MOBILE, Ala. – Student-athletes Cephus Johnson, Tra Minter, Tyree Turner and Jaylen Thompson with the University of South Alabama football program participated in the team's annual media day Monday at the football field house.

Highlights from the press conferences include:

Sophomore QB Cephus Johnson
-On fall camp:
"Camp so far is going really well. It's not like we're competing against each other, we're competing with each other. Every day we're trying to get each other better.

-On the game slowing down:
"I'm doing a much better job of seeing my pre-snap reads, my read keys post-snap, going through my progressions better and understanding the game and what Coach [Kenny] Edenfield expects of me."

On his confidence level:
"I feel like my confidence is growing every day. I don't want to get too comfortable, I just want to feel like I want to get better at something every day. In film, I write down all the mistakes I've made during practice and try to correct them the next day, and try to make sure I don't make the same mistake twice."

-On playing at home in Mobile
"It's very encouraging to see everything that's going on around the program. Seeing who the coaches are bringing as recruits, seeing the indoor facility getting built and the stadium being built, that's very encouraging. When we're at practice, we see those guys working and it encourages us to work even harder."

Senior RB Tra Minter
-On the upcoming season:
"We're very excited for the season. We've been putting it all together for fall camp. We're getting used to the heat, staying focused and mentally prepared, and taking coaching. Our attention to detail has been very good and responding to adversity very well."

-On the first scrimmage:
"From an offensive standpoint, we did good in the first scrimmage. I think we got better. We took care of the ball – we didn't fumble – and we just have to keep making plays. We're doing a pretty good job of keeping an attention to detail and doing the little things that Coach Edenfield preaches.

-On working with Cephus Johnson:
"Cephus is the general of the offense. We listen to him and he takes care of his business. He's a smart football player and has a great arm. He can deliver the ball very well. We have to keep communicating."

-On offensive lineman Roy Albritton's development:
"He's come a long way. He's getting out on blocks and he's running faster. I'm impressed with how far he's come. He's been a leader on the offensive side of the ball.

Senior DL Tyree Turner
- On what they have worked on heading into this season:
"We emphasized this year, making the time count but don't count the time. We've got to do it, so we put everything we have in to it, and do it 100%."

-On what changed in their mentality:
"Before, I was more of a 'show and tell' type of leader – I didn't really say much – but this year I'm trying to be a more vocal leader. We've been trying to focus on that because if someone is doing it right and telling you what to do, you can't beat it."

Senior CB Jaylen Thompson
-On his thoughts heading into his final year:
"It's a bittersweet feeling. I've been here with Tyree for five years and to see where we came from and how we're about to finish is amazing, but at the same time kind of scary that's it's coming to an end. All of the work we put in over four years is about to come into place this year."

On taking the next step:
"The biggest thing this year is guys want to be here. Guys are finally buying in. Today it was 95 degrees out there and we're pushing through. We don't have coaches trying to push us, now it's more or less on the seniors. We're tired of losing. So it's on us now."

-On if things are better than last season:
"Things are going 10 times better than last season. it's not a chore; we're blessed to be able to play football and do something you love since you were 5 years old. We're not looking at it like we're trying to get to 20 periods, we want however many periods Coach Campbell puts on the schedule. I've been here for four years and I'm tired of losing. I made up my mind, and Tyree made up his mind, we're going to do everything in our power to stop this."

-On what changed in their mentality:
"For me, I didn't have the year that I wanted last year. I knew I had to work 10 times harder than I've ever worked. I knew if I worked hard, the guys that looked up to me would start working hard. One thing I wanted to emphasize was just to have fun. My time is running out. I never thought college football would end, but it is. We sit and talk about it on a daily basis that It's coming to an end. We can't sit here and dwell on it, we just need to have fun with it."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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