UCF defensive coordinator Travis Williams caught up with the media on Tuesday to provide an update after the first week of the preseason.
A week into camp, what has stood out so far?
"I've seen improvement every day. I think they're buying into what we're saying as far as getting to the ball. The standard of getting to the ball. We're calling out what a loaf is and we're showing examples of great effort is so they know exactly what it looks like. There's no gray area. We like that part of it. Guys are getting lined up in different formations and having to make checks. You're seeing who can communicate with confidence in knowing what they're doing. The first day or so, there wasn't a lot of movement. Then guys got to moving around into different motions and things like that, so you can see who can communicate. That was good to see."
Where is everything right now? Are you getting ready for a scrimmage?
"Tomorrow we're supposed to scrimmage. We'll have a lot of information because we'll get to tackle. We were doing bump tempo. It used to be called thud. It's bump tempo. We have tracking tempo. You can kind of fool people a little bit because it's not really tackling. We'll know tomorrow. We're really know what we have. Put the pieces of the puzzle together. I love that part. We get to play football. That's what we're here for. I'm eager to see the guys go out there and compete."
How much of the system has been installed?
"The basic system. This is our third time installing. It's not the guys' first time seeing it. We're going to do what the guys can do. Right now we're in the process of seeing what they can do, then go from there. Doing some different things and just seeing what is best for UCF defense. That's the fun part. That's why they call us coaches. We're not going to beat a system into them. We're going to figure out what they can do. That's the best thing about what we do. It's figuring out who can do what, put the right tails in the right seats and we'll be good to go."
What are you seeing from linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste?
"He's taken a huge step forward since I've gotten here, every day during the spring and this fall camp. Just taking that step forward. Putting him in different situations so he can communicate. He's taken a step forward. I really like his progress."
UCF had multiple secondary players drafted. How is that unit coming along?
"We've got a lot of guys in different positions back there. We're trying to put the right tails in the right seats. That's the part as you're watching them, seeing the guys communicate and gel, we're playing kind of musical chairs to see who fits where. We'll know a lot more after tomorrow's scrimmage. They're coming together. You know when they're getting comfortable in a system when you hear them communicate and communicating with confidence. We always say, 'say something.' We're either all wrong or all right. You can't have one side doing one thing and the other side doing another thing. Just communicate. It's been good. Coach Gibbs and Coach Addison do a great job on the back end. Two veteran guys coaching in detail. Just the small things that hold the guys to the standard of what we want. It's been really good."
Last week you said you were anxious to see linebacker Bryson Armstrong put on the pads, the transfer from Kennesaw State. How has he looked in camp?
"He's a football player, just like we thought. He's been in different positions. We're moving him around. Tomorrow we'll see exactly what he can do and what the whole defense can do. Just like I told the guys, tomorrow is a big evaluation for us to put the right tails in the right seats. Just figuring out what we want to do defensively. We'll know more after tomorrow."
You talk about getting to the ball and tempo, are you seeing that during camp so far?
"Yes. Going against our offense, that's what we're going to get. We work a drill every day defensively just working with the pace. In our mind, we invite it. We don't want to be caught off guard when teams are pacing us and going fast. It's what we do every day. We do it in the sun. It's hot. It's what we do. We're gonna have a culture of let's get lined up and let's play football. Put the ball down and let's play. You're going fast, going slow, play in the street, play in the parking lot, play in the stadium. Put the ball down and let's play football. It's a mindset and a mentality."
What's the setup for tomorrow's scrimmage?
It's up to Coach Malzahn. I don't know how the setup is going to be. I don't know how much live we're going to do. I just know it's going to be a little bit more real football so we can get an evaluation going."
Coach Malzahn said one of his goals of camp was determining who he could count on. What does that mean to you?
"It means everything. The players are out there playing. We're on the sideline. When it gets tough and teams are running the ball and we've got to make a stop, or they're driving and we need to make a stop, somebody has to step up. Somebody has to be that person. Hopefully it's all 11 guys. We're trying to see who we can count on so we won't be surprised come Saturday, Friday or Thursday, whenever we play... We're trying to get 100 percent participation from everybody with a count on me mentality."
