Everything Tony Alford said on Inside Michigan Football pre-Central Michigan

On being excited about the big plays from Haynes

Yeah, well first of all, thanks for having me. I really do appreciate it. Oh yeah, we’re excited about some things and the guys are running hard and playing hard so just got to get back on the winning ways.

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On how he acclimates transfers to his room

Well first of all, he’s got to be willing to take it and absorb the stuff that we’re feeding him, if you will. He’s a student of the game. He is in this building as much as the coaches are in this building, watching film and studying the game. He’s got a high football IQ but just embracing the culture of the way that we do things and the culture of the room and the players, Jordan Marshall in particular, has really done a great job of bringing him in and open arms and teach him whatever he needed to know or wants to know and has helped the other players as well but he’s done a great job of just integrating himself to the way we do things.

On what makes Haynes special from a coach perspective

I think again, he’s a student of the game. He loves the game. He loves to compete. It’s one thing to get a long run but what’s the process in making sure that those runs happen? Being in the right place at the right time as far as where his eyes are at, his eye progression, what’s his track? Is he tight enough? Is he too wide in his track and where he’s hitting holes? All those things, again, he’s a student of the game as I keep saying and he understands it. He understands defenses and he understands leverages and blocking schemes or where the ball should be and where the ball should hit and when it’s supposed to hit. The timing of that because every player’s a little bit different timing as you know and so he understands it.

On whether he expects big moments for Jordan Marshall

Absolutely. One thing I’ve been talking to him about and he’s been great by the way is don’t get frustrated. His years are coming. Those same hits are coming for you as well and so it’s just patience and his time’s coming as far as when those plays hit, they’ll hit and you can’t make it happen and I think that’s the hardest thing when guys want to success and they want immediate success. They’ll start kind of going off script and trying to make a big play when there’s not one there versus just stay within the confines of the play and it’ll pop for you and he understands that and he’s going to continue to get plenty of opportunities because again I think he’s a heck of a player as well.

On how he decides the reps are split

Yeah, and that’s har,d right? You got to kind of go into it as we’re just going to continue to roll them and then when someone starts to get hot or you feel like they’re starting to get hot, let them go and that’s really what we’ve done in the past two weeks and we’re going to continue to ride that wave the best we can and it’s a long year. It’s 12 ball games, two open weeks, and playoff,s and all the other stuff, right? Championship weeks and if we’re fortunate enough to do those things. It’s a long season and we are going to practice the way we practice so it’s not like you play a lot on Saturday, but oh by the way, we’re going to sit you down Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday to get you ready. No, we’re going to practice the way we practice, and so you’ve got to be available to practice every day too and so it’s a long year.

On how he looks at the analytics of the hits Haynes has taken

Yeah, well, first of all, I don’t, I’m not smart enough to do all that. Let’s start the conversation there but no we have a battery of people that will kind of say listen here’s where his legs are at, here’s what’s going on with his body as far as the training staff and nutrition people so they give us a lot of information. Then I listen to them, like listen, we’re going to practice, you got to tell me how you’re feeling so if there’s some things that I know. Hey my shoulder’s not feeling right or what have you, okay, well I’m going to back off of this drill or I know they’re going into this blitz pickup period maybe I’m going to back off of you on this one. I let them kind of tell me a lot about how they’re feeling about things and we gauge that but when they do go they got to go and a lot of times there’ll be some situations where I’m like okay well John you got this play twice okay Jordan you need to run this play so I’m going to pull you out and put you in just so they’re all getting the necessary plays that I think they need to have and yeah so it’s worked out so far.

On the differences between Marshall and Haynes

First of all the similarities are vast, meaning the way they both approach the game. They’re both tough guys, they’re both high football IQ guys, they both want to be really, really good, they’re alphas if you will. The differences I’d say, I think Jordan inside the tackles, he’s a little more rugged that way. I mean, he’s a thumper if you will, not to say that Justice isn’t, but Jordan is. He’s going to try to split your face mask open, and kind of a banger inside that way, where I think Justice has more top-end speed out in the perimeter and the ability to make big plays, and it’s more explosive plays. Where Jordan can too but I think at a higher rate that so far has shown itself, just opportunities. But those are probably the things, both of them can catch the ball in the backfield, and Jordan’s exceptional. I think it’s pass protection, or you know, Justice is pretty dang good at it too. They’re both complete players, and so we’re very fortunate to have that.

