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All right. Now, usually we're in a meeting in like a high yogi session. Yeah. But we're not going to do that today. Okay. May maybe later. All right. For sure. Okay. Uh but your head coach Dan Landing, he referenced something about you where he goes, "He's got amazing emotional control." And it made me think like you got to have that when it's 110 degrees in a room and you're a sweaty mess. Yeah. How do you feel about that phrase being attributed to you? Uh yeah. I mean, first, you know, it just comes from the things I do in life.
Uh like you said, hot yoga is for sure one. Um, but yeah, kind of this offseason has picked up some things. Is doing yoga twice a week if it's working with coach love about just mental things. Um, and being able to talk to my mental supporter Brett Led better. I mean, he's somebody that I just love and appreciate cuz during the season when it was ups and downs, that was someone I talked to. And but it's just a lot of things that help me and I love my team and they of course support me and you know, I love them and we just do a great job of just of teaching me things and uh it's been a nice journey. I've been enjoying it all and uh yoga is for sure one of the biggest things is just
teaching me how to breathe, teaching me how to go through hard moments and you know be relaxed and connect to the present moment which is something I think you've always been really unique at having met you in high school and watching your career now but you referenced Brett Led better Dan Lanning like it seems like when you walk through the walls of that facility in Eugene it's working on the 360 human being. How have you grown as that human being since you showed up as a backup to now being face college football? Yeah, I just got to give big credit to the state of Oregon. I mean, just the nature, the trees, the being out to go on hikes, the waterfalls, just being able to connect to earth. I kind of feel like being out
there, it's not a big college town where you have partying, you have, you know, hundreds and thousands of people running around. I mean, the end of the day, it's a great community, great city, great state, and everybody just loves, you know, helping one person out. So, I just kind of feel like as a town, we do a great job supporting each other. And uh from coach Lanning to the teammates, just the community is just huge. Would you have thought of that in Detroit? You're like, "Yeah, I'm going to go to the woods. I'm going to go to the nature."
No, never thought about that. It's it's amazing. Well, let's talk about where you grew up because you've given back as well. You made sure you gave back this offseason to your community, your high school. You went and you won a couple state championships. What did you notice about the reception of when you chose to make that choice and give back to where place? Yeah, I kind of just feel I mean you always got to give back. That's a that's that's just how this world works. I mean people gave back into me and I feel like I got to give back into them and it's just a blessing to be a blessing. I kind of feel like just being able to of course use my resources to give back to the community that's helped
me grow up. I mean, my high school coaches, the team, I mean, when I look at the kids' faces in high school there now, I just think of myself. When I was young, when I was 14 years old, and times can be tough in Detroit, and I kind of feel like I just want to be a light, just want to be a resource for them to reach out and be able to use. And I just love giving back. Did a girls I did a girls flag football camp last week. So, just being able to pour into so many kids back in Detroit, it's huge. And I just love being to do that. Football camps has kind of been a theme for you. You went over to Tokyo, right? And bust out the L. What was that like with your teammates going to Japan?
