It didn’t take long for DE Rueben Bain to become a team leader and face of the program. He met with reporters after the first day of practice to discuss the defense:
On the first day of practice: You can tell it's the first day, but it still wasn't bad. A lot of chitter going back and forth with the O-line, as expected. But we all performed pretty well as a whole unit. The new guys [Tyler Baron and Simeon Barrow] definitely were some eye-openers today.
We were getting after it. A lot of young guys scored some interceptions. A lot of guys made plays on the second level all the way to the D-line. We looked pretty good as a whole unit, but I'm pretty sure the offense is going to try to bring it tomorrow. So we’re all looking forward to another day.
We just had to get all the jitterbugs out. Everybody was so excited to get back. It was like that first day of school when everybody's got their first outfit all picked out. Everybody was coming in with their little drip. We were just ready to get after it and have fun. Some people were tired. Some people were drained. But it's all in the game. Everybody's going to get better as the week progresses.
On his work ethic: It was just how I was raised, honestly. I knew that hard work pays off. It was instilled in me. If there's something in my mind that I feel like I can reach, I'm going to work for it no matter what's in my way or what's being said about it. If it's in my grasp, I'm gonna take it.
On how the light turned on for him last season: More film. Confidence. Going out and performing pretty well, you get confidence. It's a human thing. You do good, you feel good, so you play good. That was the main thing, knowing that I belong here. And once I got that click, everything was fine. It was just playing football at that point.
On what stands out about Simeon Barrow: Definitely his strength. But if not that, his effort. He could be losing a rep in the first half, but he’s always gonna make sure he gets that second effort and that second push to win in the second half. He was doing it a lot in the one-on-ones. He was a little limited today, but he was still showing his spark and his flash and his strength.
On Francis Mauigoa: We missed each other in the spring. That’s a one-on-one battle that everybody looks forward to, at least on the field. Having him back out there, it was just like fall. Going against each other, making each other better. He had some upper hands. I had some upper hands. We know that iron sharpens iron. That's what Coach Cristobal says, and that's what we believe.
On Tyler Baron: Huge body, real athletic, real fast. He's smart. And he's a real chill dude. He only has one year left. He could just be like, “I'm just here for my one year.” But he's actually trying to learn. He's actually trying to help the young guys. He's still helping me. And I don't second guess anything, because I know he's been here longer than me. I'm just open ears to any information I can get.
