Here are notable comments from Shaw's post-practice media session earlier this evening.
Shaw on Casey Tucker's health...
"Got a really good chance (to return in the second session). It wasn't that bad. If we can get him going, he should be back. So thankfully it's not too bad. "
Shaw on the center competition with Brian Chaffin and Jesse Burkett and if Burkett is mostly working with the first unit...
"He's pretty much working with the first team right now. Brian Chaffin is coming along and knowing what to do and we know Johnny Caspers knows what to do and we can throw him in on a moment's notice if we need to. Both of those guys are getting a lot of reps with our short numbers - when Chaffin gets a little bit more under his belt he'll take some of the first-team reps. Both guys are doing well, which is good."
Shaw on the first thing he noticed with the shift from Randy Hart to Diron Reynolds...
"That's hard to say. Especially since Diron spent a year with us, so he knows all of our stuff. He's tweaked the individual a little bit just for more things that he's used to and he wants to use, but our guys still play hard, our guys still push each other. I think it's the same position and the same scheme with a different personality. And Coach Hart was phenomenal - I think Diron is going to be phenomenal as well."
Shaw on if Reynolds was a no-brainer hire...
"Absolutely. Absolutely. And I say that with no hesitation even knowing that I have a have a lot of really good friends, a lot of people that I know really well. Especially with Diron spending a year with us and the guys feeling comfortable with him and him knowing how we work as a staff. I mean, we bring him in the day before we start practicing and he just jumps right in. So it was a no-brainer."
Shaw on Solomon Thomas' vertical leap (I think over the summer)...
"They weren't necessarily doing the quote unquote vertical jump - they were just seeing how high guys could touch and he touched around 11 feet in the upper 260's, which is rare. He's just explosive, athletic, all the things that we knew coming into it, and he is very mature, he's an unbelievable worker. He wants to push himself. He pushes his teammates - his leadership skills are coming out. And guys respond to it, and I'm excited about him because I still think he's just scratching the surface."
Shaw on Thomas taking a leadership role within the defensive line room...
"Absolutely. Because leadership has a lot to do with the other guys, it doesn't have to do with you. In order to be a really good leader you have to be very unselfish. You have to think about the other guys, you have to help the other guys and push the other guys and set a standard for the other guys, and he's doing all of that."
Shaw on Stanford's Saturday practice...
"Pretty much most of it (will be a scrimmage). We'll get warmed up and then we'll start scrimmaging right away. There might be a little rain, but that's alright - you can't stop football for rain."
Shaw on Casey Tucker's health...
"Got a really good chance (to return in the second session). It wasn't that bad. If we can get him going, he should be back. So thankfully it's not too bad. "
Shaw on the center competition with Brian Chaffin and Jesse Burkett and if Burkett is mostly working with the first unit...
"He's pretty much working with the first team right now. Brian Chaffin is coming along and knowing what to do and we know Johnny Caspers knows what to do and we can throw him in on a moment's notice if we need to. Both of those guys are getting a lot of reps with our short numbers - when Chaffin gets a little bit more under his belt he'll take some of the first-team reps. Both guys are doing well, which is good."
Shaw on the first thing he noticed with the shift from Randy Hart to Diron Reynolds...
"That's hard to say. Especially since Diron spent a year with us, so he knows all of our stuff. He's tweaked the individual a little bit just for more things that he's used to and he wants to use, but our guys still play hard, our guys still push each other. I think it's the same position and the same scheme with a different personality. And Coach Hart was phenomenal - I think Diron is going to be phenomenal as well."
Shaw on if Reynolds was a no-brainer hire...
"Absolutely. Absolutely. And I say that with no hesitation even knowing that I have a have a lot of really good friends, a lot of people that I know really well. Especially with Diron spending a year with us and the guys feeling comfortable with him and him knowing how we work as a staff. I mean, we bring him in the day before we start practicing and he just jumps right in. So it was a no-brainer."
Shaw on Solomon Thomas' vertical leap (I think over the summer)...
"They weren't necessarily doing the quote unquote vertical jump - they were just seeing how high guys could touch and he touched around 11 feet in the upper 260's, which is rare. He's just explosive, athletic, all the things that we knew coming into it, and he is very mature, he's an unbelievable worker. He wants to push himself. He pushes his teammates - his leadership skills are coming out. And guys respond to it, and I'm excited about him because I still think he's just scratching the surface."
Shaw on Thomas taking a leadership role within the defensive line room...
"Absolutely. Because leadership has a lot to do with the other guys, it doesn't have to do with you. In order to be a really good leader you have to be very unselfish. You have to think about the other guys, you have to help the other guys and push the other guys and set a standard for the other guys, and he's doing all of that."
Shaw on Stanford's Saturday practice...
"Pretty much most of it (will be a scrimmage). We'll get warmed up and then we'll start scrimmaging right away. There might be a little rain, but that's alright - you can't stop football for rain."
