Ryan Tannehill winds down senior year with Jordan K

Jordan Kirkland: How did you mentally and physically handle playing in four overtimes, something that very rarely occurs?

Ryan Tannehill: “You just have to take it one play at a time. It’s a long game and there at the end everyone’s getting tired. You just have to take it one play at a time. Concentrate on your job on that play and try to play to the best of your ability.”

JK: Can you evaluate the offensive performance against Kansas State and more specifically your play this past weekend?

Tannehill: “I thought we played all right. We had our good moments and our bad moments. A lot of missed opportunities and that’s the thing that really killed us in that game. We had a lot of plays that we wish we could have back. But everyone came to work on Monday, and have been practicing well on week. So we’re excited about this weekend.”

JK: Jameill Showers saw some action this weekend playing in the third-and-short plays. When was that play thought up and will we continue to see it being used?

Tannehill: “We saw Oklahoma do it a little bit against us, and they have had some success doing it. Jameill is a good athlete, a good runner and strong guy. When we have some tough yardage, it enables us to have an extra blocker in there. When you’re running the quarterback, you gain a blocker. It enables us to do that and we just want to get the ball more in his hands.”

JK: You have been fighting a knee and ankle sprain for a while ... how are you feeling after two days of practice this week?

Tannehill: “I’m feeling good. It was a couple weeks ago when the injury happened, and I’m feeling better every day. I’m pretty close to 100% now.”

JK: Brett Favre credited his success to coach Sherman. How much have you learned from him and Coach Rossley over the years?

Tannehill: “They’re great. They help teach me the ins and outs. It’s really the subtle things at quarterback that plays a huge part in the position. Just head, eyes, and feet position, it all seems like a small thing but a plays a huge part in the position. They’re veterans, they know the game inside and out. To have these guys above me, coaching me, is really a blessing.”

JK: This is your fifth year on the Aggie football team. What do you attribute to the tough losses that are plaguing this team?

Tannehill: “It’s tough to pinpoint. I think we all struggle with finding the answer. I think everyone has a part, whether it be offensively, defensively, and special teams. We’re all not playing up to our capabilities and best potential. It’s just going to come down to making plays in critical situations, and I think we have the guys in place that can do that, it’s just the matter of us doing it.”

JK: How nice is it to be back home and play on Kyle Field this Saturday against a struggling Kansas team?

Tannehill: “It’s going to be nice to be back home. Anytime you get to play at Kyle Field, it’s an exciting atmosphere and it’s good to be home. Kansas is a good opponent, they’ve had a tough run this year, but they’re a team that’s going to fight hard the entire game, so we know we have to play well.”

JK: We have to talk about your incredible accomplishments off the field. Number one would be you graduated last May with a 3.6 in Biology. That’s incredible for any student, but especially a student-athlete. How did you accomplish that?

Tannehill: “Time management. Focusing on your studies when you’re away from football then focusing on football when it’s time for that. Really it’s just managing your time and trying to make the most of it.”

JK: You are projected to be the second or third quarterback drafted this spring. Do projections like that inspire you to play even harder on game days?

Tannehill: “That stuff really doesn’t matter right now. What matters right now is us taking it one game at a time and going out and getting a win. That stuff will take care of itself after the season, but right now I’m just focused on being the best quarterback I can be at A&M.”

JK: Why did you choose such a tough major and what do you hope to get out of that degree?

Tannehill: “I got into Biology because it has all the prerequisites for medicine, medical school. Hopefully I’ll be able to continue playing football, but if that doesn’t work out I plan on going to medical school.”

JK: Finally, looking back over your five years here at Texas A&M, can you pinpoint one of your favorite memories on or off the football field?

Tannehill: “I think the two big games we won at home last year, the Oklahoma and Nebraska game, are two moments that I’ll never forget. Just the atmosphere throughout both of those games, seeing the towels waving and being thrown up in the air at the end of the games was really special.”