The Hurry-Up: Volume 1

NORMAN – The Oklahoma football team is four practices into preseason camp, battling the typical heat and humidity of August to prepare for the 2019 season. This first edition of The Hurry-Up for the new year features co-offensive coordinator and inside receivers coach Cale Gundy, safety Patrick Fields and offensive lineman R.J. Proctor.

Cale Gundy

We're only a few days into it, but how have the first few days of camp gone?
“We're still early on, but (yesterday was) the first day we've put pads on, and it worked out that (it) was the first day it actually got warm out here. Humidity is up high. This is what football is all about. Everybody's got to go through it. We've got some guys out here who are experienced and have been around, so we look forward to continue to build on what we're doing.”

As the inside receivers coach, what are you looking for in the first week of camp from your group?
“I'm looking for consistency, looking for effort, guys playing hard, and then guys that can win one-on-one battles. That's what it's all about. My guys in the room know that the success we've had running the football comes with great blocking on the perimeter, so we have to be great blockers, we have to be physical. Then, to stay on the field you have to be able to win one-on-ones.”

Many fans may not take the blocking aspect of the position into consideration. Can you speak a little more to the importance of that part of the game for your guys?
“People probably don't know the statistics, but the last two years we've actually run the ball more than we've thrown the ball. That's crazy when people think about having a quarterback who's a Heisman Trophy winner -- 'Oh that team just throws it.' But, it goes hand-in-hand. If you run it well you can throw it well, and if you throw it well you can run it well. There are some things that we talk about on a consistent basis: obviously take care of the football, being physical on the perimeter, staying on your guys, creates big plays down the field. It turns 7-, 8-, 10-yard runs into 30-, 40-, 50-yard runs. Again, we preach it and we live by it.”

Sophomore S Patrick Fields

You are just a few days into fall camp right now, but how are things progressing for you so far?
“It's been really good, really productive defensively. I think the biggest thing is that everybody is flying to the ball and getting to the ball carrier. We were running the offense down every single play. No matter what play they ran, we were running to the ball and had multiple guys on the ball carrier every play.”

What is your mentality when you step on the field to play defense?
“Just the sense of urgency. Coach Grinch said the other day that the biggest myth is that we have time. Guys always think, 'If I don't get it done today, I can do it tomorrow or the next day,' or 'We have this amount of practice left before the first game.' The sense of urgency is there like we're going to play tomorrow. Everybody is competing and working as hard as possible because we're preparing like we have to play the next game tomorrow.”

What did you work on in the offseason to improve yourself as a player?
“I think just detailing out my game. Making sure I'm not taking any false steps and making sure all my movements are as efficient as possible. Especially when I'm in the middle of the field and I feel like I'm panicked or moving too fast, I want my movements to be as efficient as possible. I just want a bigger presence on the field from a leadership standpoint and from a playmaking standpoint. I want the offense to know where I'm at on the field. Those are probably the two biggest things.”

Senior OL R.J. Proctor

You're new to Oklahoma and new to the program. What has your experience at OU been like so far?
“It's been really good. Stepping down at Oklahoma, being from UVA (University of Virginia), and actually learning from Creed (Humphrey) and some of the other guys has helped a lot. Just being coachable, adjusting to a different type of culture. It's been good. There have been open arms helping me out and I feel like I'm picking it up pretty well.”

Is there anything that you worked on yourself to get better this summer?
“Just working on being smoother, being a technician. At UVA they said I was a road grader. So OK, I know I have that, now let me work on the technique of passing and the actual technique of run blocking. The little things, the details, are going to add up, especially with this being my last year.”

What are you focused on in camp?
“Getting that starting spot. I mean straight like that. A whole bunch of things have to go into that, like I said, the details. Just day-in and day-out helping Creed lead the line, and just paying attention to details, and helping the younger guys. I'm taking them under my wing, helping them out. Things I learned at UVA that maybe the younger guys that just got here like Finley Felix and guys like that didn't learn at their (last school). I'm just trying to help out everybody with my knowledge, and they're helping me out with their culture, since they've been here a little longer than me. It's a good little trade.”

What is your impression of the O-line as a unit right now?
“We're solid. A lot of people are thinking that there's going to be a little dip in talent, but there's not at all. We have some dogs on our team. I'm competing every day. There's no off days. There can't be an off day, or you'll lose your spot. I like that. I like being able to compete every day, having to fight for my spot every day, and just getting after it. Every day is a challenge.”