Cure Bowl Press Conference
December 17, 2024
 
Interim Head Coach Rod Smith
 
Opening Statement:
First off, we're obviously excited for the opportunity to play this great game and a great bowl. Tremendously thankful for the Cure Bowl in the city of Orlando, for this opportunity and all the hospitality that you provided for our players for this great week. So super excited. It's awesome to be a part of a bowl that gives so much back to the community, whether it be cancer research, The Hunger Project that we're getting ready to work with our kids on Thursday. So, we're super excited about that. Just honor for the opportunity to be here to coach these guys we're here for as a team that's excited to play. It's an honor, and we greatly appreciate it.
 
On the Challenges of Preparing:
It's always a challenge. It doesn't matter whether you're playing in a bowl game or it's a regular season or conference championship games, it's always a challenge. So the standard is a standard for us. Our guys know how to prepare. We've been doing this for a while, so it's not new to us. Might be a little bit different, but at the same time, our kids responded well and they're excited and they're eager to
 
On the Importance of this Game to the Program:
Well, I think anytime that you are able to win nine games in the course of a regular season, win a conference championship that we did in our first year, that we're eligible to do it, that's a great achievement. We've been talking to our kids. You know, over the 120 years career of Jax stay football, there's only been 13 teams win 10 games. So we have an opportunity to go out a winner in the Cure Bowl. We have opportunity to etch more history in Jax State football.
 
On the Cause of the Cure Bowl:
Well, I think it's unbelievable, because as a as a person who lost their mother to cancer, to me, this is very important. So I truly appreciate everything this bowl stands for and what they're trying to accomplish. So I take great pride in having the opportunity to lead these men. And we got a great group of men now. I mean, they're tremendous. They've they stuck together. And, you know, it's an honor. It's a truly honor for me to be able to lead these guys and put it all out there on Friday.
 
On the Success of the Offense:
Well, I think it goes back to our training, once again. I think it goes back to our culture. You know, we have, we have sayings around the building we've had for the last three years. We thought we talked about having a hard edge and earning success. So, you know, those pillars have been the foundation as far as how we build our culture and how we train, how we interact daily, and that won't change. So even though Coach Rodriguez has moved on, our kids understand what the standard is and what the expectation is. So we know what it looks like, we know what it feels like. It's our job to go out and execute
 
On Ohio:
Well, they're big, fast and athletic, if you like those kind of teams, right? They do a great job. They're tremendously coached. They play hard. They remind me, like I'm looking in the mirror. To be honest with you, they play extremely hard. You can tell they have a have a have a strong culture. You can see it in their play. And that tells me that to get a sign of a good coaching staff so thoroughly impressed with them, very multiple. What they do very it's gonna be a it's gonna be a tremendous challenge for us. Probably the best team we've played all year.
 
 
Tre Stewart, RB, Sr.
Tyler Huff, QB, Sr.
J-Rock Swain, DE, Sr.

On Getting to Play a Game in Orlando:
Tre Stewart
I'm excited. It's just my second time being Orlando, really don't remember the first but I think it'll be good to ride the rides
Tyler Huff
I've been here plenty of times. I'm from Jacksonville, so I'm not too far away, no two hours away. So I've money been in universal plenty of times, but it's always fun to come back. Any of the rides are always gonna be a good time. Doesn't matter how many times you've done it. So, oh yeah. I think
J-Rock Swain
It's a blessing just to be here, being a little kid from Talladega, Alabama, and get the travel with the football team. I think it's fun.
 
On the Opportunity to play in the game:
J-Rock Swain
Just put on for Jacksonville State. I've been at Jacksonville for five years, and I feel like when I when I was coming in, who thought we would be here today? Y'all see, like everything that we doing, it's a blessing just to be here.
 
On the Culture of Jacksonville State:
J-Rock Swain
It's a strong family. We have a lot of guys bought into what we have going on. It's a blessing for everybody to just buy in, because a lot of times you see everything going on with the portal. We still got guys in here that want to play football. And I think, like, it's hard right now with that going on. I mean, everybody has a hard edge. So as we I think as we tell when the game go, y'all guys can see that.
 
On it Being a Business Trip:
Tre Stewart
As a team, you can have fun, but at the same time, you still gotta be locked in and focus on the game and what you're actually here for.
J-Rock Swain
Understand, like in a moment when we're going to practice field, make sure you at practice. Don't make sure your mind is someone else, and make sure you're attacking the day, and don't let any time just pass by attack practice.
Tyler Huff
When we're in the meetings, whatever it is, our mindset got to be on that nothing else. Our free time is after in the evenings, and everybody's being responsible and respectful with that time. But whenever it's time to play ball and whenever we have means everybody's gonna be locked in, and we have been so far.
 
On Playing Another Conference Champion:
Tyler Huff
I mean, it's a great feeling. You know, it's good whenever you're playing good teams, that means you're heading in the right direction. I mean, like said, they're very good opponent. They're 10-3, and two of those losses are to power four teams. So I mean, it's a very respectable opponent, like you said, they're champions as well. But we're just confident in us as well, and we got everything we need to beat them. And you know, we're excited to go out there and show that.