ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 24, 2025

Bill O’Brien

Lewis Bond

Daveon Crouch

KP Price

Boston College Eagles

Press Conference

BILL O'BRIEN: Good morning, everybody. Very excited to be here. Brought four great representatives of our program, Lewis Bond, wide receiver; KP Price, safety; Bam Crouch, a linebacker, and Logan Taylor is in the other room right now doing an interview, offensive lineman for us. So four great guys you guys will get a chance to know.

Again, excited to be here. Excited for the season. These guys have worked extremely hard. Since the season ended last season, started winter conditioning, which transitioned into spring practice, and then into summer workouts.

It's a full-time job. These guys work very hard. They're six days a week getting after it, coming together as a team.

Now we report on Monday -- Tuesday, excuse me. We report on Tuesday and start practice on Wednesday. Very excited about the season.

With that, I'll open it up to questions.

Q. Arguably your toughest challenge on defense this season is going to be replacing defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku and defensive tackle Cam Horsley. Which guys do you think will emerge this preseason as some of the people who will be doing that?

BILL O'BRIEN: Yeah, I think in college football, there's graduation, right? Guys move on, move on to the NFL. We're proud of those guys, Donovan and Cam, and all those guys that played for us last year. Every year is new, right?

So when you look at our team this year on defense, you've got some guys that have been around for a while like KP and Bam and Q. Hutchins, Owen Stoudmire, Amari Jackson, Max Tucker, Cam Martinez. But then there's other guys that maybe you haven't seen play yet for BC, whether they're high school recruits that haven't played yet or they're transfers.

I don't want to go down the list of names, but I feel very confident in our ability to play good defense this year. It'll be different. It'll look different. I think every year you have to evolve on both sides of the ball and on special teams and try to make sure that you're doing strategically and schematically, you're doing things that accentuate the positives, the strengths of your players.

We have a lot of versatile players. We have guys that can play safety, can play corner. We have linebackers that can play in the box, they can walk out on receivers. We have nickels that can play safety, that can play corner, and we have defensive linemen that can play inside, can play off the edge.

I think over course of 30 practices and training camp, that'll all come together, and we'll be ready to go when the season kicks off.

Q. You're playing against former head coach Frank Reich of the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3. How do you feel about playing against them, and how do you feel about the growing number of coaches going to the ACC?

BILL O'BRIEN: I think it's great. I have a lot of respect for Frank. I've known Frank for a long time. I coached at the University of Maryland for Ralph Friedgen who coached Frank in college. Obviously coached against Frank in the NFL for many years, especially when I was at the Texans and he was at the Colts. I think we got him a couple times, he got us a couple times.

But I think he is a tremendous coach. I think it's fantastic for Stanford. It'll be a big challenge for us to -- we open up against Fordham, we go out to Michigan State, we come back from Michigan State, we gotta go back out to Stanford. It's a big challenge for our coaching staff and our players, but we're looking forward to it.

I think as far as NFL coaches in the ACC, look, I'm not going to go into all the things that I think about when I think about the ACC, but one thing I will say is the ACC is very strong conference when it comes to coaching and playing. We have great players, we have great coaches that have coached at both levels, and it's an exciting conference. And I think it's a great thing for the ACC to have NFL coaches in the ACC. It says a lot about the players in our league, and it says a lot about the programs and the coaches in our league.

Q. Coach O'Brien, this has been a thing well before you, but it's been since 2009 since Boston College had a winning record in terms of in-conference games. How do you reverse that trend, and what is it that you're trying to create different to kind of buck that trend of either .500 or below in terms of conference records?

BILL O'BRIEN: I think it's a fine line. I think there's a small margin of error for all the teams, and I think we have to figure out how to be on the right side of that margin, whether it's turnovers or missed opportunities on defense, maybe a lack of communication here and there. My point is, it comes down to seven or eight, maybe nine plays in a game that make a big difference. Can we kick better this year? Can we tackle better? Can we take care of the ball better?

I think we did a great job last year in the discipline of our team. That has to continue. We decreased, our penalties went down from the year before. We have to continue that.

I do think the difference between one game over .500 and 10 or 11 wins, it's a small margin, and I think that's something that I preach to these guys all the time, about understanding the difference between, hey, lack of communication here or a bad read here or a dropped interception here, that can go a long way towards winning or losing a game.

I think that's something we've really harped on this year, and these guys have done a good job of buying into that, taking it one game at a time.

Q. The general manager role that you had in the NFL, obviously you experienced that at the professional level. Now that we're seeing general managers in college football, what are your thoughts on that role, what it can be, what it should be as we move forward?

