Everything Ryan Hayes said pre-Georgia

Ryan Hayes met with the media immediately after the offensive line found out they won the Joe Moore Award for the nation's best offensive line, so the line of questioning naturally turned to the growth and development of this year's line. Hayes also talked about his position coach, Sherrone Moore; what the running backs did to help Michigan's line win the award; and why this year's team is playing their best football late in the season. For everything Hayes said, read on.

On what just happened in the weight room

Yeah, so it was pretty cool. It just got announced that we won the Joe Moore Award. Just pretty incredible feeling. It's really an honor because they just explained how prestigious the award is and how much goes into it, so it was pretty cool.

On the development of the offensive line and what it means for the program for the offensive line to win that award

It's just a collective effort from everybody. I think the last few years have been building up. We're just getting better and better and this year with coach Moore, he just brought us together as one and we've just kind of been exceling throughout the year and I think we're playing our best football now at the end of the year. Feels pretty good.

On what motivated them to take the next step as a unit

I think it's just the level of teamwork and the love we have for each other. Just we all are working together as one and it's not any individuals out there, so I think that plays a big part of it.

On Sherrone Moore and what he brings to Hayes and the line

He just brings a lot of knowledge because he obviously played offensive line. He's brought a lot of knowledge to the group, a lot of teamwork stuff, just--he's really good at making us play our best ball. He's good because we want to play for him. We're all in there together.

On whether he makes them ratchet it up a little bit

Yeah, I think so. Definitely. We're always competing out there. Because whenever we're having like a down practice or start off practice, he lets you know right away. He lets us know that's unacceptable. He's always getting us to compete in everything we do.

On Georgia's front seven and what makes them so formidable

They've got a really good defensive front collectively. Definitely the best we've seen. Just a really good team. We're gonna have to prepare our asses off.

On how Sherrone Moore gets the most out of the linemen

I just think he gets on us at the right times. We just know what he expects from us. He's got really high expectations. We know that, so stuff like that.

On what's been special about the team's bond

It's meant everything. I've never really been a part of a team like this before, that we're all just in it together. We all have a common goal. We're not just playing for ourselves out there, we're playing for the guy next to us and that's I think when you really excel as a team is when that starts to happen.

On why he thinks the team is playing their best football late in the season

Yeah, I think, I don't know, we just are learning so much because this is the first year a lot of us have played the entire year, so I think just the experience helps too, just going through that and you know what you're going to see. Better preparing for games. Just, we've got that level of experience and I think that helps a lot.

On how much satisfaction it gives them to see the running backs play so well behind them

Well, definitely. It gives us everything because I don't think we win that Joe Moore Award without our great running backs covering up our mistakes that we have sometimes. They do everything for us. They're great backs and make us right.

On when in the season they realized they had something good going

I think we knew all the way back in spring ball that these guys were special, so it didn't take us to the year (starting). We knew what we had with our running backs.

Does the offensive line have a nickname?

I guess we call ourselves 'the hogs.' (laughs)

On the people that helped him get to where he is today

I think there's a lot of people that played a part. Definitely my parents just always believed in me ever since I was little, always pushing me to be my best. I guess I'd have to give it to my parents. They really helped me grow as a player and as a person.

On an example of that

My freshman year was hard, I guess, switching from tackle to tight end and they were just always supporting me, I guess, through that and they told me not to give up. Just giving me encouragement.

---

Not a subscriber to The Maize and Blue Review? Sign up today!

Discuss this article on our premium message boards

Follow our staff on Twitter @MaizeBlueReview, @JoshHenschke, @AESchnepp, @BrandonJustice_, @DanielDash_, @DennisFithian, @StephenToski, @TannerWutang, @Baird_CJ, @ZachLibby, @JimScarcelli

Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

Subscribe to The Maize and Blue Review on YouTube!

Like The Maize and Blue Review on Facebook!