WATCH: Carl Jones on Ikaika Malloe, UCLA Football's Defensive Energy in Spring Camp
UCLA football edge rusher Carl Jones spoke to reporters after practice Wednesday. Jones touched on the impact of new outside linebackers coach Ikaika Malloe and defensive coordinator Bill McGovern, his journey of position changes through the years, the arrival of the Murphy twins and the energy of the defense midway through spring camp.
CARL JONES JR.
Working with Ikaika Malloe?
It's been wonderful. He's been teaching us a lot of new stuff, new techniques, just a real people's person, family's person. He's a great coach.
Hands-on, diving on pads, hitting dummies – fun to watch, feed off of that?
It's definitely fun, just watching him actually do the drills with us, actually doing the movements with us like he's part of our group – which he is, but he's actually looking like he could go out and put some pads on too.
Keeping the aggression on the line, especially with the Murphys?
Shoot, all and all, we just – we've been trying to stay aggressive and attacking. Bringing in the Murphys, of course, that's what they can do best, just being real aggressive. I mean, the whole front's just been aggressive all spring practice, so that's just been great to watch, us just flying around, everything like that.
Thoughts on Bill McGovern?
Coach McGovern, he's awesome, amazing. When we're out on the field doing walkthroughs, he's explaining everything to us, letting us understand the whole defense instead of just throwing it at us, walking through different parts and everything. So he's just amazing so far.
Mixing and matching linemen a lot – a spot where you feel most comfortable?
So far, just wherever they want to put me at. I've been always a guy to do whatever the coaches say, so that's basically what we all do. Whenever coach tells us to move to a spot, just go do it and do it at 110%.
Terminology change with new coaches coming in? You played the Bruin/Raider the past two years, is that still a thing?
Same defense, nothing crazy. We're just still doing the same thing, different terminologies, different little phrases that our coaches use, but that's pretty much it.
How has the defense improved from day one of spring to now?
Shoot, each day, we learn something new, each day, everybody gets better. We definitely improved from the first practice to now. Every day, I see it – even the coaches see it – we're just getting better as a group and as a collective, so there's nothing much we can really do but wait for the next day and see how we do.
How important is getting loud, bringing the energy to force false starts in team sessions in spring ball?
I mean, it's definitely important cause fall camp, we're probably not gonna be able to do that as much. So right now, we're just bringing everybody together, showing how we would be and how we would act during games. So during the game, that's how we're gonna be, we're gonna be fired up, cheering on our defense, all in the moment, everybody's tuned in, there's nothing else you could ask for.
Why can't you do that during fall?
During fall? We don't do live, nothing's really live. Shoot, we do that still when we go against our scout team, but it's not as fun as going 1s against 1s.
What's it like to have those chances to go good on good?
The good on good is just, you don't get those often. For us D-line, we gotta stay away from the quarterback, but giving the best look at their O-line and our best D-line, just going at it. And then for our back end too, going against their 1s, our D 1s are going against theirs. It's just really combative, that's when we get the best work, everybody's working on technique and just tuning in on our plays.
Started as defensive back, moved close to the line over the years – what's that like being in this group maybe you wouldn't have fit in previously?
I mean, honestly, like I said before, when they moved me my freshman year, I was just open to doing whatever the team wanted me to do. So my role here this year is just the same thing, so I'm gonna just give it our all, we're all gonna give it our all. Definitely different, but I've been learning, tuning in on my techniques also. Coach Malloe's been great, just teaching me everything that would fit in my toolbox. So just tuning in on my toolbox while everybody else is working on theirs.
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