Press Conference: Coordinators, Weigman & Hicks discuss spring practice

Tuesday saw Texas A&M football hold its sixth team workout of spring practice as the Aggies continue to prepare for the upcoming season. On Wednesday, coordinators Collin Klein and Jay Bateman as well as Conner Weigman and DJ Hicks spoke to the media.

The following are live, paraphrased notes from the Wednesday afternoon media availability:

Collin Klein

• I think coming in here this spring, we have been very aggressive and push the envelope as far as what we are trying to do. I'm proud of the guys for embracing that mentality. We are building the foundation for the entire offense while focusing on the fundamental details to make the Xs and Os go. We won’t push too hard or too fast. 
   
• It's a concept-based system to be able to do the same things on a lot of different presentations. We are trying to get familiar with the concept and picture. Guys are doing a great job. We have a lot of fun at practice. 
   
• Been fortunate to be around a lot of great coaches. Coach Bill Synder laid a good foundation. Coach Chris Klieman turned the game upside down for me. Learning the game from the other side of the ball. Coach Mike Elko will be in that same group already working with him. 
   
• We are still working through the full function of helmet comms in practice. I think it will speed up our operation time as we get going. A con, sometimes you switch you from calling a game mode to coach mode, that's been different. Using a technology like that is great.
   
• Conner Weigman is a very instinctual football player. He has a great feel for space and passing concepts. He does a nice job buying time when things are perfect around him. He is naturally accurate. Every day and every rep matters, we are trying to maximize every one we get. 
   
• I am still getting a feel. Getting a better feel of what makes the guys tick and how they learn. It's still in process. 
   
• Good football is good football. There are different ways to package it and teach it. Everyone runs inside zone. Some will be new. Some, they have been exposed to. It's fun when the lightbulb comes on. I have felt that excitement built for all of us. 
   
• In this league, it will take a stable of running backs. The days of one true back are over. It will be a shared load. All three guys have done a really good job this spring. Rueben Owens’ ball skills are outstanding. Le’Veon Moss has contact balance and can stay on his feet. Amari Daniels can get yards after contact and has burst.
   
• It's good we have a competition at the center. I have met with Bryce Foster a couple of times, and I understand his situation. Those guys have done a good job of getting back up to speed. 
   
• Conner’s injury is being actively managed. We are getting the rep count up. I have seen all of my guys getting in more of a groove. These next weeks will be big for us. That will be really important for all the quarterbacks.
   
• Conner loves to compete. As the situation becomes more competitive, you see more excitement and a smile from him. It's been really fun to see. 
   
• You can definitely tell there is continuity, and they have played together. 
   
• That’s the art of it. I tell our guys, “How we play and how we do things is more important than what we are doing.” We are all in this together. If I make a bad call, I will make the right one the next time. If the play is not made, it will be made the next time. 
   
• The use of multiple quarterbacks at Kansas State was due to injury. For the most part, from my standpoint, sometimes that stuff can happen in a blink. You have to adjust on the fly. The game plan just changes in a play. I believe in every one of those guys in the QB room.
   
• The QB run game is dictated by the personnel. 
   
• Even in six practices, there is trust building between the QBs and WRs. Coach Holmon Wiggins does an unbelievable job. They are doing the fundamentals to create space and get open, which helps the QB room.
   
• The QBs having experienced those moments help them prepare and help them visualize how that will feel in real-time.
   
• Coach Gary Kubiak, I was only there a brief minute, but he is an unbelievable person. He impacted me in three days. He was so kind to me. Hoping I get a chance to run into him down here.

Jay Bateman

• DJ Hicks is really talented. The first day I worked here was the day before the bowl game, and I got to watch him. He is a tremendous kid. He has tremendous upside. I am glad he is here. 
   
• I had a unique path. There was not one guy that I took my philisophy from. When Mike Elko and I worked together at Richmond, we took a lot from the DC there. 
   
• We have not used helmet comms much on defense yet. We have done a ton of research on how NFL teams use it. More use will be coming soon. 
   
• Sean Spencer and Tony Jerod-Eddie have done a great job with the DL. That is a talented group, and there is depth there. That will be a strong point for our football team. We want to prioritize their impact on the game. 
   
• I feel fortunate to have Taurean York here, and I am blessed to coach him. He is always ahead and learning. When the helmet communication came out, I remember thinking, “Man, we have the perfect guy for that.”
   
• When you coach at different levels, you learn how to coach. You teach someone how to do something that doesn't have that God-given ability. You also appreciate where you're at. 
   
• I have been very pleased with our young men. I think we have a very talented team we can go win games with.
   
• The hardest thing in football is to rush the passer. You will always rotate there. There will be a plan. If a young man is playing at a high level, obviously, he will play more. That’s true at every position.