University of Tennessee Athletics
Media Monday: Players Preview Ole Miss
October 13, 2014 | Football
Vols linebackers A.J. Johnson and Jalen Reeves-Maybin met with the media on Monday to preview the game at Ole Miss.
Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin
(On the value of his experience from last season)
"It was definitely great just trying to adjust to the speed of the game. I was learning to play with a lot better players with a lot more speed and a lot stronger guys. But it was also good being in the linebacker room watching [Dontavis] Sapp and seeing how he and Coach Thigpen talk to each other, learning the game like that helped me a lot too."
(On whether A.J. Johnson has taken on Dontavis Sapp's role in the meeting room)
"Yeah, I mean, A.J. has always been a leader in the room, even last year. His role has stayed the same and he's been the guy in the room."
(On holding opponents to below 100 passing yards)
"It's definitely good. We try to come out and just perform to our standards every week. Our defensive line has been great and our secondary is playing great, so I think that's why you see teams struggling to throw the ball against us lately. It's definitely good when those two groups are playing well with each other."
(On the defense overachieving this season)
"I would say no because nobody really knows the work that we put in with those guys in the room with us. Throughout the summer and throughout the spring, we grind together and hold each other accountable. I expect big things from all my teammates so I wouldn't say that as much."
(On whether Coach Jones' overachieving comments motivate them)
"I would say it's not motivation but we just try to go out there and play for each other. We've got to have each other's back and that's what we try to live by. It is a standard and we try to play to that standard every week."
(On who is stepping up on the defense)
"I think Jakob Johnson flew around and made some tackles out there. I always think Kenny Bynum does a good job and he's been getting more reps earlier in the game also. Kendal Vickers played well while he was out there on the D-line. They gave up a touchdown and we were looking for that shutout so we've got to kind of get that stuff corrected with the young guys."
(On defensive players making an impression Saturday vs. Chattanooga)
"I think Jakob Johnson, he flew around and made some tackles. Looked good out there. I always think Kenny Bynum does a good job, but he's been getting more reps earlier in the game, also. Kendal Vickers played well while he was in there on the D-line. They gave up a touchdown. We were looking for that shutout, so we have to get that stuff corrected with the young guys."
(On feeding off one another)
"I think I feed off A.J. more than he feeds off me. At the beginning of the season, he'd always make fun of me because I didn't really get hype after I made plays. I'm just trying to match his intensity when I'm out there and play to his standard.
(On defense keeping teams in football games)
"Just playing complimentary football. Defense trying to put special teams in a good situation, special teams trying to put offense in a good situation. We're just trying to feed off each other, doing whatever it takes to win the game."
(On feelings after playing less snaps Saturday)
"It feels good to play a little bit less snaps. My body feels a lot better on a Monday after a game, but you're always going to be kind of beat up throughout the season. Even going through practice, you're going to get some more bruises here and there. It's definitely good to get off the field and kind of rest a little bit."
Linebacker A.J. Johnson
(On the difference between this year's and last year's defense)
"This is our second year learning the defense so everyone is out there more confident. We've been playing with each other for four years now and we have a lot of guys who bonded, who probably haven't seen the field as much but they're on the field so we know each other. We've been playing together with a lot of cohesiveness, a lot of communication. Me and Jalen [Reeves-Maybin] communicate really well on the field so that makes everything go smooth with the safeties dropping down and it's just all flowing together."
(On what it would have been like to play in the same system for four years)
"No, I really don't think of it that way. I think of it as a blessing to be able to play in different defenses, to be able to learn different schemes and different defenses and it's been nice these two years to be able to play in it so it worked for the better."
(On not playing the entire game last week)
"It was nice. It was good for the second string and the young guys to be able to get in there and get some plays and let them develop a little more because they probably haven't experienced games. So it was good for them to experience playing in a game and we were able to correct what they did wrong, critique and stuff like that just to improve their game."
(On helping linebacker Jakob Johnson)
"He probably is a little new to football but he's doing good. He's getting better every day, I can say that, being his roommate in the hotel. We go over plays and stuff like that before a game with formations and checks. He's getting the knowledge of the game down really well so it's just putting it all together, going out there and doing it. He's doing well so far."
(On feeding off one another)
"To go off of what he said, earlier in the season, every time he made a play I wanted to go jump up and go crazy with him. But, he was a little winded, so I was like, `All right.' He was like, `I'm just getting my mind right for the next play. That's all.' I was like, `All right. I respect that.' I love it. I love seeing him make plays. He's making plays in the backfield. When I see him to his celebration--the little fist pump--I just get turned up. I know he's ready to go. It just feels good seeing my teammates make plays. We just have fun. That's the big thing. WE are both having fun, making plays and we're excited for this week, too. We're ready to go out there and have some fun again."
(On Ole Miss)
"We know they have a running quarterback. That's one thing we've been seeing all season, so we're going to be prepared for that. They have a great defense. But, we haven't broken the film down to details and all that. We know they have a good quarterback who can make plays and a great defense."
(On chance to make a statement at Ole Miss)
"It's going to be a fun opportunity. We get to go down there in a hostile environment. We are going to be ready. We're going to be excited to go down there and play. We're going to go out there and do what we do--go make plays as a defense and do our job. We're going to have fun out there. It's going to be fun."
(On feelings after playing less snaps Saturday)
"I feel good every week. I can play. It doesn't matter to me, I feel good every week. I can play 80 snaps or 40 snaps, I'm always ready to go and feel good."
(On bruises after game)
"That comes with football. Each week in and out, you're going to have bruises here and bruises there. That's football. It's part of the game, so it doesn't bother me."
(On where Johnson's celebrations come from) "It just came. The machine gun thing, I used to do that in high school with my teammates. In high school, we said, "Let the guns out.' My high school teammates--when they see that, they already know what I'm doing. I just brought it up here this year. I felt I have to bring something back. We like to be known as Light `Em Up. We like going out there, flying around and hitting people, having fun. That's were [the celebration] probably came from. Then, the little kick, it just happened. The first time last year, I just did it. I don't know, I was just excited and did it. I just kept doing it. People like it, and teammates think that's fine. I was like, `Shoot, I'll keep doing it.'"
(On what Coach Jones thinks about the celebrations)
"He's real okay with it. He likes us out there having fun. That's the big thing. If we're out there having fun, playing together, celebrating, good things happen. We're out there balling and stuff. It just makes us play even better."
