Up next in 10
UConn coach Jim Mora & players Jelani Stafford, Valentin Senn, Chase Lundt and Tui Faumuina-Brown
Dec 27, 2024
#UConn pre-Fenway Bowl press conference ahead of Saturday's game against #UNC
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0:00
um yeah I just remember uh that first
0:03
encounter I had with Coach Moore it was
0:05
in
0:06
2021 right before the Clemson game uh me
0:09
and my dad went up and shook our hands
0:10
at coach MOA and um I just remember the
0:13
the uh emotion of confidence that just
0:16
LED through coach MOA and um I kind of
0:18
fed off that ever since I met him and um
0:22
really since that day moving forward uh
0:24
getting to the point we're at now I kind
0:25
of just seen like the way we've prepared
0:27
and the way we do things uh at Yukon and
0:30
um how it's kind of translated to the
0:32
field um it's just been super special to
0:34
be a part of this group I've can say
0:36
I've been here for six years now these
0:37
past really these past three years have
0:39
been nothing short of special and this
0:41
year in particular has definitely been
0:43
the best
0:45
one um well I got here and the first
0:49
spring when Coach Moore got here so I
0:51
wasn't here early on you know through
0:53
the through the tough times but um you
0:55
know one person I think about in
0:56
particular through those times is my
0:58
brother D over there and um you know
1:01
he's told me everything he's been here
1:02
for 6 years along with Chase and like
1:05
this is this is just a blessing to be
1:06
here where we're at now and um I mean at
1:09
least for me honestly when I first came
1:10
here I knew from meeting Coach Moore and
1:12
the staff that like we had something
1:13
special and we had the opportunity to do
1:15
something special and you know ever
1:17
since we we all came here and and put in
1:20
the work together we've just been you
1:21
know making deposits to to make sure
1:23
that this day comes in fruition so here
1:25
we are now before you ask me more
1:27
questions I say we've got four we we
1:29
have a Captain so everyone our teams a
1:32
captain but John Neer who's a wide
1:33
receiver he's a special teams Captain
1:35
John Beal special teams Captain Delmont
1:38
who's as as uh Jani just said has been
1:40
here a long time then cam Edwards so if
1:42
you want to ask them questions as well
1:44
they're they're able to
1:46
answer uh for galani and Coach just can
1:49
you describe what the experience
1:51
surrounding this game has been like you
1:53
know you guys have been here for a
1:54
couple days what have you been able to
1:55
do uh saw you maybe got a tour of the
1:58
the stadium things like that can you
1:59
just describe what these last couple
2:01
days have
2:02
been um I mean for me honestly all all
2:05
of these things are great like Coach
2:06
Moore said we're thankful you know every
2:08
who put all this together but I mean we
2:10
came here to work at the end of the day
2:12
I mean a lot of the guys here I know
2:13
they agree um so that's that's all I
2:15
have to say prob that honestly I I think
2:18
I'll Echo what Jani says we've tried to
2:20
to have a really nice blend of work and
2:23
then enjoying the experience our players
2:25
have spent a lot of time together it's a
2:26
very close close team um I think they
2:29
enjoyed
2:30
spending the holidays amongst one
2:33
another away from family they don't
2:34
necessarily be like like being away from
2:36
family but they just enjoyed the company
2:38
of each other and and we worked hard we
2:41
did not get off our schedule and our
2:43
routine at all having a Saturday game
2:44
has helped us uh one of the reasons
2:46
we're a little late this morning is
2:48
because we practiced at you know a
2:49
certain time the day before the game and
2:51
and we we stuck to the script these guys
2:53
have had great practices all week I've
2:55
been really impressed with the maturity
2:57
of the team their ability to uh to focus
3:00
in when it's time to work and yet still
3:02
enjoy the great experience that the city
3:04
of Boston and the finway full has has
3:06
been able to Pro provide for these
3:13
guys for really anyone here you're
3:16
playing in a very interesting location
3:18
you're playing at Fenway Park one of the
3:21
weirdest dimensions in baseball but a
3:23
bit of a strange to mention here uh for
3:25
the football game benches on the same
3:27
side really tight in one of the end zone
3:30
to the wall uh what have you what kind
3:33
of preparation has gone into this one
3:34
with substitutions coaching from further
3:37
away uh anything that kind of has had to
3:40
be different heading into this
3:42
one um sorry um well we we've put in a
3:46
lot of work practicing in special
3:48
situations like we put all of our guys
3:49
on one side of the field like you know
3:51
mimicking the side will be on on the on
3:52
game day and U we'll go through our
3:54
situations um from you know the hurry up
3:57
stuff with the offense the field goal
3:58
stuff um defensive signals offensive
4:01
signals making sure everyone's in the
4:02
right position and mimicking game day
4:04
because that that stuff can you know
4:06
lead to a penalty and and things of that
