Everything From Georgia Tech Defensive End Sylvain Yondjouen After Tuesday's Practice

Yondjouen is looking to make an impact on the defense after missing a season due to injury

Jul 25, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Georgia Tech defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen answers questions during ACC Media Days at The Westin Charlotte. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech continued fall camp today and the season opener vs Florida State is getting closer and closer. After practice today, Yellow Jackets defensive end Sylvain Yondjouen (who is coming off of an injury) met with the media and here is everything that he had to say.

1. On what it will be like to go back and play in Europe and his relationship with his grandmother...

"Very excited. I mean, it's something I didn't really think about coming here, thinking that we'd play a game back in Europe. So that's really something I'm waiting for. I'm excited about. I know my grandma is going to be able to be there. So that's another plus point to eight. I mean, yeah, it's my grandma from my mom's side. We used to go every two Sundays. We would go over there. At the time when I was a kid, I thought an hour and 30 driving was a long ride. So, yeah, we would drive for an hour and 30 and go visit her and my grandpa and just have a good time. So, yeah, it means a lot to me for her to be there. But, yeah, I think that's the biggest part. I mean, she hasn't really been able to come through any of my games, so that's going to be her very first game to see me play football. So, yeah, I'm excited for it."

2. On how he feels coming from his injury and his conditioning...

"I think, I personally, I mean, I did the work. I know what the injury was. It's my second time. Same knee. I knew how the rehab process was. So when I found out I had to get surgery again, I mean, I knew what I was going to do, put my everything I could in the rehab. And, yeah, I finished in, like, July, start of August. Actually, no, end of July. So we were very confident with the trainers on how I was moving during my rehab. And then camp started, and I was out there since practice one. I haven't had any trouble since. So, I mean, I think I'm confident on what I can do. And I've showed my teammates, my coaches that I can be out there, so I'm pretty confident. Yeah, I mean, it was, I did some running during my rehab, so, like, I was still working out with them, running with them, even though when they had to do, like, cutting for the field or, like, cutting left and right, maybe I wasn't doing that, but the conditioning part I've been doing with the team since they've started conditioning, so I think, I mean, it's been fine."

3. On working with Coach Pope and Coach Simpson...

"Yeah, I mean, I've had a few different coaches, and I think being able to have that diversity of coaches helps a lot. Having different mindsets of the coaches you have really affected me because I was I mean I'm a really I'm a good coachable player I think so when they came in with their ID when they came in and how they wanted to play the game I mean I just dive into it I trusted them because that's their job and then I'm gonna do what I need to do for them so I just trusted them we played it and I think we can see that everybody's liking it we understand it too and I think personally, too, I understand a way more than I did before. I mean, it's been a few years now, but the game makes more sense to me when I'm on the field now. So that's really a plus point, I think, that them explaining it, how they explain it, it helped me a lot into understanding it. I think, yeah, I'm very confident on what they're doing and just going to do what they ask for me."

4. On what it means to him to have an extra year...

"I think um you can see a big difference when you watch my first games in 2019 and then the games later how I looked lost at first and also a lot of the terms a lot of the words they use in football I didn't really know and now it all makes sense like I see stuff I can even call it myself so that's like a confident boost to yourself and that makes you that you're more trusted on the field and you can play with less thinking too much it's it's really going fast. At first the game was going very fast and now it's going slow so I can see what's going on and understand what we're trying to do and do what do my job even though if I mess up I know okay I still got to be there because somebody's coming behind me and that I learned because they taught me the right way. So I think that really helps having that extra year too just for the future to making sure that I know what I need to know for that next level."

5. On what it is like going against the offensive line in practice...

"I think we've ever had like good, good one -on -one pass first, good, like, move the field, just defense, D -line against O -line. It's being up and down every time someone's sometimes offense wins sometimes defense has a day but i think we're just all trying to get better that's why everybody's giving a hundred percent and i think that whenever i'm against Jordan a lot i think we're like when i have a good play on him he has a good play on me like we dab each other up we get back up and we go back again next play and we just we just i think it's a it's a good environment right now where everybody knows what we're trying to do. Everybody's on the same mindset. I'm very confident on what they're going to do and confident on what we're going to do in this season."

6. On if he gets questions about what it is like in Europe and the long flight....

"I haven't had anybody asked too much about it but I mean I think when we're getting close to it like a week before it's gonna be like how do you stay there for eight hours on the plane like how is it gonna happen like it or what did you eat over there, like am I gonna have my grits? I don't know so yeah those are those are there's a question they might come up but I don't know yet so I mean, I'm happy to answer everything they have. I mean, I think it's going to be a good time, even though we've got to stay focused on why we go over there. But it's good for them to also see Europe for some guys that haven't left America at all. I think it's a big chance for them to really understand how the world works and how they send it in different countries. Awesome. Great to have you back so long."