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Transcript: Guard Justin Pugh

Eric from BBI : Admin : 6/14/2017 5:19 pm
Guard Justin Pugh

June 14, 2017

Q: How come you haven’t been able to practice?

A: I just got a little tweak in my back. They're holding me out as precaution. That's something you don’t want to try to press too hard right now during minicamp. We got things to look forward to.

Q: Nothing you’re worried about as far as training camp?

A: No.

Q: Do you think the o-line as a whole, is taking to heart the idea that you've been the weak link?

A: I think we know that. I think that’s been a theme in every season that I’ve been here. So, obviously going out there and keep working on what we did last year. We added some pieces to the offense that will help aid the offensive line. So that’s exciting. I’m excited about this group. We got a bunch of guys that are willing to work hard and Coach Solari is getting everybody right. So, it going to be better, we’re definitely going to see an improvement.

Q: Have you done anything different over the offseason in order to get better?

A: A lot of guys got into some boxing. I know Coach Solari talked about working on getting your hand speed up, and things of that nature. But at the same time, offensive line play is still offensive line play. So, you still have to work on those fundamentals that are going to make you a successful offensive lineman.

Q: Who did the boxing?

A: I know Ereck Flowers did it, I did it myself, Bobby Hart’s done it. I know Weston [Richburg] and John Jerry went out to the o-line performance out in Arizona, which some guys do. So, everyone is working hard, everyone knows. I mean, it’s our livelihood, so it’s not like we’re coming out here not trying to work hard, or not trying to be successful, because then you don’t have a job. It’s not for the lack of effort, that no one is going to go out there and not be successful.

Q: You’ve done the MMA in the past, but boxing is a little different?

A: Yeah, it’s incorporated into that too. Like Greco-Roman stand up wrestling is some of the stuff I’ve been doing as well and some of the stuff I’ve been doing for the past few years. It's really just preference, how guys feel they can get ready to go out there and be successful during the season. So I know guys do what they want.

Q: Did you do it with Ereck and Bobby?

A: No, we all just kind of had our own guys that we worked with. I think it's tough to do boxing as a group. You don’t want to just be sitting on the bag, hitting that heavy bag, having that one-on-one instruction is probably the best way to do it and I think that’s how we've done it.

Q: What have you seen from Ereck?

A: He's working his butt off. He stayed up here, he's been in there every day. He's one of the first ones over here in the morning. So, I’m excited for what's he's going to put in there. He's definitely worked, I couldn’t say this is the hardest he's worked, but from my perspective, he's been there every day putting in the work. So, he’s ready to go.

Q: The two tackles are really young. Do you look at that also and say that the growing pains they had that now it’s time to get going here?

A: Yeah, I mean that’s a little bit above my call, but I mean, those guys have played football. Now it's time for us to go up as a unit and be five guys that go out there and play and play our best football this year. That’s how we have to look at it. It can’t be a fragmented, just the tackles, just the guards, just the center; it has to be all five of us playing better and more a cohesive unit, and that’s what is going to make us successful.

Q: You guys have been together for some time now, is that helpful? Communication wise?

A: Yes. I think, I always say this, from the outsider’s perspective, looking at the offensive line, you're like, ‘you played right tackle, why can’t you play left tackle, or why can’t a left tackle snap a football?’ But the offensive line is one of those units that have to be in cohesion, or I can’t think of the right word for it, but that's something that I think definitely comes into play. That trust factor, that knowing where that guy next to you is going to be. Me and Ereck playing next to us, going into our third season, we're definitely going to be at our highest level.
Good words on Flowers  
adamg : 6/14/2017 5:23 pm : link
Basically saying the guy's been working his ass off, more so than ever before.

I'm very optimistic for the line.
Flowers has been durable  
joeinpa : 6/15/2017 10:26 am : link
It s Pugh who seems to have difficulty being available.
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