K
koonja
Guest
Great interview... not the same filler as usual.
Q: Last December in Columbia, South Carolina your hometown Myrtle Beach won a state title, something you led them to twice, with a win over Daniel. What did you think of that for coach Mickey Wilson and your alma mater?
Golson: “First off congrats to them. I never really got them together and told them that. Congrats to them. It just shows what kind of program they have there. The kind of kids they have there. I talk to (2016 quarterback) Drayton (Arnold) pretty often. He’s going to be good. I say congrats to them and hats off to the coaches building the program like that.”
Q: You were fortunate to have a pair of the best coaches in South Carolina in your time at Myrtle Beach with Scott Earley and then Mickey Wilson. You’ve have had some big highs and some lows in your college career so far, what do you carry to this day that you learned from those two guys?
Golson: “Just learning how to win. I think I (was) pretty successful in my high school career. They taught me how to be a winner. No matter what. I battled some circumstances. I was fortunate. I know that doesn’t sound too right now. But I was fortunate to battle some circumstances when I injured my leg and stuff like that. Like I said they taught me how to win. I came back in the playoffs (as a senior) and won (the state title).”
Q: Now looking back at your recruitment you originally committed to North Carolina when they were running John Shoop’s pro-style offense. Now they have Larry Fedora’s spread up-tempo offense. A big reason you flipped to Notre Dame was scheme familiarity as Brian Kelly’s spread offense was similar to the one you ran in high school.
Golson: “That whole thing was kind of off. My hats off to coach Shoop, too. Sometimes I do think what would have happened if I went there. I will say I’m blessed to be in the situation I am now. To come to Notre Dame. Everything that’s happened to me so far. I’m pretty blessed. I’ve learned from it and just grown.”
Q: An underlining reason that few know of your original pick of North Carolina was your love of their basketball program. You were also a really good point guard in high school and grew up loving Tar Heels basketball. Are you still a big fan of North Carolina hoops and watch each game?
Golson: “Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I tell some people some time I get on with Notre Dame. But that’s still my team. Oh I like them this year. I think (North Carolina’s) gonna be pretty dangerous this year. I’m definitely glued to the TV when they’re on.”
Q: When you sat out this past year what were three things you learned. More so about life than about football.
Golson: “Maturity. Number one. When you’re faced with sudden, harmful circumstances you have to learn how to grow through it. Actually Trent Dilfer talked about it. He said you don’t grow through it when everything is positive. You have your biggest and most growing periods when everything is going wrong. That shows a sign of greatness. Number one is just maturity. Me having an opportunity to come and work with George (Whitfield) on footwork and mechanics and that type of thing. Also most important how to be a leader. I learned a lot about myself in that time. When you learn and really know yourself its hard to shake your confidence. Everything that kind of comes my way it doesn’t really have a big effect on me. I’m grounded now. That’s because of the situation I’ve been through.”
Q: When you first learned the news that you weren’t going to be back at Notre Dame for a year, who reached out to your family or high school coaches inquiring about possibly transfer to their program?
Golson: “I do not know. I couldn’t tell you. And that’s the thing I don't want to give you something that was a rumor or something that I heard. A lot of that stuff I deferred to other people in my family so I was so focused on really feeling the blunt of what happened and working with George and trying to get back. Like I said, from the get-go I knew I was coming back to Notre Dame. And just reunite with my guys. We talk about it all of the time. But we really have a family up there. That Notre Dame community is a family. Me being a part of that I couldn’t just get up and leave. It wasn’t that for me. It was ‘ok cool, take the hit but come back a better person and be ready to lead this team.’”
Q: How are your offensive weapons different from 2012 to what they are now because there’s a lot of new names?
