Quoted: Fall Camp Edition - Tom Allen (Aug. 5)
8/5/2022 3:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football head coach Tom Allen met with the media to give an update as the first week of fall practice nears its completion on Friday (August 5).
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference, while video of the full media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Tom Allen | Head Coach
Opening Statement
TA: Good afternoon. Just really encouraged from our first three days. I think our guys have really been working hard and love our meetings. Just the attention to detail and the walk throughs. We have some strong leadership, which is a big part of that, and getting our new faces to buy into our process that we go through here in fall camp.
Then, with our new schedule of having three days on and then have a regeneration day where they're getting a lot of recovery, meetings, getting some good film and even some walk-through time, is a very important part of the process. We will come back tomorrow and be in shoulder pads for the next couple of days and then be full pads for practice number six.
Good start and guys are working hard. I like the energy, love the effort and just have to keep getting a little bit better every day.
On what has impressed him with the running back room...
TA: To just go through [as a group], the thing that sticks out to me is the speed. You got some new guys, like Shaun Shivers and Jaylin Lucas, two of our fastest players on the team. David Holloman, still, is in that top-three, as well, for our whole team. I think that is what jumps out to me. Josh Henderson is just so solid in so many areas.
I think as they continue to get more comfortable and the ball skills, as well, for all of those guys [will continue to improve], which is critical. Trent [Howland] is a big back at 235 pounds and Charlie Spegal, same thing, is a big back.
We have a lot of different options in that room with all different kind of skill sets and ways to get those guys the football. We have to run the football, but with only one day in pads, which was yesterday, you can't tell a lot, but you can tell some. Our inside run period was very physical, which I want and that is what it is supposed to be like. Both sides of the ball sharpening each other and getting that ball [moving] downhill and running it effectively.
We have several guys there that are all competing. You play one back at a time, usually, sometimes you have two, but you won't have more than that likely ever. Just trying to get that room where they are able to understand their assignments, execute at a high level, make [defenders] miss and go score.
On the youth at tight end...
TA: You are right, there are a lot of young guys. You have a pretty young room, with no seniors in there, and AJ [Barner] is the veteran. He is doing what he needs to be doing and getting better every day.
Aaron Steinfeldt is a guy that's been getting a lot of reps, and James Bomba, too. Those would be the top two guys that have really stuck out to be able to be that second and third guy in the mix. I think Brody Foley is another one. He came here in January and hasn't had as many reps since he was coming off a postseason surgery. He is back 100 percent and ready to go.
Getting those guys ready [is our job]. I think those are the top three guys right now that are getting reps and in the mix. It is a critical position for us, and we want to be able to maximize it and use it. We want to be able to play with two tight ends at times, and sometimes more.
There is a lot of youth in that room and those guys are getting the opportunity to learn the offense and be physical and be effective.
On Noah Pierre's team-first mentality and versatility he has shown in his career...
TA: He's special to me. I think he is a great testament to perseverance and grit. I know there was a point in time that he was frustrated and came to see me and came to see his position coach a couple of years ago. He had been bounced around to a lot of positions.
He is just one of those tough, gritty guys that could do a lot of things. He could play corner, he could play nickel, he could play safety, which not everybody can do that. That was valuable [to our team]. I think he is realizing now, is that he bought in -- like you said -- he bought in to our culture here and the whole idea that it is not about me and I have to do what I can to help this team be successful.
He, through that process, established a lot of great skills. He could play three different positions, got on special teams a lot in the 2020 year and then, this past year, as we talked about, had a chance to be a starter when some guys in front of him went down. Now, he's our starting Husky and just a really good player. He has a lot of toughness to him; he's got a lot of moxie and savvy. And, because of his coverage ability, he allows us to do a lot of things with that position and that personnel package. That really excites me.
More than anything, we have one of our true freshmen that is going through the same things. He's been here since January and is still trying to find his way and we had him meet with Noah and told him, 'tell him your story,' and talk to him about your perspective to and they ability to persevere. It was a couple years before he got his chance to get on the field.
