By Gail Bahr for Inside Football
Q: I watched most of your college games and was at the Senior Bowl all week. At the Senior Bowl you seemed a little off-balance. Was that because of different terminology and/or the change in offensive schemes?
A: Yes, it was just trying to learn an entirely different system and not really being comfortable with it. And I was also with a bunch of new guys. That just throws you off a little. You don’t have any time with anybody (receivers). And you’re just out there trying to be perfect because you know so many scouts and so many NFL coaches are watching. It just makes you really nervous.
Q: Now you’ve once again come into a new situation with a different offensive scheme and terminology. Do you feel the same now as you felt at the Senior Bowl?
A: Yeah. The difference between now and then is the speed of the game, the different talent and much better athletes. And there’s so much to learn with the different terminology, the system, the audibles, schemes, when to check and when not to check. So much is thrown at you in a couple of weeks and as a quarterback you’re just trying to do a great job. So you just listen and learn from the coaches, the veteran quarterbacks, the coordinators and just pay attention and pick up as much as possible. Sooner or later you’ll get into the swing of things. Eventually you’ll have a good feel for the system; you’ll know when to audible and when not to audible and then you’ll feel just as comfortable as you did back in college.
Q: How different is Kentucky’s offense from that of the Giants?
A: I don’t think it’s much different. You know a lot of things are very similar. The terminology is going to be different wording. Right now I think this system is a little wordy. You know the plays are very long so you just have to get used to it. You have to get a feel for it so that when you hear the first couple of words you know the rest of the play. That’s when you have it down pat but that’s going to take a while. But scheme wise, I don’t think it’s much different. We had a lot of the same plays, the same blitz pickups, so you have to have a great understanding and a great feel for it so you can start calling out audibles on the line.
Q: Coach Coughlin said that it was tough for you because he couldn’t get you a lot of reps in practice. Is that very frustrating for you?
A: Yeah, it is. As a young quarterback you want to get a lot of reps because if you don’t you’re kind of just going off what you’re hearing. And that’s never really that great for a young quarterback. But that’s just the way it is with four quarterbacks on the roster. So, however many reps you get, you just have to take it in, have a good feel for it and go in there and try to perform. I’d say each practice I’ve looked a lot better. Each single practice I’m having a better feel for things. I just have to understand the offense, control the offense, make sure I’m making the right calls and hopefully by the first preseason game I’ll have a good feel for it and I’ll perform very well.
Q: This would not seem to be an ideal situation for you. There are other teams that might have drafted you where you’d have a chance to start before long. How did you feel about being drafted by the Giants?
A: It’s not a problem for me right now. You know as a young quarterback you’re not really going to get in there. I just think right now this is a great time for me to learn from Eli and the rest of the veterans here and just try to be like a sponge and absorb all the things they’re saying. As the years go on something might happen where I might get on the field or I might go somewhere else and get on the field. Either way I know that this right now is a great learning experience for me. I just pay attention as much as possible and ask these guys as many questions so it will all benefit me later down the road.
Q: Where do you see yourself fitting in at the final cutdown-possibly #2 or maybe #3?
A: I’m hoping I’ll make the team. That would be great. That would be awesome for me if I do. Second or third string, no matter how it goes, it will be great just to get some experience at some games. You dream about being in the NFL and just going to the stadiums will be wonderful. Obviously, I’ll be on the sidelines and listening to what Eli’s thinking when he’s watching a play. I want to watch and get a feel for what the defenses are doing and in that way if I get on the field I’ll be ready.
Q: At this point what do you see as your greatest strength? Conversely what do you need to work on most?
A: First, I’d say the thing I need to work on most is just learning the offense. Eli told me it took him a year to really get this offense down. I’m trying to study the playbook and get a good feel to where it will speed everything up. I feel that’s my biggest weakness right now-not having a full understanding of the offense. Once I have that then my strengths will be in being able to read the defenses and coverages a whole lot sooner. Hopefully that will speed up the timing and understanding what routes are opening up and speeding up my delivery. I have a really good arm and accuracy.
