|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FINAL: OREGON v OHIO STATEJanuary 10, 2015Cardale JonesARLINGTON, TEXAS Q. What do you notice about Oregon's defense? CARDALE JONES: A defense that plays together, a defense that swarms the ball and a defense that plays the ball aggressively in the air. Q. Do you mind repeating that? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, a defense that plays together, a defense that plays hard, a defense that swarms the ball and are aggressive when the ball is in the air. Q. Talk about this experience. When you look around this media day, what is this like for you? CARDALE JONES: I mean, yeah, the whole process is unreal right now, but this is‑‑ the media and stuff like that, it's not about the media, it's about winning this game and preparing like none other. Q. Do you feel ready? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, with more preparation, the more confidence you get, the more confident the teammates have in yourself. So yeah, as we prepare and we keep preparing, we feel like we'll be more ready for the game. Q. For you, how have you been able to take advantage of this opportunity? Everyone talks about third string. CARDALE JONES: I go back to the preparation. You know, I wouldn't be able to do what I've been doing as an offense and as a unit without the right preparation. Q. How about your arm strength, do you think that's been a bit of a change for yourself in terms of your ability? CARDALE JONES: A little because we take a little more shots down the field, but we were taking shots down the field with Braxton and J. T., as well, but a couple more shots down the field. Q. Do you feel like the Alabama defense was kind of daring you to throw the ball? CARDALE JONES: Not really daring me, but they wanted to stop the run first and we wanted to set up the run to set up the deep shots down the field. They challenged us, and I'm glad we were able to respond to a couple of them challenges. Q. How far do you throw the ball? CARDALE JONES: About 80, 85 yards. Q. Do you anticipate them trying to play you guys differently, trying to take away the deep shots? CARDALE JONES: Playing us differently, maybe, but they've got to game plan for us, but I can't see them doing anything drastic or out of their character to prepare and to play us because that didn't get them where they're at today. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: That he has us at competitive excellence at all times, just holding every guy accountable. Q. As a guy who's been here, what has he told you about (inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: We really haven't had too many talks about that yet, but I know they're coming, but basically just embrace the moment and live in the moment and play within yourself. Q. (Inaudible) does that take anything away? Do you have to play a little more cautious? CARDALE JONES:  You know, playing cautious like that, that's what gets you hurt. They haven't told me make sure you slide or get out of bounds. Just play smart and play within yourself. Q. Who is your backup? CARDALE JONES: Jalin Marshall. Q. Does he get reps in? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, he gets reps in. We try to keep him locked in with the mental reps when he's not in at quarterback, but it's kind of difficult and hard for him because he's a receiver. We don't expect him to get in and do things that a quarterback would do, but he should be able to get in and manage the game. Q. Can you rate him as a quarterback? CARDALE JONES: No, no, not yet. Q. By the end of the year when you were No.3 and you were a junior, how tough was it to stay positive and believe you'd get an opportunity? CARDALE JONES: It was very tough because being a No.3 and then having two guys in front of you performing the way they were before Braxton and JT went down, it was tough to stay positive. It was tough to have that mindset, I'm here for a reason. But with the help of my teammates and my coaches, I've got a chance to stick it out. Q. There's a lot of Cam Newton comparisons. CARDALE JONES: No, I really don't feed into all the comparisons. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Man, unbelievable. I see the best player in college football, a future NFL player and a great leader, and one thing is that‑‑ that he has that really separates him from every other quarterback or players in the nation is his decision making. Q. What do you see from Oregon's defense? CARDALE JONES: Their front. They run an I‑4‑I defense and it's hard to get double teams on guys and working on some backers. Q. What about the secondary? CARDALE JONES: Guys that play the ball and they're aggressive. Q. Cardale, Marcus Mariota earlier called you a freshman, thought you were a freshman. What have you heard that is the furthest from the truth about you? What type of rumors that you've heard? CARDALE JONES: Well, of course I'm not a freshman. A couple of rumors. Let me think. That I'm just back there just playing backyard football. A lot of people think that we're just back there playing off pure talent