Takeaways: Trio of Red Raiders discuss senior day, friendships and more
On Tuesday, seniors WR Dylan Cantrell, DS Kyle Heffron and DL Talor Nuñez discussed senior day and their time at Texas Tech.
Here are a few notes and quotes from the availability.
- In an earlier press conference, senior QB Nic Shimonek said the top three guys to shed tears on Saturday would be DE Zach Barnes, Cantrell and Nuñez.
- Nuñez and Cantrell both said that they probably will cry once it sets in in their final game at the Jones, but that there’s still a game to be played.
- “I would say he’s right,” Nuñez said. “Nic knows us well.”
- Nuñez, who recently lost his father to cancer, said he doesn’t want to put anything on the team when it comes to senior day. He said he wants them to know that they’re still a team with two important games coming up.
- “It’s all about the team and getting a win and making sure we get a bowl game this year,” Nuñez said. “Finish with a successful note.”
- Nuñez said at one point he was roommates with both Cantrell and Barnes. He said since he got married that Cantrell will stay over every once and awhile to watch shows on Netflix. His one show recommendation is This Is Us.
- Here is what Nuñez had to say about his bond with Cantrell and Barnes and his time at Tech.
- “We just started hanging out together,” Nuñez said. “I was a walk-on and I wanted to be around good people. Of course, Dylan was that guy and he was already playing when we first came in. I redshirted. Zach was playing as well so I wanted to be like them. Eventually we just became best of friends ... Really got to know them a lot over these past four years and I can truly say they’re some of my best friends.”
- “If you told my old self when I was a freshman that this is how it’s going to be – I wouldn’t believe it because it’s just so farfetched. God is so good and he’s just blessed me in so many different ways with such great people, great coaches, that have put me in position to be successful.”
- Cantrell had some words for Nuñez that shows how close the two are as well. Here is what he said about his teammate.
- “We’ve been through some of the worst and best things you could imagine together ... He’s like another brother to me. I was in his wedding. We came in together. We were workout partners our first freshman summer – you know, the early 5:30 a.m. lift group – and just started a friendship there. He’s the best guy I know. He makes me a better person. He makes everybody a better person. I just tried to be there for him. In those situations, you never know what to say. You never know the words to say. I don’t think any words can help in those situation. You just got to be there for him.”
- Heffron said one of the best guys he’s met during his time is Nuñez. He added that being a Red Raider means everything to him.
- Cantrell commented on what it means for him to be a Red Raider, too. For him, it all started after meeting Kliff Kingsbury at Texas A&M on a junior day visit in high school.
- Cantrell said it motivated him to see schools pass up on him.
- “I was a little bit skinnier back then and didn’t look the same so I don’t hold anything against them. If I was a coach, I probably would’ve done the same thing. I always took that personal, not from him, but as a whole in the recruiting process and just getting overlooked by some schools – just some skinny, white kid that they thought couldn’t play very well.”
- To focus on the field, all three seniors have two things in sight – ending on a good note with a bowl game appearance and getting to play in front of a packed house on Saturday.
- “11 o’clock games are a little different. Some people don’t really want to get up and get out there that early but it helps a ton – home-field advantage. Hopefully it’s a good atmosphere but at the same time, no matter what, we try to stay focused on our job. Not try to worry about what’s going on around us and what’s going on in the crowd, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t help to have that place packed out.”
- “You know, I don’t even want to think about it but potentially I feel good about our chances making a bowl game,” Cantrell said, “but I can imagine being done in two weeks. Like I said, we’re going to approach every game the same and expect to win every game. We know we have a chance to win every game. We just have to go out and execute, attack this week in practice and go from there.”