Highlights from our latest player interviews ...
OL NICO FALAH
--on his impressions of the offseason
“It’s the best summer since I’ve been here as a team and individually. My body’s been making big strides and my game has too.”
--on competing for the starting center job in training camp
“Finally. It’s about that time. It’s time to lock in, it’s time to take advantage of this opportunity. I’m looking forward to this camp and trying to make a big impression to my coaching staff. I’ve been working really hard this offseason, doing extra stuff off the field, on the field, film room. I feel like my chances are pretty good. They’re telling me it’s me and Toa (Lobendahn), running with the ones and twos, switching on and off. Its open competition, that’s what they retelling me. We’ll see what happens. …
“I finally got the chance; it’s there. I just got to take it. It’s been a while since I’ve actually done something meaningful (in football). At the end of the season, I got a little taste of it. But I’m trying to make it a norm at the beginning of the season.”
--on whether he expects to play center all season
“I’ve moved around, tackle, guard, center. My goal is to win the (center) job. If I fall short, I’m still looking at center. I feel that’s my best position right now. It was difficult (last year to move) from tackle to center in the middle of the season. But I think it worked out well. I feel like I’m really good at center. The coaches are telling me I’m kind of a natural center. That’s the first time I’ve heard that. I’ve been playing center for less than a year. It’s good stuff to hear.”
--on whether he wishes he’d moved sooner
“You never know what’s going to happen. I think (playing) tackle got me out there on the recruiting circuit. It all plays out in college, you fit in where you belong, and I belong at center. I’m still young at the position because I’ve been playing half a year. The coaches have been telling me I still have a lot to learn. It’s good to pick knowledge from the pro guys who are always coming around here to work out, and always be in the film room to (learn) from other centers because I’m new to it.”
--on what it would mean to him to win the starting job
“It would mean everything to me. That’s why I came to USC, to win a starting job and be somebody that can help this team win games. It would mean a lot to me. I’m finally working hard for it and I’m finally getting the chance.”
OG DAMIEN MAMA
--on assistant Neil Callaway’s coaching style
“He’s an old school coach. He’s hard on us. It’s what you expect from an old school coach, he’s been coaching for long time. He’s expecting a lot from us and just wants us to do our best out there.”
--on what he’s focused on this offseason
“Consistency. I lost a little strength when I lost all this weight. I’m getting that back. Just finishing, being a more dominant offensive lineman and have a presence out there.”
--He’s currently at 325 pounds. (Remember, he came in at 397.)
--on how the reduced weight helps him
“Conditioning. My mind is clearer during practices, and I just feel good. I can play at the speed I want to.”
--on the competition with Chris Brown
“I just got to do my job. The coaches are going to put the best five out there and I just got to work, gotta show them what I have.”
--on how he learned Chris Brown had surpassed him on the depth chart
“There wasn’t a conversation, it just happened. Coach made that decision and I can’t complain. I’m not going to tell him that I deserve that spot. I don’t deserve anything. I just got to earn it. … It definitely surprised (me), but it’s not going to bother me. It’s just going to make the chip on my shoulder a little bigger.”
--on when he realized he was in for a competition with Brown
“It’s always a competition. I’m not one to sit down and rest on what I’ve gained. I just like working. It just shows that I haven’t worked hard enough. I just got to get out there and compete. That’s just great motivation to get back out there. I want to play. I don’t want to be sitting on the sidelines. It’s all on me now. I just got to get to work.”
--on what it would mean to him to reclaim his starting job
“It’s just another day. If anything, that’s one thing I want to live by this season, just take one day at a time. If I work every day, there’s nothing that can stop me.”
--on what he wants to accomplish this season
“I want to be a dominant offensive lineman. I want somebody to talk about how I play. I (made) the Outland watch list, so I got to prove I want it. I want the Outland Trophy. I’m not going to lie to you. I just got to work. It’s something I’ve been working (toward) since I got here, that Outland Trophy.”
--on what he sees from the offensive line
“Experience. A lot more maturity. Well, not more maturity. Our offensive line has always been mature. It’s just a lot of experience. We’ve seen a lot and we’ve been through a lot. Now we just got to come together as a unit and just play. There’s another trophy we’re trying to win as an offensive line unit. I forgot the name of it. We’re trying to strive for that one and be the greatest offensive line in the country. … I feel like we have the potential to be top in the country. We can be the best offensive line in the country. It just depends on how we play and compete. When we play together as a unit, it’s unstoppable.”
--on a message to the fans
“Don’t sleep on us. Don’t sleep on us as a team. We’re just ready to compete. It’s a different feeling around us and we’re ready to get out there. There’s an itch. We’re really itching to get out there. We’re ready.”
--He said he expects to only play at left guard now that there are more linemen available at each spot.
