Indiana University Athletics
Quoted: Fall Camp Edition - Kaelon Black, Rolijah Hardy & Roman Hemby
8/8/2025 1:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––– As the second week of fall camp continues, seniors Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black and sophomore Rolijah Hardy addressed the media inside Memorial Stadium on Friday (August 8).
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference, while video of the media sessions can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Kaelon Black | R-Sr. | RB
On being named to Bruce Feldman's "Freak List"…
KB: I didn't start lifting weights until I got into high school. Then from there it just kind of took off. I had a great strength coach in high school, I have a great strength coach here in Coach Derek Owings. It meant a lot, coming a long way, eating right, right in nutrition, it all playing a factor in receiving that honor.
On showing the new guys the ropes…
KB: Really, just being myself, the older guys being themselves. There's nothing much really to it. Cig has his system in place and all the guys just follow suit. It's really easy to get along with, he makes it easy for guys to learn, you just have to know that it's a process and things are going to come sooner than later, so you just stay on the grind and that's how things happen.
On Justice Ellison moving from being a player to a coach…
KB: Honestly, sometimes it feels like he's still a player. Just his enthusiasm, just how much he's in tune with the game. He's on us, he's on us hard, just like our coach (John Miller) it's just been great seeing him evolve. He's (Ellison) going to be a great running back coach in his future.
Rolijah Hardy | So. | LB
On what he's looking to get out of that first scrimmage…
RH: That first scrimmage I'm looking to develop, grow game, be able to lead and just play and have a competitive scrimmage with the guys.
On his comfort with the playbook…
RH: I'm very confident. This summer, me, fish (Aiden Fisher), Bones (Isaiah Jones), Coach Haines (Bryant Haines), we hammered the playbook. I know the ins and outs of the playbook. I'm very confident in that.
On learning from Jailin Walker last year…
RH: Jailin Walker, he was great. His speed is something that I picked up on this summer being able to use his speed to beat blocks in the coverages and him being able to his hands and such, it's really good.
Roman Hemby | R-Sr. | RB
On the differences of being at IU…
RH: It's definitely really different. I feel like every coach has their own philosophy and here we like to get our players to the game. We make sure we get the efficient work. We're out there for the right amount of time to get what we need to get done, hammering it home in the film room and things like that it helps us to play at our best. We need to play fast in the Big Ten and I feel like Coach Cig's philosophy helps us do that.
On what he's learned from Kaelon Black…
RH: I learned a lot from him (Black). Just his leadership in the room as a whole, his ability to do everything on the field it's inspiring honestly. It makes it hard for you to not to go out there and put your best foot forward every day because you know that his process and how he does things, he does a lot to get himself to the next level and we aspire to be like that. So, it's cool to be around a guy like that.
On Coach Ellison mentoring the group…
RH: It's a blessing, honestly. To see somebody so passionate about the game and willing to give back to people who are close in age to him, he's like a big brother. He's someone who comes in to work every day and he's ready to teach us new things, ready to help us get techniques down and he's out there every day. If we need him, he's in there for extra hours making sure we get everything done so that we can be at our best. He just wants to see us succeed and it's somebody that you'd love to have in your corner like that.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference, while video of the media sessions can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Kaelon Black | R-Sr. | RB
On being named to Bruce Feldman's "Freak List"…
KB: I didn't start lifting weights until I got into high school. Then from there it just kind of took off. I had a great strength coach in high school, I have a great strength coach here in Coach Derek Owings. It meant a lot, coming a long way, eating right, right in nutrition, it all playing a factor in receiving that honor.
On showing the new guys the ropes…
KB: Really, just being myself, the older guys being themselves. There's nothing much really to it. Cig has his system in place and all the guys just follow suit. It's really easy to get along with, he makes it easy for guys to learn, you just have to know that it's a process and things are going to come sooner than later, so you just stay on the grind and that's how things happen.
On Justice Ellison moving from being a player to a coach…
KB: Honestly, sometimes it feels like he's still a player. Just his enthusiasm, just how much he's in tune with the game. He's on us, he's on us hard, just like our coach (John Miller) it's just been great seeing him evolve. He's (Ellison) going to be a great running back coach in his future.
Rolijah Hardy | So. | LB
On what he's looking to get out of that first scrimmage…
RH: That first scrimmage I'm looking to develop, grow game, be able to lead and just play and have a competitive scrimmage with the guys.
On his comfort with the playbook…
RH: I'm very confident. This summer, me, fish (Aiden Fisher), Bones (Isaiah Jones), Coach Haines (Bryant Haines), we hammered the playbook. I know the ins and outs of the playbook. I'm very confident in that.
On learning from Jailin Walker last year…
RH: Jailin Walker, he was great. His speed is something that I picked up on this summer being able to use his speed to beat blocks in the coverages and him being able to his hands and such, it's really good.
Roman Hemby | R-Sr. | RB
On the differences of being at IU…
RH: It's definitely really different. I feel like every coach has their own philosophy and here we like to get our players to the game. We make sure we get the efficient work. We're out there for the right amount of time to get what we need to get done, hammering it home in the film room and things like that it helps us to play at our best. We need to play fast in the Big Ten and I feel like Coach Cig's philosophy helps us do that.
On what he's learned from Kaelon Black…
RH: I learned a lot from him (Black). Just his leadership in the room as a whole, his ability to do everything on the field it's inspiring honestly. It makes it hard for you to not to go out there and put your best foot forward every day because you know that his process and how he does things, he does a lot to get himself to the next level and we aspire to be like that. So, it's cool to be around a guy like that.
On Coach Ellison mentoring the group…
RH: It's a blessing, honestly. To see somebody so passionate about the game and willing to give back to people who are close in age to him, he's like a big brother. He's someone who comes in to work every day and he's ready to teach us new things, ready to help us get techniques down and he's out there every day. If we need him, he's in there for extra hours making sure we get everything done so that we can be at our best. He just wants to see us succeed and it's somebody that you'd love to have in your corner like that.
#NeverDaunted
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