That is a great testament to his character, the way he was raised, his family, his high school coaches and his ability to accept that, but not quit working. He wasn't playing as much as he wanted early on, but now he has become a really valuable part of our team on special teams and on defense. He's a really good player and has an amazing attitude.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference, while video of the full media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Tom Allen | Head Coach
Opening Statement
TA: Good afternoon. Just really encouraged from our first three days. I think our guys have really been working hard and love our meetings. Just the attention to detail and the walk throughs. We have some strong leadership, which is a big part of that, and getting our new faces to buy into our process that we go through here in fall camp.
Then, with our new schedule of having three days on and then have a regeneration day where they're getting a lot of recovery, meetings, getting some good film and even some walk-through time, is a very important part of the process. We will come back tomorrow and be in shoulder pads for the next couple of days and then be full pads for practice number six.
Good start and guys are working hard. I like the energy, love the effort and just have to keep getting a little bit better every day.
On what has impressed him with the running back room...
TA: To just go through [as a group], the thing that sticks out to me is the speed. You got some new guys, like Shaun Shivers and Jaylin Lucas, two of our fastest players on the team. David Holloman, still, is in that top-three, as well, for our whole team. I think that is what jumps out to me. Josh Henderson is just so solid in so many areas.
I think as they continue to get more comfortable and the ball skills, as well, for all of those guys [will continue to improve], which is critical. Trent [Howland] is a big back at 235 pounds and Charlie Spegal, same thing, is a big back.
We have a lot of different options in that room with all different kind of skill sets and ways to get those guys the football. We have to run the football, but with only one day in pads, which was yesterday, you can't tell a lot, but you can tell some. Our inside run period was very physical, which I want and that is what it is supposed to be like. Both sides of the ball sharpening each other and getting that ball [moving] downhill and running it effectively.
We have several guys there that are all competing. You play one back at a time, usually, sometimes you have two, but you won't have more than that likely ever. Just trying to get that room where they are able to understand their assignments, execute at a high level, make [defenders] miss and go score.
On the youth at tight end...
TA: You are right, there are a lot of young guys. You have a pretty young room, with no seniors in there, and AJ [Barner] is the veteran. He is doing what he needs to be doing and getting better every day.
Aaron Steinfeldt is a guy that's been getting a lot of reps, and James Bomba, too. Those would be the top two guys that have really stuck out to be able to be that second and third guy in the mix. I think Brody Foley is another one. He came here in January and hasn't had as many reps since he was coming off a postseason surgery. He is back 100 percent and ready to go.
Getting those guys ready [is our job]. I think those are the top three guys right now that are getting reps and in the mix. It is a critical position for us, and we want to be able to maximize it and use it. We want to be able to play with two tight ends at times, and sometimes more.
There is a lot of youth in that room and those guys are getting the opportunity to learn the offense and be physical and be effective.
On Noah Pierre's team-first mentality and versatility he has shown in his career...
TA: He's special to me. I think he is a great testament to perseverance and grit. I know there was a point in time that he was frustrated and came to see me and came to see his position coach a couple of years ago. He had been bounced around to a lot of positions.
He is just one of those tough, gritty guys that could do a lot of things. He could play corner, he could play nickel, he could play safety, which not everybody can do that. That was valuable [to our team]. I think he is realizing now, is that he bought in -- like you said -- he bought in to our culture here and the whole idea that it is not about me and I have to do what I can to help this team be successful.
He, through that process, established a lot of great skills. He could play three different positions, got on special teams a lot in the 2020 year and then, this past year, as we talked about, had a chance to be a starter when some guys in front of him went down. Now, he's our starting Husky and just a really good player. He has a lot of toughness to him; he's got a lot of moxie and savvy. And, because of his coverage ability, he allows us to do a lot of things with that position and that personnel package. That really excites me.
More than anything, we have one of our true freshmen that is going through the same things. He's been here since January and is still trying to find his way and we had him meet with Noah and told him, 'tell him your story,' and talk to him about your perspective to and they ability to persevere. It was a couple years before he got his chance to get on the field.
That is a great testament to his character, the way he was raised, his family, his high school coaches and his ability to accept that, but not quit working. He wasn't playing as much as he wanted early on, but now he has become a really valuable part of our team on special teams and on defense. He's a really good player and has an amazing attitude.
Players Mentioned
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