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Transcript: Left Guard Justin Pugh

Eric from BBI : Admin : 9/4/2015 3:11 pm
G Justin Pugh

Conference Call, September 4, 2015

Q: Do you want to talk a little bit about how exciting it is to kind of get going for real here and start looking at the Cowboys?

A: It’s definitely exciting. Finally through the preseason and now it’s time to get to the real thing. It’s going to be a great game Sunday night, and I’m excited. Guys are excited, definitely.

Q: What do you take [away] from the preseason as an offensive line?

A: We did some good things. We had some good drives, you know— every game we worked on something and had something positive to take away from it. So we have to get all these guys— everyone is healthy right now— so we have to get a good week of practice in and go out there and have a good game on Sunday.

Q: This is really, I think, the first time in your career that you’ve had a healthy offensive line going into the opener. What kind of a difference does that make in the mentality?

A: The communication, the trust is there. You’re not playing next to a guy that you haven’t played next to before, so it’s definitely something that is definitely a huge positive for us. We don’t know who’s exactly going to be slotted where as of right now— obviously that will shake out in the next few days, but it’s definitely good. It’s a common factor that we have the same five up front that we’re used to.

Q: A lot of the talk about the offense in the preseason was that at times the passing game was out of sync. Is this offense maybe more ready for the regular season than people may think?

A: Yeah, for sure. I think you get some guys back there and get them all on the same page. Some guys have missed a little bit of practice time and that may have thrown some things off, so I think we’re going to just keep getting better and better and we’re going to get this thing rolling. I think with the way we finished last year, I’m definitely excited with what we’re going to get done in this coming season.

Q: What kind of advice did you give to Ereck Flowers for a rookie to go out there and start at tackle in his first game?

A: You know, I started my first game ever [against the] Cowboys, Sunday Night Football, so I told him it’s going to be an electric atmosphere. It’s definitely going to be something that he’ll never forget. But just to go out there and calm his nerves down and go out there on that first play and just hit somebody, kind of shake off all those jitters, and just settle in and get ready to play one hell of a game.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge that a rookie tackle has to face throughout that first season?

A: He’s probably not going to have experienced a place as loud and as electric as Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium. I mean, I didn’t play in the SEC, so I didn’t get to experience anything like that, but you know, that stadium was insane. That first 100 thousand people with the roof closed— definitely a loud atmosphere, so that’s going to be a lot right in the beginning. Because Dallas, they put on a show that first game, so they try to put like fireworks and cheerleaders running around— you have to make sure you lock it in, so that’s something I’m going to let him know because I went through the exact same thing.

Q: He [Ereck Flowers] doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would lose his concentration over something like that.

A: Yeah, for sure. He definitely is a very focused guy. I can already tell he’s getting ready to go. He’s sitting in the cold tub right now.

Q: How different is it though as a rookie to go from the preseason to the regular season? You know, he [Ereck Flowers] came through a preseason where it seemed like he played pretty well. Is he going to see a lot of different things now that the games are real?

A: Well, obviously the preseason games are still real, and they’re still guys that are starters out there that he’s going against, so he definitely got some good reps and it’s definitely great for him to get that experience. It’s going to be a fun year for him— he’s going to see some things that he hasn’t seen before and he’ll grow and get better and that’s what we’re looking forward to.

Re: transition from playing tackle in college to the NFL

A: Oh yeah. I mean, it’s definitely a tough transition, but I think that he [Ereck Flowers] is more than capable of handling it and he’s going to be fine.

Q: What about your transition? Now that you’ve had four games at left guard, how do you assess how you did this summer?

A: I’m excited. I’ve gotten better every game. I’m learning, I’m seeing different things and ways to attack opponents at the new position. So I’m definitely excited of what’s in store for me this season. I know I just want to get out there and start this thing off on the right foot. We have to have a big week coming up— have to have a great week of practice and preparation. I know the guys are looking forward to it and it’s going to be an exciting game.
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