and they don't understand how much working goes into really each play. So all the rumors about that is completely wrong. Q. What are your thoughts on the playoffs this time as far as affording you guys this opportunity? What do you think about the human element, the selection committee? CARDALE JONES: I mean, I love it, because it gives us a chance for not just two teams to show that they're worthy but four, and I'm sure it was tough for them to pick the top four and definitely the fourth spot, but this is a system that has grown on us as a team and a system that gives one‑loss teams a chance. Q. What was it like for you on that day when you found out you guys were in that moment? CARDALE JONES: You know, it was mind blowing because thinking back to September or late August, everybody counted us out. It was just a shocker, basically. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: I mean, the game by itself already means the world to not just me but my teammates and Buckeye Nation and our university, but him being in his condition, it added a little more emotions for me, but we've just still got to go out there and play the game. Q. Do you guys pay attention to the perception of the conference? Do you feel like you're representing the Big Ten here? CARDALE JONES: I mean, yeah, we represent the Big Ten, but we don't go out here and say let's win the game for the Big Ten, or if we lose this game the Big Ten is anything. We want to win this game for each other and Buckeye Nation. Q. (Inaudible.) What's the strangest or craziest thing that's happened since (inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: Just not really being able to walk anywhere or go out in public without somebody recognizing you, somebody wanting to take a picture or autograph. I don't mind that, but it's still unreal right now, like you really want my autograph or a picture with me? That's probably one of the strangest things. It happened so fast. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: No, not really, because I got pretty known on campus for that stupid tweet a couple years ago, so everybody kind of knew who I was. Q. You guys have had a chance to study these guys a little bit more. Heading into the game, this week's preparation, what stands out about them? What impresses you about them? CARDALE JONES: What really stands out about them is they don't get as much credit as they deserve. When you hear the team Oregon, you think about their offense, you think about the Heisman Trophy winner and you think about their tempo, but their defense keeps their offense motivated because the defense is out there stopping guys and containing guys. They played against teams like Utah and other great teams, and the defense are basically doing enough to get their offense back the ball and put up the points, so their defense is definitely underrated. Q. What are the nerves like right now? CARDALE JONES: You know, pretty calm, cool, collected right now, but as we get closer, you see guys get a little jittery, guys getting a little more antsy just to put the uniform on, and then when the uniform is on, all that goes away. Q. Were you nervous at the beginning of the Sugar Bowl, at the beginning of that game? CARDALE JONES: Nervous, maybe a little, but more jitters. I wanted to hurry up and get back out there. We had a two‑and‑a‑half, three‑week layoff from the Big Ten Championship Game, so I wanted to hurry up and get back out there and get back in motion. Q. Does this feel different with the shorter turnaround, more like during the regular season? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, definitely, it almost has the feeling of an away game. We come down a day or two before the actual game. But different feeling from the Sugar Bowl. We was down there five or six days before the game. Q. What about the travel, the fact that you've spent five or six days at a bowl game, go back to Ohio, come back down here. That's a lot of travel. CARDALE JONES: Yeah, it's a lot of travel, but our strength staff does an unbelievable job making sure we're rested and we have our legs and our body as close to 100 percent as possible during this point of the season. Q. Everybody always talks about having to be ready to be the next man up. Can you talk a little bit about Coach Herman's approach in the classroom, talking about Xs and Os and how he always (inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: Right, his approach to that is basically making sure everybody is engaged in meetings because it's no limit on the reps you can get in meetings and film. Of course being a starter, the starters are going to get 98‑percent of the reps in practice, and if this group messes up, they could have a chance to redo plays, but if the backup group messes up, it's like on to the next one. So that preparation in the meeting rooms and film study is the key. Q. What's been the biggest part about taking it from the meeting room on to the field that maybe you didn't anticipate? CARDALE JONES: It's kind of hard to say because that's where the game is won to me is in the meeting room and preparation and film study, because for a quarterback the game really slows down when you understand the Xs and Os. Q. You haven't had a chance to slow down yet, though, have you? CARDALE JONES: I mean, as far as I'm saying slowing down is understanding the defense and understanding what the other team wants to do to you and just understanding where guys need to be. That helps the game slow down a lot. Q. Have you watched Mariota play much? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, I actually caught three games this year, Michigan State, Utah, and UCLA, I believe. Q. What do you notice? CARDALE JONES: His leadership and his decision making is unbelievable. Q. Obviously you're a very big story back home. Any thought about what you're doing and what that means to the kids in your community? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, it means a lot, not just to the kids in the community, but to them it definitely means a lot because seeing a product of their environment on this stage in life just basically gives them‑‑ hopefully gives them that push, that drive, and that understanding that anything is really possible. Q. Having been through what you went through the previous two games (inaudible) in terms of a national stage? CARDALE JONES: Rattle? I mean, I don't know, because other than taking a couple of big shots versus Alabama, I don't think I've been rattled this season or these past two games. Q. Did you hear what Nick Saban said after the game about you? CARDALE JONES: No, no, I didn't. Q. Do you have a different element, as good as JT was and Braxton? CARDALE JONES: I don't think I add an extra element to the receivers because we had two Heisman Trophy candidates right in front of me. I feel like when JT and Braxton went down, the receivers, not just the receivers, the offense and the team just felt like they needed to pick up the slack and do something extra, so that goes to them and their preparation they put in, not just in practice but after practice in the meeting rooms and making sure they're on point. Q. How do you not get sucked into a shootout with a team like Oregon? CARDALE JONES: Because we don't prepare for the other team's offense, we prepare for their defense. We try to score as many times as we get the ball. That can be a shootout any game. I mean, I know that we know they score fast and frequently, but as long as we stick to our game plan as an offense and not get sucked into the mindset you've got to have a shootout, we should be all right. Q. Have you had a chance to stand on the sideline and watch (inaudible) in what aspects are they better now than the loss against Virginia Tech? CARDALE JONES: In my opinion, understanding the game and playing within each other and playing together. In the beginning we only had one offensive starter returning, I think it was Taylor Decker at the time, and he was basically surrounded by a bunch of young guys, a bunch of inexperienced guys. His leadership has‑‑ as his leadership increased, the line has gotten better. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Oh, no, no. Their program speaks for itself. A couple years ago they were just in the National Championship Game and it went down to the wire with Auburn. They get the top recruits each year, they have the top facilities and they perform each year. Winning or losing, that's a championship, and that sets a value on a program. Q. How different are these two programs now? CARDALE JONES: For one, a different style of offense that we run down and the different type of players we have around each other, and for Oregon I'd have to say their defensive style, but they always were an up‑tempo team, and the way they can stretch the ball vertical and horizontal on the field. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: They're aggressive ball hawks. Q. Does that start with the safety? CARDALE JONES: Yes. Yes. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Try to add about an hour to hour and a half of more film because it's the last game of the season, we're playing for it all, and just we try to cut back on the guys' running deeper routes and stuff like that to save their legs so they can be ready for the game. But the preparation, it kicked up a little. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: I mean, not necessarily, because we have a routine that we live by, and it's been working for us up to this point. So the preparation is going to be the same. But adding a couple more hours to film study is the key. Q. How does preparation change when you're the No.1 guy rather than behind JT or behind Braxton? CARDALE JONES: It doesn't. If it did I wouldn't be in this position right now. My team wouldn't be in this position right now. We prepare like we're the starters every week. It's tough to prepare as if you're the starter when you're the third string, but you've got to have that mindset anything can happen, and the next man up. