Texas football coach Pete Kwiatkowski addressed the media on Monday during an Alamo Bowl press conference.
Here are the highlights of Kwiatkowski’s media availability:
--- Here is Kwiatkowski’s response when asked to discuss the progress his defense made this season: “Yeah, starting last winter, the emphasis on the fundamentals, obviously the scheme and all that was a big part of the learning curve from last year to this year. Going back to just the fundamentals, the nuts and bolts of how you play defense, effort, running to the ball, tackling, blocking protection, all the technique, and skill that these guys need to do to execute at a high level, starting with that, and then as the season went on, we had success. Guys felt it, saw it, and I think as a whole, the confidence level grew and grew and grew. By the end of the year, they were a lot more trust with everybody, and they played -- the whole season they played their tails off, played with great effort, physical, played fast, and executed at a pretty high level, and with that came the confidence. I think that's where you saw the growth in the group as a whole.”
--- Kwiatkowski said his team’s performance against Alabama helped with their confidence this season.
--- Kwiatkowski described Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as poised, accurate, and a good decision-maker.
--- Kwiatkowski on Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford: “Jaylan had an unbelievable year. It started last off-season. You saw the change in his focus and his consistency and his attention to detail when it came to diet, workouts, just all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes that he does with Coach Becton and the strength staff, and then his level of understanding the defense grew, his communication grew. With that, the confidence grows, and then he goes out and makes plays. Again, it's a credit to these guys and how they go about their business week in and week out, preparing for the next opponent. His ability to create turnovers, make turnovers, get the ball on the ground, get guys lined up, setting the front, making the checks, there's a lot that goes into it other than just the physical stuff you see, and his growth has been awesome. That’s why as a coach, Coach Choate, myself, all our coaches, when guys do that, that's the satisfaction that we’re doing something right. And the guys' buy-in, all these guys' buy-in, it starts with that. They trust in us, we trust in them, they trust each other, and then the guys that make plays, like Jaylan, like all these guys, you go out on Saturday, whatever day that is, game day, and cut it loose, and let it go.”
--- Kwiatkowski on the defensive players acquired in the 2023 class: “Anthony Hill obviously is a really good linebacker. He's still a kid, but if you've watched him, he's fast, and physical. He loves football. A lot of these guys, all these guys, that's one of their traits that we're trying to identify, the guys that love football, are into football, like to grind more so than the recruiting part of it. We get it; the recruiting part is the recruiting part. It's fun. It's exciting. But at the end of the day, we're trying to find those guys that really, really like to compete and love the grind and the preparation part of going out -- you only get a guaranteed12 opportunities every year, and these guys are working their tails off 365 days a year for those 12 opportunities. That's one of the traits that we try and identify in these guys, so Anthony has got that, Derion Gullette. The linebacker class is outstanding. I think Sydir Mitchell, he's a big guy, big body guy that's going to come in and we think is going to be able to contribute. We'll see.”
--- In addition, I asked Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford about returning for the 2023 season and he said, “I think right now, just really being focused on Washington and just enjoying this Alamo Bowl with my teammates, which I consider my brothers. All of us, we're spending Christmas together. This is really just my family. Kind of just keeping my head where my feet are I think is my main focus right now, and then we'll just go from there.”
Here are the highlights of Kwiatkowski’s media availability:
--- Here is Kwiatkowski’s response when asked to discuss the progress his defense made this season: “Yeah, starting last winter, the emphasis on the fundamentals, obviously the scheme and all that was a big part of the learning curve from last year to this year. Going back to just the fundamentals, the nuts and bolts of how you play defense, effort, running to the ball, tackling, blocking protection, all the technique, and skill that these guys need to do to execute at a high level, starting with that, and then as the season went on, we had success. Guys felt it, saw it, and I think as a whole, the confidence level grew and grew and grew. By the end of the year, they were a lot more trust with everybody, and they played -- the whole season they played their tails off, played with great effort, physical, played fast, and executed at a pretty high level, and with that came the confidence. I think that's where you saw the growth in the group as a whole.”
--- Kwiatkowski said his team’s performance against Alabama helped with their confidence this season.
--- Kwiatkowski described Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as poised, accurate, and a good decision-maker.
--- Kwiatkowski on Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford: “Jaylan had an unbelievable year. It started last off-season. You saw the change in his focus and his consistency and his attention to detail when it came to diet, workouts, just all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes that he does with Coach Becton and the strength staff, and then his level of understanding the defense grew, his communication grew. With that, the confidence grows, and then he goes out and makes plays. Again, it's a credit to these guys and how they go about their business week in and week out, preparing for the next opponent. His ability to create turnovers, make turnovers, get the ball on the ground, get guys lined up, setting the front, making the checks, there's a lot that goes into it other than just the physical stuff you see, and his growth has been awesome. That’s why as a coach, Coach Choate, myself, all our coaches, when guys do that, that's the satisfaction that we’re doing something right. And the guys' buy-in, all these guys' buy-in, it starts with that. They trust in us, we trust in them, they trust each other, and then the guys that make plays, like Jaylan, like all these guys, you go out on Saturday, whatever day that is, game day, and cut it loose, and let it go.”
--- Kwiatkowski on the defensive players acquired in the 2023 class: “Anthony Hill obviously is a really good linebacker. He's still a kid, but if you've watched him, he's fast, and physical. He loves football. A lot of these guys, all these guys, that's one of their traits that we're trying to identify, the guys that love football, are into football, like to grind more so than the recruiting part of it. We get it; the recruiting part is the recruiting part. It's fun. It's exciting. But at the end of the day, we're trying to find those guys that really, really like to compete and love the grind and the preparation part of going out -- you only get a guaranteed12 opportunities every year, and these guys are working their tails off 365 days a year for those 12 opportunities. That's one of the traits that we try and identify in these guys, so Anthony has got that, Derion Gullette. The linebacker class is outstanding. I think Sydir Mitchell, he's a big guy, big body guy that's going to come in and we think is going to be able to contribute. We'll see.”
--- In addition, I asked Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford about returning for the 2023 season and he said, “I think right now, just really being focused on Washington and just enjoying this Alamo Bowl with my teammates, which I consider my brothers. All of us, we're spending Christmas together. This is really just my family. Kind of just keeping my head where my feet are I think is my main focus right now, and then we'll just go from there.”
