hard and we will be back when it is time to come back.

Q. On being one of the oldest guys on the team…
McCRARY-BALL: I used to think like that. My senior year, my true senior year I used to think, man I'm old. I was only 19 and that messed with my head. When I was even a young underclassman the seniors at the time would be like, man I'm so old. I'm an old head. That is what it is called when you have been here so long. You walk around, I'm old, I've seen all this. That stuff starts to get in your head. You will start moving like an old man. 2020, going into that season, I kind of flipped the switch as far as, I just turned 21 in my fifth year. Typically, fifth year guys are like 22 or 23. I changed my perspective on me being an old head. I'm only 21 years old. I turn 22, 23, I'm still young. As far as my experience, I've been here a while. I don't really see myself as an old head. I know what it feels like when the lights are off, when we don't have a bowl game, when we go 5-7. 5-7 is pretty terrible. I know what that feels like. To experience that 2020 season through the sidelines and through the lenses of the television, it has been a blessing to see it all. From 2016 when Coach Allen was just our DC to 2017, he is our head coach and our DC, 2018 I think that is when Kane came. Now our DC is Coach Warren. Even the transitional offense and the players that came and watching people grow. The monster, Cam Jones, I watched them grow. As far as being here so long, it doesn't really phase me. Everyone's time is going to come. I'm making the days count.

Indiana University Athletics

Spring Practice Report No. 2 – Brandon Shelby, Cam Jones & Marcelino McCrary-Ball

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Players Mentioned

Kahlil Benson

Sam Daugstrup

Ty Fryfogle

Cam Jones

Christopher Keys

Marcelino McCrary-Ball

Tiawan Mullen

Whop Philyor

Lem Watley-Neely

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