A'Lique Terry met with the media following Monday's fall camp practice, providing quality updates on the "Law Firm"
Oregon is once again replacing a large portion of the offensive line, aided greatly by some highly impactful transfers. A’Lique Terry met with the media following Monday’s fall camp practice, providing quality updates on the development of the individuals behind the “Law Firm,” Oregon’s offensive line.
Below are his quotes from the session.
On Isaiah World and his being underrecruited
I think it was more so just COVID, it was bad timing when he came out. So he kind of fell under the cracks a little bit and then happened to end up at Nevada and he had a tremendous career there. I mean obviously you can see it on film when he got in the portal. You watch his film, this dude clearly moves like he’s supposed to be on this level. So that’s the same question we asked too, “how did he slither through the cracks,” but it was more COVID more than anything.
The strides he’s made from spring to now, man, Isaiah is going to be special for us. Obviously the internet hype is internet hype, we call it “rat poison,” but the way he’s attacked his process every single day. He deserves all the praise he’s getting because he’s just putting the work in. As simple as that, man. The skill set that he has is already rare, but the way he’s attacked learning our system, the way he’s attacked learning our calls, learning the playbook, he deserves everything that’s coming for him, man. He’s a true, true, true worker.
On Matthew Bedford
I mean, he’s one of the most consistent guys I’ve been around because when he faced hardship last year, it didn’t phase him. I’m pretty sure it did, but he didn’t show it. I mean, he became such a great leader. There were times he couldn’t travel, didn’t matter. Up until the time we left, he was helping the young guys, whatever the install was that week, he was watching film. You never missed his presence and him being gone.
So, I think that’s why it pays dividends because what’s happening now, him playing consistent ball, him starting to get back to his ways, I think it pays true dividends to how he stayed committed to that process. Even when the injury happened, he didn’t phase. I know it probably hurt him a little bit for real because he wanted to play so bad, but he didn’t show it. I know all our guys in our room are appreciative of it because he’s been the same person every single day, leader, vocal, and bringing it. and I know he’s having a fun camp so far.
On Pocho Laloulu
As cliche as it sounds, just continue to be himself. He’s consistent. He’s sterile. He’s committed to a process. He’s a leader on his team. I mean, selfishly, I don’t want him to go nowhere, you know, as a selfish coach. But we tell all our guys, if it ends up being an opportunity for you that presents itself, you got to do what’s best for you. But right now, he just is attacking August right now.
Obviously, when you ask a question, he’s going to answer. But you can see that he’s exactly where his feet are and be exactly where his feet is. He’s been attacking the process. So, if it ends up happening as such, he’s worked for it. And if it’s not the situation, man, he’s going to continue to work and be the same one because the leader that he is on a consistent day in and day out basis. I know the Oregon Ducks appreciate it more than anybody.
State of the line after first scrimmage
It’s never ending evaluation, right? Trying guys in new spots, trying guys with different mixtures after the first scrimmage. I think we did some good things, but we always got to go back to the drawing board and continue to see where we lacked, so we can continue to improve. You know, we call it going to the doctor around here.
So, it was good because a lot of guys, this might have been their first experience, true experience as far as young guys getting that going to the doctor and learning from our mistakes, but you learned that we got a physical group and you learned that we have a group that’s deep.
So, the competition is higher than it’s ever been. And I think everybody’s striving in that mode right now. It’s bringing the best out of everybody. So, you just continue to evaluate your process, who helps us win the best, and get those guys on the field.
On transfers and cohesion
I think more than anything it’s a blessing that they got here early in spring. So you got more than just a fall camp to get together and get that cohesiveness. These guys have been working together now going on almost 6 months and you could see it now. I think once again that’s a credit to Poncho, that’s a credit to Charlie, the older guys in our room, they’ve embodied those guys into our culture. So you can feel that those guys are, you couldn’t tell they’ve only been here for 6 months. They feel like they’ve been here for about a year, two years.
