The final spring practice is in the books, and now the team gears up for the spring game on Saturday (4 pm) at Cobb Stadium. Mario Cristobal met with reporters to discuss the state of the team:
On the spring as a whole: We challenged our guys to make sure we understood clearly that around here, spring practice is a real thing. We're going to practice the right way. We’re going to challenge each other. We're going to compete at every position. We're not going to take those opportunities for granted.
Really, really pleased and really enthused by the way they came out today and handled red zone, open field, short yardage. Some of the two-minute stuff at the end was really competitive with a lot of back and forth. It was so good to see them answer the challenge the way they did.
Lots of alumni in town tonight, tomorrow and Saturday. We have the opportunity to honor a couple of guys that are going into the NFL Hall of Fame. To honor Coach Richt and Carol Soffer as well, as generous as they've been with the University and providing us with all they have provided. It's important for our players to see that, to understand how important gratitude is, and to be around the people that got the University of Miami going. Michael Irvin will be speaking to the team tomorrow. Obviously, a great example of what hard work is all about.
On what he expects to see at the spring game: The first half is live and the second half is “thud,” but it's still playing ball. We're still live, but just not going to the ground. When you go to a spring game, which is nationally televised, you can't do all the stuff that you've been doing this spring. But you want to see guys play with great fundamentals, great technique, and you want to see them compete and really try hard to win every single one of their one-on-one battles. And to continue building the DNA and elevating the standards for our culture.
At the end of the day, we're starting to understand that standards are actions. They're not words or slogans or t-shirts. Really, really fired up about the way spring has gone and want to finish it strong.
On what has impressed him the most this spring: I would say the consistent willingness to compete. People say we're in a new day and age. Maybe in some regards, but not in terms of competing and being a good football team. We’re understanding more and more the importance of practicing really hard and taking care of your teammates, too. Not going to the ground, avoiding the avoidables. But after Saturday, we don't get to put on pads again until August. Then it's real right after that. So that's part of the consistency and the willingness to compete and get better on a daily basis.
On the importance of having the spring game on campus: It's huge for everybody: for the students, for the faculty, for our community, for the alumni. If you haven't been back on campus in a few years, it's a whole different place now. It's important that people get around campus again.
We used to play the spring game out here often, and it was an unbelievable event. From a recruiting standpoint, we've had a real steady and strong influx of talent coming in because it's important that people come in and see what we do and how we do it. We try to always dial up the intensity and the passion, the energy behind it. The spring game will be no different. The format is different. It's a game-like format. But aside from that, it's all systems go and really pleased that the city of Coral Gables and the University of Miami found a way to get this done for us.
On Cam Ward: He quickly earned trust. And he earned trust because he's up there in the office every waking free moment that he has. He gets there early and he leaves late. He pulls aside the receivers and the tight ends and he watches film with them. He takes the OLinemen out to eat. He spends time with the running backs. He waits after practice to do some more stuff with other guys that maybe were off a little bit. Then he come in on Saturdays to get extra work.
Trust and confidence is earned, it's not just given away. What he has done, he has earned the trust of the people around him because of his time invested and the fact that he's an alpha. Your quarterback needs to be an alpha.
On recruiting Cam Ward: Like a lot of the recruiting battles, it's always a marathon. If you truly believe in it, you'll stay with it and you'll stick to the truth. Just recruit guys who have genuine passion with honesty and transparency. There was a feeling all along that, no matter how it initially played out, he wanted to be a Miami Hurricane. When that call came in, I don't know if I wanted to high five or jump through the screen and put him in a headlock, but the wait was worth it.
Guys like that can make change and make a big difference. Not just as a player, but as a human being. They don’t come around too often. So far, so good. We haven't played a game yet. Don't want to get ahead of ourselves. It's been an awesome spring. A lot of progress across the board in so many different areas.
On the improvement of the team: I would define it as strong progress, really strong and real and tangible progress. Spring football for us is almost like minicamp. You gotta find out what works, who works. Who's in a culture, who's not, who can abide by policies, who can't, who's willing to compete, who's gonna fold. You get to put guys through the test and find out. That allows you to make decisions that move you forward.
The good thing is a lot of guys have made some of these decisions hard because of their effort and their willingness to do things a certain way. So yeah, strong progress, mouth shut and working, brother. That's it. It's as simple as we got to get to a certain number on the roster. You guys in the media have to write whatever story you think fits, but you're not at practice and you're not behind the closed doors.
Football doesn't really tell lies. Positions are won out there. Some guys attack it and do a great job, and some guys just flat-out fold. Spring football is to find out who are the guys that can step up and play winning Miami Hurricane football. We never, never, ever in any case hold any hard feelings. If we can't have a person here due to whatever reasons, we always wish them the best. But we are always progressing forward and we're very proactive with our roster decisions as to who is on the way out and who is on the way in. That's about as detailed as I can get.
On whether Jacurri Brown is the fourth-string quarterback: We'll find out. That's a big story for you. We're always going to play the best guys. One, two, three, and four. And every single rep will be earned. Not given, not narrated, earned.
