Everything Virginia OL McKale Boley had to say at ACC Football Kickoff

Senior offensive tackle McKale Boley was one of three Virginia players who spoke at Wednesday's annual ACC Kickoff preseason media event. Here's what he had to say:

Q. How important is it retaining most of the offensive line from the last season?

McKALE BOLEY: "I think it's important for a team because a team is led from the trenches, at least good teams are led from the trenches. Retaining a group that has as much experience as we do can help in many different aspects.

When recruiting, it's easy to tell a transfer that your whole line are coming back, not only are they all coming back, they all have experience, played in game. Then that can get us receivers. The receiver is like, I'm going to have five more seconds to get a route open if I have a better offensive line. I think that's the way to think about it, when the experienced offensive line, other positions can also excel."

Q. The theme and what people have asked about this team is, is it a flash in the pan, is this sustainable? Offensive line is a cornerstone positions you think about when building. What is the attitude, the mantra, of the offensive line group in that determination to be sustainable?

McKALE BOLEY: "For us is that we kind of just had to bear the weight on our shoulders. If anything's hard, if the team is going through anything, the O-line has to be the guys to step up and lead the team and carry us through any hardship or any type of burden.

I think that's important because at least for the O-line it's a group that has to be connected to be good. If you have no connection, then the O-line, you can't really succeed as a non-connected group.

Just having that trust, like going back to what they said over there, with the amount of experience and veterans that we're bringing back, you don't have to go through the process of building that trust again and building that connection.

We don't have to start from zero; we can start right from where we left off."

Q. How have you grown since your freshman year not only as a player but a leader on the offensive line?

McKALE BOLEY: "I think the biggest way that I've grown is honestly being more vocal. I came in as a freshman. I can probably say maybe 50 words in a whole semester, six months, I maybe said 50 words. I came from a pretty small town and I had a close little group of friends. Coming to Charlottesville was different for me being introduced to new people, having to get out of my shell. It took me a little while to get out of my shell with just being here, having Coach E as my head coach, him inspiring me to be better and do more and coming out of my shell has really not only improved me as a football player but also off the field I'm able to connect better with my teammates, which allows them to believe in me more and trust me more on the field.

I'm able to go to different things and meet new people outside of football to create connections to help me when football is over because football doesn't last forever. Now that I am more comfortable to express myself and talk to different people, I'm able to create more opportunities because life is all about opportunities. If you don't go out there and talk to anybody, opportunities are not going to come to you. You have to go out there and seek them.

I think that's my biggest jump I've made from my freshman year to now."

Q. Your father played for the New York Giants. What's the best advice he's given you on the field as well as maybe off the field in life?

McKALE BOLEY: "Really on the field it's just stay focused on myself. Also having him in my life, knowing he played in the league, he has different perspectives of things that I don't because he's been through it all. He's been through the league. He's been through college.

Him being a defensive player, me being an offensive player, there's things he can help me with. He rushed the passer a lot in the league. So things that may have worked for him versus offensive linemen, and offensive linemen did versus him as well. I'm able to incorporate that into my game.

In terms of off the field, it's always stay true to myself. Never let anyone change who you are no matter the situation, no matter the circumstance, because you can't abandon who you are and how you were raised, how you came up.

I take pride in being who I am. Like, I'm McKale Boley. I'm not just a football player. I'm known as more than that. That's kind of how I want to be known."

Q. I got to know, you have seven siblings, what was a Saturday morning like at your house?

McKALE BOLEY: "So for me, it was not like that. I'm a mom's only child. I live with my mom in Mississippi. It was just me and my mom.

When I was with my dad, it's a different story. When all my siblings are at the house, I would say most of the time you got to make your breakfast on your own. I mean, seven of us. If you're trying to make biscuits and sausage and bacon, it was kind of a lot.

It was always good to have all my siblings in the same place. Even if we didn't eat the same meal, we were always at the breakfast table together. I think that's a good thing to do as a family."

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