SEC Media Days: Kevin Sumlin audio and full transcript
Kevin Sumlin had his turn at SEC Media Days on Wednesday. Catch the audio and read the full transcript here, plus some immediate reactions to his comments.
More: Full SEC Media Days schedule and live stream information
Football season is just around the corner, and that means that SEC coaches and players have traveled to Hoover, Alabama in order to speak with the media about the upcoming season. Kevin Sumlin had his official press conference. In the following slides, we will go over each and every question and answer fielded by Coach Sumlin today, as well as a few reactions I had while watching. Audio is available at the end.
Jordan Hill, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer– “You’ve talked about Christian Kirk, how much does his ability sort of soften the blow of losing three receivers from last year’s team?”
"Sumlin – “It more than softens the blow. You know, here’s a guy that our special teams coordinator Jeff Banks does an outstanding job of scheming things for him in the punt return game and our kicking game. Without a doubt one of the better guys in the country with the ball in his hands and being a leader… we signed a group of receivers that have come in as freshmen, and a lot of them came in January and when you have a guy like Christian Kirk who takes them aside away from when you’re in the building and says ‘here man, here’s what you need to do. Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re coming with me, we need you to play, we need depth here, you’re a talented young guy.’ With those guys who left, to answer your question, the guys who left early, I think that gave us an opportunity to sign some quality young receivers that came in in January and gave Christian a chance to be that leader throughout the summer. Not only does he fill a void for us on the field and as a player, but he’s also filled a void for us with those young players and said ‘here’s the things you need to do.’ Nobody prepares harder, takes care of themselves better, nobody works harder at the game than Christian Kirk and I think he’s a great example for all our good young players but particularly at the wide receiver position.”"
For the first time in a long time, wide receiver is something of a question mark for the Texas A&M roster. With Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil leaving, as well as Josh Reynolds graduating, Christian Kirk is going to be the go-to target. He’s going to get the ball early and often, as well as return punts and kicks. If he can influence any of the younger guys to play like he does, then this receiving corps is in for a very good year. From what it seems like, Kirk realizes that he can make an impact at his spot from more than just the field, and has really taken some of the younger guys under his wing. Learn from Christian and continue to compete and improve, young Aggie receivers.