Indiana University Athletics
Spring Ball Chatter: Linebackers
3/24/2022 1:25:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – As spring practice gets cranked up, Indiana football's defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Chad Wilt met with the media on Thursday (March 24), along with linebackers Jared Casey and Bradley Jennings Jr.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference and video of the full media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Chad Wilt | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
On coaching linebackers after being a defensive line coach the last few years...
CW: We are really making progress. You know, I am not going over and coaching the receivers. That would be a very different role. I am still staying in the front seven. You talk about run fits and understanding those concepts, you talk about block destructions. Block destruction is the same, tackling with your hands, elbows in and thumbs up, getting your shock to lock-outs, clearing off of blocks. Guys understand that. They understand blocking scheme and how they fit. There are a lot of similarities there, but sure, there are some differences when you talk about getting to the pass drops, but I told you guys when I was introduced that I never considered myself a guy that just sat in the room when we went into 7-on-7 pass film that I didn't pay attention. I was always watching and always listening and attempting to learn. I am not in a place now where I am a fish out of water, so to speak. I think we are making some great progress and we have good older kids and good leadership [in the linebackers room]. You talk about [Cam Jones] in the room, Jared Casey, guys that have been around a bunch. You can throw in Bradley Jennings Jr., coming from Miami. He has played real football at Miami. They understand football and I never felt walking into the meeting room that it was a lecture and that I was the dictator. I have always believed that you walk into that meeting room, and it is conversations. That is how guys really learn today. The attention span is so much shorter that you have to involve them in the conversations. To be able to have those older guys in there that have played a lot of football, we can have some great conversations: 'what did you see here?' or 'why did you play it that way?' Really talk through things more than just lecturing at them. We are really making progress.
On how important the transfer linebackers have been this spring...
CW: The first thing I will tell you about those guys is they walked into the room, and they have been humble. They haven't attempted to prove anything; they have just said 'let's just go to work. Be hungry and go to work.' You look at Bradley Jennings Jr., you look at Jared Casey, and they have both come in with the right mindset and right approach to it. That has allowed them - when you are hungry - you can go to work and work on improving. Don't think you know it all and both those guys come in with that perspective. Then, the other thing those guys do, they bring in experience. They can take things they've seen; they can take things that they've been taught or coached, and we can blend it all together to make it the best for where we are right now. Like with Jared Casey, back in February we were watching something, and said 'hey, we were taught it this way instead of this way,' and I was like 'that makes sense.' One of the other guys even said, 'that makes sense.' Again, going back to those conversations and dialogs. It is not this dictatorship. It is about having the conversations. Same with Bradley Jennings Jr., we were talking about a blocking scheme off the tight end, and he had a phrase and he used it and boom. I said, 'I had never heard it that way. Does it make sense to you guys?' They said it makes sense. They are bringing in different perspectives, but we can go in and put it all together and make it ours. Make it the best we need it to be.
On how the coaching staff is meshing during the spring...
CW: Really in the same mindset, we are putting it together. We are doing it together. Today is Brandon Shelby's birthday and we are singing him happy birthday after practice today. It is relationships. Coaching is relationships. Whether it is player to coach, coach to player, player to player, or it's coach to coach. It is relationships. It is spending time and investing in those relations and working together. Nobody is saying 'it's about me.' One thing I have always believed is it's not my linebackers or Coach Randolph's defensive linemen, Coach Shelby's corners or Coach Jones' safeties or Kasey Teegardin's BULLs. It's our players, our defense. I have really believed that for a long, long time and if we all have that mindset, that we are working to make this defense and this team the best it can be, we are going to be able to do something pretty special. And, again, those players are feeding back into those relationships the same way. With us as coaches, giving ourselves to those players, and as Coach Allen says all the time, capture the hearts and the minds of your players. As you said, us as coaches have to be able to do that together ourselves. You really see that dynamic working well together. Coach Shelby bringing up a concern about something he saw from the offense or Coach Teegardin saying, 'I think this puts our guy in conflict, how about we try this.' We look at different things and those are the types of conversations and dialogs that we need to have so that we are putting our players -- our players -- in the best position to be successful. We are professionals, across the board, all of those guys, and that is our job to be professional and work with each other.
Jared Casey | LB | Redshirt-Sophomore
On what his transition has been to this point...
JC: It hasn't been too difficult because I have been [new at a school] and done that. I am not coming in as a freshman, so I have a little bit of [college football] experience under my belt. It has been good being coached by a new coach. I think it can be good to have a change of scenery and a change of everything. Everyone has a different background coming in and it just brings an extra chip on your shoulder when you are transitioning into a different program. It is motivating and a whole new start. I am liking it so far.
On his impressions of Chad Wilt...
JC: I like Coach Wilt. He brings a lot of new terminology that I have never learned, and I like being coached by different coaches because they all come from different [backgrounds]. They have been coached by different coaches that were coached by different coaches. I have learned a lot of new terminology and learned a lot from him so far. I like Coach Wilt a lot.
Bradley Jennings Jr. | LB | Redshirt-Senior+
On Indiana's Florida presence on the roster...
BJ: Yes, [it played a role in my decision to come to Indiana]. Players like D.J. Matthews Jr. or Monster [Devon Matthews], they are from Jacksonville, and I have known them because we played pop warner with each other. It made it easier moving up here. Then, being from Miami, some of the players are from Miami, so I know some of them just through football and working out down in Miami.
On playing for a passionate guy like Chad Wilt...
