Everything Boston College Head Coach Bill O’Brien Said After First Day of Fall Camp
Boston College held its first day of fall camp on Saturday morning as the team gets ready for the start of the season which begins in less than a month.
Below is a full transcript of what head coach Bill O’Brien said to the media after the practice.
Q: First day, what’d you like, what’d you not like.
O’BRIEN: I like the effort. I think these guys have had a good summer, they’ve put a lot of work in and I’m very proud of that. I think it was a little sloppy today, always like that on the first day. I thought the defense was a little ahead of the offense right now but a decent start.
Q: Just some thoughts on the past six months, form where you started to now, how [do] you feel versus where you want to get to?
O’BRIEN: I think these guys have done a great job of buying in. I’m really proud of the fact that they have bought into every facet of what we’re trying to do. Everything from academics to the weight room, conditioning, the community involvement… I’m just really prod of these guys and now it’s time to really start coming together as a team and getting ready for the season but at this point, it’s been really good.
Q: This is the start of practice, but of course you’ve had training. Can you talk a little about Craig Fitzgerald and the work he’s done with the players this summer?
O’BRIEN: He did an unbelievable job, he’s the best strength coach in the country without a shadow of a doubt. He does an unbelievable job of connecting with the kids. He has a great idea of what it takes to get stronger, what it takes tp get faster, be able to change direction better and to be in better condition. He’s got a great staff underneath him, he’s got four guys that are unbelievable underneath him. We’re in the process of really improving our nutrition center too which that’s gonna take shape hopefully in the next six months to a year, so I think we’re on the right track, but having Craig here is a huge plus for Boston College.
Q: Saw two guys on the bikes out there, Logan Taylor in a boot, is it just precautionary for those guys?
O’BRIEN: Yeah, he had a little foot issue early in training camp. He’s getting better, he’s on track for maybe another week or so and then he’ll be back out there. Some of those guys [are] coming off injury in the fall, surgeries, things like that. Tim Hays, ACL in the spring, some other guys. I think we’re doing ok but we’re rehabbing those guys to get back.
Q: A lot of depth at receiver, just your thoughts on that position group so far.
O’BRIEN: Definitely a lot of depth. There’s a bunch of guys there that can play. I think the big thing is we gotta really try to make big plays down the field, that’s gonna be the big thing in training camp. We’ve gotta start connecting down the field. We did it a couple times today but not enough. We’ve got a long way to go there, but there are definitely some really good players there.
Q: Bryce Steele is back, tell me what he means to your program and what it’s like having him back.
O’BRIEN: To have a guy like Bryce Steele, who’s overcome cancer to get back to where he is right now is amazing. I’ve dealt with that before in my career, David Quessenberry with the Texans, John Metchie at Alabama when he went to Houston and it’s just incredible, it shows the mental strength, the fortitude that he has, the support that he has around him… We’re very proud of Bryce and we’re so happy that he’s on our team.
Q: Is it hard to not expect too much from him early on?
O’BRIEN: He’s out there. He’s been cleared as far as athletic participation and we’re not gonna throw him in there for 50 reps today. We’re gonna ramp him up, but yeah he’s ready to go.
Q: You mentioned that Tommy [Castellanos] is one of the most improved players on the team, can you describe his offseason work and what he’s done to get where he is now.
O’BRIEN: He put a lot in. He came in early, he was here everyday early, working with coach Dibs and coach Lawing, out before practice then he’d go back in and get something to eat, and come back out before practice, mental reps, the studying, his ability to run the offense has improved like tenfold since he’s been here. Now, we just gotta keep improving everyday.
Q: Off the field you guys have had a big spring and summer recruiting, what have you liked about what you guys have done there?
O’BRIEN: I think recruiting is a daily effort. We recruit every single day and we’re hoping that as we recruit and we get better at understanding BC, the guys that we’re recruiting and the families that we’re recruiting, that we’re bringing the right people in here and so far I believe we are. I feel really good about the guys that have committed to us, I can’t tell you the names and things like that, you probably already know them, but we’re doing good in the class of ’25, we’re doing really good in the class of ’26. This is a great university that plays really high level football so there’s a lot to sell here and in an unbelievable city, a beautiful campus in this great, world-renowned city, so we have a lot to sell here and I think our guys recruiting every single day, that’s the key.
Q: New group of true freshmen are on campus, how do you get them adjusted to the college speed and everything you’ve got going on?
O’BRIEN: A lot of those guys came in June and have been here for the summer so that kind of helps them get acclimated just in the summer workouts cause we did 7on7 and team things during the summer which was really good, in addition to lifting and running, so they kind of have an idea. Now, it’s just about getting them on that field, that’s why we do two fields, so they can get the reps to get them caught up to what you’re talking about, getting caught up to the speed, and understanding what the expectations are. I’m really happy with the freshman class. They’ve jumped in and they’re working real hard.
Q: What’s your vision for the program?
O’BRIEN: People ask me that all the time. My vision is to go out there everyday and get better. Every game we go into, we’re going into every game to win. I understand the question, a lot of people have asked me that question but what other vision is there. ‘We have a vision to go 5-6,’ like no, that’s not a vision. We have a vision to be very good, to be the best of the best and to recruit great kids that fit with BC and to embrace what Boston College is all about. That’s how we’re gonna win. I feel really good about our team right now. Our vision is to go out every single day and to get better and better and when the games start, we’ll go out there and we’ll show up. We’ll be at every single day and hopefully we can play good enough football to win a lot of games. That’s our vision for the program.
Q: Along those same lines, you see predictions and all tat stuff, bottom of the ACC. Do you use any of that as motivation or do you not need to?
O’BRIEN: Yeah. Hell yeah, are you kidding me. What is it, 17 teams in the ACC. What are we, 17th? 14th? So yeah. Look, it is what it is. It’s what people think, I can’t control what people think. All we can control is what we’re doing. I understand, no one thinks we’re gonna be that good. You have a lot of good teams in the conference, not taking anything away from our competition, we’ve got some of the better teams in the country in our conference, I get it. But we got a good football team here and we’re really working hard to get to the point where we’re going to be ready for the season.
Q: Amari Jackson looks like he could be an All-ACC kind of guy.
O’BRIEN: Amari’s a good player. He’s worked very hard. He’s has had a great offseason and he’s got a lot of good traits for a corner. He can play man, he’s good in the zone, he’s got good ball skills, he’s a smart guy. He’s getting better at communication. I think he’s got a chance to be really good.
KIM RANKIN