August 21, 2024 • 8 mins
Nobody tells you how he feels like Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Hayden Connor. Connor visited with the local media on Tuesday and discussed this upcoming season, the chemistry with his teammates, Quinn Ewers, and more.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's turn our change you back to long ward football.
One of the vastly improved and healthy offensive linemen is
Hayden Connor, who got a chance to visit with the
media yesterday.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well, I mean, you guys have been together so long.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Is there a different vibe of the offensive line this
year anyway compared to the last couple of years?
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Not really. I mean we're we're a lot closer than
we have been, just because we all know each other
really well. You know, we only lost Christian to the
to the draft and everyone else is returning, so we're
still really close.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Joe Ward, I mean, is that something that I've talked
about for sure?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Yeah, We've got all the all the requirements to make
the job more in our in our wall when we leave,
so we always slap it on the way out, So
it's something we think about for sure. We're going to
get a great test against Michigan. Yep, that d live.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
Is that the kind of thing that can motivate that
group knowing that you've got that game willing.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Yeah, I mean we've got a good a lot of
good d linement that we're gonna play this year. I know.
That's that's one of the one of the targets along
the mission. But we're gonna focus on when we got
of time because anyone can come out and kick our ass.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
So a guy who doesn't really talk about the time,
but I he just run back. Can you tell us
about Colum Page a little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Column? Page is a is a is a hard worker.
He uh sweet kid, really really good dude. One of
the hardest workers on the team. But I keep telling him,
just keep working. He's gonna get a shot.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I want to ask you.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
The sword has been used in the league and learning
and you hear it all the time. The coach talks
about it. The standard is the standard. Can you describe
what the standard looks like inside that locker.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Room or on the field?
Speaker 4 (01:40):
Exactly what Malik said. It's accountability, discipline, toughness and commitment
all the time, all the time.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
You've worked along side tacking rangers for years and to
half like what makes them a good center?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
What's his role on the offensive line?
Speaker 5 (01:54):
What's something maybe like a story about now away from
the field that kind.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Of tip the last three?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
I mean Jake, Jake is always brings the juice. He
has this saying that he loves he goes, if your
juice is you loose, you're useless. So he says that
every day he's always got energy. One of the one
of the smartest dudes on the team for sure, and
a guy you can always count on. I don't really
have a story. You've got into work with Nate Kibble,
a little bit of one of the true freshmen kid
(02:22):
here in the summer.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
What's he didn't like? You've been impressed anything that stands
out with.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Middle He's eager to learn and that that's important as
a freshman. You know, he's got so much raw talent
that he's gonna be a developmental guy and he's gonna
he's gonna be in really good. Can you really overstate
the importance of the group's continuity, just how much that
means all the way through the offseason, all the way
through Joinny camp in the season.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Just everybody knows everybody.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
And if there's no like as an on line, yeah,
oh yeah, for sure. Like if if we go out
there and we all play with five set of eyes,
we we're gonna we're gonna screw up. We're not gonna
play a well. So Flood always preaches, you know, five
guys playing with one set of eyes, right, So if
if we go out there and we're we we've got
a call, and two dudes think it's a different goal,
then we're not on the same patient. It's not gonna
(03:06):
be good. So playing with the same set eyes and
trust him that the dude next one is gonna do
the right thing?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Is what does it look like during our seas? I
may know you'll hang out all the time, you know,
and all that stuff. Just how much of the difference
does that make?
Speaker 4 (03:18):
I would say, like during spring, of course it's football,
but during during the workouts and stuff, you know, making
sure that we're not being over and making sure that
we're at the front of the line doing the drills correctly.
It's just all the little stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Heydon is just call it up. Camp has not played
as much as other line. But he's not exact getting
news guy right, and he's been in the room for
a while.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
How how seamless or are you difficult as it did
to insert him into a unit.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
And hasn't he came in. We're we're functioning like a high,
highly well oiled machine right now. So there's there's no
concern at all how's the running game gonna be.
Speaker 5 (03:52):
Obviously they're next hands in that road, but in your
mind that the guy is there in the path.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
As long as we can make the holes, I know
they're gonna hit him.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Hayden, Texas is rated one of the top bold lines
in the country. Quenton was talking about and working on
stepping into the pocket.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
All have you guys done the spring with creating down
pocket for him to step into?
