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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL AT THE CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: CLEMSON VS OKLAHOMA

December 28, 2015

Nila Kasitati

Miami Gardens, Florida

NILA KASITATI: I think we played a big part just with everybody coming together as a team, putting whatever it is that they needed to put aside in order to be a team, be united as a team.

I think there's just different events, things that happen throughout the season, throughout the year, that brought us together as a team thus far to where we are right now.

Q. When the whole thing was happening at Missouri, what was that like? I don't know if you felt like you took the first step, and that was a pretty big deal for them.
NILA KASITATI: Yeah, you know, I think they -- you know, it did sort of remind us of what we did. We saw what they did over there and the steps that they took and what they stood for.

Q. Do you think things have changed on campus at all since that happened back in March?
NILA KASITATI: I think so. I think so.

Q. In what respect?
NILA KASITATI: The biggest thing is awareness of what goes on on campus. I think that right there, just people being more aware of what's going on with racism and discrimination and everything that's going on on campus, I think we were more aware of it, which makes it more sensitive of a topic. I think the biggest thing for us as a team was just understanding, for some people it's not comfortable for them to be treated that way. It's not right.

So I think just having that awareness will make more things move throughout the campus and stuff like that.

Q. Other guys talked about that with the small locker room they've gotten close to guys they wouldn't have otherwise gotten close to. Is there anyone like that for you?
NILA KASITATI: I think just the guys all together. You know, I try to do a good job of knowing all my teammates' names and knowing just a little bit about them, seeing that we're all teammates and all in this together. But I think everybody as a team -- there's not one guy that I could point to, but I think I'm pretty cool -- I'd like to think I'm pretty cool with everybody in there, and they're cool with me, as well. But yeah.

Q. How does that help your team chemistry overall?
NILA KASITATI: It's helped a lot. And I think the coolest thing is people just realize that, guys on the team just realize that. With this high school locker room that we have over here, it's brought us together as a team, helped bringing that chemistry back that we needed as a group.

Q. Who are the guys on the side of you in the locker room?
NILA KASITATI: Neville Gallimore, and actually I'm on the end, so it's Neville and Matt Dimon.

Q. One is a true freshman, two D-linemen, guys you probably wouldn't talk to much?
NILA KASITATI: I guess so, yeah. Me and Neville are really cool, though.

Q. Any funny stories from Neville?
NILA KASITATI: Neville, I love to say Neville is a pretty decent singer himself, so sometimes we'll just bust out in a song or duet or something like that, and some people will come around and start making beats or something like that, just messing around and stuff like that.

Q. Talk about the leadership on the team. Is that something everybody has got to figure out on their own?
NILA KASITATI: I think we have some great leaders that are going to be here next year, guys like Orlando. Orlando I think is going to be a great leader next year and the years to come. But just within practice, within workouts, within summer workouts and winter workouts, just trying to instill some of these things, Ty more than me is a vocal person. Like I said, I lead by example hopefully. I'll get my one-on-one times with the guys and stuff like that, but not really speaking in front of the team and all that stuff. But when I think of guys like Orlando and Jonathan Alvarez, guys are going to step up this year, and they're going to do a great job as a leader.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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