Michigan State University Athletics
Practice Update: Mel Tucker Press Conference Coverage
10/7/2020 10:38:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State football team is in its third week of preseason practice since the restart of the Big Ten season and continues to prepare for the Oct. 24 opener against Rutgers.
On Wednesday afternoon, Spartan head coach Mel Tucker visited with reporters for 30 minutes on a Zoom call to give an update on the team.
Below is a transcript of the call with the media:
On the reality of the first game approaching...
It is becoming more real every day, which is a good thing. We've been waiting a long time for this opportunity. And so we're just making the most of it every day and just embracing the challenges that we have.
On how the team looked after the first scrimmage...
We were able to get some live work in a scrimmage setting, and I was very pleased. Obviously, a scrimmage is a different type of evaluation than just a normal practice when you're not tackling a lot to the ground. And so you just find out a little bit more about each player in that situation, in the stadium. That was actually the first time as a staff that we've seen our guys go live, full speed to the ground in a scrimmage, so it was beneficial for the players and also for the staff. We did that (first scrimmage) on Saturday.
On if there are plans for other scrimmages...
Look, we'd love to get a second one in, and hopefully this weekend, we can get that done.
On the status of Jordan Reid and Justin Stevens...
As of right now, those two have still opted out. And obviously, like we've said before, we're supporting our players and their decisions to be in or to opt out. And then we'll just see how it continues to play out.
On what has stood out during the first week in pads...
I like the way our players are buying into our system and to our culture and in how we do things. Also, I'm very pleased with our with our coaching staff, coming together, relatively for the first time on the field on a consistent basis in how we're working together with our players, along with our strength staff and all of our support people. So I feel, very confident about our operation, and our process. We're very process driven. And it's unfolding right before our eyes, and we're working hard at it every day to cement our culture, continue to drive home our process. But I do see a significant buy in from our players in terms of what we're asking them to do, and that is very, very positive.
On old traditions and new trends that have worked in coaching...
That's a great question. The game of football over the years has changed in a lot of ways in terms of offensive schemes, defensive schemes and just, kind of, what it looks like and some of the things that happen on the field in terms of when guys get takeaways and how they're being rewarded and how that's been celebrated. But at the end of the day, the game of football is fundamentally the same. It's best conditioned; it's technique and fundamentals. It's playing smart, and playing fast and it's being physical. And that's where our focus is right now. And it will continue to be that way. And as we connect more with our players, and our players learn more about us, and the individual personalities start to emerge more, that will also somewhat define the character of our team. And, the key to it is that, we have to always put the team first, and we want our players and all of our coaches to embrace the buy in to something that's bigger than themselves. And that's what's most important, because that's part of our process to get the buy in, to preach team, to develop the chemistry and to buy into the common goal. And to just really be able to demonstrate on a day to day basis what our standards of performance are, and with that getting done, you know, that's the brand of football that you'll see. That's how you develop the brand of ball that you will see on Saturdays, so that's where our main focus is right now.
On the assessment of the quarterback situation...
We're still in that process of rotating our guys equal amount of reps. They're working with different groups, and we're still right in the middle of the evaluation process. I will say this, that all of our quarterbacks, they bring a different set of skills and different traits to the table, and that's very interesting to see. The competition is good. We have a good room in that quarterback room. Coach (Jay) Johnson is doing an outstanding job with them. And there's good working relationships, and a good healthy competition, and everyone's trying to help each other get better. So, I feel very good about how we're handling that quarterback situation, but we're still in competition mode and things have not completely shaken out yet.
On if one side of the ball is further along that another...
That's a great question, because you'll hear that sometimes where a coach will say that right now our defense is further ahead, maybe because of guys returning or returning starters or things like that, or the offense is ahead. But right now in practice, our guys are competing good on good every day, and there's a lot of back and forth in our practices, which is a good thing. Some of the drills, the offense wins and some of the drills the defense wins. It goes back and forth, it's very competitive. And that's what we want to see and that's how it should be, but collectively offense, defense special teams, we're just looking for daily improvement in our conditioning, our technique and fundamentals. You know, playing smart, finding ways to put our guys in position where they can play fast, and obviously we need to be physical. And that's all part of the process, and the goal is that we will be efficient and be able to produce at a high level in all three phases when it's time to play the games.
On daily testing, building depth with potential COVID-19 related issues…
The testing is going well. We're very fortunate here in the Big Ten in the way the testing has been set up. We have very good rapport with the companies that are involved here on campus daily. They're here every day, they see us every morning. We're getting a chance to know them, and they're getting a chance to know us, and it's almost like they've become part of our support staff. It's going to be like that for quite some time. That working relationship, the mutual respect, and they bring a tremendous amount of professionalism to what they do in terms of testing and protocols and the staffing, so it's going relatively smoothly.
