DETROIT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Third-year play-by-play broadcaster Tom Helmer had a chance to catch up with Head Coach Chris Creighton, senior tight end Thomas Odukoya (Almere, Netherlands-Helen Parkhurst-Garden City C.C.), and senior defensive lineman Turan Rush (Charleston West Side, W.Va.-Capital-Antelope Valley) at Mid-American Conference Football Media Day at Ford Field, July 20.
Helmer previews the upcoming season and how exciting it will be to have fans back inside "The Factory" at Rynearson Stadium,
Read the transcripts below of the interview or listen to them by clicking the links above.
To see and hear all content from the 2021 MAC Football Media Day, be sure to follow EMUFB on Instagram, @EMUFB on Twitter, click here. As always, continue to visit EMUEagles.com for the most up-to-date information on all things EMU football, and EMU Athletics.
CREIGHTON TRANSCRIPT - Click Here to Listen to the Audio
Tom Helmer 0:02
Tom Helmer, here with Head Coach Chris Creighton, it is Media Day. It feels somewhat normal to be back at Ford Field and everybody around and talking. So feel good. ,
Chris Creighton 0:12
Absolutely. Yeah it's, I mean, it's a tiring day and whatnot, but it's, uh, it definitely marks like, hey, the football season is, is almost here, you know, it's, you think about it, you're counting the days down, but you come you see everybody, and you're talking about the team and all of that. And so, it definitely, you know, accentuates how, how soon it is,
Tom Helmer 0:34
let's talk about the team, how you feeling about this 21 squad,
Chris Creighton 0:38
I love our team. I do. It's been fun being with them, you know, and not being away from them. And I think that our guys are, are really determined, we don't want to be the same as we were last year, even though it's the, you know, same group of guys, we want to be different than we were, we felt as though, you know, we finished strong, and we're on a really good trajectory. And if we'd played six more games, you know, could have felt really good about it. But nonetheless, we, you know, didn't achieve what we wanted to and even in a short, you know, season. And so we want to be different this year. And we've taken that really seriously. And we've worked on that ever since early January. And so it's gonna be fun to see how that comes to fruition.
Tom Helmer 1:26
What is the secret sauce when you think about your team and what it's going to take to be back here at Ford Field on December 4 for the conference title game? You know,
Chris Creighton 1:34
I think we have the the intangibles, I really do. I think we have the senior leadership, I think that we have, you know, the chemistry, we have the desire, the work ethic, the receptivity to coaching, I think we've got to run the ball better. We've got to be stingier versus the run. We have to take the ball away more, and we have to take care of it. I mean, I really, that's what I really believe that that's what it will take.
Tom Helmer 2:07
One of the great things too, is when you guys smash that cinderblock wall against St. Francis to come out of the field, there's gonna be fans, there's gonna be a band waiting for on the other side.
Chris Creighton 2:16
No doubt, hey, listen, I can't wait. You know, for that I really can't. And I know people can't wait. You know, we, I think our golf outing was an indicator. I mean, it's something that we had to cancel the year before. And things sold out Well, before it ever had sold out before. People are excited about getting back together. You know, and so I think Friday night, September 3, and The Factory is going to be a huge party, I really do. Two years of players, families have not met each other. It's unbelievable. When you think about that, I mean, two fifths of our team's families have not even done this yet together. And so when I say that it's going to be a celebration, and that there's going to be like, you know, genuine excitement, I think there's going to be on a couple different levels. One is just being able to do that and to be there in that venue with those people. And then of course, you know, getting to watch college football and watch, you know, their sons, or for our fans, watch their team play. It's just gonna be an electric night.
Tom Helmer 3:14
Because the bummer is we had the bowl game here against Pitt at Ford Field. And I talked to so many alumni and Eastern Michigan fans, that said, that was awesome. It was fun. It was great to see those people. I can't wait to go to the first game next fall, and then that never happened. So it's been this long waiting period to come back.