It's a different place out there. I mean, first of all, I got to give, you know, big credit to Nike feel. I mean, everybody just being able to put that, you know, trip planned and have us go out there with my teammates and have a great time. And the community was great. It was the cleanest place I ever seen in my life. There was no graffiti. It was no trash anywhere. Like, it was just a place where it just felt loved. And when we got there, the people loved us. The food, the steak was great. Yeah, that's all I'll say. But, uh, everything else is just a great time. I mean, the people there just supported you. I learned a couple words. Um, but just being able to give back, you know, the Oregon, the Ducks, football, and
just giving that, you know, back to the community is huge, and they loved it, and I know this season they'll be watching for sure. Okay. Let me tell you something. I loved uh 1 800 5555 the Heisman campaign that kicked off for you. Did you hear about that? Did you just see that thing kick off? Cuz that was epic, man. Yeah. So, some of these things that have been going on, I have no clue about. So, when I got to see those videos and those pictures and it was just great. I mean, being able to see the support that everybody's pouring into this season,
it's huge. And at the end of the day, I got to give credit to God. I mean, without him, without his ability to be able to do these things in my life, I mean, there's nobody else I'll give credit to. So, kind of feel like when I was in Tokyo, I got to see myself in Shabuya Crossing, pictures everywhere. It felt great. But I just felt the love and the company from my teammates when they were there with me as well. They got to support me, cheer me on, and I just love them to death. I saw a photo on your social media about that crossing and I've been there. I mean, it's it's chaotic, but there you are with your number five on and I couldn't help but think about Joey Heisman in Times
Square. Couldn't help think about Bo Nicks when he did his, you know, his pose in New York City as well. To sit there in that moment for a kid from Detroit and you've referenced before, you didn't have the easiest of paths growing up as a child. to sit there in a global city and look up and there is number five at one of the most infamous crossings in the history of global cities. I gotta imagine what it was like to be you. Yeah. I mean they were just telling us, hey, we're going to go to this place, Shabuya Crossing, very famous. I've seen a lot of videos about it. Seen like Tokyo Drift, the Fast and Furious, the, you know, cars and everything. So, I
knew a lot about it. But at 8:30, like the whole light just beamed and everything turned to like my posters. And I mean just seeing the support from my teammates that were great and then I hugged JJ Jamari and I just started crying. I mean I just felt like it was just I don't know it's just I get emotional now. It's just crazy cuz there's all these places in this world and you're able to be on Shabuya Cross and it's for sure probably one of the biggest places in the world. So it's being to have that support. I mean I just love my team. Um I love of course the campaign that they're doing for sure from Nike and I just love it and everybody's just doing a great job.
Yeah. Support is a word you've said a few times now and talked about your community and the people. You turned on $55 million. Yeah. To be around these people. Yeah. You smirk when I say that. It's a lot of money right there. But hey, at the end of the day, I play football for the memories and the times to just be able to just develop as a player. Um, money is great. You know, of course, you can provide for your family, but memories last a lifetime. So, it's being able to pour back into this team and like I said, support is the biggest thing.
Well, I think there's more than that because I can remember sitting down with you when you were living in Los Angeles. Yeah. And asking you, what do you want out of your next decision in life? And I don't know if you remember what you said. You said you want to grow. Yeah. You know, you want a healthy community to go grow in. And I watch you now and you're in that healthy community. Clearly, you have grown. But that is a rare thought. Turn down that money. you turned down the opportunity to start to sit behind Dylan Gabriel. Take me through your thought process when decisions come in front of you.
Yeah, I just of course just think about myself when I grow up. I mean, you get better with reps and I kind of feel like before you go into taking the next step, you always got to make sure you're prepared. And my freshman year at UCLA came in of course five star this guy and everything in high school was, you know, bread and butter for me. when you get to college and you get to go against, you know, people that play the game because they've had reps, it's a different ball game. So, just being able just to get hit in the mouth, I really appreciate, of course, Chip Kelly always says at the end of the day, like, I love him to death. I really appreciate what he did for me, just throwing me out there in
the fire because it made me who I am today. It molded me and I kind of feel like with him, I wouldn't be here without, you know, without him today. So, I just kind of feel like through that whole process of me going through the bad, the good, and just learning from it, I kind of feel like before I take a next step in life as a football player or even as a man, I kind of feel like I want to be prepared for anything. So, you know, it molded me and I'm glad to be here now and be able to get more reps. Do you think that there's something to your point, Elite 11, fivear, start as a freshman, quarterbacks in this era don't really hit pause?
Yeah. Do you find that to be a secret sauce to your growth and maybe a recipe for other young big-time quarterback recruits growth? Yeah, coach Landon always says, you know, the best meal is a home a slowcooked home meal. Everybody wants their food out of the microwave right now. And it's just like when you do that microwave process, you can either be great from it or you can hit a wall and be like, why did I do that? And I kind of feel like with me, I got to learn behind Dylan. I got to, of course, pick his brain. I got to talk to many people this offseason just being able to pick
their brains and I kind of feel like my whole process has been something I mean of course I appreciate. There's been times where I made my decision. I was like why did I do that? But at the end of the day it's I got to pour into everything I've done this off seasonason and I've been doing a great job and kind of feel like I just love it. And then uh at the end of the day like I said I play the game for memories. Okay. So let's talk about some memories because I imagine talking to Tom Brady was a pretty cool one. Yeah. Drew Brees and Shawn Payeyton around the craft leadership and your decision. What happened in those conversations? How did those three men impact you?
