On his transition from high school to his freshman season
It was something new to me because ever since I was nine years old, I was the biggest kid. I understand when you get to college, it's very hard, I understood that. It didn't sit right with me. It kills you inside, you just want to get on the field and not getting your chance that much if you're a freshman until I got to my sophomore year.
On the reaction when he walked into the locker room as a freshman
I wasn't shocked because I kind of expected it, we're all at the top level. I kind of expected it. There were some people, I remember seeing Aidan for the first time and I was like, damn, that's a big boy right there. Even Mazi. Mazi is a beast. Even one of the freshmen, all freshmen come in, Tristan Bounds, he's like 6'8 and like, damn, he's playing tackle at 6'8. It was cool. I kind of expected it coming in.
On how he handled his freshman season
When I came in when Coach Warinner was the coach, I thought I was going to play tackle. That dream fell off and I went to left guard. I remember the first time Coach Moore said yeah you're going to left guard, I said OK, whatever the team needs. I just grinded. I did have a lot of injuries when I first came in, I had a concussion and a jumper's knee, pulled my hamstring the first day we came back from summer. It was a lot my first year. Just grinded my way through it.
On the first moment he stepped on the field in the Big House
It was surreal. I don't really get nervous, I don't get the butterflies no more, I don't know why. I just felt ready. I do everything for my family. It's my opportunity to shine. It's no, oh, I'm on TV, I can't be thinking like that. Just play football. It's all we do.
On when he saw his family after his first game playing
They were really happy. Makes me happy to see my mom, my brother and my uncles. It's my dream but it's their dream too. I'm the first kid in our family to go to college. There's not many Chaldeans in the sports world. A lot of people don't know what Chaldean is I kind of put it on for my kind, my city. Meant a lot. Especially my mama, she's me everything.
On understanding the importance of being ready
It's actually funny, Coach Moore didn't say nothing to me. I saw Keegan go down and I said, I ain't missing this opportunity. So I just went for it. I'm ready, I've been training this hard, Coach Moore should trust me and he did. Did pretty good.
On what Sherrone Moore said when he came off the field
Told me a good job (laughs). Even after the game, Coach Harbaugh said I did a really good job. Me, whenever I'm on offense, I'm ready. Whatever happens, I'm ready. Even against Ohio State, I saw Keegan limping a little bit. I'm jumping and I'm ready to go in there.
On the difficulty to be ready throughout the course of the game on the sidelines
For me, I stay loose. Jump around. Mentally, like I said before, it's my opportunity to shine. Whatever I can get. It's all I dream for. This is my dream, this is my life. I've been doing this for the last 10 years. It's everything I know.
On the expectations to keep the level of excellence he's experienced on the offensive line
To be honest with you, with Coach Moore, it's not that hard. We have a standard and we keep that standard. The O-line runs the team, that's what we always tell each other. That's what we always pride ourselves on. We control the team. We're everything to the team. Whenever we're strong, the team's strong. That's what we do.
On battling for playing time with some of his best friends
At the end of the day, we know it's a job. Yeah, we play football for fun but we all have our dreams and we all have our goal to go to the NFL and support our families. It's whoever wants it more at the end of the day. I train my ass off every day until I get it. Show Coach Moore, show the team that they can always rely on me and I put my heart out there.
On how he sets the tone for the younger players
Help them. Teach them the ways because we were all in their footsteps. It feels like it was so short ago but it's been three years. Just help them out, just like a coach, You're a coach now, you know mostly everything. Teach them footsteps and make sure their mind is right. Being a freshman, your mind is everywhere. Overthinking stuff, gotta get over that and do what you gotta do.
On moving from tackle to guard
It was really hard. Especially, I played right tackle my whole life and now I'm left guard. With my injuries, probably the whole year (to get comfortable). To be very comfortable where I could just get in because when I first got to my left side, I had a little hitch. I put my butt up and down trying to get used to it. Now, it's very natural. It's like trying to write with your left hand, you can't. It's not easy.
On whether he'd be able to pick up right tackle
Right away. It's like muscle memory. Even now in practice, sometimes we switch sides. It's like right away, boom. Get down right in my stance.
On how much of an advantage for him to face Michigan's defensive line
It's been really good. The best of the best. When you're facing other teams, it feels just like practice. When you've got Mazi bull-rushing with a four-yard headstart, I don't think no one else can beat that, especially Mazi's so powerful and he gets off the ball so fast. I'm not saying the other tackles and stuff—everyone has different traits. Going against Mazi, that really developed me into the player I am today.
On the one thing he does best
Moving someone A to B. You can ask anybody, I'm going to move somebody, no matter what it is. Even if it's not the best technique, I'm going to move that guy. As far as he gotta go.
On the one thing he needs to work on
Knowing the game a little more. Keep polishing. Seeing someone go off the edge, calling this. Working my pass pro a little bit more. Sometimes when you're going against an edge guy and you've got a cornerback blitzing and an edge guy blitzing, can't turn, you can't open the door a little too much.
On what the team has to do win a national championship
Can't get comfortable. Especially my class, all we know, is we're champions, we got all these great accolades, we just can't get comfortable. Gotta keep grinding. Have to keep everybody at a high standard. Coach Herb says that 99% of things are great but it's the 1% that matters. Just keep polishing, keep doing everything to the best of your ability and leave your heart out on the field. No matter how tired you are, how sore, whatever you're going through in life, no matter how mentally messed up you are, when you come in this building, the only thing you worry about is football.
On what football means to him
It means a lot of different things to me. Other than just going to the NFL, it's everything to me. It's everything I've worked for. It's not only just for me, it's also for my mama. Growing up, it was a hard childhood. Mama worked so much growing up, it was just me, my mama and my little brother. She's done so much, I've seen her work her ass off her whole life. It's everything to me.
On when he first saw his first Big Ten championship ring
I was happy, of course, we all contributed but I wasn't happy about myself because I didn't as much my freshman year. The second one meant a lot more. It really meant a lot to me because I really did something. I really contributed to us winning. Against Purdue, against all these other teams. All the starts I had whenever Keegan got out. The second one meant a lot more than the first one to me. I can't imagine how the freshman feel. Meant a lot the first one but the second one, for sure, more.
On the focus of winning in East Lansing this season
Every team we will prepare to the most but it's always those couple of teams that mean more. It's a legacy. You should see it, especially in my hometown, I don't why they love Michigan State so much. It's not that we want to beat them, we need to beat them. We need to beat Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State. Those are the games. I'm not talking bad about no other teams but those are the games we need to win.
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