We've talked as a staff from early on that we were going to need to develop the entire roster, this year, this season. All scholarship players, walk-ons, everyone's going to have to be developed, in some way, shape or form to be able to, at some point, go in the game and play winning football for us if their number is called. That's our philosophy, to develop every player on our roster to put them in a position where they can be successful if and when they need to go in to a game.
On the necessity for flexibility this season…
COVID has added, in all of our lives in every way, different levels of complexity, so to speak. So we're handling it, staying neutral. What are the facts, what do we know, and then what do we need to do with the information we have, not get too high, not get too low and to take it done day at a time. Where we need to adapt and make adjustments as a staff, we do that. And the same thing with the players. We also continue to hammer our protocols and our behavior modification and all those things that will allow us to continue to practice and eventually to compete in games.
On cross-training players for other positions…
At some point, we're going to be doing some level of cross-training, even across the sides of the ball. But certainly the cross-training within the position group is happening now, making sure guys can play multiple positions within their segment, whether it's the secondary or the offensive line or receiver.
The receiver position, if guys know multiple positions, then you have more flexibility, and are you able to better handle injuries or anything that may be you know that is COVID related.
How important are leaders like Antjuan Simmons on a team like this…
Leadership is important. On all the great teams, you will find great leadership. And when you have that, it does go a long way to helping to develop the rest of the team. And so, Antjuan, for example, is a leader. He is a leader, he's bought into what we're doing, and then he's preaching and carrying the message to his teammates. And that's very, very helpful. And often times, a word or a message or a conversation from a teammate or from a peer may be as impactful or more impactful than that same type of conversation coming from a coach. Developing leadership, putting guys in position to lead, that's going to be very important to our success. I do see a large number, a high percentage of the guys that are bought in to what we're doing. And I do see leadership emerging, especially as the practices, get tougher, that's when the leaders really start to step up.
On the type of leader and player he's looking for…
The development takes place in many different ways. It takes place off the field, in terms of socially, in terms of academics. Darien Harris, our director of player engagement, does a great job with our players, helping them to develop off the field, as well as, Todd (Edwards) and Mandy (Chandler) and Antwan (Joseph) in academics, there's development that takes place there. There's also development that takes place in the classroom with the coaches in the meetings, reviewing film, and teaching guys the scheme and how to study, how to take notes, and that's development. And then in the weight room, development in terms of developing a faster, stronger, more explosive athlete so they can they can sustain and play hard for four quarters or more if needed. And then also the development on the field. The work that we're getting in practice with the reps that they're taking with the drill work, individual drill work, the group work, the team work, and then ultimately at the scrimmages. It's all a developmental process and we're very process driven here. A coach's job is to teach, motivate and develop players, and I've been very pleased with our staff and I believe that our staff is able to do that at a high level.
On Chief of Staff Geoff Martzen and having him on staff…
It's very important. Geoff's done a great job. Like you said he's worked with me before. He knows what my expectations are in terms of recruiting and staff dynamics and staff chemistry, and just culture. And culture is really big with me. He understands the process. He's able to work with me and work with our staff to make sure that we have an efficient operation here that is, we're process driven and that we're always hammering culture. He just does a phenomenal job with that and I feel very fortunate to have him here.
On Father Jake Foglio's passing, and if he had any personal relationship with him…
I did not know him very well. I was made aware of his passing. Obviously, I was saddened by that. My condolences go out to his family, and thoughts and prayers. Hopefully they will be able to heal and deal with this the best way that they can. And any support that we can give them here at Michigan State football, we would do that. It's always difficult when you lose someone that's been an integral part of your program for so many years, and you can see that reflected in some of the social media posts from coaches and players that have interacted with him over the years. So obviously that's a loss to our community. I was saddened by that, certainly.
On starting game prep vs. Rutgers…
There's certain stages of game prep. But right now, we're really focused on our team and our players. Certainly, game week will be all Rutgers, and typically, the last three days prior to game week, we'll turn our attention to our opponent. That pivot is coming soon.
On expectations…
Pressure is a privilege, in my mind. The expectations are high here, they always have been, and I embrace that. But we're really focused on the process, the day-to-day process, in terms of developing our team, developing our culture, connecting with our players, and hammering that process daily, and then doing that will put us in a position to have success in games and really rise up and fulfill the expectations that we all have. We just have to make sure that we don't get too far ahead of ourselves in terms of our thought process. We talk to our players about then, now, and next. And right now, we're in the 'now.' And what we do now will determine what we do next. But we're in the now.