Chris Creighton 3:31
Yeah, well, I know our marketing people are getting a hold of, you know, all those people that you were talking to and making sure that they know we're playing on Friday night, September 3, and, you know, five other dates outside of that. And, you know, last year, we spent the whole time saying to our guys doesn't matter, right, if there's fans or not, we got to play at a high level. Well, it does matter, right? It does matter. You know, and we're gonna play whether there's a lot or there's a little we're gonna play at a high level, but it does matter. It brings energy. It's a great environment fun. They're a part of it, and so I can't wait to have them back.
Tom Helmer 4:06
Would you consider this your most experienced team because so many players are coming back? You had that six game season? You have so many veterans for lack of a better word.
Chris Creighton 4:15
Yeah, I think that's true for virtually everybody in college football. So yeah, and we have 24 or 25 starters back and that we've been recruiting obviously, you know, and guys that are incoming freshmen and then guys who, who have some years underneath their belt and so we definitely will be the most experienced team, you know, that I've ever coached. However, again, I think that nearly everybody in the in the in the country can say that.
Tom Helmer 4:47
I know I speak for all Eastern Michigan fans, but I'm pumped, I just can't wait for September 3. It's going to be great coach. I know I'm excited. And we look forward to the product you guys are gonna put on the field this season.
Chris Creighton 4:54
Yeah, I can't wait to see again there and for everybody who's come in can't wait to see.
ODUKOYA TRANSCRIPT - Click Here to Listen to the Audio
Tom Helmer 0:02
Tom Helmer, here with Thomas Odukoya, talking some college football as we get ready for the 2021 season, a full 12 game season, that's gonna feel pretty good...
Thomas Odukoya 0:11
Finally, oh, it's gonna feel great. Playing six games last year was kind of weird. But I'm excited to you know, get back to the grind and be able to play some other teams outside of our conference as well as our, you know, normal eight game schedule in the MAC.
Tom Helmer 0:24
Playing such a short season last year, what did you personally get out of that? What's your takeaway from that season?
Thomas Odukoya 0:30
Don't take anything for granted. I mean, there was a point last year in the fall where we thought we weren't going to play at all maybe play in the spring. And we finally get those six games and they went by in a snap. This is going to be my last season of college football. So I'm going to enjoy every second of it.
Tom Helmer 0:45
And what's going to be the special sauce for this team to be back here in Detroit, December 4 to play in the MAC title game?
Thomas Odukoya 0:53
I mean, it's built on what we already had, you know, we're a tight knit group. We're gonna play for each other, we're gonna play with each other. I'm very excited of building on that brotherhood, that family bond that we have. And I think as a family, we can be the best in a MAC. So I'm excited to show it out on the field as well.
Tom Helmer 1:12
How nice is it going to be speaking last year to come out of the tunnel this year, and there's actually going to be fans in the stands?
Thomas Odukoya 1:18
I'm so excited. I'm so excited. It felt so weird playing in front of nobody, no band was there, no cheerleaders, nobody. So just having an atmosphere again, being able to feed off the support, feed off the fans feed off the cheers. It's gonna be amazing.
Tom Helmer 1:32
You guys start with St. Francis. And then the week after that, you go to Wisconsin to take on the Badgers, any concern you overlook a team like St. Francis?
Thomas Odukoya 1:41
I mean, we played a really good FCS team in 2019 in Central Connecticut State that almost came to our place and upset us. So that was just another reminder for us. Like don't don't think anybody is below you don't think of anybody as like, Oh, this is an easy cakewalk game because we've showed in recent years to that Big 10 teams like to think that about us that we're just you know, a small MAC school and then we go to their place and we beat them and example are Rutgers, Purdue Illinois, and we almost knocked off Pitt in the bowl game. So you know, we're going to prepare for St. Francis like we're going to prepare for Wisconsin.
Tom Helmer 2:16
Yeah, last time you guys were in this building you guys played against Pitt, as you said almost beat them. Bowl games have pretty much become the norm at Eastern Michigan now instead of the exception you've had a big part of that How does it feel to leave that kind of legacy that Eastern Michigan's in a much better spot now than it was even three four or five years ago?
