Jacksonville State Football – Weekly Press Conference
November 18, 2019 - Eastern Kentucky Week
 
Head Coach John Grass
Opening Comments:
"We are coming off a much-needed off week after 11 straight weeks and I think we could have used it about a month earlier but we got as much as we could.  We got a lot of rest and getting ready to prepare for Eastern Kentucky.  We had some fundamental practices and moving forward in these unchartered waters for us and it was not the way we drew it up for the season to go.  This last one, you want to gout with a win for these seniors.  I think we have a very good opponent coming in with EKU, who I think is very talented and a well-coached team.  It is very evident with the scores that they have had and could very well be sitting at the top of the conference.  They went to overtime with Austin Peay and had a 31-14 lead in the SEMO game and ended up getting beat 38-31, so it is going to be a very good football game.  They do a good job of stopping the run and they do a good job of running the football. I think we will prepare well this week and we want to out with a win for this senior class.  There are a lot of guys that have been around here a long time and played in many games, so I know they want to go out with a win."       
 
On what Josh Pearson and Josh Brady have meant to the program:
"It is tough when you get to senior day and this year it is a little bit different because we do know when the last day.  I think if you look at a Gamecock, this is what we envision as a player representing our program.  There have been a lot of men that have come through and been that type of player, but there is none better than these two guys. They have been fine examples of what we want in our program and its just not on the field.  Josh (Pearson) can run fast and catch balls and not many know who Josh (Brady) is because he never snaps it over the punters head, so it is very consistent.  It's the job that they do off the field that is second to none.  I can't tell you how many things these guys are involved in and they are good students.  They have taken different paths to get to this point, but Brady does a lot with FCA and gives a lot of his time to mentor kids.  There is really not a day that goes by that he goes to the elementary school and does something at the local schools.  Both of these guys are kid magnets, you put them in a school and they bring a lot of energy and smiles on a lot of young kids.  I can't name any two better ambassadors for our program than these two guys.  I do not say this with hesitation, but our program is more than about just winning football games."
 
On outside noise:
"I don't listen to that.  Fans will be fans and we live in that social media world. My job is to mentor these guys and that is why I do my job.  We have been blessed around here and it starts with me and I am a little spoiled because I am used to winning at a high level and I don't expect anything less. I am disappointed in myself and it does not matter what anyone else says.  We are going to continue to do the things that we have talked about and representing our program in the right way.  I have always been prouder of our off-the-field success than I have the on-the-field success.  We have excelled academically, and we have graduated our guys.  I want to win as much as anyone and I put a lot of pressure on myself and will continue to do that.  We are going to have one heck of an off season.  Our fans have a reason to be spoiled, we gave them a reason to be spoiled and that's a good thing.
 
Josh Pearson
R-Sr. Wide Receiver 
On the platform they have been given with kids:
"I just try to be inspirational to the kids because there are a lot of things those kids go through.  I have experienced kids that are getting bullied or live in a single parent household that are not doing so well in the classroom. They could be feeling down, but we can bring some joy to them." 
 
On playing in his last game:
"It hasn't hit me yet, but it is going to be a sad day.  It has to end because football is not forever and that is why we try to be inspirational off the field because people remember you outside of football."
 
Josh Brady
Sr. Long Snapper
On the platform they have been given with kids:
"Everyone gets to see Josh (Pearson) score touchdowns each week and that is cool, but whenever I go in to a school or go to an FCA event with kids, they just see a jersey on me and that is all that matters. They don't know that I am just snapping a ball on Saturdays.  The opportunities that I have been given to speak at schools or different events, it has all come through being a football player and what Coach Grass represents and instills in us each and every week.  Being able to share the gospel and anyway that you can do that with football as the platform, it's been incredible.  To have an impact on people with a sport that play and having Coach Grass give us the opportunity to go out in the community is wonderful.  There aren't many coaches that will work with you about donating our time and going out to share our story.  It is way more than a game and this is a platform given to us to use." 
 
On things he has done this year to get better:
"It has hit me and I can't say enough good things about this place.  It is not about the facilities and its not about football, it is about the people in this town.  I can't thank Coach Grass enough for what he has done for me and the man that he is."