On looking at the roster…
We're still evaluating our players. We have more of a rep chart than a depth chart right now, and there's a difference, because we're rotating our guys and giving guys opportunities to work with other players, and so that evaluation is ongoing, and we're right in the middle of it. At some point, we're going to make decisions on who the starters are going to be, and who the next man up is going to be, but in actuality, that's also not set in stone, because you have to compete to play. You have to compete in practice to earn the playing time that you get; that's each and every day. There's never going to be a moment where a person or a player has a position and he does not have to compete and fight to maintain that position on a daily basis. That's just not how we operate. It's always going to be very competitive, and we're going to play the best players that gives us the best chance to be successful. But also, we're going to continue to develop the guys behind them, and at some point in the season, you still may see changes in who you see on the field, based on what production guys are having in games, and what guys are doing in practice, because we try and create a practice atmosphere, that the goal is to have your practices harder than your games. That's your goal, to get to the point where you can do that. So if a guy can do it in practice against good players in practice, then you know he can do it in the game. So as guys emerge and develop in practice, whether it's younger guys, or guys coming off of an injury or whatever, that may change who you see playing in the games.
On establishing a depth chart…
When we get into game week, we're going to have to decide who gets the reps. And then we're going to have to develop scout teams. At that point, as we decide, who's going to be on the scout team, and then who we're going to dedicate the reps to, at the point, it starts to form a depth chart. But the actual date, right now, is to be determined, when those announcements may come, and we'll just have to see how those shake out.
On the quarterback competition possibly going into the season…
It depends on the team. It depends on the players involved, and also the coaches, the head coach, and the coordinators and position coaches, how that process is managed, has a lot to do with how successful you are. So, I'm very confident in our staff, and our staff's ability to evaluate and communicate with our players to let them know where they stand, each and every day. And then always providing a plan, or laying out a path forward for them to improve, and prove their position, and like I told the players after the scrimmage, if you're not where you want to be right now, then change your behavior. Your behavior will determine how you perform. And if you are happy with where you are right now, understand what's working for you and continue to do those things, but then figure out what do I need to do to take it up a notch or two, and that's how it's going to be all year, all season, and that's how it's going to be in the out of season. Every day is that are you getting better, or are you getting worse, and then it's our job to help our players navigate that.
On Wednesday afternoon, Spartan head coach Mel Tucker visited with reporters for 30 minutes on a Zoom call to give an update on the team.
Below is a transcript of the call with the media:
On the reality of the first game approaching...
It is becoming more real every day, which is a good thing. We've been waiting a long time for this opportunity. And so we're just making the most of it every day and just embracing the challenges that we have.
On how the team looked after the first scrimmage...
We were able to get some live work in a scrimmage setting, and I was very pleased. Obviously, a scrimmage is a different type of evaluation than just a normal practice when you're not tackling a lot to the ground. And so you just find out a little bit more about each player in that situation, in the stadium. That was actually the first time as a staff that we've seen our guys go live, full speed to the ground in a scrimmage, so it was beneficial for the players and also for the staff. We did that (first scrimmage) on Saturday.
On if there are plans for other scrimmages...
Look, we'd love to get a second one in, and hopefully this weekend, we can get that done.
On the status of Jordan Reid and Justin Stevens...
As of right now, those two have still opted out. And obviously, like we've said before, we're supporting our players and their decisions to be in or to opt out. And then we'll just see how it continues to play out.
On what has stood out during the first week in pads...
I like the way our players are buying into our system and to our culture and in how we do things. Also, I'm very pleased with our with our coaching staff, coming together, relatively for the first time on the field on a consistent basis in how we're working together with our players, along with our strength staff and all of our support people. So I feel, very confident about our operation, and our process. We're very process driven. And it's unfolding right before our eyes, and we're working hard at it every day to cement our culture, continue to drive home our process. But I do see a significant buy in from our players in terms of what we're asking them to do, and that is very, very positive.
On old traditions and new trends that have worked in coaching...
That's a great question. The game of football over the years has changed in a lot of ways in terms of offensive schemes, defensive schemes and just, kind of, what it looks like and some of the things that happen on the field in terms of when guys get takeaways and how they're being rewarded and how that's been celebrated. But at the end of the day, the game of football is fundamentally the same. It's best conditioned; it's technique and fundamentals. It's playing smart, and playing fast and it's being physical. And that's where our focus is right now. And it will continue to be that way. And as we connect more with our players, and our players learn more about us, and the individual personalities start to emerge more, that will also somewhat define the character of our team. And, the key to it is that, we have to always put the team first, and we want our players and all of our coaches to embrace the buy in to something that's bigger than themselves. And that's what's most important, because that's part of our process to get the buy in, to preach team, to develop the chemistry and to buy into the common goal. And to just really be able to demonstrate on a day to day basis what our standards of performance are, and with that getting done, you know, that's the brand of football that you'll see. That's how you develop the brand of ball that you will see on Saturdays, so that's where our main focus is right now.
