Texas Longhorns OL Kelvin Banks at SEC Media Days

The anchor of the Texas Longhorns offensive line stopped by to hang with Craig Way and Mike Hardge. Hear Kelvin Banks discuss the upcoming inaugural season for the Horns in the SEC, his summer, jelling with the younger guys in the trenches, and much more!

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
We continue at SEC football media daysCraig Way along with my cardball hard and
this being the Texas media day,that means you have to start with an
anchor. Anchor is a good wayto describe coming Thanks, anchor the offensive
front and he joins us, that'sgood to see you. And how many
times have people already said you lookgood dressed up today? I'll say twice?

(00:21):
Okay, all right, just twotimes the day. Okay. It's
just getting started early, yeah,And getting started early is the way certainly
for getting ready for this for thisupcoming football season. You're looked at now
as being a leader. Was thata mental adjustment for you? Yeah,
for sure, because in high schoolI was a leader, but I would
say is coming in as a freshman, it was kind of like, uh,

(00:42):
you don't want to overstep your boundaries. So I had to come and
grow up and understand like I'm beingput in a position where I have to
become this guy and show guys who'scoming in as well, like this is
how things are supposed to be done. So when you came in and now
you're working to be this leader,you start to look back at your freshman
year. You were a guy toput your head down. I remember b
Jon Robinson saying he was trying tojoke with you, and you were like,

(01:04):
no, man, I'm trying toget this work in. Now you
are that person. You're the onethat is working. You're the one that's
also joking around with some of theseguys. Do you remember that moment and
now you're starting to reflect on it, and now you become that guy?
Yeah, I want to. Iguess he kind of took what I said
like in a different way, whichwas a good way he took it.

(01:26):
I'm happy, but yeah, mostdefinitely, I definitely try to make sure
I put my head down and showguys like you have to work hard,
but also kind of keep that liketeammate com Riderie going like it's not you
don't always have to be so uptight. Just let loose and just work hard
and just you know what I'm saying. Good thing. Yeah. When I
visited with Sark earlier, we weretalking about I said, it's a natural
thing for folks to when they discussedthis offensive line to start with you and

(01:49):
Jake, I said, but there'sother guys you've really made Whence he talked
about it as well, how excitedhe is to see what Cam Williams is
doing and some of the other guys. Who is really and what has really
stood out to you about this groupas a whole in your offseason work,
honestly, just how well we takecriticism from each other and also just making
sure we push each other and justbe the try to be the best for

(02:13):
one another, because as a whole, you have to be one. You're
not going to be a good Oline if everybody's not in the same mind
space. So just looking at oneanother and just understanding, like, hey,
I know you can go out hereand perform, but I need you
to show me that we can jailand we can understand each other on the
turf when it's one hundred and fifteendegrees and we got to go run.
So that type of thing. We'retalking to offensive linemen Kelvin Banks as they

(02:34):
get ready for SEC media days.This is the first time I believe you've
made the trip up here. Thisis that inaugural move for you and for
your team as well. So thisis all new experience. But looking back
on everything and the last two yearsheading into your junior year, what are
some of the things that you feltyou had got your weaknesses figured out and

(02:54):
now most likely your strengths are leadingyou into the right direction. Yeah,
I say my biggest weakness on thefield was definitely stand consistent every play,
no matter what down it is,and when you're tired, obviously I try
it go as hard as I canin every rep, but just making sure
I stay consistent with my technique,inform, and just just keeping those things
the main things. And then evenoff the field, like you guys are

(03:16):
saying, becoming that leader, who'swho's more vocal, not just trying to
lead by example, but you knowwhat I'm saying, talking to guys,
making sure they know what they're doing, giving good feedback and things like that.
All Right, So here's the universalquestion that offensivelignment are always especially better
ones. You enjoy run blocking orpass blocking more? The old me would
say pass, but the new metI would say both. Man, I

(03:37):
love it. I love the physicalcontact phase of run blocking, and I
just love the the technique and mentalityyou have to have when you're past blocking.
And it had and it had tobe a new world a little bit,
but by the same token, reallya benefit that CJ and Jaden got
as much work and reps as theygot last year, you know, once

(03:59):
JB went down. I mean thatthat makes it a little bit easier for
them to know what they do andfor what you guys do, know what
you could do for them. Yes, sir, I agree with that everything
you said it was bad. Itwas obviously not good that JB went down,
But just them guys getting to getin there and building chemistry with the
old line so we know where eachother's head is, it was definitely a
good thing. Covin. I wantedto ask you this because competition makes each

(04:20):
other better. So if you're lookingacross from the defensive line, who is
somebody that has really made an excellentjump and got their game better as you
had into the season. Yeah,I'll definitely say two guys who's already been
here that pushes me very hard isEthan Burke and Baron Curel, and even
Trey Moore coming in from UTSA.He was a big, a big part

(04:43):
of that, a big part ofsomething that I really needed because he's an
all around rushers, like he's hecan do anything with the power rusher,
he can speed, finest like he'san all around guy. So just having
him, Baron and Burton just pushedme every day and practice is kind of
preparing me for the game. Soevery it is kind of like a game
day for me. Love it.What are you most looking forward to this
season? Oh, honestly, Iwould say just I would say to see

(05:10):
just the different atmospheres we go into, just because we're going to a new
conference, just going into the awaygames, just trying to like get the
feel of how how the SEC crowdis. Yeah, I'm excited about this
because of the fact I've seen youwork. I saw you when you came
in as a freshman. I'm lookingat the changes you have made from your
freshman year to your junior year.Coach Tory Becton doesn't play around, does

(05:34):
he? Strength and condition to CoachTory Becton, don't play around. He
puts you guys through some work,don't he. Yeah, he definitely does,
especially especially when he knows like hecan get more out of you.
He definitely kind of tries to bringyou to the top of that meter right
before you explode, and then hejust sees he kind of like kind of
keeps consistent stead he paces on youmake sure you keep working, but he

(05:56):
definitely puts you through through a hardwork out. Calvin's great to see you,
appreciate you dropping mine, taking somefound best of luck. Callen Banks
with us here the anchor of theoffensive lie literally yeah, We'll continue here
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