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Just just block? Does block do our job really well?
Allow him to give him some time to make some
good passes.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
What have you seen of Jayden Blue between the tackles
that it seems to be a questions great space.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
He's explosive.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
What have you seen between the tackles? I mean, he
scored a lot of touchdowns last year running between the tackles,
So I think that he's doing just fine right now.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
You know, Vernon was that here? What what's he done
over the years to improve to that starting calendar attack?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
You said, Kelvin Vernon Vernon, me and Jake were just
talking about him the other day. Vernon Vernon's been a
guy who's always worked every single day and he he's
getting a shower now and it's it's shown he's he's
gonna be a really good piece for us on defense
this year, and he's he's getting getting getting the work
in in practice. So it's it's fun to to compete
(05:10):
against him every day.
Speaker 5 (05:11):
When do you see him from those interior guys, all
of them the transfers.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Everyone wants to know how you're gonna work place sweat market. Well,
I said this last year. We were dynamic last year
and we're dynamic again. We've got a lot of guys
that can do a lot of different things really really well.
So I'm excited to see what they can with what
they can do during games.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Those new defensive tackles you're talking about, juice the jay
Majors that he hit them, bring something extra to practice
kind of gets he going.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Vernon, Vernon, Baron do a lot of talking during practice
to us, and so that always kind of heightens, heightens
the mood a little bit, makes a little more fun
in their practice.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
So you've done a lot of community service, so you
know who's for helping. What's your favorite community service thing.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
That you've don I would say my pause for a
cause that I put together. I partnered with Austin Animal
Center put together a donation kind of fundraising event for
them at MutS Cantina. So I've only had two events,
looking to do a third one hopefully soon. But we've
gotten got a lot of donations for Austin Animal Center.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
So and why that one isn't like you love dogs,
look animals.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
I'm a big I'm a big softy for dogs for sure,
but Austin Animal Center, I didn't even know that it
was an animal center. Everyone knows Austin Pet's alive. And
so I was just trying to give a little love
to a smaller, smaller shelter. What is Bill right to
just to wait? A lot of weight, really experienced guy,
(06:40):
and you can tell in the film that he's played
a lot of ball, knows how to play leverages really well.
That youermain same same guy. I mean, I know he's
a seventh year guy. Him and him and Bill are
going to be big time run stoppers with a lot
of experience.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
To last season this season, How do you see that
you're league is in th.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I don't know. I just every day I just try
to improve on one thing. So I feel like I've
gotten better at something incrementally every single day, and so
every day it could be different, whether it's I need
to spend a little more time focusing on this certain
technique and pass pro or whatever. But every day I'm
just trying to get a little bit better.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Can you talk about the depth of the guard spot,
specifically on the offensive line? With Nato and Cole and
DJ all there. I mean sounds like there's a lot
of pieces.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Yeah, we're deep, but in terms of you know, depth chart,
you're gonna have to ask touch about that.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
In terms of just happened those bodies? They're how valuable
is that for the.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Oh, it's extremely valuable. You know, any anything could happen.
Someone's gonna someone has to be ready to play, and
you know they we're not gonna miss a beat if
someone has to come in who hasn't necessarily played as much.
But we're we're deep, We're really talented, and we're every ready.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Can you get some work at center?
Speaker 4 (07:55):
I have been?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Yeah, what's kind of the toughest suggests that you know,
if you're not a regular center to work at that spot.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
You know, I was recruited as a tackle, so I
was on an island. You know, you have a lot
more space than you go to guard, getting a little
more close, and then when you go to center, you're
in a freaking phone booth. So it's a big change,
but I know that it's gonna make me more valuable
at the next level.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Some good stuff from Maiden Connor. You're in a freaking
phone booth. What you're as the center is was somebody
trying to sneak in a question to him about depth
chart and who was starting and who was backing up?
Speaker 4 (08:33):
Was that sounded like it?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
That's knowing too there he he didn't fall for that.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
He did not fall for that.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
All right, there's the sound for Maiden Connor for the
long run Offensive Front. We'll be back to wrap up
today's edition of the program right here on sports Radio
AM thirteen hunderd The Zone.