4:07
nature so we just Tred to make sure we
4:08
do the best we can uh to mimic what
4:10
we'll do on game day to make sure
4:11
everything goes F when the game
4:13
comes for whoever's willing to answer
4:16
this one obviously on the other side of
4:17
the ball a lot of focus has been over
4:19
there right who's coming in as the next
4:21
head coach and a lot of the talk kind of
4:23
the outside noise are you guys able to
4:25
clean anything from that kind of take
4:26
some something from that going into the
4:28
game or do you just try to block it all
4:29
out focus on yourself we don't try to we
4:32
do it's irrelevant to us we can't
4:34
control uh the emotional component of
4:36
our opponents and so we don't try to
4:38
focus on on what we can control and
4:41
that's our preparation that's the way we
4:43
work that's the attention to detail it's
4:45
the mindset it's the way we go out and
4:47
perform and as far as I know coach bich
4:50
will not be taking the field on on
4:52
Saturday so it doesn't it's irrelevant
4:54
to this football team
5:00
this is for Coach Mora and then I just
5:02
would love one of one of the players to
5:03
weigh in but
5:06
weigh who who's the most talkative
5:09
besides galom to we um no but really
5:13
what struck you you guys got to get on
5:14
on the field last night what's what
5:16
struck you about coming in here what did
5:18
you look around at what caught your eye
5:20
just kind of how did you take it all in
5:23
besides the wonky
5:25
Dimension T why don't you start us off
5:28
it was it's like we're a baseball
5:30
stadium and it's just like not the same
5:32
as a rectangle you know we're going to
5:33
be on the same
5:34
sideline like I I grew up I actually
5:37
grew up practicing on the baseball field
5:39
so it wasn't that weird but being on the
5:40
same sideline like coach said we just
5:42
been practicing the tactics and like the
5:44
bright lights they said we sold about
5:46
25,000 tickets in County so that's going
5:48
to be great and that's really about it
5:51
just the turnout of the event is going
5:53
to be big and like you said the
5:55
dimensions of like the whole setup is
5:57
going to be different but we practice
5:58
that all week and we're going to
6:00
definitely adapt to
6:03
it I think for me it was very special to
6:06
see because I remember two summers ago I
6:08
was able to attend a game here at the
6:10
park and uh at the park and then um so
6:15
it was kind of neat just to see the
6:17
different setup and and the field layout
6:19
and obviously yesterday uh being able to
6:22
just like get a feel of how it's going
6:23
to be on Saturday that was very
6:25
important but also just uh see the uh
6:28
the green monster and seeing the Yukon
6:31
on that green monster I think that was
6:33
pretty special and then the four
6:34
quarters and and and we just got to make
6:37
sure that once those four quarters are
6:39
done that we uh go one and0 on the
6:44
Saturday for me it was a history just
6:47
you know I'm a little bit older than
6:48
these guys and just uh I've always been
6:51
actually a Red Sox fan believe it or not
6:54
and so to be able to to take the field I
6:56
sat in stands many times but actually
6:58
stop cars stmy had a home run here when
7:00
I was a kid and uh to be able to go
7:03
behind the green monster and see how it
7:05
operates it's just uh I mean those are
7:07
just amazing memories and I I know as
7:10
these guys go through their life they're
7:11
going to reflect back on these moments
7:14
and it's going to mean more and more to
7:15
them as they get older and I'm sure now
7:17
that you know when the Red Sox are on TV
7:19
they'll probably tune in a little bit
7:20
longer and say to their kids hey I was I
7:22
was on the field at finway you know with
7:25
Big Bob and I mean you see it's just
7:27
it's pretty special
7:33
thanks uh this one for Valentine just
7:35
wanted to check um so I just been follow
7:38
up and you said that you you got to come
7:40
here a couple summers ago growing up in
7:41
Europe like do you are you like were you
7:44
already aware of like some of the like
7:47
history of Fenway or like the allore of
7:50
it any of that or is that like your
7:51
first time seeing this completely honest
7:55
um I did not know what baseball was
7:57
before coming to the United States
7:59
uh I would say skiing and soccer is
8:02
Austria's favorite pastime but um
8:06
obviously coming here the first time and
8:08
just seeing all the fans and and the way
8:11
Boston loves this baseball team that was
8:14
very special like all the tradition you
8:16
can definitely feel it in this place
8:18
there was a a family sitting in front of
8:21
us it was a a son a father and a
8:23
grandfather and actually the the kid
8:25
ended up uh getting one of the Home Run
8:28
balls and I mean that was pretty special
8:30
right there um they got teered up and I
8:33
thought that was pretty neat to see and
8:35
just that the all those Generations who
8:38
grew up watching that same team I mean
8:40
that was really really
8:45
special thank you guys for being here
8:47
appreciate it uh how challenging coach
8:49
for you guys is it you've had a long
8:51
layoff since the regular season and this
