Clemson's R.J. Micken's on his goals 'I'm trying to win a Thorpe Award'

Opening Statement:

“Camp’s been good, it's been a marathon, not a sprint.  We have been getting better every single day, so it's been good.”

On the defense in his first camp under Goodwin:

“The defense has been amazing, everybody is flying around-- giving great effort. Giving 100% every play. That’s all you can ask for. Everyone is doing their part. Guys are not trying to do too much. Everybody can count on each other, and things are going really well.”

“Fall camp has gone really well. Defense has been making plays. Offense has been making plays. It’s been amazing. Guys have been out there competing every day.”

On what he's seen from guys in camp:

“Sherrod (Covil Jr.)  has definitely been turning some heads, he's definitely a great player. Young guy, flies around, hits hard, works hard, gives great effort. Same for Kylon (Griffin), Kylon has been picking up on the defense really well, great instincts. They are both really good guys.”

On how he's improved the most over his first three years:

“Mentally-- confidence really. Just being able to communicate better with the guys and build a relationship with these guys. Just grinding every day. Really adapting to the speed of the game. Last year was a big year for that. I got to play a good amount last year. I got to grow a lot last year, gonna be a lot better this year. We’ve got a lot of guys on the backend that have gotten a lot better.”

On Saturdays scrimmage :

“I loved the way the O-Line was blocking, on the flip side of that-- I thought our D-Line did good. I just saw a lot of good things from the O-Line and the backs. The offense looked good. There were a few big plays given up-- it is what it is. It was a good scrimmage.”

On tomorrow’s scrimmage:

“Every single time I try to go out there for the scrimmage, I have to prove something, make a big play, have my impact somehow. Just going out there as a defense-- eliminating the mental errors, playing fast, and giving great effort.”

On his goals this year:

“I’m trying to win a Thorpe Award. Always dream big. just having that belief, confidence. I’ve got goals for myself to have a great year. Not have any mental errors and just have a great year.”

On the safety room:

“I feel our safety room is really tight. Me and Tyler have been friends since we got here. I feel like we are a really tight-knit group. Everyone is rooting for each other. Whoever's out there on the field, everyone is pulling (for), helping each other out. Guys move positions, we're helping each other learn. It's a really deep group, and a lot of guys can play. I’m confident with whoever is lining up out there with me.”