Former Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson was back at practice Tuesday, speaking to the team and sharing some familiar messages. Mario Cristobal said Johnson’s words on conditioning, limiting mistakes and making the best players the hardest workers really hit home with the Hurricanes.
Head coach Mario Cristobal
On former head coach Jimmy Johnson being at Tuesday’s practice:
“He spoke to the team this morning and hit on some just awesome messages like he always does. It takes you back to being in that room as a player when he talked about the importance of conditioning, about the importance of eliminating mistakes, the importance of having your best players be your hardest workers. It really hit home with the guys and [we] certainly appreciate him. And he was out there at practice today, so it was awesome. Looking forward to having more alumni, more former coaches back here and always sharing with our football players and our team.”
On what it means to have former coaches and players connect with the current team:
“It’s ultra valuable. You notice there’s no cameras and it’s not for show. We don’t subscribe to that. We have our very private behind-the-scenes, hit-you-right-between-the-eyes lessons, mentorship [and] betterment. And for our players, that’s special. We want to keep it that way. We want to keep it strong. We want to keep it real. It’s extremely impactful. So, it’s something we’ve always incorporated, but we’re incorporating it more and more and we look forward to doing it some more.”
On the competition between kickers Jack Olsen, Jake Weinberg and Will Rocha:
“I think it’s important. … I think it’s also important not to label them and let them compete because what [Olsen and Weinberg] have both shown in camp, they could both kick it out of the end zone and they both have excellent range. We did kicks [from] 48, 50, 52, and I forget what we got to, but it was close enough to 55 where you feel comfortable where you feel confident you could do it. And then Will Rocha, who’s been here for a bit, is a guy that’s really, really dependable. We feel really good about all three, but we’re tapping everything. We’re putting them in situations that they have to shine and create separation. So, I really can’t say how it’s going to work out yet. We’d rather let it play out, but make it as fair as possible, assess, and then provide each guy with a path for betterment to give him a chance to be that guy. I think this will be an ongoing thing all season.”
On the importance of competition at every position during preseason camp:
“I think it’s the same thing that Coach [Johnson] preached this morning, and what we’ve always known – competition brings the best out of everybody. And you shouldn’t pick and choose who that applies to. Whether you’re the quarterback, whether you just came in as a guy that transferred in here, whether you’re a freshman that just walked through the door, the only way to get the best out of people is to present them situations that’s going to have them fighting, scrapping, clawing for their opportunity, for a role, for a contribution to the team, for a starting position. And I think that that holds true across the board for the entire team.”
On the team’s toughness and willingness to be pushed in camp:
“The sense is that they’ve handled what we’ve thrown at them. And we’ve thrown a lot at them. We have an agreement that they’re going to allow us – myself, the coaches, themselves – they’re going to allow us to take them to the edge. We’re going to take them all the way there. It’s the only way to get a breakthrough, and I want to emphasize breakthrough as opposed to a breakdown.
“But you know what? We play in conditions that are really, really hot [and] really noisy. We’re going to have to win the rock fights. We’re going to have to win the shootouts. We’re going to have to find ways to win games in a lot of different manners and the only way to do that is to find out what you have by testing it. We could show it in presentations all we want. We could have some really neat overheads, but until we get it down pat with confidence out there on a daily basis, well, then there’s really no value in that confidence.
“So, we’re getting better, some positions at a faster rate than others. We do see betterment across the board and the coaches are doing a good job of challenging the players. And it’s important that the coaches challenge themselves, too. And I challenge the coaches and they challenge me. … It’s time for everybody to put their foot on the gas and there’s no letting up.”
On the play of the offensive line through the first six days of camp:
“I see a lot of progress. I see a lot of physicality starting to show in spurts, and I see us having a lot of work to do.”
On offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez:
“Ryan’s seen it all and Ryan has been through a lot of stuff. He’s been through some very significant injuries, and yet there’s never been any flinch in him. … He’s multiple. He can play center. He can play guard. People don’t realize he can play tackle as well. He can play emergency tackle and he’s done it really, really well. But when you’re the center, and you walk in that room, the entire room has to recognize that you’re the baddest blank in that room and everyone has to feel that presence.
“And the more Ryan plays with this group of guys and the different parts that move around him, and how they’re communicating, every day, he’s gaining ground to do that better and better and better. And having SJ Alofaituli there to push him, as well as having Rhys Woodrow, who’s doing a really good job, upping the ante in terms of competition at that position is bringing out the best in Ryan. But credit to him for really taking care of his body, for getting in really good shape. He’s been able to go, and he’s proven that he’s now a durable football player.”