Golson: “I think the difference between 2012 and now is just how the coaches manage it. In 2012 we had a better defense. We had one of the top defenses in the country. And we played on offense more conservative. Not necessarily conservative. But we really went to the ground game more. We had Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick, those guys. We also had (Tyler Eifert) that we could get on play-action and stuff like that. Now I just think its open. We have so many tools. From DaVaris (Daniels) to (Chris Brown) to C.J. (Prosise) to Amir (Carlisle). Ben Koyack is one of the top two tight ends right now. We got a whole bunch of guys that we can go to. That’s not even including the running backs stable that we have. Its more open now. We’re able to spread the ball around more now.”
Q: What did coach Kelly tell you when you returned in terms of competing for the job like everyone has to do at each spot? You left as the starter but he wasn’t just going to give it back to you when you returned.
Golson: “Right, right. I agree 100-percent with what he’s doing. Thinking outside myself. Thinking more so how he’s thinking. When you come back and everything’s given to you, you become more relaxed. You become, possibility, you could become complacent. And that’s never been me. I credit that to (high school) coach (Mickey) Wilson. He had the sign: “be paranoid.” I say that all of the time. That’s my biggest credit. Nothing outside can really shake me. That’s what I was getting back to. Just understanding what he’s doing. But I can only control what I can control. If I do what I can to the best of my ability we’ll be going far.”
Q: Two years ago you guys went through the gauntlet against what many thought was the toughest schedule and got to the title game. What do you think about this year’s schedule because its again perceived by some as the nation’s toughest?
Golson: “You like it. You like it. For me you don’t come to Notre Dame if you don’t like to play like that kind of schedule. I tell people that all of the time. You could maybe go some place elsewhere and maybe get a couple of games to warm up. That type of thing to really make your schedule. I like the way our schedule is because its a challenge day in, day out. Its all about for us not making one moment bigger than another. You’ve seen we’ve got Florida State on the schedule. Everybody is getting hyped for that game. But we’ve got to take care of Rice first. That type of thing. We can’t look forward with that type of schedule. And that’s what I like so much. It allows you to be disciplined.”
Q: Who are some guys you liked out here at the Elite11 that you thought were pretty good?
Golson: “I like Ryan Brand. I didn’t get a chance to see everybody because I just had a couple of people in my group. But (Air Force commit) Ryan Brand stuck out today. Just his base. He seemed like he was calm throwing the ball. Putting the right touch on it. Because everybody out here has a strong arm. A lot of the guys have a strong arm. Its about your change-up. I think that’s what these guys out here are talking about. Changing up your throws on high levels. How they were doing it earlier. Number two balls. Just doing different things.”
Q: You’re bigger now. You’re smarter. You’re more mature. What can Notre Dame fans expect going into this season because they’re going to get a different Everett Golson and one now that’s going to be more of a factor in the team’s success?
Golson: “I think that’s where I’ve matured the most. In my leadership. Learning how to lead. That’s something I really had to evaluate myself and that was something that was weak and really needed to get stronger. Yeah they can see a difference in me but I want to have the ability to where they can see a difference in the whole team. Because of some type of influence I have as a leader.”
Q: Share the story with the Notre Dame fan base going into first year of high school. Many don’t know the story. Myrtle Beach was coming off a 10-3 season. They had a returning quarterback in Andrew Ellis who actually went on to sign with Princeton. But coach Earley opted to start you as a 14-year old freshman over him. At the time in that community that drew a stir. History tells us it proved to be a brilliant call as you led them to a 12-1 record that season en route to a career filled with a pair of state titles, 11,634 passing yards and 151 touchdown passes. But that decision by coach Earley really started the legend for you at the beach for and gave you confidence for years to come.
Golson: “That was big. That did. I thank coach Earley for that so much. Because he did what he thought was best for the team. It wasn’t necessarily playing favorites or anything like that. He gave me my shot and I kind of ran with it. Just really tried to do everything I could to help that team be successful. I think he taught me a valuable lesson. Just pour into your guys. That’s what I take away now to my team now as far as leading. Just pour into your guys and be a servant for them. That’s what he kind of taught me in hindsight really.”
Just wondering, why are 247 articles fair game for copy and pasting the entire article, Panda style?
I'm asking because you've done this before and Panda just got the boot.