BJ: He is very intense and very passionate. I feel like that just [shows] it to all the players just how passionate he is about the game and how he approaches everything. No matter how he might be feeling during the day, he comes with that passion every day.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference and video of the full media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Chad Wilt | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
On coaching linebackers after being a defensive line coach the last few years...
CW: We are really making progress. You know, I am not going over and coaching the receivers. That would be a very different role. I am still staying in the front seven. You talk about run fits and understanding those concepts, you talk about block destructions. Block destruction is the same, tackling with your hands, elbows in and thumbs up, getting your shock to lock-outs, clearing off of blocks. Guys understand that. They understand blocking scheme and how they fit. There are a lot of similarities there, but sure, there are some differences when you talk about getting to the pass drops, but I told you guys when I was introduced that I never considered myself a guy that just sat in the room when we went into 7-on-7 pass film that I didn't pay attention. I was always watching and always listening and attempting to learn. I am not in a place now where I am a fish out of water, so to speak. I think we are making some great progress and we have good older kids and good leadership [in the linebackers room]. You talk about [Cam Jones] in the room, Jared Casey, guys that have been around a bunch. You can throw in Bradley Jennings Jr., coming from Miami. He has played real football at Miami. They understand football and I never felt walking into the meeting room that it was a lecture and that I was the dictator. I have always believed that you walk into that meeting room, and it is conversations. That is how guys really learn today. The attention span is so much shorter that you have to involve them in the conversations. To be able to have those older guys in there that have played a lot of football, we can have some great conversations: 'what did you see here?' or 'why did you play it that way?' Really talk through things more than just lecturing at them. We are really making progress.
On how important the transfer linebackers have been this spring...
CW: The first thing I will tell you about those guys is they walked into the room, and they have been humble. They haven't attempted to prove anything; they have just said 'let's just go to work. Be hungry and go to work.' You look at Bradley Jennings Jr., you look at Jared Casey, and they have both come in with the right mindset and right approach to it. That has allowed them - when you are hungry - you can go to work and work on improving. Don't think you know it all and both those guys come in with that perspective. Then, the other thing those guys do, they bring in experience. They can take things they've seen; they can take things that they've been taught or coached, and we can blend it all together to make it the best for where we are right now. Like with Jared Casey, back in February we were watching something, and said 'hey, we were taught it this way instead of this way,' and I was like 'that makes sense.' One of the other guys even said, 'that makes sense.' Again, going back to those conversations and dialogs. It is not this dictatorship. It is about having the conversations. Same with Bradley Jennings Jr., we were talking about a blocking scheme off the tight end, and he had a phrase and he used it and boom. I said, 'I had never heard it that way. Does it make sense to you guys?' They said it makes sense. They are bringing in different perspectives, but we can go in and put it all together and make it ours. Make it the best we need it to be.
On how the coaching staff is meshing during the spring...
CW: Really in the same mindset, we are putting it together. We are doing it together. Today is Brandon Shelby's birthday and we are singing him happy birthday after practice today. It is relationships. Coaching is relationships. Whether it is player to coach, coach to player, player to player, or it's coach to coach. It is relationships. It is spending time and investing in those relations and working together. Nobody is saying 'it's about me.' One thing I have always believed is it's not my linebackers or Coach Randolph's defensive linemen, Coach Shelby's corners or Coach Jones' safeties or Kasey Teegardin's BULLs. It's our players, our defense. I have really believed that for a long, long time and if we all have that mindset, that we are working to make this defense and this team the best it can be, we are going to be able to do something pretty special. And, again, those players are feeding back into those relationships the same way. With us as coaches, giving ourselves to those players, and as Coach Allen says all the time, capture the hearts and the minds of your players. As you said, us as coaches have to be able to do that together ourselves. You really see that dynamic working well together. Coach Shelby bringing up a concern about something he saw from the offense or Coach Teegardin saying, 'I think this puts our guy in conflict, how about we try this.' We look at different things and those are the types of conversations and dialogs that we need to have so that we are putting our players -- our players -- in the best position to be successful. We are professionals, across the board, all of those guys, and that is our job to be professional and work with each other.
Jared Casey | LB | Redshirt-Sophomore
On what his transition has been to this point...
JC: It hasn't been too difficult because I have been [new at a school] and done that. I am not coming in as a freshman, so I have a little bit of [college football] experience under my belt. It has been good being coached by a new coach. I think it can be good to have a change of scenery and a change of everything. Everyone has a different background coming in and it just brings an extra chip on your shoulder when you are transitioning into a different program. It is motivating and a whole new start. I am liking it so far.
On his impressions of Chad Wilt...
JC: I like Coach Wilt. He brings a lot of new terminology that I have never learned, and I like being coached by different coaches because they all come from different [backgrounds]. They have been coached by different coaches that were coached by different coaches. I have learned a lot of new terminology and learned a lot from him so far. I like Coach Wilt a lot.
Bradley Jennings Jr. | LB | Redshirt-Senior+
On Indiana's Florida presence on the roster...
BJ: Yes, [it played a role in my decision to come to Indiana]. Players like D.J. Matthews Jr. or Monster [Devon Matthews], they are from Jacksonville, and I have known them because we played pop warner with each other. It made it easier moving up here. Then, being from Miami, some of the players are from Miami, so I know some of them just through football and working out down in Miami.
On playing for a passionate guy like Chad Wilt...
BJ: He is very intense and very passionate. I feel like that just [shows] it to all the players just how passionate he is about the game and how he approaches everything. No matter how he might be feeling during the day, he comes with that passion every day.
Players Mentioned
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