Yeah, I uh I had the chance to talk to Drew Brees a couple times. Um actually um when I was at UCLA one, two, um he came to one of our games this year and then three I just see him in LA for the fanatics the 707 games and just a great person to be able to pick his brain. Um, I mean, as him as a quarterback, of course, he didn't have the 66 height, the of course all those things, but the way he played the game, the way he was so confident, it came from preparation, and I kind of felt picking his brain, he taught me a lot. The way he thought about this certain concepts, the way he just, you know, led his teams. I mean, he just did a great job. And then I got to meet, of course, you know, my goat. I love Brady. He just
being able to just pick his brain. He talked more about leadership. He's the best leader in any sport. I feel like with him, he did a great job, of course, making history and winning all these Super Bowls and breaking all these records. So, being able to talk to them, I mean, it sounds crazy I'm saying their names because like I never thought I would do that, but just being able to talk to them and hear their voices and being able just to of course, you know, ask them any question, it felt great. And I know they're always, you know, a dial away to be able to talk to, and I just love them for that.
Leadership, how do you define it? And maybe how do you redefine it after spending time with, as you referenced, the greatest of all time? Yeah, I felt like more leadership was I thought was more before I talked to them was just more about the team and it's impacting them. But leadership is the way you just wake up, the way you attack the day, the way attack the community, the way you are just the people around you. I mean it can be the janitors in the facility, it can be, you know, the homeless people in the streets of Eugene. I mean just at the end of the day just being able to impact many people and just put a smile on their face of course. Lead them the right way, don't lead them the wrong
way. So I just being able to talk to Brady about that. I mean, you know, everybody thinks football, football, football, but you got to check your outside surroundings as well to make sure you're doing right in life for that before football's great. And Shawn Payeyton, how did he guide you? What was that conversation like? Yeah, so Shawn Payeyton, I mean, I got to hear him and Drew Brees talk for hours, just their stories, their memories, the impacts they made on each other's lives. I mean, just being able to sit there and just hear their game-winning drives, the losses, the what they've learned. I mean, I just felt like I was watching a movie the whole time. I didn't say any words when they were talking. and I just watched
and just learned from them. So, they did a great job and I learned a lot and I'm for sure going to take that back to this team. Okay. So, let's finish up with another movie reference because there's been a movie made about Phil Knight and you had a quote about Phil Knight saying you want to win a national championship for Phil because of what he's done for this program, that logo that you have on your suit right now. Yes. Why do you say that? And then take me back to that locker room where you lose to Indiana. And why was that such a catalytic moment for you and so many others? Is that we are mission-minded. We're going to do this
for us and for Phil. Yeah. I mean, Phil has done so much for this program. He has impacted many, many people, millions of people in this world. I mean, he's just done so much. Even not even his just donations, but his career at Oregon, the way he ran, you know, ran that track, the way he just put so much, you know, blood, sweat, and tears into the program there. And then, I mean, just being able to give back to us is huge. Um, I mean, he can be doing it for, of course, multiple programs like he does, but just the way he puts so much into us is just amazing. And I know uh of course at the end of the day you just got to look at your
supporters and he's for sure our biggest supporter from just from his heart from everything else and kind of feel like at the end of the day everybody knows we're doing it for Phil and uh we just love him to death and he's just somebody that we appreciate. Um and then for Indiana, yeah, I also made my decision because I remember that memory of when I hugged Jamari after the game. Jamari is somebody that of course I love to death. He's a great teammate but a great brother. And at the end of the day, I remember just giving him that hug. I'm actually getting a little emotional now. It's just the way we, you
know, looked each other in the eyes. And he said, "Whatever you do in life, just know I'm always supporting, brother." And I said, "I'll let you know very soon what I'm going to do." So, just being able to see him and just understand the impact he made on my life has been great. And I know this year we're going to take off and uh of course have that, you know, that fuel for the losses we got last year to build it into the fire this year. So, let's get the damn thing rolling. Yeah. Let's get it rolling, man. I'm just so happy for you. What a path Detroit to hang out with Tom Brady. Yeah. To leading a team to potentially the national championship.
Congratulations, sir. Thank you.
