University of Tennessee Athletics
Media Monday: Players Talk TaxSlayer Bowl
December 08, 2014 | Football
Senior Defensive Lineman Jordan Williams
(On finding out about Jacksonville)
"We didn't really know what bowl we were going to play in. There were a lot of rumors floating around. The first thing I did was text a lot of my friends back home and text my friends.
"There were a lot of rumors floating around. I'm sure y'all heard some things, but honestly, we really didn't know."
(On being able to get tickets for all his friends)
"It's going to be tough. I was already thinking about that. I think we get six tickets this game, so I'm going to try to get some guys to help me out."
(On the team's reaction when they found out)
"It was wild. It was pure excitement. We really appreciate the Gator Bowl giving us that bid and it was a great, great time."
(On ending career with a bowl game as one of the few seniors)
"To go from no bowl games the last couple years to us playing in a January bowl game like the Gator Bowl is a great feeling."
(On what he knows about Iowa)
I talked to (Danny) O'Brien who had a friend that played against them and he said that they had a solid offensive line and an offensive tackle. We're just going to prepared like it's any other game. We're going to be prepared; we've got a whole month.
(On if this is a rewards trip or a business trip)
"Of course it's going to be a good time. Postseason play is going to be exciting and a good time, but we're going down there with a business mindset and preparing this month with a business mindset because we still have a game to win."
(On how this team is going to prevent the bowl experience from being a factor)
"Our coaching staff has experience with bowls and I'm sure they know that we might get caught up in a little bit of the excitement, so I trust their preparation in us getting ready to play in this bowl."
(On if he feels like UT needs to represent the SEC against the Big 10)
"It's Tennessee playing Iowa, but I'm sure that comes into factor."
(On how surprised he was to find out they were going to a Florida bowl game)
"The thing is we heard a lot of different rumors from a lot of different bowl games. I know early in the season my mom said `I hope you end up back in Florida so we can stay in this warm weather,' but the Gator Bowl chose us. It's a great thing."
(On yesterday's practice)
"Practice was fun yesterday. I can tell you that. I think we got back to just playing football yesterday. We weren't focused on any other team. We weren't preparing, no scouts, no looks, nothing like that. We got back to just playing each other and competing. I'm not going to lie, that's the most fun I've had in practice
(On the importance of the extra practices)
"These extra 15 practices. These young guys, a lot of them play on scout teams during the season and they don't get to get first team looks and stuff like that, so they're in another position that they normally wouldn't be playing and to get them reps here, 15 practices here, and then take that intro the spring and then they get another 15 in the spring and take that to the fall. It's like a whole other spring. To get them a lot of reps and get them a lot of looks is really big."
Junior Offensive Lineman Kyler Kerbyson
(On the emotions of a fourth-year player finally getting to a bowl game)
"It's really huge. It's a monkey off our back, so to speak. I really wanted to do it for the guys that were leaving. I still have an extra year, but the guys I came in with like Jordan and some of the older guys don't have another chance, so I wanted to do it for them."
(On what the fifth-year seniors have said about the bowl atmosphere)
"They just told us how much fun it is, how exciting it is to be able to go to a different city and spend time with your teammates. It's separate from just football (and) how great it is just to have the whole experience."
(On what bowl game he was expecting)
"I really didn't have any idea all the way up until we figured it out. We were hearing rumors from everywhere. We really didn't know where we were going but when he said we were in a January bowl, that made a huge difference. There's literally a difference between December 30 and January 1. That next step, the bowl site is even better. We're super excited that we get a chance to play in Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl."
(On how hard it was to stay focused waiting to find out the bowl game)
"I mean at this point, we're happy ot go anywhere, so it wasn't on our mind. We were just going out to practice to have fun like we always do. We had a ball at practice yesterday. We got a lot of scrimmaging done to where we were doing situations and for a good eight to 10 periods we were just playing each other. We weren't thinking about anything else. It helped to get things off our mind."
(On Coach Jones contract extension)
"It's huge because I believe in Coach Jones. I know he can do a lot of great things. I would really want him to stay as long as possible and be able to get freshmen coming in next year all the way through all five years if they're here and just keep building the program up. It really gives us a lot of confidence in him. I want to be one of the VFLs coming back and being excited to come to a game and cheer on the Vols."
Sophomore Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin
(On how this game can set the tone for next season)
"I think it's going to be big. The way I see it is that there's no turning back now. We had a 6-6 season and we got the chance to play in the TaxSlayer Bowl, but now we just got to keep climbing. This is the first stepping stone. Next year, we're going to elevate and the next year, we're going to elevate."
(On the importance of the extra practices)
"I think it's real big for our linebacker room. We have a lot of young guys in the room. I'm one of the most experienced players, and I'm just a sophomore. I think it's going to help our linebacker room a lot getting those guys reps and helping them play because really some of the guys that have been on scout team they haven't just been playing our defense since like week two or three, so it's big for them."