Head coach Mario Cristobal
On former head coach Jimmy Johnson being at Tuesday’s practice:
“He spoke to the team this morning and hit on some just awesome messages like he always does. It takes you back to being in that room as a player when he talked about the importance of conditioning, about the importance of eliminating mistakes, the importance of having your best players be your hardest workers. It really hit home with the guys and [we] certainly appreciate him. And he was out there at practice today, so it was awesome. Looking forward to having more alumni, more former coaches back here and always sharing with our football players and our team.”
On what it means to have former coaches and players connect with the current team:
“It’s ultra valuable. You notice there’s no cameras and it’s not for show. We don’t subscribe to that. We have our very private behind-the-scenes, hit-you-right-between-the-eyes lessons, mentorship [and] betterment. And for our players, that’s special. We want to keep it that way. We want to keep it strong. We want to keep it real. It’s extremely impactful. So, it’s something we’ve always incorporated, but we’re incorporating it more and more and we look forward to doing it some more.”
On the competition between kickers Jack Olsen, Jake Weinberg and Will Rocha:
“I think it’s important. … I think it’s also important not to label them and let them compete because what [Olsen and Weinberg] have both shown in camp, they could both kick it out of the end zone and they both have excellent range. We did kicks [from] 48, 50, 52, and I forget what we got to, but it was close enough to 55 where you feel comfortable where you feel confident you could do it. And then Will Rocha, who’s been here for a bit, is a guy that’s really, really dependable. We feel really good about all three, but we’re tapping everything. We’re putting them in situations that they have to shine and create separation. So, I really can’t say how it’s going to work out yet. We’d rather let it play out, but make it as fair as possible, assess, and then provide each guy with a path for betterment to give him a chance to be that guy. I think this will be an ongoing thing all season.”
On the importance of competition at every position during preseason camp:
“I think it’s the same thing that Coach [Johnson] preached this morning, and what we’ve always known – competition brings the best out of everybody. And you shouldn’t pick and choose who that applies to. Whether you’re the quarterback, whether you just came in as a guy that transferred in here, whether you’re a freshman that just walked through the door, the only way to get the best out of people is to present them situations that’s going to have them fighting, scrapping, clawing for their opportunity, for a role, for a contribution to the team, for a starting position. And I think that that holds true across the board for the entire team.”
On the team’s toughness and willingness to be pushed in camp:
“The sense is that they’ve handled what we’ve thrown at them. And we’ve thrown a lot at them. We have an agreement that they’re going to allow us – myself, the coaches, themselves – they’re going to allow us to take them to the edge. We’re going to take them all the way there. It’s the only way to get a breakthrough, and I want to emphasize breakthrough as opposed to a breakdown.
“But you know what? We play in conditions that are really, really hot [and] really noisy. We’re going to have to win the rock fights. We’re going to have to win the shootouts. We’re going to have to find ways to win games in a lot of different manners and the only way to do that is to find out what you have by testing it. We could show it in presentations all we want. We could have some really neat overheads, but until we get it down pat with confidence out there on a daily basis, well, then there’s really no value in that confidence.
“So, we’re getting better, some positions at a faster rate than others. We do see betterment across the board and the coaches are doing a good job of challenging the players. And it’s important that the coaches challenge themselves, too. And I challenge the coaches and they challenge me. … It’s time for everybody to put their foot on the gas and there’s no letting up.”
On the play of the offensive line through the first six days of camp:
“I see a lot of progress. I see a lot of physicality starting to show in spurts, and I see us having a lot of work to do.”
On offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez:
“Ryan’s seen it all and Ryan has been through a lot of stuff. He’s been through some very significant injuries, and yet there’s never been any flinch in him. … He’s multiple. He can play center. He can play guard. People don’t realize he can play tackle as well. He can play emergency tackle and he’s done it really, really well. But when you’re the center, and you walk in that room, the entire room has to recognize that you’re the baddest blank in that room and everyone has to feel that presence.
“And the more Ryan plays with this group of guys and the different parts that move around him, and how they’re communicating, every day, he’s gaining ground to do that better and better and better. And having SJ Alofaituli there to push him, as well as having Rhys Woodrow, who’s doing a really good job, upping the ante in terms of competition at that position is bringing out the best in Ryan. But credit to him for really taking care of his body, for getting in really good shape. He’s been able to go, and he’s proven that he’s now a durable football player.”
