Second year TE/FB Elija Lofton met with reporters after spring practice and looks primed to take a step forward. Here’s what he discussed in his interview:
On what’s different heading into this Spring:
“What's different about this spring is that the older guys left. So now it's time for me to step up. Like before they left last year, I was a sponge. I soaked up everything. They taught me all this stuff. They teach me from Coach Woodiel, from JG [Jacolby George], from X [Xavier Restrepo] ; I'm learning from everybody. Even Mark [Fletcher Jr.] and Damien [Martinez], I learned from everybody and just added it to my game.”
On what he learned from former players last year:
“From all of them, just play physical and believe in yourself and just go out there and do you and just ball out … I learned a lot of blocking from [Cam] McCormick. He's really a good blocker, He's more blocking. [Elijah] Arroyo, I just learned like the route game, more speed, more with fighting with your hands off the line and stuff like that.”
On what to expect from himself going into year two:
Whatever they need me to play, running back, tight end, receiver, I'm going to do it and do my best at it. I'm going to try to do my best at it and see what I can do … Blocking is going to get better and better because I'm working against the best in the line we have here. Bain, Mesidor, I'm blocking them every day at practice. My technique will have to get better to block the best guys in the game."
On new QB Carson Beck:
“He’s definitely a leader. Even though he's not practicing right now, he still talks to me and talks to me about routes in the game. He's still watching everything, telling me what he sees, telling me how if he was in, what he wanted me to do and stuff like that.”
On what to expect from the new-look ’Canes offense:
“We got a lot of dogs on the team. A lot of young dogs that's gonna go out here and make plays and ball out. We all connected. We all close. So it's like, it's about time for everybody to step up in the room. Jojo [Josiah Trader], he's an athlete. He's going to be crazy. He's a young guy too that me and him came at the same time. We're both in the same boat right now. We both got to come here, work, and compete because we next up.”
On what’s different heading into this Spring:
“What's different about this spring is that the older guys left. So now it's time for me to step up. Like before they left last year, I was a sponge. I soaked up everything. They taught me all this stuff. They teach me from Coach Woodiel, from JG [Jacolby George], from X [Xavier Restrepo] ; I'm learning from everybody. Even Mark [Fletcher Jr.] and Damien [Martinez], I learned from everybody and just added it to my game.”
On what he learned from former players last year:
“From all of them, just play physical and believe in yourself and just go out there and do you and just ball out … I learned a lot of blocking from [Cam] McCormick. He's really a good blocker, He's more blocking. [Elijah] Arroyo, I just learned like the route game, more speed, more with fighting with your hands off the line and stuff like that.”
On what to expect from himself going into year two:
Whatever they need me to play, running back, tight end, receiver, I'm going to do it and do my best at it. I'm going to try to do my best at it and see what I can do … Blocking is going to get better and better because I'm working against the best in the line we have here. Bain, Mesidor, I'm blocking them every day at practice. My technique will have to get better to block the best guys in the game."
On new QB Carson Beck:
“He’s definitely a leader. Even though he's not practicing right now, he still talks to me and talks to me about routes in the game. He's still watching everything, telling me what he sees, telling me how if he was in, what he wanted me to do and stuff like that.”
On what to expect from the new-look ’Canes offense:
“We got a lot of dogs on the team. A lot of young dogs that's gonna go out here and make plays and ball out. We all connected. We all close. So it's like, it's about time for everybody to step up in the room. Jojo [Josiah Trader], he's an athlete. He's going to be crazy. He's a young guy too that me and him came at the same time. We're both in the same boat right now. We both got to come here, work, and compete because we next up.”
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