USC Football Quotes: Players React to Day 1 of Fall Camp (8/4)

The USC football season is upon us, with the opening of fall practice on Thursday at Howard Jones Field. Here’s what the Trojans had to say about Day 1 of camp.

The Trojans got to work for more than two and a half hours on Thursday evening, in a session that head coach Clay Helton called ‘Christmas’ for football coaches.

Players were amped up too, with the start of camp ringing a new year of position battles, one-on-one drills and much more. After practice, they spoke to the media about Day 1.

MAX BROWNE

On camp being calmer than before…I don’t want to say I’m not learning, because you’re always learning. But I know this offense like the back of my hand. It’s not like there’s a huge learning curve, necessarily. It’s just a matter of going out there and executing. It’s calmer for me internally, but there’s excitement. Guys are jumping around. It’s fun. It’s the start of a new season, which is really exciting.

On keeping the focus on the field…It’s crucial. It’s definitely been a little chaotic at times since I’ve been here. But to an extent, it’s almost allowed us to grow. We’re a relatively young team, but a lot of guys have seen a lot of ball, and a lot of stuff happen. ‘All about ball’ has been the motto, and we need to keep it that way.

On naming the starter two weeks before Alabama…If I was a coach, I’d do the same thing. In that two week mark, you have a mock week of what a game week is going to be like. Then it’s Bama week. It makes total sense to me.

On what he needs to show in camp…Executing and protecting the ball. Going out there and finding completions, whatever way possible. Then, not making the big mistake is crucial.

On whether the quarterback battle with Sam Darnold is a distraction…It doesn’t serve as a distraction, because you know that you’re getting into when you come to ‘SC. I got to win a job first, before I worry about our opponent in Week 1. To me, that’s why you come here. I was the young guy once upon a time, so I get both sides of it. That’s why I’m here.

SAM DARNOLD

On Day 1 of Fall vs. Day 1 of Spring…I’m a whole lot more confident. When the team started to notice that I was getting those first-team reps in spring, I think it spring forwarded me into a little more of a starting role during summer workouts. It’s given me an opportunity to step into a leadership role, and do my thing there.

TEE MARTIN

On the quarterback battle…Hopefully it’s going to be a very tight competition. Only through seeing them perform can you make that decision. [Otherwise, it would] be unfair to the team, when you’re telling guys at other positions that they’re competing. If you don’t earn the job rightfully so, it’s hard to explain that when you recruit, or when you speak to the team about competing for a job. So it’s going to be fairer if the guys are getting an equal amount of reps and an equal amount of opportunities. We’ll give it a couple of weeks to make a decision.

JUSTIN DAVIS

On the first day of camp…On the first day of camp you’re going to try and get the jitters out, and the mistakes out, because the first day of camp is always going to be sloppy. It’s just going to make you come back and detail your work that much more. There’s a lot of good stuff today that I’ve seen, and a lot bad stuff that we can work on.

On the running back rotation…We have a fantastic group. This is the best group that we’ve had since I’ve been here. I think that we have a lot of talent, a great O-line in front of us that will allow us to use our God-given abilities and run. All of us running backs can do the same job as the man in front of us can. It’s going to be good going forward, because we’ve got the most depth.

On running back coach Tommie Robinson’s return…Coach T-Rob coming back put a very big smile on my face. I know he’s going to get me where I need to be. If it’s just working me harder, pushing me. He’s always going to be right there in my ear, making sure I’m never slacking.

ZACH BANNER

On his leadership as a senior…The whole offseason was a personal thing. With that, showing leadership and holding myself accountable, it helped the team. Now I’m more worried about the team. Now I’m worried about the scheme. I’m worried about picking up my offensive line. It’s my senior year, I don’t want to be one of those guys that go out and the guys thought he was thinking about himself. The teams of the past that I was a part of –and not the leader of, obviously– those guys were a lot more personal about themselves. That’s not to shoot them down. That’s just the way the whole structure was. The way Coach Helton holds it, it’s all about the team. All about ball. And I’ve already focused on myself. That’s what the offseason is for.

JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER

On being a mentor at wide receiver…Coach Tee Martin said, ‘The best way to learn is to teach.’ That’s what I’ve been doing since the offseason. Being able to teach them helps me learn the game a little bit more. I learned new stuff that I didn’t know my freshman year, my sophomore year, and I’m learning new stuff now. There’s nothing wrong with learning new stuff every day.