On the assessment of the quarterback situation...
We're still in that process of rotating our guys equal amount of reps. They're working with different groups, and we're still right in the middle of the evaluation process. I will say this, that all of our quarterbacks, they bring a different set of skills and different traits to the table, and that's very interesting to see. The competition is good. We have a good room in that quarterback room. Coach (Jay) Johnson is doing an outstanding job with them. And there's good working relationships, and a good healthy competition, and everyone's trying to help each other get better. So, I feel very good about how we're handling that quarterback situation, but we're still in competition mode and things have not completely shaken out yet.
On if one side of the ball is further along that another...
That's a great question, because you'll hear that sometimes where a coach will say that right now our defense is further ahead, maybe because of guys returning or returning starters or things like that, or the offense is ahead. But right now in practice, our guys are competing good on good every day, and there's a lot of back and forth in our practices, which is a good thing. Some of the drills, the offense wins and some of the drills the defense wins. It goes back and forth, it's very competitive. And that's what we want to see and that's how it should be, but collectively offense, defense special teams, we're just looking for daily improvement in our conditioning, our technique and fundamentals. You know, playing smart, finding ways to put our guys in position where they can play fast, and obviously we need to be physical. And that's all part of the process, and the goal is that we will be efficient and be able to produce at a high level in all three phases when it's time to play the games.
On daily testing, building depth with potential COVID-19 related issues…
The testing is going well. We're very fortunate here in the Big Ten in the way the testing has been set up. We have very good rapport with the companies that are involved here on campus daily. They're here every day, they see us every morning. We're getting a chance to know them, and they're getting a chance to know us, and it's almost like they've become part of our support staff. It's going to be like that for quite some time. That working relationship, the mutual respect, and they bring a tremendous amount of professionalism to what they do in terms of testing and protocols and the staffing, so it's going relatively smoothly.
We've talked as a staff from early on that we were going to need to develop the entire roster, this year, this season. All scholarship players, walk-ons, everyone's going to have to be developed, in some way, shape or form to be able to, at some point, go in the game and play winning football for us if their number is called. That's our philosophy, to develop every player on our roster to put them in a position where they can be successful if and when they need to go in to a game.
On the necessity for flexibility this season…
COVID has added, in all of our lives in every way, different levels of complexity, so to speak. So we're handling it, staying neutral. What are the facts, what do we know, and then what do we need to do with the information we have, not get too high, not get too low and to take it done day at a time. Where we need to adapt and make adjustments as a staff, we do that. And the same thing with the players. We also continue to hammer our protocols and our behavior modification and all those things that will allow us to continue to practice and eventually to compete in games.
On cross-training players for other positions…
At some point, we're going to be doing some level of cross-training, even across the sides of the ball. But certainly the cross-training within the position group is happening now, making sure guys can play multiple positions within their segment, whether it's the secondary or the offensive line or receiver.
The receiver position, if guys know multiple positions, then you have more flexibility, and are you able to better handle injuries or anything that may be you know that is COVID related.
How important are leaders like Antjuan Simmons on a team like this…
Leadership is important. On all the great teams, you will find great leadership. And when you have that, it does go a long way to helping to develop the rest of the team. And so, Antjuan, for example, is a leader. He is a leader, he's bought into what we're doing, and then he's preaching and carrying the message to his teammates. And that's very, very helpful. And often times, a word or a message or a conversation from a teammate or from a peer may be as impactful or more impactful than that same type of conversation coming from a coach. Developing leadership, putting guys in position to lead, that's going to be very important to our success. I do see a large number, a high percentage of the guys that are bought in to what we're doing. And I do see leadership emerging, especially as the practices, get tougher, that's when the leaders really start to step up.
