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  • 5 weeks ago
USC Trojans Linebacker Desman Stephens discusses being a leader during games. Stephens talks about relaying messages to the younger players during games, he also talks about his leadership approach and how he bases his leadership on what is happening at the moment.
Transcript
00:00How do you relate the message to the younger guys after that quarter one?
00:04Yep, well, just always finishing, always staying strong.
00:10It don't matter who in the game, we all Trojans, so we all have the same standard of defense, and
00:16that's zero.
00:17Coach P, whatever, like, yeah, we are D1 athletes or whatever, and we're versing other D1 athletes,
00:23but the goal is always zero for the defensive side of the ball.
00:26So just relaying that message, and it's going to get better as time goes, but those guys are all great.
00:32They're all getting better as this thing goes, so we just go get back to practice and come back stronger
00:37next week.
00:37What's your leadership approach? Are you more in tough love or calm?
00:41I feel like you've got to be able to adjust to whatever situation it is,
00:44so it's definitely some moments where I've got to turn up and get the team right from an energy-wise
00:49basis,
00:50but it's also other times where I can just go into a guy's ear and just be calm with him
00:56as well.
00:56What stood out about Jaday's big fourth down stop?
01:00I mean, when you have Jaday on the field with you, it just makes the game a whole lot easier.
01:07It's plays where I'm like, all right, yeah, I'm about to go attack it, and Jaday back there in .3
01:11seconds,
01:12so it's great playing with a great player like that.
01:16It's great playing with a great player like that.
01:18You

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