BYU quarterback Kedon Slovis speaks to reporters throughout the Huge 12 faculty soccer media days in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. LM Otero, Related Press
BYU linebacker Ben Bywater speaks to reporters throughout the Huge 12 soccer media days in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. LM Otero, Related Press
BYU large receiver Kody Epps speaks to reporters throughout the Huge 12 faculty media days in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. LM Otero, Related Press
ARLINGTON, Texas — The 5 soccer gamers chosen by BYU to signify the college on the Huge 12 soccer media days this week did quite a lot of speaking Wednesday at AT&T Stadium, and hung round doing interviews effectively after the time they had been requested to offer.
The Deseret Information spoke to all 5, and we requested quite a lot of football-related questions, as could be anticipated.
Seeing as the way it was the primary time since 2010 that BYU has participated in a convention’s soccer media day — having been impartial earlier than July 1 — we requested the gamers for his or her general tackle the lengthy day of Q&A, and if they might keep in mind the strangest query they acquired out of the a whole bunch they answered.
Right here’s a rundown:
Quarterback Kedon Slovis
The switch from USC after which Pitt stated he couldn’t keep in mind being requested for recommendation on how you can deal with media days from head coach Kalani Sitake, as a substitute saying that Sitake was “in his component” and didn’t want any assist from the well-traveled graduate switch.
“Kalani doesn’t want any recommendation,” Slovis stated. “If something, he gave me recommendation. He’s the most effective. I really requested him within the automobile on the best way right here, ‘Hey, if I get this query, how would you like me to reply it?’ He's such an ideal human, and the best way he goes about life, he's so humble.”
As for the expertise, Slovis stated it was extra memorable than the rest he’s performed with the media.
“Yeah, I imply, once I was at USC, we weren’t in Jerry’s World. Just a bit bit larger stage right here, and much more individuals are right here, I believe,” he stated. “It has been actually thrilling. And simply to see this type of ambiance and pleasure is loopy. There have been no (new) faculties coming into the (Pac-12) convention, both. So that is fairly particular.”
Slovis couldn’t instantly recall any unusual or uncommon questions.
Linebacker Ben Bywater
“I might sum up the day as extraordinary, even electrical,” Bywater stated. “Legendary. Electrical. Yeah, use that phrase — electrical.”
Bywater stated he was requested for “two truths and a lie,” which is outwardly a brand new recreation sweeping the nation. He stated he was unfamiliar with that, however determined to play alongside.
“I stated I’ve been to 17 nations, I've greater than 50 pairs of footwear, and I had a skater face rising up (in Salt Lake Metropolis),” Bywater stated. “And the 50 pairs of footwear was a lie. I've like, 5 to 10 pair, is all.”
Bywater stated the journey on a constitution jet and talkfest was his final main occasion of the summer time. Now it's time to get again to work.
“Man, simply locking in time,” he stated. “I'm simply going to be within the weight room, within the movie room, from now till fall camp, simply making an attempt to get higher.”
BYU linebacker Ben Bywater speaks to reporters throughout the Huge 12 soccer media days in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
LM Otero, Related Press
Receiver Kody Epps
Epps spent quite a lot of time speaking about why he entered the switch portal in early Could, then withdrew and returned to BYU two days later. The Deseret Information will publish an article on that later this week.
However Epps additionally spent quite a lot of time expressing gratitude for being chosen to signify BYU.
“Man, it's one thing I don’t take without any consideration. I texted coach A Rod (Aaron Roderick) and I gotta textual content coach Fesi (Sitake). I stated thanks a lot for permitting me to be right here. And I texted coach Kalani (Sitake) and stated thanks a lot for permitting me to be a pacesetter out right here.
“To have the ability to come out right here and signify not solely the college however my teammates, my coaches, my household and (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), as a result of that’s the model of BYU, is so particular to me. It's a blessing and one thing I'm going to recollect for the remainder of my life.”
Epps stated the strangest query got here from some younger reporters named Jonathan and Chase.
“They've a sales space of beef jerky, they usually requested me, ‘What's your beef? Who do you have got a beef with on this planet proper now?’”
His reply: “I instructed them usually individuals who can’t drive. However I by no means do something loopy about it. It's form of an inside beef. It kinda irritates me typically. … However hey, anyone that may be a Cougar fan, you're a nice driver.”
BYU large receiver Kody Epps speaks to reporters throughout the Huge 12 faculty media days in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
LM Otero, Related Press
Defensive finish Tyler Batty
Together with doing at the very least one interview in Spanish, which was the language he discovered on his mission to Madrid, Spain, Batty stated the day was “superior” and one he'll always remember.
“It has been nice to be right here,” he stated. “That is completely completely different than something we’ve ever skilled earlier than, in my 4 years. That is loopy. However we're tremendous stoked to be right here, to be within the Huge 12, and all the pieces has been first-class and superior.”
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Batty stated the strangest query was being requested if Disney had been to make a film about any individual on the BYU soccer crew, who wouldn't it be, and why.
“And that form of left me perplexed. I went with Kody (Epps) as a result of he’s a pleasant, feel-good, charismatic man and I can see a pleasant, good Hallmark form of film popping out of Kody. However that was a tricky query.”
Punter Ryan Rehkow
Rehkow, who's 6-foot-6 and 235 kilos, fielded quite a lot of questions on him being the one specialist showing at media days, however took them in stride and had fun answering them.
“Yeah, it's fairly cool,” he stated. “I'm asking everyone, ‘Do I actually belong right here?’ However we'll take it, and it's an honor. … Bodily, I slot in. They are saying, BYU despatched a punter? Actually? And I say yeah, they wished me right here, for some cause.”
Batty and Rehkow are each married, so the punter and defensive finish fielded some questions on that, which as BYU followers know will not be that unusual in Provo.
However the strangest query the current graduate of BYU’s Marriott Faculty of Enterprise fielded caught him a bit off guard.
“The toughest one was, ‘What are the three issues you'll keep in mind without end?’ That is sort of a deep query, and we had been getting fairly surface-level questions, after which they only threw that in there,” he stated. “I stated, ‘omigosh, I gotta mirror into my inside soul proper now to offer them a great reply.’”
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— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) July 12, 2023