Big Kat Bryant, a guy you're very familiar with from Auburn, how has he looked?
"He's looked good. We're doing some different things than we did at Auburn, so he's learning. It's going to benefit him. Some different technique things we're doing. He's a seasoned vet. He's a pro. He's one of the guys that was on the effort tape running to the ball. Just crazy effort. He's a vet. He's been a captain at Auburn. That's voted on by your teammates. They don't give that away. They don't just pick you. They vote on you. You've got to have leadership qualities and abilities. That's what he has. He knows how to practice and he knows the standard. It's good for guys to see him leading by example."
You talked about finding the right spots for players. Do you envision moving guys around to best utilize their abilities?
"It's been like that the first week. We're doing moving and shifting. Different people with the first and second group. It's been like musical chairs. We've got the ingredients. Now we're just trying to make sure we cook the right meal. That's what it's about. We're trying to be 22 strong. It's not about the 11. We need to be 22. If we can get 22 guys, because guys get nicked and bruised, that's what we're trying to build. Make sure we have 22 guys to go to battle with."
I know you were at a different school a year ago, but people admitted later on last year that without having a summer workout program, guys reported to camp out of shape. This year, are seeing players in shape the way they should be?
"I think that's Coach Dawson and what he did with his strength staff. Running them this summer and different things. We run them after practice to keep them in shape. You stay in shape with practice. The guys are in shape. If not, we'll work them in shape. You may have a guy here or there that may have been sick and missed some days, so he's got to work himself back in shape. It was totally different from when we got here in the spring. We knew they were out of shape, so we had to work them into shape. We were patient. Just give us three reps. Give us four. Come to the sideline and we'll rotate you. Just understanding they haven't really been running before we got here. Coach Dawson this summer did a great job of getting them in shape."
Last year with the pandemic, guys weren't able to hang out during the summer. I saw last night there was a movie night. How important are those kind of events to build up that chemistry?
"It's huge. Last night we watched a movie at the end, but every coach had 10 guys not in their position group. I had an offensive lineman, a quarterback, a tight end, DBs. I had different position groups. Every coach told their story and the kids were telling their story. I told them, listen, I'm not Coach T-Will in front of you. You're my brother. This is my background. This is where I'm from. This is what I've been through. We went around the circle. Each coach had their own separate rooms. It was awesome. It's something Coach Malzahn does. It takes the human element and you really understand the kids. So when you see them in the hallway, you're not just walking past Johnny or whoever and don't know what he's going through. You walk past Travis Williams and you don't know. I really like what we did and we'll do it every week."
What did you watch?
"We watched Friday Night Lights. If you want to win, put Boobie in. Pretty good movie by the way."
Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden just passed. I don't know if you had any connection to him or maybe followed Florida State growing up, but I wanted to get your thoughts on his impact to college football.
"I've met him one time. He came to my high school recruiting a linebacker, Michael Boulware that went to Florida State. I was a year younger. That's Bobby Bowden coming to our school! That was awesome. Everything you read about him, it's him being a great coach, right? Second-winningest coach. But him being a great person. Being a great person. A man of faith. He didn't hide it. At the end of the day, I was telling the defensive staff, we're all going to go one day. I don't want to be known as a great football coach. That means I failed. I want to be known as a great person that impacted these young men's lives. That's what we're in for. The good Lord gave us this platform and he wants to see what you do with it.
"I just watched him really live by his faith, being a man of character, being a man of standards and not being afraid to voice his faith. At the end of the day, when we go, it really hit me because if something happened to Travis Williams, they're going to do a moment of silence. Maybe a few tweets. Then life goes on. You live this life for a moment of silence and a few tweets. It ain't worth that. It's how you impact people. Loving people. Pouring into people. That's what it's really about.
"If you impact lives and it's generational, it lasts forever. That's why I liked what we did last night. We get to pour into these guys, learn where they're from. It's deeper than ball. My love for these guys is not contingent on if they make a tackle or interception. That means I'm inconsistent. I only like you if you make a play? I'm in the wrong business if I'm doing that. He's the example of what it looks like. Coach Bowden is the example. There's a few other coaches around here. That's not a lot of them like that. That's really caring about these young men. That's what we try to do here."
