We had the opportunity to interview wide receiver Nick Patti last Thursday. One of the most interesting things he had to say regarded the camaraderie of the wide receiver corps:
"We've got young guys and old guys who have been around... Whatever room you're in, you want good chemistry. We've got enough personality in there that it's fun, but we know what we need to get done every day. It's good mix of fun, but we're focused. A lot of hard workers. It's a good atmosphere."
He later added more about leaders among the group.
"I think I bring a lot of experience to the group so I try to impart whatever wisdom I have to the younger guys," Patti said. "Even guys that people aren't real familiar with, Kyle Coltrain and Blake Tiralosi, those guys have really stoop up. The know the program and our expectations and have risen to the occasion. Obviously Jordan Akins is a huge leader for us. He's the only one that's really played. He knows what Beckton expects in season. We've had a lot of guys step up. Nobody is higher than anybody as far as leadership goes. If anybody says anything, everybody listens. We're a close-knit group. We all respect each other."
Seeing that Tristan Payton was the lone true freshman among the travel squad, I asked Patti for his thoughts regarding what Payton has done well.
"Tristan works extremely hard. I think his best attribute that he brings to the team is he loves the game. You can tell his passion for the game is at a high level. Every day he brings excitement and enthusiasm to the group, some spunk and tenacity. He has a lot to work on, but his passion for the game pushes him through and rises to the top. He's a good kid. Tristan works extremely hard. He'll be a special player for us."
And then a general comment about the season opener coming in a matter of days.
"It's exciting," Patti said. "If you don't get butterflies before the first game you're not doing it for the right reasons. It's going to be fun playing in front of our crowd in game one. It should be a packed house I'm sure. It's going to be awesome."