On how he handles the personality dynamics in the RB room

I think you said it best, where guys can create things in their own minds. Then in these narratives and the people outside of the building can can help paint narratives that may not truly exist and I think one of the things that that we do a good job of, we at least try to do a good job, is having open conversations. I mean completely transparent conversations to, okay well here’s why this happened, here’s why this guy got more reps or didn’t get more reps, here’s kind of where the plan is and so everybody knows this is what it is. We’ll use Justice for instance, I’ve had conversations with him where it’s like, and his dad actually, where it’s like, okay, listen, you know he had a heck of a game so we kind of let him get hot and he got hot and let him run. Please understand now that thing can get flipped over, within the next seven days it’s flipped and it could be the next guy. They all know that but I also think that they champion each other’s efforts so there’s not the animosity like I’m mad at you because you’re having success and you’re taking away from my shine if you will. Because those guys are close and when we’re in meetings, it’s a very interactive meeting in the meeting spaces where those kids are always talking and they’re helping one another out. So instead of being jealous of one another, they’re happy for one another. I think that’s the culture of the room that we’ve been fortunate to have.

On the depth in the RB room

First real quick, Bryson Kuzdal is a guy that had a really outstanding spring for us. Kind of had a little nagging things during training camp but he’s back and running healthy and really feel good about him and some of the plays that he can make. Then there’s a young guy in Jasper Parker everyone hears a lot about. I think that kid’s going to be outstanding, like freakishly outstanding football player. Just got to continue to hone in on the details and some of the some of the smaller intricate things in order to make sure we’re playing championship level football. But he’s coming a long way. Really, really, really excited about him.

On the development of younger RBs reading defenses

That is something a lot of young guys they come in,vthat’s where they have to really enhance their skill set and he’s getting better at that, way better than he was when he got here. You got to think, you went through training camp. What’s that 24-25 practices? So that’s all he really had and he’s getting better. He’s starting to understand defense is not just about the actual art of blocking in the physical skills of blocking, but also where you fit in the mental piece. Where do I fit in this protection where I have this guy and that guy but all of a sudden somebody comes off the back side, you can’t be late getting there. I know you saw him, but you saw him too late, yeah, and all of a sudden, that’s a hit on the quarterback. He’s improving every day. I’m really excited about where he’s coming, how he’s coming along.

On what the depth pieces at RB need to show to earn playing time

I gotta be honest, for the most part, they have. They have in a lot of ways. I think Jasper’s still coming along a little bit but Kuz is there, he’s done those things now. It’s just a matter of opportunities, right There’s one ball to go around, that’s not to say I’m not prepared to put another guy in the game, that’s false because I am. It’s just a matter of timing and kind of where we’re at in those game situations. They’re prepared to play and and I’m anxious for those opportunities to come because they are coming. I think the biggest thing is guys got to understand that it’s have patience, but don’t be patient if that makes sense. Those times are coming, they’re coming.

On how the program establishes run game packages

First of all, it’s collective and the titles are the titles. But I think the line coach, and Grant Newsome’s unbelievable, and Steve Casula, so it’s a collective deal. It’s done in a cohesive way and to say that this guy’s doing that and this guy’s doing that, that’s not really how it works. They put titles on names to help you get more money too, right? So let’s just call it what it is.

On Fred Jackson’s presence

Fred Jackson was kind of a mentor of mine when I first started, my first job was at Kent State University in 1996 and Vance Bedford who used to coach here coached me in college. Him and Fred were very close, he introduced me to Fred Jackson back in the late 90s and Fred actually was very much a mentor of mine, a guy I looked up to. As we moved in our careers and kind of lost contact. The day I got hired and I walk in the room, here he’s sitting and so, for me, it’s unbelievable to sit there and actually work with a guy that I grew up idolizing in the coaching profession and a lot of times I catch myself, I’ll say something mean I’ll turn and look to him like did I say that right? I’m like what the hell, I’ve been doing this 30 years, why am I asking him? But in all reality, we have 75 years or 76 years of coaching experience in the running back room alone, so there’s not very many things those players can’t look to and say okay well, tell me about it because we’ve got 75 years of experience.

On what he needs to see from his players in week three that has worked in the first two games

We just gotta lock down details and execute, it’s not the plays and it’s not the players, it’s execution. From coaches, we gotta coach them better. The players, they gotta play better and everyone’s got to be culpable when things aren’t going well. Let’s just make sure we’re honing in on the small details every single rep and holding each other accountable for those things.