8:53
game you know my guys might be sitting
8:55
out on either side and it's a different
8:57
team you might be scouting compared
8:59
compared to what you would have seen
9:00
earlier in the season with film how do
9:02
you how do you adjust for that when
9:03
there's so many extra factors that come
9:06
with it on top of it being at Fenway and
9:07
all these other things so prep scouting
9:10
the whole nine yards well we're
9:11
fortunate because our you know there's
9:13
only one player uh that's that was able
9:18
to play physically able to play for us
9:20
that's not going to be able that's not
9:22
going to be with the team so we are just
9:25
business as usual um when we Scout an
9:28
opponent um we're certainly going to
9:29
prepare for the opponent obviously the
9:31
Freddy con plays it's going to be a
9:32
little bit different um but the SCH the
9:35
schemes that they use uh those will stay
9:38
consistent any game that you go into you
9:41
have to be ready to make adjustments mid
9:42
game during the game well before
9:44
halftime uh but the most important thing
9:46
you can do is you can master your craft
9:49
you can put the work in uh you can be
9:51
detailed uh and like I said have the
9:54
right mindset be ready to adjust and and
9:57
play as hard and as physical and as as
9:59
you can and go out and execute and so
10:01
that's our Focus it's always you prepare
10:03
for your opponent but we're playing
10:05
against our standard and that's you see
10:07
him shaking there that's what we preach
10:09
and we believe in that and that's what
10:10
we'll try to demonstrate
10:12
tomorrow thank
10:17
you Jim just kind of build on what I
10:19
asked players before but what does all
10:21
of this represent to you as far as the
10:24
momentum that this program has built you
10:27
know a conference upon a conference Tian
10:29
was moved to get you here right somebody
10:32
obviously wanted you guys here uh what
10:34
does that all represent to you in terms
10:36
of what's being built and in the moment
10:38
that you come it means a lot um um first
10:42
and foremost the commitment of of this
10:45
the
10:45
university to football uh which I think
10:49
is has been demonstrated over and over
10:51
and over again um secondly just the
10:55
dedication the commitment the hard work
10:56
of these guys sitting to my right and
10:58
these guys over here here and their
10:59
teammates back at the hotel right now a
11:01
lot of them acting on Blind Faith and uh
11:05
their commitment to achieving things
11:07
that haven't been achieved here in a
11:09
while uh has been extra special it's
11:12
been extraordinary it's uncommon um I've
11:15
said it to you many many times this is
11:17
and I told these guys today this is the
11:20
most rewarding and the most special
11:22
football team I've ever been around in
11:23
my my entire career and it's because
11:26
these guys work for it um care about
11:29
each other there is no entitlement they
11:32
don't expect anything to be given to
11:34
them they're committed to the process
11:36
and it's uh it's Unique in today's
11:40
sports environment to have a group of
11:42
115 players like we're lucky to have at
11:45
the University of Connecticut and it
11:47
also to me signifies progress and that
11:49
progress is built on the backs of these
11:51
guys and you know David Benedict over
11:54
here who's you know she sat in my living
11:57
room three years ago
11:59
and uh we talked about this and where we
12:01
want to be and and we're getting there
12:03
we've still got a long ways to go but
12:05
the commitment is there and once again
12:07
it's it's because of these are special
12:10
special special men and they're going to
12:12
be successful in anything they do in
12:14
life because of the lessons they learned
12:16
here at
12:20
Yukon for Coach Mora um you just talked
12:24
about coming from the pros what does a
12:25
ball game like this mean to you and your
12:28
personal experience you know what's it
12:29
been like you know to come from NFL and
12:32
coaching in college it's been amazing
12:34
it's uh football's football on the field
12:36
but football off the The Experience off
12:39
the field between the NFL and and
12:40
College is very very different um it's
12:43
much more personal at this level you're
12:45
dealing with a a younger athlete uh they
12:48
they maybe need you a little bit
12:50
differently in their lives than uh a
12:52
professional football player does um the
12:55
opportunity to come to a bowl game and
12:57
and experience the events and the
12:58
camaraderie
12:59
is different than anything you ever
13:01
experienced at the NFL level and it uh
13:04
at this point in my career in my my life
13:06
it's what I enjoy most having a chance
13:09
to to spend time with these guys and our
13:11
whole staff is uh is just different and
13:14
I Fred and I you know we competed
13:16
against each other in in in the NFL
13:18
several times and as we were talking
13:20
before we all walked out here it was we
13:22
we both agreed it was just the
13:24
experiencing of being around student
13:26
athletes that makes this so special
13:33
I'll direct it at Chase but if any of
13:35
