If you attended the Shrine Bowl practices in 2024, you noticed the energy the defensive unit brought right away, especially when compared to the offense. They would storm the field after any big play in situational drills and generally kept the communication – and vibe – levels high.
However, you could still hear a few scattered voices and leaders on the offensive side of the ball, trying to keep up as best they could with the defense. Chief among them was former UCF QB and newly signed Pittsburgh Steeler John Rhys Plumlee, whose attitude and effort led me to seek him out for an interview.