| Q&A: Josh Gaines, DE & Tyrell Sales, LB, PSU | ||||
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NFL Draft Bible interview with former Penn St. defenders Josh Gaines (DE) and Tyrell Sales (LB). Josh Gaines and Tyrell Sales, defensive standouts from Penn State University, are continuing their preparations for this year’s NFL Draft. Coming from Penn State’s defense they are proven stalwarts, keeping their team near the top in defense and continuing the lineage of linemen and linebackers coming out of Happy Valley. We have known Penn State as “Linebacker U” for many years, and that deserved reputation was bolstered this year with the play of this dynamic duo. Click to listen interview with Big Ten Insider John Sears. Sales: I think it went pretty well. We finished a good season with a second Big Ten championship… go out as a fifth-year senior with a lot of good friends, with the nucleus of our class sticking together and being major contributors on the team. I came out healthy with no serious injuries, knock on wood. But definitely I think everything went well. We would have liked to have performed a little better out in L.A., but it is what it is. In hindsight, you have to realize it was pretty special opportunity for us to participate in the Rose Bowl, to play in two BCS games. Individually, I think I had a pretty good season. You’re never completely satisfied, but I made a bunch of plays, had a couple of firsts in my career...so definitely, individually, I think it went pretty well. Gaines: As far as the bowl game, it was a little disappointing. I definitely thought that we would go out there and get a win. We made some dumb mistakes—looking back at it, there were some things we could have changed: we probably could have gotten out of that cover-3. Sanchez ate it up. He made a lot of money off of us that game [laughs], so that was a little disappointing. As far as the season goes, we had a great season. To have only one loss, and it being a questionable loss...a few of the calls could have been overturned, but I’m happy with the season. Individually, I feel like I did a good job. I led the team, with a bunch of guys, and got us to the Rose Bowl. My whole goal this season was to try and get to the quarterback more, and I definitely got back there more. I didn’t get as many plays as guys across the conference, but I still made a little noise. Gaines: I’ll put it like this—I’m more respected around the team. Guys know I work hard, and I work hard every day. Probably not too many other guys on the team that work as hard as I do. Tyrell is another guy like that. Before the season started they voted me captain. That says a lot for a team with that caliber of athletes, to vote you as a captain. As far as being overshadowed, we all played a role on our team: Aaron was speed guy. You put Aaron in on third down and he’s going to get to the quarterback. They’ll put me in on first and second down and have me stop the run. I’m a bigger body. Mo [Maurice Evans] was also good at stopping the run. Gaines: I’m a great pass rusher, I'm just not as fast as Aaron. So instead of taking a strength off the field, they moved me inside and had me rush as the three. And I actually started getting comfortable down there, I enjoyed playing down there. In the USC game, I played the three almost the entire game and I loved every second of it. It was probably the most fun I ever had playing football. Sales: Yes, 235. Today I weighed in at 236. Sales: I think, the way schemes work, I would be better suited in the 3-4 on the inside, from what I have been told. Probably on the outside in the 4-3. I’ve talked to teams and they seem interested but aren't sure where they would draft me. But they know that for all four years I have been a special teams standout as well. I think I led my team in tackles on special teams all four years. Even as a starter I played on at least two of the special teams units, so that’s something that I have always taken pride in. I never wanted the coaches to take me off the field. I like to go down there and make plays. I wanted to get out there and get in a little extra football. Being a hard worker, that’s just something I have always wanted to do. So I have talked to a lot of teams and they definitely have me on their boards. If I have to work in special teams to get a spot, it’s something I’d be eager to do. As far as where teams see me, I’ve played all three positions at Penn State and played them well. So I think I am a versatile linebacker in that respect. Sales: He will tell you that no matter where he is in the world, what gym he’s in, he’ll tell you he has the best jump shot in the world. [Gaines laughs]. He’s not afraid to tell you that. We battle in basketball, we were both 1,000 point scorers in high school. It’s always been something we’ve liked to do and Josh will never hesitate to tell you he has the best jumper in the world. Sales: He’ll bang with the best of them. If someone gets under his skin, he’ll push somebody around. That’s not anything he is afraid of doing. But if he has the opportunity, he’ll shoot all the three’s he can. Gaines: Alright, Tyrell is a geek. [Sears laughs] He is a nerd. He is probably one of the smartest kids you will ever meet. You look at him, he has this beard and is all grizzly looking, but he’s the smartest kid I ever met in my life. He’s more about anything and everything that’s going on in the world. He watches the Discovery Channel and the History Channel 24 hours a day. And he likes his sci-fi movies, Lord of the Rings—he watches it all day long. Any geek movies you can think of, he’s watched. Sales: Yeah, I finished up my degree in marketing last night, then I was working on a second degree in media studies. I am three credits away from finishing that. Gaines: Yeah, he’s definitely a nerd. [all laughs]  Trackback(0)
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