Everything From Special Teams Coordinator Tim Salem After Thursday's Practice

On Jordan Allen on special teams…

“Kid finished the year very strong just on offense. Talking about Carson and much improved when it comes to catching the ball on both punts and kickoffs through the work he did pretty much over the wintertime. He's older, more mature. It seems like he's been around here for years. Only been here for, you know, less than a year. But he is fast. I mean, we didn't spend maybe a lot of time in special teams on like, you know, total return game a lot of, you know, individual drills and segments, but you're expecting big things out of him both as an offensive player and on special teams to continue our winning ways.”

On Aidan Birr…

“Well, Aiden Burr is obviously a returning what Lou Groza award finalist gained weight. You know, two years ago 195, last year 205, he's new now 210. Stronger, more mature, you know, experienced, and you know, the added weight gain, you know, he's, you know, kicking those, you know, 58 yarders like PATs. Um, but it's good to have him around because he's an elder statesman, you know, one of the few, probably one of the oldest guys in the team and he's getting ready to get another MBA degree here, an MBA degree here in a couple weeks, but he's had a solid solid spring and he just knows what to do. I mean, he's been through the wars, so, you know, happy we've got him. Damn, happy we got him.”

On being on a staff that values special teams…

“I mean, it's obviously part of the game, and I think the coaches on our staff done a wonderful job, you know, helping us coach in the special team segments in practice. So, just appreciate the coach's coaching. Of course, when the coach are coaching, you know, their players see coaches coaching, so they're doing a little more effort themselves. I think in the spring, you know, there's a lot of new guys, new coaches. I mean, you got a whole bunch of new coaches out there. The portal kids who've come in, the new freshmen come in. I mean, really, I have a hard time remembering my name. Little I remember their names. Um, so it's been kind of fun, but I mean, I think we've had, you know, a very good spring from a mentality standpoint, enthusiasm standpoint, just, you know, more kids wanting to do it, which, you know, that's pretty much special teams is just want to do it. And, you know, they want to do it, and they've been really working to. So, we've made the most out of the minutes we get special teams in uh this spring and just will kick off to continue back in June. We come back through all of our little little those little OTA type workouts into August and before we know it's going to be September 3rd.”

On what he looks for in special teams…

“The first week of practice, we just, you know, in a big overview, we talked about, you know, special teams involves, runners and hitters and hitters and runners. I mean, you have to play in space. I mean, you know, obviously the plays are enlarged with kickoff coverages and kickoff returns and, you know, punts that you have to cover ground. So, you have to have fast guys. So, can they run fast, get they got to get when they get down to you're making open field hits and tackles, open field blocks with a lot of space. We spent time a lot of that stuff there to, you know, think we're closing the gaps and opening holes up and just understanding different, you know, techniques we can use to do that. So, you have a pretty good idea when you've gone through now day what's 13 or whatever. I lost count. um you know kind of who can who can't and who wants to and who doesn't want to and um I'm more or less those guys you trust that want to and I'm always amazed that you know if you run 4.8 you know and you run 5.3 which you probably run. It's always amazing that you at 5.3 run down the field faster than the guy that runs 4.8. That's amazing. And that's fun on every team ever been associated with it because he's run down to hit somebody and you don't want to hit anybody. So I want to hit those guys that want to play and hit. How about that?”

On who else could be on the punt and kick return…

“Un Mbakwe, you know, he's a nice job with his hands. Rahkeem Smith, you know, a little fast guy that returned when he's at, you know, Bowling Green. We have a number of kids even like Elko and Maddox. I mean, those guys can catch the ball. You know, they're like baseball players. We have to catch with 90 guys around you in traffic. You know, the guy's going to catch it. But um there there at least there's more than one to deal with which is always nice when you got kind of a handful of kids you know can catch and then just uh we've worked on you know just even timing and space on kickoff returns so at least the whole operation when I'm making my block and where I'm making my block regards where the returner starting and catching entering you all those little hidden yard things you got to try to work on. So yeah, we've worked on it. So we'll just kind of keep putting together and again we've got still well not doing anything tomorrow Saturday but when we come back in June there'll just be kind of a segment to just continue where we've left off. So always a lot of work to do but you know special teams is always a lot of fun and we try and make it fun.”

On the new punt return rule…

“No, it's hat rule that kind of went into effect really does not affect us. We're not one of those Australian rule teams that's rolling out and crazy formations and that stuff. Were kind of just plain and simple. So, not that really didn't affect us. Yeah, it's a rule, but really in the other side of it, you know, understand that, you know, these guys are ineligible, which means you, you know, overload and rush aside because they can't go for a pass, and they can still run it. But, I'll worry about that, you know, over the summertime. I still got some other stuff to worry about before that.”

On the new punters and what he wants to see…

“We have two guys coming in with, you know, Jonathan Genty and then Alex Bacchetta, uh, you know, a freshman, then, you know, an elder statesman, another, you know, senior that's played college football. They're going to have to replace a guy did pretty good for us. You know, Marshall (Nichols)was, you know, number one in the conference in net punting and number one in gross punting in our league. We've got to replace him just for the hidden yards of field position. But I'm walking around with a swagger, talking, telling anybody I think we'll be better next year than last year. I just believe that. But I'm talking like that because I want to make that damn happen. And uh, if they can be close, which I think they can I think they can outseed what we did last year, you know. So, my goals are way the heck up up here. just not, you know, replace and move forward. So, I mean, I think they know that's how that's how I talk to them. You know, they've been working. They even come over here, you know, times in the offseason to, you know, work out with our kids. So, you know, on their own on the weekends, but expecting big things from both, you know, Alex and Jonathan cuz they have to. It's a must. So, one of those two got to pull through for us, and I'm hoping both of them will. We have a you'll know hopefully they're not punting. You know, coach Godsey came in here and said we're not putting any more, so good. I don't have to worry about that. But uh ain't that right? Automatic first downs and touchdowns PATs. No more punts.That'd be the perfect world right there. How about that? Huh? >> We'll start right there with that. That's the damn goal. No punts.

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