BILL O'BRIEN: Look, I think it's a lot different. We just talked about this outside. I think there's such a huge difference between the National Football League and what's going on in college football right now. In the National Football League there's a collective bargaining agreement, there's an enforcement body over 32 teams. Obviously it's a very uniform system. It's a system that is very equal. If you don't do well, you get a higher draft pick. If you manage your salary cap correctly, you can participate in free agency better. There's all different things that go into the NFL.

But it's very uniform. There's rules.

That's something that I believe has to happen eventually in college football, that there has to be an enforcement. I know there's some things going on that are going to help, but in the end, right now, it's just a little bit of the Wild Wild West. Relative to Boston College, we do a good job of making sure the players understand it's an earn-it philosophy. So everybody coming into BC as a freshman, they're going to make a certain amount of money. From that point forward, they're going to earn everything they get, going to class, being on time for meetings. Don't necessarily have to be an All-American right away, just got to be a good guy, good locker room guy, good teammate, somebody that's a contributing member of the team, and if you do that, you'll earn more and more as you go through your career at BC.

Berj Najarian and I handle NIL at BC, along with the administration, Blake James and Colin Shaffer. So I think we're on the right track and we'll see how it goes from here on out.

Q. When it comes to your offense, what strides have you seen from the overall unit, whether it be in spring ball or now over the summer, and now heading into fall and towards the regular season, what do you want to see from that overall unit?

BILL O'BRIEN: Yeah, look, I like our offense. I think when you look at the guys that we have returning, obviously Logan and Lewis here, we have a lot of other guys returning, I really like the diversity of our offense, our ability to be in 12 personnel, 13 personnel, 11 personnel. I think our offensive coaches led by Will Lawing do a great job. I've seen a lot of strides made. These guys have worked extremely hard to get better. I've seen a lot of improvement.

I would say the same thing about defense. I think we have a very versatile defense. We can play 3-4, 4-3, we can play nickel, we can play dime, all kinds of different packages. I think we have versatile players, and I'm excited about both sides of the ball.

I've seen a lot of improvement because of the work that these guys have put in, so I'm excited for training camp to start.

Q. Last year you ranked nationally 12th as far as fewer penalties allowed. Talk about the discipline behind that and just the preparation, and essentially the emphasis in your daily work with that.

BILL O'BRIEN: Yeah, I think the credit goes to the players on that. We, as coaches, we guide them and we talk to these guys a lot about being disciplined and what that can do for you. If you win the penalty battle, you win the turnover battle, you tackle well, you play just good, clean football and you eliminate bad football and then you take advantage of bad football when it happens. That can help you win.

I think we need to continue to do a better job of that. But I give a lot of credit to the players. They kind of hold each other accountable on that now. We instilled it in the beginning when I got here with our staff. They hold each other accountable on that now relative to the discipline on each side of the ball and on special teams, so I give a lot of credit, and that has to continue. That's going to be a big part of our winning formula.

Q. You stated a desire to prioritize local prospects in your recruiting. In that regard, how do you balance local talent with national outreach, and what's your pitch to recruits during the NIL era?

BILL O'BRIEN: Yeah, I think when I said local, obviously I meant New England, but also New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Cleveland and Cincinnati. We recruit those -- Pennsylvania. We definitely go national, though. We go out to California, we go to Texas, we go down to Florida. We do that.

But I think one of the keys to BC is making sure that you have a number of guys on your roster where they come from places where their parents can come watch them play. We recruit every Catholic school in the country. We go into every Catholic school in the country, whether they have a player right there immediately for that year or maybe they have a future player. We definitely are going to do that because we're a Catholic Jesuit institution.

Relative to NIL, I think I answered it before. These guys, they're sitting up here right now, I'm excited for them and many of their teammates who have earned what they're making right now, and then when the new guys, when they enter BC, especially the freshmen, they all basically make the same amount and then they earn it from that point forward. That's how we sell it. You're going to earn it, you're going to have an opportunity to get an incredible education, play great football here, and on top of that, make some money.

So I think we have a total package at Boston College that we talk to our recruits about, and I think we're doing okay. I don't really put much stock into stars and all that stuff. I want to see what they do on the field when they get there. We have a process of how we evaluate prospects, and I think we're on the right path.

Q. With the recent settled lawsuit between the ACC and some of its member schools, we bring in the era of unequal revenue share. Can you talk about how that might affect a school like Boston College?

BILL O'BRIEN: Well, I think when you think about it, if you look at last year's stats relative to actual eyeballs on our games, people watching our games, I think we were pretty high up in the ACC relative to the games that we played. A lot of people watch Boston College. A lot of people are interested in watching these guys play. We play in a great conference. We play in a fantastic city, in the city of Boston. We have really good players.

