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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 28, 2016

Sam Rogers

Greensboro, North Carolina

Q. How much have you seen out of Clemson's defense and maybe any weaknesses that they've had you guys might try to exploit?
SAM ROGERS: I mean, Clemson's defense is pretty sound overall. They've got a lot of good players all over the place. Defensive line is really, really good. Still in the process of breaking the film down and all that stuff, but they're very good all over.

Q. When you look at that defensive line as far as pass protection and Jerod just being able to make plays with his feet, how critical will it be to keep a clean pocket and give some room for Jerod to work?
SAM ROGERS: Yeah, we've always got to protect the quarterback no matter what game it is, and especially this game we've got to protect the quarterback, protect the ball. That will be huge just like it is in any game.

Q. As a senior, when you were coming to Virginia Tech, it was a team that was routinely in the ACC title hunt, 10 wins, 11 wins, whatever it was, but as a senior what's it mean for you to get this program back to an ACC Championship level after a couple of lean years?
SAM ROGERS: It means a lot, just seeing what me and the other guys that I came in with go through just as a senior class. We're trying to convey to the younger guys that opportunities like this don't come around often, that this is special, so we've got to take advantage of it. We've been through some tough seasons the past couple years, but it means a lot to get back to a game like this. We're not just excited to be here, we're excited to compete and go have a chance to win.

Q. A couple of coaches have mentioned how sometimes it's hard to get the upperclassmen on board because they have an attachment to the old coach, they're a little bit older and kind of a little bit more thinking for themselves. What was the senior class's kind of mindset going into those first few meetings with Coach Fuente?
SAM ROGERS: Yeah, it's one of the things Coach Fuente addressed right away with us. He was telling us that he thought it was going to be harder to get the seniors on board and that he really just needed our leadership. But as far as the senior class goes, I think we were all just eager to get back to work and trust in the guy who wanted to win, so it was really easy to do with Coach Fuente, so he got our trust right away, and we just wanted to get to work.

Q. I know Jerod came in with a bunch of you senior guys so he really wasn't expected to take that leadership role right away, but has he evolved at all over the season, become a little bit more vocal in the locker room, or have you looked to him in certain situations for his leadership?
SAM ROGERS: With that position, being quarterback, you're going to, whether you like it or not, be forced into a leadership role. So he's done a really good job of speaking when he needs to and leading by example in every way possible. Guys rally around that.

Q. What's his leadership style? Will he yell at you guys in games or anything like that, or is he kind of more lead-by-example guy?
SAM ROGERS: He's told us before that he feels like there's a lot of guys on the team already that will speak to the team and talk to the team when needed, but he's not shy in talking when he needs to, but for the most part he leads by example.

Q. What was the atmosphere like in the locker room when Coach Beamer walked in before the Virginia game, and what was you and your teammates' reactions?
SAM ROGERS: It was awesome. We didn't expect it. We didn't know what was going on. It was a surprise from Coach Fuente to bring him in there. We all just gave him a standing ovation, and it was good to see him back. He's meant a lot to us and this community, so it was nice to see him back.

Q. As a kind of follow-up to some of these questions, oftentimes when a legendary coach retires, the transition isn't as seamless as the one that you guys have had at Virginia Tech. Why do you think everything has been so smooth for the program?
SAM ROGERS: I think it just speaks to the kind of people that Coach Beamer and Coach Fuente are, and I told people before, it's not like we were going for two drastically different types of people. You go from a blue collar coach in Coach Beamer to another blue collar coach in Coach Fuente. You have the same foundation there, so it makes the transition easier.

Q. When you first met with Coach Fuente, did you get that sense immediately, that they were very similar types of people?
SAM ROGERS: Yeah, I mean, one of the first things he told me, he goes, we're just going to have to work, we're going to roll our sleeves up and get to work, and that's the only way he knows how to do things, and that's the same kind of attitude that Coach Beamer has.

Q. You're kind of a throwback type of fullback. You're on the field most of the time, and a lot of teams don't even use a fullback or use it rarely. You run it, you can catch it, you can throw it a little bit, of course you block. With that kind of versatility, what's your favorite part of the game? What do you enjoy doing the most when you're on the field?
SAM ROGERS: I'll do whatever it takes to win, whatever the team needs me to do, I'll do. I feel confident doing a bunch of different things. Yeah, so whatever the coaches want me to do, I'll do it, and I feel confident in it, and I obviously enjoy every part of it.

Q. As that Swiss Army Knife kind of guy, do you consider yourself somebody who can help break open a game at any point?
SAM ROGERS: Yeah, I mean, I feel confident in myself. Like I say, whatever the coaches want me to do, I'll do, and I feel confident in my abilities to do that well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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