Let's turn our change you back to long ward football.
One of the vastly improved and healthy offensive linemen is
Hayden Connor, who got a chance to visit with the
media yesterday.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well, I mean, you guys have been together so long.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Is there a different vibe of the offensive line this
year anyway compared to the last couple of years?
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Not really. I mean we're we're a lot closer than
we have been, just because we all know each other
really well. You know, we only lost Christian to the
to the draft and everyone else is returning, so we're
still really close.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Joe Ward, I mean, is that something that I've talked
about for sure?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Yeah, We've got all the all the requirements to make
the job more in our in our wall when we leave,
so we always slap it on the way out, So
it's something we think about for sure. We're going to
get a great test against Michigan. Yep, that d live.
Speaker 5 (00:49):
Is that the kind of thing that can motivate that
group knowing that you've got that game willing.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Yeah, I mean we've got a good a lot of
good d linement that we're gonna play this year. I know.
That's that's one of the one of the targets along
the mission. But we're gonna focus on when we got
of time because anyone can come out and kick our ass.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
So a guy who doesn't really talk about the time,
but I he just run back. Can you tell us
about Colum Page a little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Column? Page is a is a is a hard worker.
He uh sweet kid, really really good dude. One of
the hardest workers on the team. But I keep telling him,
just keep working. He's gonna get a shot.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I want to ask you.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
The sword has been used in the league and learning
and you hear it all the time. The coach talks
about it. The standard is the standard. Can you describe
what the standard looks like inside that locker.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Room or on the field?
Speaker 4 (01:40):
Exactly what Malik said. It's accountability, discipline, toughness and commitment
all the time, all the time.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
You've worked along side tacking rangers for years and to
half like what makes them a good center?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
What's his role on the offensive line?
Speaker 5 (01:54):
What's something maybe like a story about now away from
the field that kind.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Of tip the last three?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
I mean Jake, Jake is always brings the juice. He
has this saying that he loves he goes, if your
juice is you loose, you're useless. So he says that
every day he's always got energy. One of the one
of the smartest dudes on the team for sure, and
a guy you can always count on. I don't really
have a story. You've got into work with Nate Kibble,
a little bit of one of the true freshmen kid
(02:22):
here in the summer.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
What's he didn't like? You've been impressed anything that stands
out with.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Middle He's eager to learn and that that's important as
a freshman. You know, he's got so much raw talent
that he's gonna be a developmental guy and he's gonna
he's gonna be in really good. Can you really overstate
the importance of the group's continuity, just how much that
means all the way through the offseason, all the way
through Joinny camp in the season.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Just everybody knows everybody.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
And if there's no like as an on line, yeah,
oh yeah, for sure. Like if if we go out
there and we all play with five set of eyes,
we we're gonna we're gonna screw up. We're not gonna
play a well. So Flood always preaches, you know, five
guys playing with one set of eyes, right, So if
if we go out there and we're we we've got
a call, and two dudes think it's a different goal,
then we're not on the same patient. It's not gonna
(03:06):
be good. So playing with the same set eyes and
trust him that the dude next one is gonna do
the right thing?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Is what does it look like during our seas? I
may know you'll hang out all the time, you know,
and all that stuff. Just how much of the difference
does that make?
Speaker 4 (03:18):
I would say, like during spring, of course it's football,
but during during the workouts and stuff, you know, making
sure that we're not being over and making sure that
we're at the front of the line doing the drills correctly.
It's just all the little stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Heydon is just call it up. Camp has not played
as much as other line. But he's not exact getting
news guy right, and he's been in the room for
a while.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
How how seamless or are you difficult as it did
to insert him into a unit.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
And hasn't he came in. We're we're functioning like a high,
highly well oiled machine right now. So there's there's no
concern at all how's the running game gonna be.
Speaker 5 (03:52):
Obviously they're next hands in that road, but in your
mind that the guy is there in the path.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
As long as we can make the holes, I know
they're gonna hit him.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Hayden, Texas is rated one of the top bold lines
in the country. Quenton was talking about and working on
stepping into the pocket.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
All have you guys done the spring with creating down
pocket for him to step into?
