Mac Bignell interviewed by Jay Sanderson
Mac Bignell 2017 Big Sky Kickoff Quotebook
7/20/2017 8:36:00 AM | Football
MSU's preseason all-league choice looks at the upcoming season, family legacy
Montana State senior linebacker Mac Bignell faced the Big Sky Conference media in one-on-one interviews Monday at the league's Summer Kickoff event in Park City, Utah. Below is some insight the only Bobcat selected to the Preseason All-Big Sky team…
WHAT TELLS YOU THAT THIS WILL BE A GOOD SEASON FOR THE BOBCATS: "The camaraderie in our locker room. We've been a lot closer and that will help a lot in tight games, and we were in a bunch of those last year. We're always making progress in the weight room, getting stronger."
ON THE TRANSITION FROM LINEBACKERS COACH KANE IOANE TO TY GREGORAK: "It was pretty smooth. Coach Ty wasn't going to change a lot of things right away. Each day we tried to work on one thing. We're still learning the new language, there was a little difference from Coach Ioane to Coach Ty."
ON WHETHER HE'LL PLAY THE WILL OR THE SAM: "I'll probably be going back and forth between the Sam and the Will. I played a lot of (Will) in the nickel package (last season). Coach Ty's big thing is that every player knows every position (in his position group)."
ON THIS YEAR'S LINEBACKER GROUP AND GETTING NEWCOMERS READY: "This is probably the best linebacker group since Cole (Moore) and Na'a (Moeakiola) and Alex (Singleton) in 2014. It's been really fun in the meeting room with those guys. We're trying to uphold the standards Coach Choate sets, and when you have new guys in the room you're trying to show them how to be Bobcats, how to handle themselves on the field and off. (The new players) are talented, and we're going to need some of them (this year). We need to get them up to speed faster. That's the job of the leaders in the room."
ON HIS JOURNEY AS A BOBCAT, AND BEING SELECTED PRESEASON ALL-BIG SKY: "It's quite an honor. It's been a long road, but it's been a short time. Coming in as a walk-on from Drummond that first year was tough, but once I got my football the transition was smooth. My freshman year in spring ball I was fourth team safety getting four or five reps a practice and not having a very good time. But I had the opportunity to move to linebacker and stuck it out, made it through a few injuries, and it's worked out."
ON PLAYING FOR THE BOBCATS: "Not many people get to say they play for the team they've truly loved their whole life. When I was a kid I was at Avon school from K through 8 and we'd divvy up sides for playground football (based on) Cats vs. Griz. All the Bignells, my brothers and cousins, would be on the same team, the Cats, and we always stomped them. So it's great (playing for MSU). It's truly an honor."
ON THE BIGNELL LEGACY AT MONTANA STATE: "I didn't create the legacy, but it's my job to uphold it."
WHAT TELLS YOU THAT THIS WILL BE A GOOD SEASON FOR THE BOBCATS: "The camaraderie in our locker room. We've been a lot closer and that will help a lot in tight games, and we were in a bunch of those last year. We're always making progress in the weight room, getting stronger."
ON THE TRANSITION FROM LINEBACKERS COACH KANE IOANE TO TY GREGORAK: "It was pretty smooth. Coach Ty wasn't going to change a lot of things right away. Each day we tried to work on one thing. We're still learning the new language, there was a little difference from Coach Ioane to Coach Ty."
ON WHETHER HE'LL PLAY THE WILL OR THE SAM: "I'll probably be going back and forth between the Sam and the Will. I played a lot of (Will) in the nickel package (last season). Coach Ty's big thing is that every player knows every position (in his position group)."
ON THIS YEAR'S LINEBACKER GROUP AND GETTING NEWCOMERS READY: "This is probably the best linebacker group since Cole (Moore) and Na'a (Moeakiola) and Alex (Singleton) in 2014. It's been really fun in the meeting room with those guys. We're trying to uphold the standards Coach Choate sets, and when you have new guys in the room you're trying to show them how to be Bobcats, how to handle themselves on the field and off. (The new players) are talented, and we're going to need some of them (this year). We need to get them up to speed faster. That's the job of the leaders in the room."
ON HIS JOURNEY AS A BOBCAT, AND BEING SELECTED PRESEASON ALL-BIG SKY: "It's quite an honor. It's been a long road, but it's been a short time. Coming in as a walk-on from Drummond that first year was tough, but once I got my football the transition was smooth. My freshman year in spring ball I was fourth team safety getting four or five reps a practice and not having a very good time. But I had the opportunity to move to linebacker and stuck it out, made it through a few injuries, and it's worked out."
ON PLAYING FOR THE BOBCATS: "Not many people get to say they play for the team they've truly loved their whole life. When I was a kid I was at Avon school from K through 8 and we'd divvy up sides for playground football (based on) Cats vs. Griz. All the Bignells, my brothers and cousins, would be on the same team, the Cats, and we always stomped them. So it's great (playing for MSU). It's truly an honor."
ON THE BIGNELL LEGACY AT MONTANA STATE: "I didn't create the legacy, but it's my job to uphold it."
Players Mentioned
LB
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