Luke Deal on Georgia: 'If you have to get extra motivated for this, there's probably something wrong with you'

AUBURN – Auburn tight end, and senior captain, Luke Deal spoke to the media on Tuesday. He talked through the mindset and mental state of the team, what he tells young players ahead of a road game, being a dad and how he handles adversity.

Q: It’s been a while since Auburn has beaten Georgia, how much does that motivate you going into this game?

DEAL: “It’s a huge motivation. The importance of these rivalry games in the SEC speaks for itself especially if you go to an away stadium. We talked about it earlier, it’s us–80-something guys, versus 90,000 or whatever. So, I think it is one of those things you walk into with a chip on your shoulder. This rivalry means a lot to a lot of people, it is the deep south’s oldest rivalry and there is a lot of history there. So, for us to not have beaten them since I’ve been there, it is defintely something I want to get accomplished. It’s one of those games you look at on the schedule and you’re like, Ok, I’m ready to play that game. I think our guys will be really motivated and excited to face one of the best teams in the country.”

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Q: How much do you take away from this being a close game a year ago?

DEAL: “I think we’ll take a lot from it. We will take away what we’ve taken from a couple of these games this year that we let slip away. We have been there. You can hang with any team in the country if you play like we have been playing minus a few mistakes. So, get those cleaned up. We bring the same intensity and preparation that we brought last year and last week. Some of those things against these good football teams we will use to our advantage. And, just get excited for a huge rivalry game. If you have to get extra motivated for something like this, there’s probably something wrong with you. It’s a pretty big game.”

Q: What do you tell young guys about going through this atmosphere for the first time?

DEAL: “I think the biggest thing is just poise. I think everyone in their life in college football as a football player has one of those moments when you’re like, Ok, we’re not being cheered on anymore, I can’t hear the quarterback anymore, I can’t hear the linebacker telling me which way we’re slanting or this or that. Communication is tough and sometimes that makes a few mistakes. The key is being able to flush it and not having it snowball. Even here, opposing teams will get a false start, then the next play a guard will step a wrong way. It piggybacks off of each other. I think when a mistake is made, just don’t blink. Play the next play and keep poised during those mistakes.”

Q: Why do you think the passing game and offense was more explosive this week? What do you attribute that to?

DEAL: “I think statistically we have fared pretty well, we’re moving the ball. I think situationally we have to be a little better as a team. People oftentimes look at the coaches. Coaches take ownership in our Monday meetings, but players have to take ownership, too. Executing certain things that we know we can do. I think late in the game, being able to execute a little better, that is something that we as players can hold responsibilty for. Hopefully if we make a couple less mistakes we win that game and a couple others this year. The biggest now is for those mistakes to not repeat themselves. Coaches say and it’s cliche, don’t make the same mistakes, make new mistakes. You’re going to make mistakes, but making the same ones can really kill you.”

Q: Is your mentality that you can run the ball against any defense?

DEAL: “Absolutely. We have that swagger and mentality that we can go up against anybody in the country. Oklahoma has a great defense, Coach Venables is a great coach. That just shows you that we believe in ourselves and that we believe in what’s in this room. We have guys that can go and physically down block on defensive linemen. We have receivers that block on the edge. We have runningbacks that can hit the hole and do special things like 27 and 0. We’ve got the pieces, we’ve shown that we can be productive. The biggest thing is just finishing games and limiting the mistakes we’ve had the past couple of weeks.”

Q: Are you asking for more routes and targets after that touchdown?

DEAL: “No, no, it was a special thing. Being able to do that in front of the student section and my family. It was a big game and one where they recognized my dad passing away from ALS, so it was pretty exciting that it happened. It was a moment I won’t forget. At the end of the day, us tight ends, me specifically, our role, my role is to do what the team needs. If the team needs me to score a touchdown, they need me to score a touchdown. If they need me to play special teams, I’ll play special teams. If they need me to be an extra tackle, I’ll do that too. At the end of the day, whatever gets this team to win and be successful and feel what it feels like in the locker room after. That’s what my role is on this team.”

Q: How impressed are you with KeAndre Lambert-Smith?

DEAL: “He’s so explosive man. You guys see it. I know Coach Freeze talks about the explosive plays we’re having and how it hasn’t translated to wins, but we have those plays. He’s a big part of that. He’s explosive, he runs great routes. He’s a guy that makes it happen whenever he’s in the game. I think it gives our receiver room confidence, our offense confidence, and our quarterbacks confidence when they’ve got a guy who can make those plays. When you have guys on the outside, you can run the football. If you don’t, they stack the box, and you can’t run the football. Not only what he can do as a player but as a threat, it opens up a lot of things to make us a more balanced offense.”

Q: How is being a dad going?

DEAL: “Pretty good. I tell everybody all the time that I have the best wife in the world. Everybody is always like, oh man, the sleepless nights.. How is that going? You know what? I’m actually sleeping pretty good. She takes care of me, she takes care of him and I would not be anywhere without her. But, being a dad and going home after a loss, I have a different perspective after a loss. I used to go home, lock myself in a room, don’t talk to anybody. Now, I’ve got to flush that. I have to let that loss be that loss and don’t lose in life as a dad and husband. One of my old coaches recently told me, ‘You know what, CJ doesn’t know whether you won or lost.'” He doesn’t care, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, just try to be the best father and husband I can be. While I’m here, be the best teammate I can be. That’s really my calling and my job.”