Jacksonville State Football Weekly Press Conference
April 6, 2021 - Murray State Week
 
Head Coach John Grass 
Opening Comments:
"It is funny to say that we are coming off Easter weekend and we were playing football. Anytime you can get a road win in this league, you have to be thankful and I don't think their (EIU) record indicated what type of team they had. They were not going to go away and they kept battling and I am pleased with how our guys rebounded from the week before. We continue to play great defense and we redeemed ourselves offensively with not turning the football over and it was much better than the week before. I thought the kicking game was a huge difference in the game. I think we flipped the field with our kicking game and our coverage units di a good job."
 
"It sets you up for where we want to be and playing for a championship and a place in the playoffs. We are excited about this week going to Murray State. It will be another tough road game. It is going to be exciting to play for a championship against a very good Murray State team. Coach Hood does an excellent job and I thought he was one of the better coaches in our league when he was at EKU and things have not changed. He has done a great job in a short time at Murray State and it speaks to the caliber of a coach that he is and he does an outstanding job and that carries over to the team. We have been following them all season and watched a lot of tape on them and you see them play with extreme effort and they are fundamentality sound in all three phases. We have our work cut out for us and they have some weapons on offense. It is going to be a great football game this weekend."
 
On twinning the conference in the final season in the OVC:
"I think it would be fitting. It would be great to do this and for this team to compete in the fall and then play again in the spring and have an opportunity have this weekend, you can't ask for anything more. I know our guys will be excited and it will be a great football game, It will be a classic game of who has the ball last or who can make plays late in the game. It means a lot to any team to win a championship and to go out being champions would be huge. I am glad we have the opportunity this weekend."
 
On the running game between the two teams:
"we both pride ourselves in stopping the run and being able to run the ball. It should be a very physical game and any game like this will be won in the trenches. I think both of their lines are very good. It will be who can create some explosive plays."
 
On Ahmad Edwards:
 "He come into his own this season and he made some big catches in the fall, but this weekend he made some great catches. He had his best day and he continues to get better. That unit has been exciting to watch develop through the fall and spring."
 
On playing in a championship game:
"I guess it was ironic that it is us and Murray State playing in the final weekend and neither one of us have to count on others to beat other teams, we control our own destiny. I do think a league championship would be a great thing if you got 10-12 teams in the league and hopefully the conference we are going in to will grow in to that one day."
 
On George Steele:
 "You are not going to find anyone more dedicated than what he is and he has been that way since he came here. He has a to-shelf work ethic and works hard and doing extra things after practice. He is one of the guys that you have to pull the reins back because he will do to much. I think moving him around some has given him a chance to learn the game more and more about the defense, so that he can move around to different spots. It has been fun to watch him come into his own.
 
 
George Steele
R-So., CB
On playing multiple positions on defense:
"I just try to be more valuable to the team and wherever the team needs help at and if the coaches need me in a certain spot, I learn how to play that position. I am more comfortable playing cornerback."
 
On facing JSU's receivers:
"They are going to give me their best each an every day. We go at it everyday in practice."
 
On playing multiple positions:
"It helps me learn the whole defense. I can tell others what to do and get in the right spot. It has helped me to learn the whole defense."
 
 
Ahmad Edwards
R-So. WR
On his game at EIU:
"It was definitely a blessing and I thank then man up above. I haven't had a 100-yard game since high school. The offensive line and running backs helped op up the passing game for us. It was definitely a great win to set up this week because this is what you want to play, you want to play for championships. I feel like we are a championship caliber team."
 
On what he learned on the high school level that helped him in college:
"I just learned to be a very confident play and to be a smart football player, not just going out there to play."
 
On going against George Steele:
"He is a technician. He is very patient and very physical player. He does not want to lose a rep, like I don't want to lose a rep. Going against him has made me te player I am today. We work well together and he is just a workhorse."