I think that's a big part of it. I think as you move forward down the road, obviously you've got to win, and we understand that. But I think when you look at our schedule this year, we'll have a lot of national games. We've got SMU at home, we've got Clemson at home, we've got Notre Dame at home, we've got Michigan State on the road. So we have a lot of marquee games that I think a lot of people will be interested in watching, and I'm excited for that and excited for these guys and excited for our season.

Q. Lewis, you are exactly 75 receptions and 1,665 yards away from breaking your former teammate Zay Flowers' records in terms of receptions and receiving yards. If you were to accomplish that, is that something you are aiming to, and if you were to accomplish that, what does that say about your career, your consistency and how you've shown up for BC over the years?

LEWIS BOND: It's definitely something I've thought about. It's a big accomplishment if I can do it. But I'm more focused on the team, more focused on winning games for the team, and that'll come naturally. That's what OB says. He says personal goals will come if the team accomplishes the goals we've trying to accomplish.

In regards to what that shows, I guess it would show the next level that I've been consistent for three years and also improvement over those three years. So that would be the biggest thing.

Q. You played with Zay Flowers for a few seasons. How has he inspired you to become the receiver you are today?

LEWIS BOND: It's the work ethic. I've seen him work for, I want to say, three years he was there with me. The work ethic that he showed me day in and day out on the field, outside the field, extra work. It was just the work ethic really pushed me. I could see what it takes to get to that level from him.

Q. Lewis, which defensive backs have given you the most trouble in the ACC and how do you prepare for those match-ups?

LEWIS BOND: No DB in particular. We see a lot of zone, I would say, a lot more zone. Teams are -- a lot of good teams, a lot of good DBs, but no one in particular that I could name off the top of my head that gave me the most trouble.

Q. Lewis, for you, working with Grayson James and Dylan Lonergan, what are you seeing from both of those quarterbacks as we head into the fall, and maybe what some of those skill sets are that work best with you?

LEWIS BOND: They're both competitors, both like to get after the defense. KP will tell you they get after the defense. Both competitors, both got big arms. I'm excited to see what they bring into camp. But ultimately it's not my decision to pick who plays quarterback. I'm just there to catch the ball, whoever throws it.

Q. You've talked in the past about playing with a chip on your shoulder. Where does that edge come from, and how do you think it has helped shape you to the football player that you are today?

LEWIS BOND: I would say the chip on my shoulder, I was under-recruited, not a big recruit. Still not really heavily talked about, I don't think. I think it just pushes me. I know people don't think that I'm the top receiver in the draft class or whatever, in the ACC, and it just pushes me to continue to work until people notice who I am and what I bring.

Q. As an experienced player and a guy that's a true leader for Boston College, with the schedule that you guys have, what is your message as a leader to the team and the statement you guys can make with some of the games that you can go out there and win?

LEWIS BOND: OB said it in a meeting recently; why not us? He says there's a lot of parity in college football now, so why can't it be us? We got to play the games. Everybody thinks Clemson, whoever else in the conference is the outright leader, but we've got to play the games, so why not us? Why can't it be us?

Q. Between you, Reed Harris and Jaedn Skeete, tell me how you guys balance off each other's skill sets and how it works pretty well as a trio.

LEWIS BOND: It's us three, but also guys like Ish, we call him Rocket, we've got a transfer, but we've got guys. We all like to compete. We all want to be the head dog, so it's really just who gets the play -- the play is called, we know who's getting the ball. Most of the time, we try to make the play for the team more so than anything else.

Q. Bam, you have had your statistical best games in both of the past two seasons in bowl games. Having your season high in tackles, sacks, force fumbles last year in the bowl game and the year before that having your most prolific tackling game in a bowl game. What is it that allows you to show up in the biggest and brightest moments for BC?

DAVEON CROUCH: I would just say it's my mindset. I'm hungry for this. I'm a dog, and my teammates be right behind me. I bring the energy and the juice to the defense and to the team, and they be there every day working, grinding, just for me to be able to get me to push to be that player that we need for me to be. And in those games, it's just my teammates and the coaching staff putting all the pieces together for me to become successful and the team to become successful.

Q. You're wearing it across your chest here. Just what you can say about your father and the importance of that relationship and why you wanted to put him on full display while you're up here today.

DAVEON CROUCH: This is my granddad, but yeah, my pops also passed away last week. But yeah, it's been a rough couple days, but I don't really want to talk about that right now. I'm focused on the moment.

Q. When you think about your leadership style, your voice and your vision, how do you embrace the responsibility of being the communicator on the field during the season?

DAVEON CROUCH: I really just be myself, to be honest. I'm loud. I talk a lot. I talk a lot of trash to the team and things like that.