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: In my opinion he gets most of the credit because he holds us accountable as if we were starters day one since we walked in here. Of course we're not going to get the praise and stuff like that, like this is JT right here. I would be preparing as if I was the starter, but you guys would never see that. His accountability level in us is just unbelievable. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Just to, I mean‑‑ you might not be the guy in the spotlight, you might not be the guy starting, but you're going to prepare like a starter, because like I said, you're one play away. Q. How do you prepare (inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: Great. I think he's going to be a great head coach. Q. What about him? CARDALE JONES: His ability to motivate guys, his ability to hold guys accountable, and his ability to understand guys and teach different guys the way they learn the best. Q. How do you do that (inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: Just the accountability level. If I did something stupid off the field or if I did something stupid on the field with the little reps I was getting, he would get on me like I was a starter. He would get on me like he expects me to make them type of plays, even though I wasn't getting that many reps at that certain play or something like that. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Yes, definitely. I was like, dude, I'm going to have to start, like whatever, trying to brush it off like that. But yeah. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: I mean, he just found our strengths and weaknesses and tried to bring our weaknesses up. Basically that's about it. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: E + R = O, and Joshua 1:9, "be brave." Q. What is that stand for? CARDALE JONES: Event plus response equals outcome. So it's all about how you respond to each event, getting the outcome you want. We did a program here at Ohio State in the summer with Tim Kite, and he broke down the whole process of E + R = O. It's deeper than just E + R = O, so that program‑‑ it's been basically‑‑ we graduated from the program. Q. Has that helped you? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, because it helps when you have a tough time or something tough happens. You've got to understand that you've got to have a positive response and have a positive outcome. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: About maybe on average, maybe 15 or something like that, and sometimes he'll just throw you in with the ones, like JT went down, Cardale, you're in with the ones or something like that. Usually we go six plays with the ones and two or three plays with the twos for like four or five periods. Q. You would actually practice as if somebody got hurt? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, yeah, it was a couple of different situations where we practiced‑‑ we won't say he got hurt. Like JT just lost his mouthpiece or a chin strap or he's got to come out, he's bleeding, just for a play or two, and then he's got to go back in. I feel like the coach did it just to make sure I was engaged when I wasn't in. Q. Have you had the chance at all (inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, I definitely appreciate it but really haven't had a chance to reflect and look back on it and know, because each game we won, the next game was just more important, and the preparation, you had to step your preparation up even more. Not really had the chance to look back and reflect on it yet. Q. What do you like about Marcus? CARDALE JONES: His leadership and his decision making and his play making, too, but his decision making is unbelievable, like a guy throws 40‑plus touchdowns and two interceptions or something like that. It's crazy. Q. It seems like every time even when quarterbacks aren't playing right away, they transfer. What made you want to stick around at Ohio State? CARDALE JONES: You know, the relationships I developed with not just our coaching staff but our strength staff, and understanding the process in a way‑‑ it wasn't like I was the best player as a freshman or I was the best player as soon as I walked on campus and I should be playing. I understood I wasn't that good. I understood there was things I needed to work on, and with the help of the coaching staff and the strength staff, I was hoping I could be at this point today. Q. What does the future look like for you? CARDALE JONES: I don't know. I'll let the coaches deal with that. Q. I want to get your version of the story. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Yeah, I blocked out every contact in my phone except coaches and my mom because she's traveling down here today, have to make sure she gets here safe, but took me like 40 minutes to block everybody on my phone. Q. So the only people who can still call you‑‑ CARDALE JONES: The coaches who are here and just my mom. Q. No teammates? CARDALE JONES: No, because I'm going to see them all over anyways. I blocked them, too, just to eliminate as much distraction as possible, just to eliminate the phone calls and text messages. Q. Have you had a problem with that? CARDALE JONES: I mean, not necessarily, but I just want to put that much more into my preparation. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: I mean, like I said before, that's up to the coaches. That's a point we haven't reached yet. To me, in my opinion, and the best thing for my teammates I'm going to do is to prepare for this game. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: I mean, I don't know. The season is not over. Me personally, I don't think I've proved anything, and I don't go out to prove anything to no one but my teammates. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: I mean, like I said, I don't know, because I don't think like that at all. I just want to do what I can to help my teammates and help this team win. Q. What has this last five, six weeks been like for you, now a chance to win a National Championship? CARDALE JONES: I mean, this is unreal, man. This is like a frigging movie or a book. The best way I can describe that is basically just unreal. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Every time someone is asking me, I'm pinching myself. I can't pinch myself any harder, so I guess I won't wake up. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Unless he plays DB or defensive line, I'm not going against him. You should ask some of the defensive guys that. I won't get a chance to watch him play because when I'm on the sideline I'm locked into the headsets of what my coach has got to say and preparing for the next drive. I don't see how quarterbacks play against each other. Q. The quarterback position going against their defense, they have been kind of a bent but don't break defense but they create a lot of turnovers. (Inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, definitely, just protecting the ball. We don't go out there and say don't turn the ball over. We say protect the ball. Just try to stay positive about everything and try to take advantage of every opportunity we have. Q. How important when you get in the red zone from last week early on you had to settle for field goals in two 1st‑and‑goal situations. How important is it to get touchdowns instead of field goals? CARDALE JONES: It's very important. We don't want to settle for field goals against anybody. We want to score in the red zone. That's one of the plans to win. I mean, it's going to be that much more important not just because of the offense, but because it's the National Championship. Q. Facing a situation like this, your time at (inaudible), how much has that prepared you for big games like this? CARDALE JONES: I mean, a lot, but my preparation since I have been here has been completely different from high school because of the‑‑ high school you don't have to read too much defense. High school coaches really don't game plan for you like that. So the preparation has‑‑ I mean, Glenville has prepared me for this, but the preparation I have now, it's helped me. Q. You talked about turnovers a minute ago (inaudible) seem to make it up on people. Your thoughts on not getting behind and getting off to a good start as an offense? CARDALE JONES: We want to get off to a good start each and every game versus anybody, but like you said, because they have momentum‑based team, and their offense has the ability to score so fast and keep scoring, it's very important to protect the football in this game. Q. Ezekiel Elliott, what's he meant to your success the last two games, and how important of a factor will he be on Monday night? CARDALE JONES: Everything. I mean, not just him, but the offense and the offensive line has meant so much to me and our team because they've taken so much pressure not just off me but off the defense. When we can convert 3rd downs with runs and we can break long runs, that takes so much pressure off myself, just letting me know I don't have to do everything by myself or don't let that mindset creep into my mind. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: I'm saying overthrowing, overthrowing, by far overthrowing. Q. So you can overthrow his speed? CARDALE JONES: I don't know, man, me and him go back and forth with that just to joke around to see if he can outrun my arm or if I can over throw him. Q. Do you expect Oregon to load the box or(inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: No, I don't think they're going to load the box or do anything we haven't prepared for because this team has‑‑ they've been doing what they've been doing these past 14, 15 games to get here, so to change their mindset and change their structure for us, I don't think so. Q. What are some parts of your pregame routine? Do you like to stay by yourself, listen to a particular kind of music? What do you do in the hour or two leading up to kickoff? CARDALE JONES: It's definitely the music. Before we get on the bus, there's a lot of kind of rap and hip hop music, but when we get into the facility or off the bus, it turns into more of a slow maybe somewhat R & B style music to help calm me down. But as far as the hype guys, no, I'm not that all for the team. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Let me see. John Legend. Q. What sticks out to you (inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: There's a couple of more phone calls, a couple more text messages and just being recognized everywhere I go just about. I don't have a problem with it, but that's not why I play the game. Q. You've been able to watch their defense on film. What sticks out to you? CARDALE JONES: They are underrated. They don't get as much credit as they deserve. One thing that really sticks out to me is the way they play as a unit. They don't blow many coverages. They don't miss many tackles. They don't make many solo tackles. There's a lot of guys to the ball. So that's one thing that really sticks out to me. Q. (Inaudible.) Do you let that get in your mind at all? CARDALE JONES: I mean, we need to score a lot of points versus anyone. We want to score every time we touch the ball. It don't add any pressure or any motivation to us as an offense, because like I said, we want to score, period. Q. What did you take away from (inaudible) Oregon's win? CARDALE JONES: Impressive. They put up that many points on a great Florida State defense and they held that great offense to 20‑something points and caused so many turnovers from a team that's not known for that. I mean, it's been really impressive. When I heard the score at the end of the game, I was shocked, and then I watched the game, and I was even more shocked. Q. How have you been able to stay mentally focused through this entire season in a backup role, and then you're thrown into the spotlight? CARDALE JONES: I mean, it's been tough to stay mentally focused because you're not the guy, you're not getting many reps, you're not getting the start, and the preparation has really kept me mentally focused, and the job that Coach Herman and Coach Meyer‑‑ well, their expectations, as a quarterback, not just as a starter, as a backup, for each guy to prepare like they are the starter. Q. When you were on the sidelines when you weren't playing, were you taking the mental reps because you were always one snap away? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, definitely, staying in the game from the headsets and trying to read the defenses from the sideline to try to get a picture of the field, try to understand what we're running. That's how I stayed in games. Q. What would it mean for you to win a National Championship, and here's Eddie George covering it? CARDALE JONES: I mean, it would mean a lot, because it's freaking Eddie George, Heisman Trophy winner, great running back here at Ohio State. Yeah, it would mean a lot. Q. What's been more comfortable for you the last couple weeks? What's been different? CARDALE JONES: I just say just taking on a role as a starter and taking on a role as not being able to do certain things now and carrying yourself a certain way has become more comfortable. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Yeah, yeah, definitely, and that helped us as a team, not just offense but as a defense, as well. Q. Your defense, their outside linebacker (inaudible) known for running down quarterbacks, strip sacks, those kinds of things. What are your thoughts on their defense? CARDALE JONES: They play together. They play together. They play hard, and like I said, they play for each other. You never really see one guy on the ball, you see about two, three, four of them guys making a tackle, bringing a guy down. We were just watching before we got here, it looked like the quarterback was going to break, and one of the guys came up from behind and just whompped him down because they don't give up. It's going to present a challenge to us to finish plays. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Not yet. You know, I played two games with these guys, but you just don't say you're part of that guys because of the way they play, how hard they play, and how they play for each other. Hopefully after this game, going through spring and a couple more games, I can get that tag. Q. What do you say about those guys? CARDALE JONES: There's some close guys, man. They love each other, and they play for each other, and they play for the guy behind him. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Yeah, a lot actually. We hang out a lot. If we're not at Darryl Baldwin's house, we're either at Pat Elflein and Taylor Decker's house or just around our facility and just clowning with these guys before practice, even before I was a starter. Q. I was impressed by your play last week against Alabama, you manned the pocket, tried to hunt the safeties up, but I was so impressed when you went to the Alabama Crimson Tide section and told them to get closer. Where does this confidence come from? CARDALE JONES: This confidence just comes from not just the confidence I have in myself but the confidence my teammates have in myself and just wanting to show them that noise is not going to affect us. I really can't hear with a play going on anyways. Q. This game being for it all, how have you approached this week? CARDALE JONES: I'm not going to sit here