On the type of leader and player he's looking for…
The development takes place in many different ways. It takes place off the field, in terms of socially, in terms of academics. Darien Harris, our director of player engagement, does a great job with our players, helping them to develop off the field, as well as, Todd (Edwards) and Mandy (Chandler) and Antwan (Joseph) in academics, there's development that takes place there. There's also development that takes place in the classroom with the coaches in the meetings, reviewing film, and teaching guys the scheme and how to study, how to take notes, and that's development. And then in the weight room, development in terms of developing a faster, stronger, more explosive athlete so they can they can sustain and play hard for four quarters or more if needed. And then also the development on the field. The work that we're getting in practice with the reps that they're taking with the drill work, individual drill work, the group work, the team work, and then ultimately at the scrimmages. It's all a developmental process and we're very process driven here. A coach's job is to teach, motivate and develop players, and I've been very pleased with our staff and I believe that our staff is able to do that at a high level.
On Chief of Staff Geoff Martzen and having him on staff…
It's very important. Geoff's done a great job. Like you said he's worked with me before. He knows what my expectations are in terms of recruiting and staff dynamics and staff chemistry, and just culture. And culture is really big with me. He understands the process. He's able to work with me and work with our staff to make sure that we have an efficient operation here that is, we're process driven and that we're always hammering culture. He just does a phenomenal job with that and I feel very fortunate to have him here.
On Father Jake Foglio's passing, and if he had any personal relationship with him…
I did not know him very well. I was made aware of his passing. Obviously, I was saddened by that. My condolences go out to his family, and thoughts and prayers. Hopefully they will be able to heal and deal with this the best way that they can. And any support that we can give them here at Michigan State football, we would do that. It's always difficult when you lose someone that's been an integral part of your program for so many years, and you can see that reflected in some of the social media posts from coaches and players that have interacted with him over the years. So obviously that's a loss to our community. I was saddened by that, certainly.
On starting game prep vs. Rutgers…
There's certain stages of game prep. But right now, we're really focused on our team and our players. Certainly, game week will be all Rutgers, and typically, the last three days prior to game week, we'll turn our attention to our opponent. That pivot is coming soon.
On expectations…
Pressure is a privilege, in my mind. The expectations are high here, they always have been, and I embrace that. But we're really focused on the process, the day-to-day process, in terms of developing our team, developing our culture, connecting with our players, and hammering that process daily, and then doing that will put us in a position to have success in games and really rise up and fulfill the expectations that we all have. We just have to make sure that we don't get too far ahead of ourselves in terms of our thought process. We talk to our players about then, now, and next. And right now, we're in the 'now.' And what we do now will determine what we do next. But we're in the now.
On looking at the roster…
We're still evaluating our players. We have more of a rep chart than a depth chart right now, and there's a difference, because we're rotating our guys and giving guys opportunities to work with other players, and so that evaluation is ongoing, and we're right in the middle of it. At some point, we're going to make decisions on who the starters are going to be, and who the next man up is going to be, but in actuality, that's also not set in stone, because you have to compete to play. You have to compete in practice to earn the playing time that you get; that's each and every day. There's never going to be a moment where a person or a player has a position and he does not have to compete and fight to maintain that position on a daily basis. That's just not how we operate. It's always going to be very competitive, and we're going to play the best players that gives us the best chance to be successful. But also, we're going to continue to develop the guys behind them, and at some point in the season, you still may see changes in who you see on the field, based on what production guys are having in games, and what guys are doing in practice, because we try and create a practice atmosphere, that the goal is to have your practices harder than your games. That's your goal, to get to the point where you can do that. So if a guy can do it in practice against good players in practice, then you know he can do it in the game. So as guys emerge and develop in practice, whether it's younger guys, or guys coming off of an injury or whatever, that may change who you see playing in the games.
On establishing a depth chart…
When we get into game week, we're going to have to decide who gets the reps. And then we're going to have to develop scout teams. At that point, as we decide, who's going to be on the scout team, and then who we're going to dedicate the reps to, at the point, it starts to form a depth chart. But the actual date, right now, is to be determined, when those announcements may come, and we'll just have to see how those shake out.
On the quarterback competition possibly going into the season…
It depends on the team. It depends on the players involved, and also the coaches, the head coach, and the coordinators and position coaches, how that process is managed, has a lot to do with how successful you are. So, I'm very confident in our staff, and our staff's ability to evaluate and communicate with our players to let them know where they stand, each and every day. And then always providing a plan, or laying out a path forward for them to improve, and prove their position, and like I told the players after the scrimmage, if you're not where you want to be right now, then change your behavior. Your behavior will determine how you perform. And if you are happy with where you are right now, understand what's working for you and continue to do those things, but then figure out what do I need to do to take it up a notch or two, and that's how it's going to be all year, all season, and that's how it's going to be in the out of season. Every day is that are you getting better, or are you getting worse, and then it's our job to help our players navigate that.
Players Mentioned
Monday, September 28
Saturday, September 26
Thursday, September 24
Monday, September 21