WATCH: Kain Medrano Talks Injuries, UCLA Football Facing Arizona
UCLA football linebacker Kain Medrano spoke with the media following Tuesday morning’s practice session at the Wasserman Football Center. Medrano talked about where he is physically, how he has worked his way back from injury, what the college game has taught him about treatment, Arizona’s offense and the overall feel of the team.
How are you feeling?
I’m feeling good. Feeling good. A good win so it’s just on to the next now so I’m feeling good personally now.
Physically?
Yeah, I’m all healthy now. Just trying to stay healthy is the biggest thing now and I think I’m doing a pretty good job of that. That’s a credit to KB and all the trainers.
Hard to be relegated to being a hype man when you were out?
It’s hard because for me, I like playing ball. Even in high school, I hate—I did not like missing. So for me, it was hard missing, but at the same time, I talked to my coach and the coaches around me and I had to be a leader to the linebacker group and be another coach for them. So I had another set of eyes from the sideline onto the field and that helped them I think, I improved helping them seeing it through a coach’s lens and not just a player being on the field, but I saw it on the sideline what coach saw and we talked. So I think for me, it was beneficial for me and it was beneficial for everybody else because I could talk to them as a player and they could understand my lingo whereas maybe sometimes they get a little confused on how a coach comes to them and says the same thing that I’m telling them. It’s just different way of saying things.
Importance of treatment and recovery at this point in the season?
It’s very important. We need everybody so taking care of your body is the No. 1 thing. We got done here and it’s instantly into recovery for the rest of the day. So it’s very important and just getting in the ice tubs, the hot tubs and getting treatment, it’s crucial, especially to go late into the season like we plan.
Learn about treatment in college?
College football is a lot more physical so you gotta take that treatment up a level. I’ve learned that the hard way. Wasn’t injured much in high school but coming here, I got injured a couple times and being able to get the treatment, it’s a blessing. Where I come from, I didn’t really have that much in high school so this treatment and taking advantage of it is everything, especially this late.
Treatment different this year?
I think it’s nothing different on their end, I think it’s all internal drive from the players. We know that we need everyone here so it’s that internal motivation like alright, I gotta stay healthy to help my team out. We’re doing the same things with KB, with the trainers downstairs and everything, treatment and all that is all the same, it’s just more so internal motivation of I gotta stay healthy, I want to play ball.
Missed tackles, responsibility as a linebacker?
Obviously, we’re getting into our coverage but it’s just rallying down like coach Kelly mentioned after the game and on Monday. We got to gang tackle, come down as everybody flying to the ball. We had some missed tackles but at the end of the day if everybody is flying to the ball where everybody’s going to be right there, we gotta rally onto the ball so coming own from the top down to the bottom, breaking up the stack of the D line, those check down passes, we just gotta rally and gang tackle those.
Arizona offense?
They’re a good offense. We just gotta watch our film and dive into it like we do every week leading up to this and get our keys and our tendencies and take it from there. They’re a good offense, have a really good quarterback, running backs are good and they’re fast all around so we really hone into our details and stuff like that and our fundamentals.
Their receivers are like Washington’s?
Yeah, l say we game plan everybody based off their tendencies and what we get from the scouting and the coaching staff. But yeah, Washington has fast wide receivers, Arizona has fast wide receivers, it’s going to be a challenge with the wide receivers, but we hone into our details and like I said our fundamentals, I think we’ll be good. 100% confident.
Fourth year, does it feel different?
Um, for me, for me personally, it’s more of ‘it’s my turn,’ you know what I’m saying, type of thing whereas in the years past, coming over from wide receiver to linebacker, I was really trying to learn, learn a lot and take a lot in. This year, it’s my third year at the position so it’s feeling a lot more comfortable and I’m able to flow and just kind of go and not have to think as much.
Team standpoint feels different?
I think as a team, we’re confident. 100% confident and from the past, I think it’s just coming together and the chemistry that offense has and the defense has and everybody as a whole. The chemistry that we’ve built over from last season over all the winter and summer workouts to now, it’s just – the chemistry and the brotherhood that we have bonded is just unbelievable.
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