and say it's like any other week because it's not. Try to add a couple more hours to film study, try to add a couple more hours to just preparation and the mental part of the game. Q. Is there anything that you expect Oregon to do knowing that this would be your third start? Do you expect them to come at you differently, run different blitzes, do different things you haven't seen them do on film? CARDALE JONES: No, not really, because these guys got here by sticking to within themselves and doing what they do. I don't think they're going to change anything or try to confuse me. They're going to line up and play football, and they feel like their best is better than our best. Q. Have you had a chance to talk with Braxton Miller, JT Barrett at all? Have they been coaching you up, as well, in terms of preparing for this game? CARDALE JONES: Not really coaching and preparing for the game. We're just making sure that even when Braxton and JT was the starter, we just stayed on each other about knowing what was going on in every situation. But they don't coach me. They don't let me know what to do. The best advice they gave me was to play within yourself and do what you've got to do. Q. Which nickname are you going to go with this week? CARDALE JONES: 12 Gauge. Q. I love 12 Gauge, 12 Gauge going duck hunting. CARDALE JONES: Yeah, definitely, yeah. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: I hope I still have pictures and videos and all this stuff still around because she wouldn't believe me. Q. How has she really changed your life as far as putting everything in perspective? CARDALE JONES: Just knowing that when I wake up and do what I've got to do, it's just not for myself anymore. Q. You're going to try the taco salad I hear? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, we always get‑‑ you should see our apartment. There's no type of food in there. I was watching the Food Channel, and I was like, I think I could make taco salad, so definitely. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Yeah, definitely, because actually before we started cooking, I'm going to buy a fire extinguisher to make sure we don't burn the house down. Q. What is it about Urban Meyer that sets him apart? CARDALE JONES: His leadership, the way he holds not just players but coaches accountable, and his ability to motivate guys. Q. Since you're the third quarterback, (inaudible) is that kind of what stands out to you? CARDALE JONES: Definitely, definitely, because like you said, being the third quarterback coaches don't pay attention to guys really past the twos. I don't know of a situation really happened like this when a guy is playing like a third‑team quarterback other than Indiana this year, and just to keep that type of guy in line and being ready for this type of position just speaks to the coaching staff and the accountability that they hold on us. Q. (Inaudible.) When did it click? CARDALE JONES: I would say sometime in the summer, this past summer, when I realized I had a daughter on the way, before I told him that, and we actually had that talk. He was like, whatever it is, don't change. You're doing the right thing now, and you really have a future in this. And then about a month, month‑and‑a‑half later, I told him that my girlfriend at the time was three‑and‑a‑half, four‑months pregnant, so he put two and two together, and he figured that's what it was. Q. What's your daughter's name? CARDALE JONES: Chloe. Q. Can you explain your wrist band? CARDALE JONES: The black one? E + R = O, event plus response equals outcome. Q. Darryl says that people mistake him for you. He is an offensive tackle. CARDALE JONES: Man, they always say that, and actually our offensive tackle intern, Coach Mayes, before he knew I was a quarterback, I wasn't nobody because I was third string at the time, and he was like, hey, what's this, even though he asked was I a freshman tackle, and I'm like, no, quarterback actually. They're laughing at me because I'm telling the story. I'm like, actually a quarterback, and he's like, what? I mean, forget Darryl. I don't care. It's just funny, like no, I'm a quarterback. Q. Is it a little bit of a brotherhood? CARDALE JONES: Me and Darryl, since high school his senior year, my junior year, we got closer at the Blue Chip Awards that following year, and then I actually just knew him ever since then. Q. There's a passionate fan base, a lot of people care about Ohio State. What's the weirdest, most unusual thing you've had happen that a fan asked you or that somebody said to you? CARDALE JONES: The weirdest thing, maybe‑‑ I think it was two nights ago, our receiver coach asked a couple of guys to come up to the hospital‑‑ go up to the hospital with him because one of his cousins had open heart surgery, his younger cousin, and leaving out of the hospital later that night, a doctor was a huge fan of mine and like her nurse and her friends came up to me and like can you please come surprise her, and we did it, and like she started crying and stuff. I'm like, oh, snap smack. She was like, she was my biggest fan and stuff, so that was pretty weird to see someone cry because they got a chance to meet me. