Jeff Monken Press Conference Quotes: Navy

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Army West Point football head coach Jeff Monken met with members of the local media on Tuesday afternoon for his weekly press conference inside Nowak Auditorium.

The Black Knights will take on Navy on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the 120th Army-Navy Game presented by USAA. The contest will be aired on CBS.

(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"Excited to be here. It's the biggest game of the year and what I think is the greatest rivalry in sports. It is a game like no other. I can't even describe the intensity and the feelings that come with this game and that certainly extends beyond our locker room. I know that the Corps of Cadets and people out there in the Army are getting excited about this game. It is going to be a tremendous challenge. We are facing a terrific football team. They are a well-coached team. It is amazing that these games continue to be incredible battles regardless of what the situations are with either team. Just look at the last five years that I have been a part of this game, every one of them has been a one score game. Hopefully in this game we will be able to keep it in a position where in the fourth quarter we'll have a chance to win the game as we did last year."

(Ref.: On how important it would be for the senior class to win all four games against Navy)
"I think it would be a tremendous source of pride for our senior class to be able to do that. As I said, it's going to be a great challenge. The team that were facing is an outstanding team coached by Kenny (Niumatalolo) and the staff. So none of what we've done in the past will have anything to do with this Saturday. Each of them is a game all to themselves and the 2019 Army team is going to have to try to beat the 2019 Navy team and that's all there is to it. This game is just going to be a battle by itself so I hope we can find a way to get it done.

(Ref.: On Navy QB Malcolm Perry)
"We saw that guy as a senior in high school on the recruiting trail and knew he was a special athlete. To be able to play quarterback every single snap for them gives him the opportunity to carry the ball all the time, more than he did at slot bock, Kenny recognized them and created an offense that really revolves around his skillset. He's carried that team. He's done a great job. They have other guys that are good players. They have receivers with big catches and b-backs making big plays and slotbacks and offensive lines creating holes for their guys. They have a good football team and a good offense. He is a special player. He is fast and elusive. It doesn't matter who they play and how small the space gets around him, he still seems to find a way to gain yards. He is very dangerous."

(Ref.: On his favorite part of the historic rivalry)
"The only thing that is fun about this game is winning it. And I will tell you that to be on the losing side of this game is agony. Fortunately, as an assistant and a head coach I haven't had to experience that a whole lot. I had the good fortune of working for Paul Johnson, who was a tremendous coach and he won all the games that we were a part of in this rivalry and we've won the last three. And man I'm going to tell you, there's no feeling like it when you win this game and there's no feeling like it when you lose this game.

"There's a lot of pageantry and there's a lot of pomp and circumstance that surrounds the game, but really none of it is there for my enjoyment. My enjoyment is all based on our winning that game and when you don't man it is tough because we pour everything we've got into it. You walk around our building and you see the things that say 'Beat Navy' 365 days a year. Those are up for a reason. It's an incredible rivalry.

"I love being out there and being a competitor in the game. And while the game is going on it certainly is intense. It's exactly what you want. If you're a competitor it's where you want to be. I said this before that it's a game that every single snap it feels like the balance is hanging or the outcome of the game is hanging on that play. It's indescribable. I guess a typical football game teams make plays whether it's your own team or the other team and there's time to recover there's time to answer, there's the next player, the next drive, the next half. It feels like every single play the game is on the line and that intensity is heightened to that level every single time the ball is snapped or kicked or whatever. That makes it unique and it's incredible to be a part of it. I really do enjoy being in such an intense environment like that. It's why we all compete. That's why our players play and our coaches coach is to be in an environment like that. So when you pour that much into it and there's everything riding on each play and you fell that intensity, by the end of the game win or lose you're exhausted, but to stand there in victory after a game like that is really something special."

(Ref.: On the senior class)
"These guys have been part of a lot of victories. As freshmen in the turnaround season for this program. They've been on teams with 10-11 wins as well. They are players in roles ranging from special teams guys and behind the scenes roles to guys we've really counted on to make plays. Elijah Riley started in a lot of football games, Cole Christiansen, Kelvin Hopkins Jr. and the year he had stepping into the starting role last year, there's a lot of guys in this class as well Kell Walker, Connor Slomka and I think of guys like Jacob Covington, Rob Stoddard, Jaylon McClinton, Donovan Lynch has played a lot of football… this senior class has meant a lot for the program and the contributions they've made. I know it would mean a lot to this class to complete their career with a win over Navy and the ability to go 4-0."

Army West Point Athletics

Jeff Monken Press Conference Quotes: Navy

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Cole Christiansen

Jacob Covington

Kelvin Hopkins Jr.

Jaylon McClinton

Elijah Riley

Connor Slomka

Kell Walker

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