Cleats and shirts strewn across the TCU practice field mean one thing: Horned Frog football is back, y'all. Head coach Gary Patterson spoke with media Thursday ahead of the team's first practice at preseason camp. His thoughts before the 2018 season?
On the team's 2018 motto, "Own the Process":
"Everybody says, 'Trust the process.' [For] me, you can't trust the process. You've got to understand it; you've got to beat it. That's what 'own the process' means."
On what (possible) starting quarterback Shawn Robinson has learned since last season:
"Two things came out of him starting the Texas Tech game [last season]. I think he learned what it took to prepare. It's one thing to learn as a backup, especially [as] a young guy, and you don't really understand it. Second thing he learned, you need to get down. You're not going to run over everybody."
Also, quarterback Kenny Hill is coming back:
"Kenny Hill is back finishing his degree. He's going to be one of our student coaches. Being able to have him, especially with everything he's gone through since December — NFL camps, quarterback coaches, everything — to have him in that room ... he'll probably be whatever we need him to be out there."
On the strength of the defense:
"If the defense thinks they don't have to get better, then they'll find out that they won't be very happy when they get to the end of November."
On facing Ohio State on Sept. 15:
"I don't know what makes them different besides they're large, probably just like Texas or A&M ... Myself personally, I like the smaller scale."
On the bond between TCU and Fort Worth:
"It's a hidden secret here, but I think the reason why TCU has become successful is because Fort Worth has helped us become that. And vice versa. Now everything that's happened with TCU, it's also made Fort Worth a better place. There's a different attitude."
Quote of the day:
"People screw up success a whole lot more than they do failure."