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Just just block? Does block do our job really well?
Allow him to give him some time to make some
good passes.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
What have you seen of Jayden Blue between the tackles
that it seems to be a questions great space.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
He's explosive.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
What have you seen between the tackles? I mean, he
scored a lot of touchdowns last year running between the tackles,
So I think that he's doing just fine right now.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
You know, Vernon was that here? What what's he done
over the years to improve to that starting calendar attack?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
You said, Kelvin Vernon Vernon, me and Jake were just
talking about him the other day. Vernon Vernon's been a
guy who's always worked every single day and he he's
getting a shower now and it's it's shown he's he's
gonna be a really good piece for us on defense
this year, and he's he's getting getting getting the work
in in practice. So it's it's fun to to compete
(05:10):
against him every day.
Speaker 5 (05:11):
When do you see him from those interior guys, all
of them the transfers.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Everyone wants to know how you're gonna work place sweat market. Well,
I said this last year. We were dynamic last year
and we're dynamic again. We've got a lot of guys
that can do a lot of different things really really well.
So I'm excited to see what they can with what
they can do during games.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Those new defensive tackles you're talking about, juice the jay
Majors that he hit them, bring something extra to practice
kind of gets he going.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Vernon, Vernon, Baron do a lot of talking during practice
to us, and so that always kind of heightens, heightens
the mood a little bit, makes a little more fun
in their practice.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
So you've done a lot of community service, so you
know who's for helping. What's your favorite community service thing.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
That you've don I would say my pause for a
cause that I put together. I partnered with Austin Animal
Center put together a donation kind of fundraising event for
them at MutS Cantina. So I've only had two events,
looking to do a third one hopefully soon. But we've
gotten got a lot of donations for Austin Animal Center.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
So and why that one isn't like you love dogs,
look animals.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
I'm a big I'm a big softy for dogs for sure,
but Austin Animal Center, I didn't even know that it
was an animal center. Everyone knows Austin Pet's alive. And
so I was just trying to give a little love
to a smaller, smaller shelter. What is Bill right to
just to wait? A lot of weight, really experienced guy,
(06:40):
and you can tell in the film that he's played
a lot of ball, knows how to play leverages really well.
That youermain same same guy. I mean, I know he's
a seventh year guy. Him and him and Bill are
going to be big time run stoppers with a lot
of experience.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
To last season this season, How do you see that
you're league is in th.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I don't know. I just every day I just try
to improve on one thing. So I feel like I've
gotten better at something incrementally every single day, and so
every day it could be different, whether it's I need
to spend a little more time focusing on this certain
technique and pass pro or whatever. But every day I'm
just trying to get a little bit better.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Can you talk about the depth of the guard spot,
specifically on the offensive line? With Nato and Cole and
DJ all there. I mean sounds like there's a lot
of pieces.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Yeah, we're deep, but in terms of you know, depth chart,
you're gonna have to ask touch about that.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
In terms of just happened those bodies? They're how valuable
is that for the.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Oh, it's extremely valuable. You know, any anything could happen.
Someone's gonna someone has to be ready to play, and
you know they we're not gonna miss a beat if
someone has to come in who hasn't necessarily played as much.
But we're we're deep, We're really talented, and we're every ready.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Can you get some work at center?
Speaker 4 (07:55):
I have been?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Yeah, what's kind of the toughest suggests that you know,
if you're not a regular center to work at that spot.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
You know, I was recruited as a tackle, so I
was on an island. You know, you have a lot
more space than you go to guard, getting a little
more close, and then when you go to center, you're
in a freaking phone booth. So it's a big change,
but I know that it's gonna make me more valuable
at the next level.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Some good stuff from Maiden Connor. You're in a freaking
phone booth. What you're as the center is was somebody
trying to sneak in a question to him about depth
chart and who was starting and who was backing up?
Speaker 4 (08:33):
Was that sounded like it?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
That's knowing too there he he didn't fall for that.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
He did not fall for that.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
All right, there's the sound for Maiden Connor for the
long run Offensive Front. We'll be back to wrap up
today's edition of the program right here on sports Radio
AM thirteen hunderd The Zone.
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