OL NICO FALAH
--on his impressions of the offseason
“It’s the best summer since I’ve been here as a team and individually. My body’s been making big strides and my game has too.”
--on competing for the starting center job in training camp
“Finally. It’s about that time. It’s time to lock in, it’s time to take advantage of this opportunity. I’m looking forward to this camp and trying to make a big impression to my coaching staff. I’ve been working really hard this offseason, doing extra stuff off the field, on the field, film room. I feel like my chances are pretty good. They’re telling me it’s me and Toa (Lobendahn), running with the ones and twos, switching on and off. Its open competition, that’s what they retelling me. We’ll see what happens. …
“I finally got the chance; it’s there. I just got to take it. It’s been a while since I’ve actually done something meaningful (in football). At the end of the season, I got a little taste of it. But I’m trying to make it a norm at the beginning of the season.”
--on whether he expects to play center all season
“I’ve moved around, tackle, guard, center. My goal is to win the (center) job. If I fall short, I’m still looking at center. I feel that’s my best position right now. It was difficult (last year to move) from tackle to center in the middle of the season. But I think it worked out well. I feel like I’m really good at center. The coaches are telling me I’m kind of a natural center. That’s the first time I’ve heard that. I’ve been playing center for less than a year. It’s good stuff to hear.”
--on whether he wishes he’d moved sooner
“You never know what’s going to happen. I think (playing) tackle got me out there on the recruiting circuit. It all plays out in college, you fit in where you belong, and I belong at center. I’m still young at the position because I’ve been playing half a year. The coaches have been telling me I still have a lot to learn. It’s good to pick knowledge from the pro guys who are always coming around here to work out, and always be in the film room to (learn) from other centers because I’m new to it.”
--on what it would mean to him to win the starting job
“It would mean everything to me. That’s why I came to USC, to win a starting job and be somebody that can help this team win games. It would mean a lot to me. I’m finally working hard for it and I’m finally getting the chance.”
OG DAMIEN MAMA
--on assistant Neil Callaway’s coaching style
“He’s an old school coach. He’s hard on us. It’s what you expect from an old school coach, he’s been coaching for long time. He’s expecting a lot from us and just wants us to do our best out there.”
--on what he’s focused on this offseason
“Consistency. I lost a little strength when I lost all this weight. I’m getting that back. Just finishing, being a more dominant offensive lineman and have a presence out there.”
--He’s currently at 325 pounds. (Remember, he came in at 397.)
--on how the reduced weight helps him
“Conditioning. My mind is clearer during practices, and I just feel good. I can play at the speed I want to.”
--on the competition with Chris Brown
“I just got to do my job. The coaches are going to put the best five out there and I just got to work, gotta show them what I have.”
--on how he learned Chris Brown had surpassed him on the depth chart
“There wasn’t a conversation, it just happened. Coach made that decision and I can’t complain. I’m not going to tell him that I deserve that spot. I don’t deserve anything. I just got to earn it. … It definitely surprised (me), but it’s not going to bother me. It’s just going to make the chip on my shoulder a little bigger.”
--on when he realized he was in for a competition with Brown
“It’s always a competition. I’m not one to sit down and rest on what I’ve gained. I just like working. It just shows that I haven’t worked hard enough. I just got to get out there and compete. That’s just great motivation to get back out there. I want to play. I don’t want to be sitting on the sidelines. It’s all on me now. I just got to get to work.”
--on what it would mean to him to reclaim his starting job
“It’s just another day. If anything, that’s one thing I want to live by this season, just take one day at a time. If I work every day, there’s nothing that can stop me.”
--on what he wants to accomplish this season
“I want to be a dominant offensive lineman. I want somebody to talk about how I play. I (made) the Outland watch list, so I got to prove I want it. I want the Outland Trophy. I’m not going to lie to you. I just got to work. It’s something I’ve been working (toward) since I got here, that Outland Trophy.”
--on what he sees from the offensive line
“Experience. A lot more maturity. Well, not more maturity. Our offensive line has always been mature. It’s just a lot of experience. We’ve seen a lot and we’ve been through a lot. Now we just got to come together as a unit and just play. There’s another trophy we’re trying to win as an offensive line unit. I forgot the name of it. We’re trying to strive for that one and be the greatest offensive line in the country. … I feel like we have the potential to be top in the country. We can be the best offensive line in the country. It just depends on how we play and compete. When we play together as a unit, it’s unstoppable.”
--on a message to the fans
“Don’t sleep on us. Don’t sleep on us as a team. We’re just ready to compete. It’s a different feeling around us and we’re ready to get out there. There’s an itch. We’re really itching to get out there. We’re ready.”
--He said he expects to only play at left guard now that there are more linemen available at each spot.
