Mondays with Bobby, featuring Mitchell Henry

Talking offensive line today. Before we get to comments from OL coach Neil Callaway and seniors Sean Conway and Luis Polanco, noted Thursday afternoon that senior fullback Kadeem Jones did not practice after hurting his left foot during Thursday morning’s workout.

Sean Conway

    Difference in blocking schemes: “There’s always different blocking schemes and what different coaches want, but in the end, the O-line comes off the ball and hits the D-line. There’s a ton of different ways you can do it, but there’s not one specific way that one coach wants.”

 O-line experience: “We got a lot of great guys, the 1s and the 2s. We got depth this year. We got a lot of experience coming back with Cam (Clemmons), Luis, myself and Ed (Hazelett), and then Forrest is a redshirt freshman and he’s doing great right now.”

    Forrest Lamp: “He’s doing awesome. He started at weak tackle, now he’s moved to strong guard and he’s adjusted well. He’s picking up the offense really quick.”

    Neil Callaway: “He’s a great coach, great guy. He knows about the offense. He’s been coaching offensive line, I don’t know, 30 years? He brings a lot to the table.”

    The running game: “Our running backs are unbelievable. Antonio (Andrews), Leon (Allen), Kadeem (Jones), (Nick) Baisch – all the guys. They’re doing great.”

   Surviving fall camp? “We’re doing well. Camp is a grind. We’re up for the challenge and it’s the same every year. You have to get through these hard times, get better so we can beat UK.”

Luis Polanco

 Comparing offensive schemes from 2012-13: “They’re completely different. With coach (Willie) Taggart were just focusing on running down the middle at people and running the power and stuff. With coach Petrino, more of a zone team kind of thing, so we’re trying to stretch it out.

“He still wants us to come down the middle at people at times and just drive the ball.”

 Life with Petrino: “It’s been good, man. Having a coach like coach Petrino coaching us and leading us to our goals, it feels great. I feel like the rest of the team feels the same way I do. We’re just coming together.”

 Offensive line confidence: “Up front, we’re one of the groups that has the most experience. There’s a lot on our backs and I think we’re ready to take that responsibility.”

    Being a leader: “As a senior offensive lineman and voted captain, there has been a lot of responsibility put on me now. I feel like I have to step up from what I have been to now. My role is to be there for everybody else, for the rest of the team, for the guys and just be a team player.”

    Offensive leaders: “Antonio Andrews, he’s always a big part of the offense, as you guys know. Kadeem Jones, he’s always bringing energy to the offense – and everybody else. We feel like we can have a successful year and for us to have that, we have to all come together as team – receivers, running backs, offensive linemen, tight ends. Mitchell Henry is doing a great job, and (Tyler) Higbee, too.”

    Toughest on D-line to block: “Man, they all have their traits, man. They all come hard. Me playing with them for five years, I’m kind of used to all of them and each one of them has a different technique that I apply to. I try to change it out depending on who I’m going against.

“It’s kind of like in the game, when I’m facing a different D tackle each week, I prepare for that guy and I just block him. They all come hard in there.

“Bryan Shorter, I try to work with him during the summer a lot and he’s a guy who has improved a lot.”

Neil Callaway

    Differing schemes from last year: “I did look at the film, I think there’s some similarities, there are some differences.

“The biggest thing that when you come in as a new staff and you put in a new system is the verbage, the words. It’s like learning a new language. That’s the biggest change. I don’t think there’s – I mean there’s been some differences in fundamentals and technique, I’m sure, there’s several ways to do it, but we’re gonna do it our way.

“I think the biggest thing is learning the verbage we’ve had to learn.

   Size and condition of line: “We got some big guys, yes. We got some talented guys. I think we got a lot to do yet.

   Experience: “There’s two guys that’s played a lot, excuse me, three, and then Ed’s played a little bit. I think that part of it is good. At least they know what the line of fire is and they know what it’s like to go play in the big arena’s and go play in our league so I think that part of it is good.”

    Running game: “We’ve had some good days, we’ve had some good practices, we’ve had some days where we’ve struggled. I think that’s my biggest concern right now is consistency. I think we can be a good unit. I think we can be more consistent and to do that we have to have all five guys playing together as one. That’s what we got to get corrected right now.”

Filed under: Football, Talkin’ bout the Tops