LSU DL Paris Shand on new LSU coaches, mentality of players
LSU defensive lineman Paris Shand met with the media this week to share his thoughts on how spring practice is going for the Tigers. Here’s some of what he said in the interview.
On how spring is going for LSU: “I think it’s going well. Continually working as usual. It’s been good working with the new staff. I feel like we’re learning a lot of new things. Me specifically, I feel like I’m definitely developing a better pass rush package, working the edges, power, long arm, stuff like that. I think it’s going well.”
On having the new staff to teach them: “We had Pete last year and he’s a great coach, but he came in a little bit late. So, it was a little bit of adjustment last season. I feel like having the coaches in from the spring, it’s not really the coach themselves. It’s more so I feel like the longevity of having that person to teach you from the spring through to the season, to the fall, really helps. I think that was good.”
On what Kevin Peoples preaches to his players: “He just wants us to play fast and work our hands, attack the tackles. It’s a lot of just attacking. It’s a mentality thing I feel like with Coach Peeples, and he wants us to really attack. I think he’s doing a great job in our room. I feel like our room is really deep, and we’re going to have a lot of production, I feel like.”
On if work ethic is changing: “I always work as hard as I can. I always try to find little nuances, different things that I can improve, whether that’s mental, physical, spiritual, whatever it is. I try to improve the game as much as possible, learn the game to just get better overall. So work ethic as a whole, it’s always improving.”
On if he sees a big change in Blake Baker’s defense: “I wouldn’t say it’s a big change thing. It’s just more so we just got to play together as a defense. It’s just as simple as that. No matter who is the D-coordinator, you just got to play together as a defense, I feel like. But I like Coach Baker. He’s a great mind. He knows a lot about the game, and I like the scheme that he’s putting together so far.”
On the message from the LSU coaches: “We just got to do it together. It’s the total sum. It’s not any individuals. It’s the sum of the team. Coach Kelly stresses that all the time. You’re only as strong as your weakest link. You always hear that. So it’s just the total sum of everyone doing the right things together. Practicing hard, I feel like every team in the country is trying to practice hard. Practicing hard, working together, taking care of the brotherhood.”