But I would say me being the leader of this defense and the team is, like, big because I've been here for four years, and now it's my time to step into the role to be a captain and a leader, and all the guys behind me pushing for me to be that, and I'm there right with them everyday grinding. I'm not treating nobody different. I'm doing everything everybody else is doing, and we're all just ready to take that next step to go win games.

Q. To be clear, you're talking trash to your own team?

DAVEON CROUCH: It's part of my game.

Q. Going from special teams to being a starter on the defensive side of the ball, what you can say about your journey and betting on yourself and believing in yourself through this process?

DAVEON CROUCH: Yeah, it's been a long process, a challenging process. Especially like the beginning of my career I was a special teams player, like you said, but I feel like me taking that step on special teams got me ready to play the game physically on defense. I was able to run down on kickoff as a freshman and sophomore and make tackles, KOR, block big dudes, so when I got there at linebacker, I was just ready to go hit, and now it shows the rest.

Q. Heading towards fall camp, how are you approaching being a leader on this defense? How are you bringing that along with you, and now as you head towards the regular season, what main goals do you have for yourself and the unit overall?

DAVEON CROUCH: Going into fall camp, I would say just being a leader, being consistent within the team, always showing up on time, routine on time, just showing that I can be somebody that the team can trust.

As far as what you just said, I would say my biggest goals is just winning this year. We've got a good team, we've got a good coaching staff, and we've got a lot of people to wake up this year, and we're ready for everything that's coming our way.

Q. You earned the nickname Bam no doubt due to your high motor and your toughness. What was the story behind who gave you the nickname Bam?

DAVEON CROUCH: My mom gave it to me when I was born. My cousin was born April 4 and I was born April 3, but I was born at like 11:30 p.m., and my auntie told my mom, you better not have your baby the same day as my baby's birthday, so my mom was telling the doctors, I've got to get this baby out of here.

My mom basically said I bammed my way out of here. That's where that name came from. It's not football related at all.

Q. You walk in here, there's a few signs that says the conference of quarterbacks. Which quarterbacks in the ACC are you looking forward to going up against this year?

KP PRICE: First and foremost, I'd like to thank God.

I'm looking forward to all of them, man. Like they were all saying, the team is excited for our whole schedule, the whole year. There's nobody I can really pinpoint off the top of my head, but there's a lot of good competition, a lot of good quarterbacks that we're going to face, so I'm looking forward to all of them.

Q. You're a junior, which means you're being looked at as a leader on the defense. You currently have two new freshmen coming in, TJ Green and Omarion Davis. How have you tried to be a leader for both of those two coming into the secondary?

KP PRICE: Yeah, we just work, just lead by example. The words are going to follow that, but it's the actions that we take, the steps that we take every day, just being in the moment, just busting our behinds every single day, and those young guys, they definitely pick up real fast.

We've got a great group of leaders, including myself. We just really lead by example in everything that we do to show them the right way. We want them guys to be better than us, to take steps ahead of us when we leave. That's that.

Q. KP, you burst on the scene last year, nearly quadrupling your tackle count from your career prior to that. How do you build on top of such a massive coming-out party basically where it's a completely unheralded guy to now a team leader, the leader in tackling on the team?

KP PRICE: Just like I said, working every day. I'm not really driven by my stats. What I display on the field, that's going to handle that. I'm not really trying to aim to -- of course I'm trying to improve on and top on what I did last year, but as far as specific stats, of course I want to improve, but I just feel like my work that I put in every day, just leading the guys, leading the team, getting that energy from my teammates, being a team player, that's going to take care of itself.

Q. Just to speak to the leadership of defensive coordinator Tim Lewis, working with him and how he's gotten the best out of you up until this point.

KP PRICE: Yeah, Coach Lewis, that's a blessing right there. The amount of ball I learned from him in such a short amount of time, just as far as his scheme, what he knows, what he's been through. He's coached at all levels, college, high school, youth league, the pros. He just knows a lot of knowledge that he puts out. All we can do is just pick it up and put it back out as far as our play on the field.

We all love him. He's a great guy. He's a great dude, funny dude. It's truly a blessing to be coached by him.

Q. You've showcased a great ability as a run defender coming downhill. How do you like approaching that aspect of the game, especially being in the secondary, and how are you planning on taking another leap in that category in 2025?

KP PRICE: Just one big thing I want to focus on is studying film much harder than I did last year. I feel like I have all the athletic ability to do whatever I want to do, and as far as the mental, I want to tap in the same amount as I put in athletic-wise, my mentality that I already have. I just want to become a student of the game more and just be able to read plays, pick apart what offenses are doing before they even say go. That's a big plan and goal for me.