Thomas Odukoya 2:34
It means means the world to us we went from a team that you know was just trying to compete with people to a team that was beating you know, a lot of people so being able to go to various bowl games and raise the standard raise the bar is amazing in a program like this but as also a constant reminder of you know, how far how far things could set back so we got to you know, push ourselves every day continue to go want to know, to continue to raise that bar and upheld that standard of being able to go to the ballgames and stuff like last
Tom Helmer 3:06
Question is a fashion one you guys are gonna wear two helmets this year, the green with the block E and the gray, you got a preference you got one you like over the other?
Thomas Odukoya 3:15
My favorite combination has to be the gray white white, so I love that one. The green obviously is nice, too. You know, you can't go wrong with the green but I love the gray one.
RUSH TRANSCRIPT - Click Here to Listen to the Audio
Tom Helmer 0:02
Tom Helmer, here with Taran Rush as we get set for the 2021 season, a full 12 game season How good is that feel?
Turan Rush 0:09
It's a very, very amazing filling managers knowing that all this hard work we put in, we get a full schedule. So it's fun to get out there.
Tom Helmer 0:16
What was the benefit of even playing a six game season last year? What did you personally get out of that?
Turan Rush 0:22
I had a chance to develop my game, it was all like another spring ball. So, my pass rush got better in spring ball, plus the season, I had a chance to develop learning more offensive sets. So I can recognize a play before to play even starts. So I got better with just being a smarter football player.
Tom Helmer 0:39
Non-conference wise, you guys start with St. Francis. And some might say, well, that's that's an easy one for Eastern they might look pass them to Wisconsin, but you and I talked a little bit about Central Connecticut State. You can never look past anybody in college football, can you?
Turan Rush 0:52
No, Sir. Any given Saturday, you can lose. It's all about who can make smarter plays and execute the most so like don't matter what school what conference would come from, everybody got playmakers? Everybody athletic, everybody fast. Everybody's strong. So it's about executing and playing together as a team.
Tom Helmer 1:09
What's it going to take what's going to be the special sauce this year for this team to be back here in Detroit for the MAC championship game.
Turan Rush 1:16
Go 1-0 every day. Try to use our talents that we got and just be successful within the office and defense.
Tom Helmer 1:23
Coach Creighton always says go 1-0 every week. Just worry about that week. It sounds simple. And it is but it really makes a lot of sense when you apply it.
Turan Rush 1:34
Ye s, sir. Coach Creighton always tells us when you do bad - flush it. When you do good, you got 24 hours to feel good about it and flush it because you always got to reset even though every play we got to go 1-0, win a play, winner a series, win a quarter. If you go literally break that down like that. You can't lose like if you know you can win a quarter win every series you can't lose. And it's really that small. I seem like a small table. You have to look at it like that. Because if you look too far ahead, that's when you you start losing focus of what you got right in front of you.
Tom Helmer 2:08
We're talking with Taran rush. How nice is it going to be to have fans in the stands when you come out for that home opener
Turan Rush 2:14
Man is gonna be everything - fans are so important to the game of football and we really want y'all to come see us play to this year. You are family to us. Y'all part it is and we want to we want to see us win this year.
Tom Helmer 2:26
It's gonna be a grind 12 games is gonna seem like a lot after only plant six last year. It's been two years since you guys played a full schedule. Is your body ready for it?
Turan Rush 2:34
Yes, sir. We got some of the best staff in the MAC and nationally. They take of us - there made sure we got food to fuel our body with, the right rehab, and stuff. And when you love football, you can have some next and next well if you really love the game, you can play through it.
"Media" - Google News
July 21, 2021 at 04:05AM
https://ift.tt/3zeJscy
Meeting The Media: Interview Transcripts - EMU Eagles
"Media" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2ybSA8a
https://ift.tt/2WhuDnP
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Meeting The Media: Interview Transcripts - EMU Eagles"
Post a Comment