Broncho Playbook: UCO Football Xzavier Booth
Jalik LewisQ: Tell us a little bit about yourself?
A: “This is my third year, third season. I’m really hopeful for the season. I’m just playing into my role right now, this season.”
Q: How do you feel being that leader right now?
A: “It’s nothing new, you know. As you said, coming into college I was already ready, but it wasn’t just me that was ready. It was my peers around me.”
A: “So stepping into that leadership now, it just kind of feels natural, and I’m able to pass that on to the younger guys as well. So, they are filling into the roles that were already destined for them.”
Q: How do you feel about this season?
A: “I feel great about this season. Not to discredit last season, but I really feel like it’s a culture buy-in differential. Last season we had the talent. We had the players, we had the physicality, but it wasn’t necessarily the culture buy-in. We didn’t know who we were.”
A: “I feel like during spring ball with the transfers and new freshmen in the summer, as well as the other transfers, the culture buy-in has just been there, like the love for the guys. There’s no envious energy there. None of that. Everybody wants to win.”
Q: Would you say you guys are living up to the team’s core values?
A: “Yes. Our core values: selfless. tough, and self-discipline. They’re instilled in us every single day. I don’t think there’s a guy who doesn’t know our core values on the team.”
Q: We have four home games this year, how do you think you have prepared to play on the road?
A: “Having that road dog mentality. Our theme of the week is road dog. Coach Dorrell has really instilled in us, ‘If you want to eat, you are going to have to be a road dog.’ Especially when you are in someone else’s home territory, you are going to be in a corner; how are you going to respond?”
A: “Are you going to let them bite you, or are you going to bite back? So, we’ve really just been mentally preparing ourselves to travel. Getting our minds right.”