you guys players want to join chime in
13:37
what does it mean to you that so many
13:39
guys have stayed with this program over
13:41
the last month with everything going on
13:43
practiced and plan on playing in this
13:45
game so finish this thing out with you
13:47
guys for your last game yeah I think one
13:50
thing for me that I've always lived by
13:52
is loyalty and you look at guys that
13:55
have been here in the past I'll use one
13:56
example and this guy uh I think about a
13:59
lot in Christian Haynes I mean he was a
14:01
guy who bought into this program every
14:03
single year he was here he was here for
14:05
six years and I tried to live um live my
14:07
life based off how he did and how the
14:09
habits he formed he formed all these
14:11
good habits and he wanted to be a leader
14:13
for this team and um I just sought after
14:15
him and I thought everything he did was
14:17
special and so the way I kind of live my
14:19
life now and the way I try to lead these
14:21
guys um on the field and like off the
14:24
field I try to live through him so I'd
14:26
say loyalty is the biggest thing amongst
14:29
this entire program and I say if if you
14:32
can buy into that then you can really be
14:34
a part of a special team and and make
14:36
something happen
14:39
so I wanted to add something else
14:42
another thing I feel like as like Coach
14:43
Moore mentioned earlier is like Blind
14:45
Faith and just like trusting the process
14:47
of what we have going on and trusting
14:48
the people that are around us like we
14:50
have a great support system in the
14:52
entire facility the program everything
14:55
like Mr Benedict like everyone you know
14:58
puts their time in help us get where we
14:59
want to go and it's just you know a
15:01
blessing for us to all be here now today
15:03
and and you know surrounded with the
15:04
people we love and people that love
15:08
us there's been a lot of discussion in
15:10
the last couple years about bowl games
15:13
and their place in the sport what does
15:17
this event these events mean to you as a
15:21
team as a coach as a player coming into
15:24
something a postseason
15:26
game what do these events mean mean to
15:29
you personally you guys
15:34
good I think we're very appreciative to
15:37
um kind of reap the rewards of our hard
15:40
work mean all year we try to fight for
15:43
the extra that uh 13th game and so it it
15:47
means a lot to be able to come here and
15:50
obviously not not forget about what got
15:52
us here in the first place and obviously
15:54
put in the the work still on a daily
15:56
basis but at the same time just be able
15:58
to experience um what we uh achieve for
16:02
ourselves and then not forget to um just
16:06
um all that work that led to this the
16:10
whole year not just during the season so
16:13
it's definitely special to have those
16:14
moments and celebrate it together as a
16:17
team because uh it took all every every
16:20
single person on the whole team on the
16:22
whole staff to get to this moment
16:29
hey Jim uh you took over a one11 program
16:31
I say three seasons ago this is your
16:33
second bowl obviously have a chance to
16:34
win nine games which is an incredible
16:37
accomplishment what do you think could
16:38
be the next step for for Yukon football
16:41
uh in the unique position where you
16:43
are the next step uh was to win that
16:47
ninth game tomorrow that's the first
16:49
step and then devaluate where we are and
16:52
uh U bring in quality people that are
16:56
good football players continue to
16:58
populate our program with with winners
17:00
that have the right attitude that are
17:03
selfless that are committed to the team
17:06
committed to being great and uh I I
17:09
would say for us you know David does a
17:10
great job of scheduling and you know we
17:12
play some power four teams and uh we've
17:16
been really close we haven't been able
17:19
to get it done on a consistent basis so
17:21
the next step for us is to be able to
17:24
you know we were one of the one of only
17:25
three group of five teams to go
17:27
undefeated against the group of five
17:30
which I think is a is a pretty great
17:33
accomplishment for these guys but for
17:35
this program we want to start not just
17:38
competing with but beating some power
17:40
four teams and and making the statement
17:43
that you know we are becoming very
17:45
relevant again on the football field and
17:48
uh if we continue with that mindset and
17:51
with guys like this you know we're going
17:53
to have to replace these guys in their
17:54
leadership and you can tell by listening
17:55
to them how special these young men are
17:57
they truly are and those four over there
17:59
are the same we have to continue to to
18:01
make a priority of bringing in the right
18:04
types of people into this program and
18:06
and we'll do that it's become
18:07
increasingly harder with the portal but
18:10
uh you know we we have we've we've hit
18:14
pretty good so far because it's
18:16
important to us we don't gloss over
18:18
anything that could help or hurt this
18:27
program so much well thank you so much
18:30
for being here appreciate
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