On the spring as a whole: We challenged our guys to make sure we understood clearly that around here, spring practice is a real thing. We're going to practice the right way. We’re going to challenge each other. We're going to compete at every position. We're not going to take those opportunities for granted.
Really, really pleased and really enthused by the way they came out today and handled red zone, open field, short yardage. Some of the two-minute stuff at the end was really competitive with a lot of back and forth. It was so good to see them answer the challenge the way they did.
Lots of alumni in town tonight, tomorrow and Saturday. We have the opportunity to honor a couple of guys that are going into the NFL Hall of Fame. To honor Coach Richt and Carol Soffer as well, as generous as they've been with the University and providing us with all they have provided. It's important for our players to see that, to understand how important gratitude is, and to be around the people that got the University of Miami going. Michael Irvin will be speaking to the team tomorrow. Obviously, a great example of what hard work is all about.
On what he expects to see at the spring game: The first half is live and the second half is “thud,” but it's still playing ball. We're still live, but just not going to the ground. When you go to a spring game, which is nationally televised, you can't do all the stuff that you've been doing this spring. But you want to see guys play with great fundamentals, great technique, and you want to see them compete and really try hard to win every single one of their one-on-one battles. And to continue building the DNA and elevating the standards for our culture.
At the end of the day, we're starting to understand that standards are actions. They're not words or slogans or t-shirts. Really, really fired up about the way spring has gone and want to finish it strong.
On what has impressed him the most this spring: I would say the consistent willingness to compete. People say we're in a new day and age. Maybe in some regards, but not in terms of competing and being a good football team. We’re understanding more and more the importance of practicing really hard and taking care of your teammates, too. Not going to the ground, avoiding the avoidables. But after Saturday, we don't get to put on pads again until August. Then it's real right after that. So that's part of the consistency and the willingness to compete and get better on a daily basis.
On the importance of having the spring game on campus: It's huge for everybody: for the students, for the faculty, for our community, for the alumni. If you haven't been back on campus in a few years, it's a whole different place now. It's important that people get around campus again.
We used to play the spring game out here often, and it was an unbelievable event. From a recruiting standpoint, we've had a real steady and strong influx of talent coming in because it's important that people come in and see what we do and how we do it. We try to always dial up the intensity and the passion, the energy behind it. The spring game will be no different. The format is different. It's a game-like format. But aside from that, it's all systems go and really pleased that the city of Coral Gables and the University of Miami found a way to get this done for us.
On Cam Ward: He quickly earned trust. And he earned trust because he's up there in the office every waking free moment that he has. He gets there early and he leaves late. He pulls aside the receivers and the tight ends and he watches film with them. He takes the OLinemen out to eat. He spends time with the running backs. He waits after practice to do some more stuff with other guys that maybe were off a little bit. Then he come in on Saturdays to get extra work.
Trust and confidence is earned, it's not just given away. What he has done, he has earned the trust of the people around him because of his time invested and the fact that he's an alpha. Your quarterback needs to be an alpha.
On recruiting Cam Ward: Like a lot of the recruiting battles, it's always a marathon. If you truly believe in it, you'll stay with it and you'll stick to the truth. Just recruit guys who have genuine passion with honesty and transparency. There was a feeling all along that, no matter how it initially played out, he wanted to be a Miami Hurricane. When that call came in, I don't know if I wanted to high five or jump through the screen and put him in a headlock, but the wait was worth it.
Guys like that can make change and make a big difference. Not just as a player, but as a human being. They don’t come around too often. So far, so good. We haven't played a game yet. Don't want to get ahead of ourselves. It's been an awesome spring. A lot of progress across the board in so many different areas.
On the improvement of the team: I would define it as strong progress, really strong and real and tangible progress. Spring football for us is almost like minicamp. You gotta find out what works, who works. Who's in a culture, who's not, who can abide by policies, who can't, who's willing to compete, who's gonna fold. You get to put guys through the test and find out. That allows you to make decisions that move you forward.
The good thing is a lot of guys have made some of these decisions hard because of their effort and their willingness to do things a certain way. So yeah, strong progress, mouth shut and working, brother. That's it. It's as simple as we got to get to a certain number on the roster. You guys in the media have to write whatever story you think fits, but you're not at practice and you're not behind the closed doors.
Football doesn't really tell lies. Positions are won out there. Some guys attack it and do a great job, and some guys just flat-out fold. Spring football is to find out who are the guys that can step up and play winning Miami Hurricane football. We never, never, ever in any case hold any hard feelings. If we can't have a person here due to whatever reasons, we always wish them the best. But we are always progressing forward and we're very proactive with our roster decisions as to who is on the way out and who is on the way in. That's about as detailed as I can get.
On whether Jacurri Brown is the fourth-string quarterback: We'll find out. That's a big story for you. We're always going to play the best guys. One, two, three, and four. And every single rep will be earned. Not given, not narrated, earned.
