Credit: Ben Parker (CardinalSportsReport.com)
On Wednesday, Stanford head coach Tavita Pritchard spoke to members of the media about how he feels his team is looking at the start of fall camp. Below is a full transcription and some takeaways.
READ: Stanford spring practice report: Wednesday, April 1st
VIDEO: Tavita Pritchard talks opening of spring practice
Q: Coach it seems like there’s a lot of energy and excitement out there on the first day of spring ball. What was it like for you out there today?
Pritchard: “Yeah, you said it. You said it. Really good energy. Love the energy, the effort, the finish and you know, challenged the team, challenged the program to be the best finishing team. You know and the way that we come out here with our energy and, you know, that matters a lot.”
Q: What bricks are you trying to lay for the foundation this early on?
Pritchard: “Yeah, that’s a big part of it. You know, it’s just showing up to the practice field every day. Like, football is a different sport in that we practice way more than we play games, right? And so like, this has to be everything for us and how we practice and how we compete out here. And so it really is just laying the groundwork for how we practice, how we compete at the highest level possible in the different tempos and the different, we weren’t in pads today, we were just in helmets. You know, so we gotta learn to make this as game-like as possible without it being real football.”
Q: How much of a difference does it make for you given your experience here as a coach?
Pritchard: “Oh man, I’ll tell you this. It feels good to be back on the grass. Like, with all the stuff that happened, that I’ve done since I’ve been here, you know, between portal and recruiting and you know, talking to different donors, friends of the program, all those different things, like, this is a sanctuary out here to be back on the grass and coaching ball and going through this process with our guys because again, this is where we make our hay. Like, this is where we really learn how to go learn how to compete and strengthen our connection.”
Q: What was that three or four months like when you were doing all that non-coaching?
Pritchard: “No, it’s all still in service of Stanford football, you know? So it’s all still, like this becomes part of the motivating factor is like what we get to do out here, how we get to support our guys and like, help them develop. So it’s all in service of and you just gotta keep that in mind.”
Q: Just how do you feel the quarterback unit is looking, the position you played? How are those four guys clicking?
Pritchard: “Sure. Obviously early on with the Q’s, so much of it is the operation, right? How are we getting off the sideline? How are we getting up to the line of scrimmage? How are we breaking the huddle? How are we calling the cadence? You know, so many of our things for the quarterback room is just making sure that we’re operating efficiently, effectively, as the offense gets installed. So I thought our guys did a good job. Good command today. We didn’t have a lot, you know, I always wait to see the film, but I feel like we were relatively clean for a first day, you know be able to come out here and get aligned and get off on the snap count. Get the snap. You know, all those things are important. So yeah, I was pleased with that.”
Q: What do you like about Davis Warren? Obviously he brings with him some experience from Michigan. He’s played in some big games and big environments.
Pritchard: “I would say first and foremost, Davis just his impact as a human being and as a leader. You know, somebody who’s played college football for a good amount of time, who understands, you know, what it feels like to play in big games, knows what it’s like to play, you know, really good teams and knows what it’s like to be in a locker room and relate to guys and connect. And so I think that’s one thing that you’ve seen from early on is just that, the role he’s already taken on as a leader in our locker room. I’ve told our guys, like the more leadership we have, the stronger the leadership that we have, the more guys doing it, the better we’ll be as a team, and so it only helps to add yet another guy who will take on a role in leadership.”
Q: What’s it like being the head coach at a football practice compared to the other practices you’ve been at?
Pritchard: “Oh man. I get to walk around and watch everybody. You know, I mean, that part is a ton of fun and just think about how we can continue to bring our team together. You know, because I just so believe in a holistic approach to how to win football games, right? All three phases of the ball. You know, getting to be a part of special teams, walk over there and watch the D-line, the O-line, walking around during indy; yeah, it just, I love this element. It is a lot different for me, you know, not just being I’m just over with the quarterbacks or over with the offense, but yeah, really enjoyed my first day.”
Q: What is the biggest challenge you face in terms of getting this program where you think he needs to be? It’s been a while since Stanford had a winning season.
Pritchard: “Yes. Again, so much of it is learning how to do what we do out here. It’s learning how to compete out here. Like, and I know this in my core that if we learn how to practice and learn how to compete out here and take care of each other at the same time, we will do what we need to do on the game field on Saturdays in the fall. But it starts and it doesn’t end out here, but it starts and is so much about what we do out here and how we get down out here. And so, obviously the things in preparation for that, you know, we talked a lot about our process of getting to the field and what we’re gonna do afterwards and how we need to study and watch film and all those different things. But so much of it is in service of like what we do out here and so that’s what I know our, that’s where our focus is.”
Q: How would you rate the excitement level for today?
Pritchard: “Yeah, really good energy. You know, and I think you get that a little bit. There’s a little bit of a new school, first day of school feel, right? Because it’s the first day of spring ball and it’s a new staff and there’s some new faces around and there’s a freshness to it. You know, and obviously we want to use that and lean into it and also understand that it’s going to be about how we deal with adversity. It’s gonna be about how we are, not just in practice one, but in practice seven and in practice 15 and when we get to the summer and when we get to training camp and it is more about stacking days and the longevity and the continuity than it is just day one. But, it has to start with a really good day one.”
Q: Benji Blackburn, what do you think he’s going to bring at the tight end spot with Sam Roush moving on to the NFL?
Pritchard: “Yeah. Really excited about Benji. Just the versatility that we bring and obviously we’ve had a great history of tight ends around here. And so we know what the element of a great tight end can bring. You know, it can really put pressure on a defense to decide how they want to defend when you have a great versatile tight end who can put his hand in the ground and block, who can run routes, who can attack you a lot of different ways and operate on the offense a lot of different ways. So, excited about him. He’s had a great offseason. Really excited about the whole tight end room.”
Q: What was it like having David Shaw out here and how much have you leaned on him?
Pritchard: “Oh man, it was great seeing him. You know, obviously with Carter being here, we had three generations of Shaws here today, which is always great and obviously just such a strong connection here with me, but also with the university and so it was great to see him today. I was glad he was able to come out.”
Takeaways: The thing that stood out to me is Pritchard is really trying to lay the foundation for success by focusing on the little things. Getting snap counts right and all those little details down. He knows that building this program into a successful one will take time, but it’s all about just taking it one day at a time, laying the groundwork, and trusting the process.
Secondly, it’s clear that there’s a lot of positive energy around the program right now. Pritchard is happy to be leading the program and there seems to be a lot of support around Pritchard to help him succeed. It’s clear how much he loves Stanford and how invested he is in getting this ship turned around.
Finally, Pritchard had great things to say about quarterback Davis Warren, who transferred in from Michigan. Warren is expected to be the starting quarterback and so far he seems to be bringing great leadership. It’ll be fun to see how he progresses during the spring and beyond.
Note: Cardinal Sports Report has you covered for all the latest news on Stanford as they begin the Tavita Pritchard era.
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