So the conversations that happen off the field, the cohesiveness that they build off the field, you can start to see that already building right now. You really couldn’t tell those guys were transfers, man. So even with those guys, it’s cool to see them lean on the younger guys, help them develop their games. We’re going to have a ton of guys that (are) going to be able to help us and those guys being transfers don’t blemish the culture at all. The culture is still the culture and I’m thankful for that.
On Dave Iuli
I mean, Dave fully committed to changing his body, right? A credit to Coach Willie (Wilson) Love, but a credit to him for doing it right. He committed to that process. I think for him, he’s now committed to the whole thing, not just his body, but learning the system, learning the scheme. He’s already (played) some good quality ball for us, but knowing the “why” of everything, right?
He’s been committed again with myself, getting with Coach Cutter (Leftwich), getting with Coach (Ryan) Walk, Coach Dal (Dallas Warmack), Coach Whip, and doing a good job of learning every single detail, right? Obviously the physical part of his game is what makes him special, but now that he’s changed his body, he’s a little bit more control now. So, I think everybody’s appreciative of that physicality, but is coming with some more control and understanding of everything that’s going on around him, not just his position.
On the experience the transfers bring
I think that’s the best part. I know we have a quote/unquote young room as far as (all) together, but like you said, they got a ton of football experience. Those guys having those conversations in the cafeteria talking about how they want to handle a three tech or how they see this and how they see that and then putting it in our language. You can see our younger guys being able to benefit from that kind of information.
When it’s out there and things are changing on the fly, it may not be the language they know it as initially, but they have that experience going against it. And once we implement our language, you can see it’s easy transition for these guys, man. the amount of football they played. It wasn’t just random football. It was good football. So, we get to have the benefit of that, having those guys, especially around a guy like Poncho. He’s played so much football as well. There’s a lot of smart guys up front, man. The Ducks are going to benefit from that.
On Alex Harkey and him being blunt
Yeah, I mean he’s just black and white. He’s probably harder on himself than anybody and I appreciate that of him, but that black and white. I won’t say that’s his everyday because in the room there’s not a guy that don’t love Hark, like everybody loves Hark. When it comes to walking on the field like you said, he has that bluntness of Shane (Lemieux), but he also has that game day mentality. I haven’t seen since Penei (Sewell) been here.
When it’s game day, he turns a switch on like because he plays with a physical physical mindset in practice, but when it comes game day, he turns that switch on, too. I think that harshness, that bluntness that he has is a little bit (of) him being hard on himself because the player he’s becoming, man, It’s been great progress over the last six months and I think he can feel it because he can feel the confidence. He’s going to be harder on himself than anybody, which I appreciate because you always want to continue to be your hardest critic every single time.
On Zac Stascausky
Zac Attack. Shout out to (Central Catholic) Coach Charlie Landgraf, because he did a great job with Zac. Zac got here, he hit the ground running. We jokingly call it, we call it the “PNW boys.” All our boys up here from the Pacific Northwest, man. He’s done a tremendous job. He’s powerful. He’s strong. He may not look like the biggest smoke, but he has extreme power. great athleticism and he plays a physical brand of football that this place is going to be appreciative for and obviously being a local guy means more to him than anybody. So, it’s been great. You would have assumed he’s been here since the spring. He’s been phenomenal.
On Emmanuel Pregnon and his uniqueness
It’s a little bit of everything because he has legit unique strength. Like he is a powerful human. He has unique length to be an interior guy. So he gets to play long on guys. He has great foot speed and has great foot quickness. So in (that) sense he’s unique in himself as a guard because he has traits that most guards may have like one of the three or two of the three, not all the three. he presents literally when you see him, you can see that he’s a strong human, but he plays with the same physical strength as it looks.
He has really good feet and mirrors the best of the best but he has length in pass pro. He’s never really stressed the majority of the time as long as he trusts his length so I think right now he’s put himself at an optimal position when people continue to see him they’ll see “okay this is a unique guard.” Most guards usually are limited in length or they are just extremely strong. So for him to have that length and to have that strength, you know the willpower and the sheer power to be a very good player for us, (he) is going to be.
Category: General Sports
