Boyd, Watkins, McDowell Orange Bowl quotes

by TigerNet Staff - Mon Dec 30 10:16:22 GMT-04:00 2013

Tajh BoydTajh Boyd
RS Sr. Quarterback
#10 6-1, 225
Hampton, VA
View Full Profile , Senior, Quarterback

On story about his freshman year with Chad Morris:

“It was interesting because the way I was catching the snaps. I’d drop it or my knees would kind of cave in while I was catching the snap. It was more so of me kind of being nervous, but the guys would come back on the sideline saying ‘Coach doesn’t think you can see’. I told them I have 20/20 vision, but he said ‘I have to see for myself’. So Coach [Morris] took me to the eye doctor and it was better than 20/20, it was 20/15 or something like that. It was an interesting story, something I’ll never forget.”

On Clemson Offensive Coordinator, Chad Morris:

“Just as a person our relationship has impacted me and I’ve enjoyed his presence and what he’s brought to the table. Anybody that you want around you and that you communicate with every day, you want those guys to trust you. So you start to look in the mirror a little bit and start to figure out what you need to do, so that every question someone has about you is answered.”

On him and Braxton Miller:

“We have a good relationship. I talked to him a little bit yesterday. For us, respectively, we’re talking about historical programs so I think that it’s an honor to be categorized as this quarterback. It’s more about the team and us responding.”

Sammy WatkinsSammy Watkins
Jr. Wide Receiver
#2 6-1, 205
Fort Myers, FL
View Full Profile , Junior, Wide Receiver

On coming to the Discover Orange Bowl:

“We’re down here for the biggest game of the year and it’s a great opportunity to be here and play in the Orange Bowl and be in Miami and play Ohio State. I definitely want to take advantage of the opportunity that I have with this team and with this program.”

On what game means:

“That’s what I was looking for, I didn’t want to be playing not to say a sorry team, but a team that everyone thought is better than us where we can prove ourselves once again. We came down here two years ago and laid an egg. We have an opportunity to come down here and put this program back on the right page and hopefully come out with an 11-2 season. I think with this game it gives us a step forward and something to look forward to next year.”

On performance in last Orange Bowl appearance:

“For as a whole the program as coaches and players we weren’t prepared. It was our first BCS bowl in probably 30 years. From a players point we didn’t take it that serious, we didn’t know what it was worth. We had around 50 freshmen. I think a lot of guys, myself, were burnt out. We had fun, but we didn’t come down here to win.”

Tyler ShatleyTyler Shatley
Gr. Offensive Guard
#62 6-3, 295
Icard, NC
View Full Profile , Senior, Offensive Guard

On OSU’s defensive front:

“They are a really good group of guys and they have good depth. From what I’ve seen, they are big guys, really strong and they will be a challenge for us but it’s nothing that we haven’t seen before.”

On Tajh Boyd’s legacy at Clemson:

“I think he’s been a great player and I think the best thing is that he is just a great leader. He has always stepped up when he needed to and helped lead the team. He’s helped some of the younger players and taken control when he needed to.”

On being in sunny South Florida:

“I like it a lot. It is a little warm for my taste, when we left Clemson it was about 45 degrees. But I like it, it’s nice to be able to get out some shorts and t-shirts and walk around.”

On what he is looking forward to other than the game this week:

“Obviously the football game is going to be a great game and Ohio State is going to be a challenge for us, but I am looking forward to the dinner tomorrow at Texas de Brazil, we are going out to the beach today, so it is going to be nice to enjoy some nice weather.”

Brandon ThomasBrandon Thomas
Gr. Offensive Line
#63 6-3, 305
Spartanburg, SC
View Full Profile , Senior, Offensive Tackle

On Ohio State’s defense:

“They are big but they are not like anything we haven’t seen. I think we’ll be ready; we have faced some good talent this year. We are pretty solid on our practice; we practice every week hard so I think we’ll be ready.”

On the cohesiveness of the offensive line with the addition of Isiah:

“I think we have gotten a lot better with communication and everything. He settled into the right tackle position instead of me going back and forth and it has solidified the offensive line and the communication problem.”

On Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier:

“He is definitely a quick, twitch kind of guy. He will hit the whole real fast. You have to watch out for a guy like that. He is a smart ballplayer. You have to watch when he comes off of the edge or through the A-gap or the B-gap.”

On what he is looking forward to this week:

“Spending time with my guys. It will be the last time I am with them for a while, until I come back for my pro day, so yeah just spending time with the guys and trying to enjoy the whole environment.”

Roderick McDowellRoderick McDowell
Gr. Running Back
#25 5-9, 195
Sumter, SC
View Full Profile , Senior, Running Back

On how he fits in with Clemson’s offense:

“I’m a game changer, running back, receiver, doesn’t matter what the coach tells me to do, I’ll do it. You really have to have an all-around skill set as far as catching the ball, pass protection, running hard, tackles. You can’t just be one dimensional.”

On whether he saw himself purely as a running back when he was recruited:

“Coming out of high school, I saw myself catching the ball at the back field, probably playing a little, running hard, but when this offense came, I was happy for it because, hey, I can show my skills at the next level, so I was kind of happy Coach Morris came through.”

On what makes Clemson’s offense different from any other:

“Our skill sets. We’ve got Sammy Watkins, tons of phenomenal wide receivers, offensive linemen, a wonderful quarterback, and I think the way we play together, too. When you’ve got an offense and players that play together as a unit, that’s very important.”