Training Camp Q&A: Marlowe Wax
Syracuse linebacker Marlowe Wax spoke to the media after a recent training camp practice.
Q: How good does it feel to put on pads?
Wax: "It's always good being back playing football. That's the main thing. We just love being out here and getting better. Sharpening everything up."
Q: Are you excited about the defense under Rocky Long? Learning things?
Wax: "Yeah for sure. I love to see how he does it different than coach White. Just how he goes to attack the offense differently. How he's going to use certain people with different blitzes and things like that. Ready to see how it goes."
Q: How do you see your role evolving?
Wax: "Definitely stepping into the leadership role. Be more vocal. There's more that I can do this year and just also as I make plays, just being vocal. It just all comes together. Being the one that people have to look at for certain things."
Q: How do you improve on last year's defense?
Wax: "Attacking every day differently. Just going into practices knowing what we need to work on. What we need to sharpen. Just push each other, that's the main thing."
Q: What's the biggest difference with Rocky Long compared to Tony White?
Wax: "He's seen a lot of football. He's been coaching a long time. He's seen all forms of football that you can think of. I'm happy to look through his lens and see how he attacks offenses and things like that.
Q: Who are some of the young guys or new guys who have you've been impressed with so far?
Wax: "Offense I'd say Trebor Pena. He's been around a long time, we came in together, but he's just put in that work and is ready to have a great year this year. On the defense side, I see Anwar Sparrow, Derek McDonald, they're stepping in and just ready to go. Be the type of ACC linebackers.
Q: What do you think the strength of the defense is going to be this year?
Wax: "I'll always go for linebackers because that's what we do. I'm going to say linebackers because of how versatile we are and how we're going to make plays and just how bonded we are. The whole defense is bonded. We're all together, we all love each other. Linebackers is something different with us.
Q: What does it mean to be an ACC linebacker?
Wax: "A lot of us dreamed of being here. A lot of us dreamed to be playing power five football. But a lot of us are fighting to be the top linebacker core in the nation first of all."
Q: Does that also mean going against some pretty good ACC quarterbacks?
Wax: "Of course. You know how the ACC is. We've got a lot of talented guys down to the quarterback. So it's definitely going to be fun to see those guys every Saturday."
Q: Any pressure to get back to a bowl game to show that Dino is the right guy for the job?
Wax: "I wouldn't call it pressure. We ain't worried about his record or anything like that. Bowl game, that's always the goal. That's what we're fighting for. That's why we come out here every single day putting in work, grinding everyday. I wouldn't call it pressure at all."
Q: Speak to the versatility you have as a linebacker.
Wax: "That's what I love about our defense that it gave me an opportunity to do that. In high school I wasn't really a pass rusher. Definitely grew my game in that form. Pass rushing also dropping in coverage. So I definitely feel like versatility is a very big thing in my game and I'm blessed to have it."
Q: Is there a lesson you take from the struggles you had in the last half of the season last year?
Wax: "Maybe energy. It's everything. It's a combination of everything. We still watch the film from those games so we can work on that, so those things don't happen anymore. See the mistakes where we maybe took a step back. That's why we're out here everyday grinding."
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