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: I want to be a financial planner. Q. I just heard you say you blocked everybody in your phone except Mama and Coach Meyer and Herman. Why? CARDALE JONES: Just to eliminate as many distractions as possible. Q. So if you get bored and need to text message somebody, it's all mom? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, definitely, and she's flying in tonight, so I'm going to be calling and texting her all night. Q. What is the most played song on your iPod right now? CARDALE JONES: Shy Glizzy, Everything Golden. Q. I never heard of that. When is the last time you sang out loud? CARDALE JONES: Never probably. I'm terrible. Q. The last time you cried. Give it up, man. I know it was yesterday. CARDALE JONES: No, you wish.  November 7th. Q. How was the trip down here? CARDALE JONES: It was amazing. They had a great plane. It was a plane with frigging reclining seats. It was relaxing. Q. I understand you're going to see a comedian tonight. Do you know who that is yet? CARDALE JONES: No clue. Q. Why did you cry November 7th? CARDALE JONES: The day my daughter was born. Q. You guys talk about E + R = O. Is it surreal to look back on all the leadership training you've done and see how beneficial that has been for you? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, because I'm not going to lie, I just feel like it's not a waste of time because we were doing it right after workouts and guys were tired and nobody was paying attention, and then when them type of events really started to come up in life and really through the summer, we really realized that this was something that's beneficial and this was something that really can help us respond to certain events. Q. When JT goes down did you (inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, definitely. That event was the game, just response, he went down, and my response to that game affected the outcome here today and put me in this position. Q. How much is Coach Meyer's experience helping you out? CARDALE JONES: A lot because he knows what to do, he knows what to expect, and he knows how to make sure everything is flowing. Q. Does it make it easier to listen because he's been there and done that? CARDALE JONES: Definitely, he knows what he's doing. Q. What has he told you about those other championships? CARDALE JONES: That just basically the similarities the teams had in common and a lot of similarities he sees in our team and then the two Florida teams. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: She's going to be home, but her mom and my mom is traveling down here to Dallas today. Q. What's it been like for you (inaudible)? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, it's a lot, but it's a lot that I was prepared for. There's a lot that our coaches and my family helped me prepare for, so I mean, I'm grateful for it, I'm grateful for the situation I'm in right now. Q. How old is she now? CARDALE JONES: Two months. Q. What's been the most challenging part? CARDALE JONES: Every time I see her she's a little bigger. Q. Is it fun to be nervous? CARDALE JONES: I don't know, it's hard to be nervous when you've got guys around you that you give them the ball and they can take it for 80 yards or guys in front of you, they give you all the time in the world. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: I mean, maybe. To me I think I've always been a pretty cool, calm and collected guy. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: It's cool because we're alike. We both quiet, we both clean and we both don't really go out. It's cool. Q. He said he's cleaner than you. CARDALE JONES: No, he's not. No, he's not. Our apartment stays spotless, so it's cool. Q. He said you're going to start cooking after the season is over? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, I'm going to try a taco salad. We've got to get a fire extinguisher first in case anything goes bad. Q. Can you talk about what it's going to be like to play on this big of a stage? CARDALE JONES: I mean, yeah. The more and the better that we prepare, I prepare as a quarterback, it raises my comfort level and my confidence, so I mean, like I said, this game means a lot not just to me, to Buckeye Nation, to the university and to this program. Like I said, it means a lot playing for this game. Q. Stage not too big for you? CARDALE JONES: Yeah, I don't think so. Q. (Inaudible.) CARDALE JONES: Yeah, he gives me advice about not just how to approach this game, not just how to play this game, but advice that will help me in life, advice that will help me to be a better dad, advice that will help me to be a better player. Our relationship is like none other. Besides my mom, I think he's probably the closest person to me. He's a guy that I go back to when I need something as far as advice or motivation and things like that. So he has meant a lot not just to my career but to my life. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|