Athan Kaliakmanis recaps first spring with Rutgers Football
After transferring from Minnesota this offseason, Rutgers Football quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis played his first game in the Scarlet and White in the 2024 spring game.
Following the game, Kaliakmanis spoke with the media following his performance and recap of the spring as a whole.
Question: How was the spring?
Athan Kaliakmanis: “The spring was awesome. It was a, it was extremely fun seeing the improvements from day one to day 15, it's really cool to see and see how everyone's developed”.
Q: How and what did you have to do to improve and in what ways?
AK: “Yeah, I think I proved a lot mentally, just being at a new place, knowing the guy's deeper than football, knowing their stories, and then just getting used to the system. It's a new system. So, learning that and building a chemistry with everybody. It's been awesome”.
Q: How do you think today went?
AK: “ I thought today was a test for sure. There were a lot, you could call them distractions, you know, but the team stayed focused, we chopped, we stayed where our feet were, and I thought it was awesome”.
Q: What's your relationship like with Gavin?
AK: “It's amazing. mean for us to be as close as we are within you know, since I got here, it's it's I feel like I've known him forever. He's just taking parts of his game and use it in my game. And I'm doing the same thing with me. We're just always learning off of each other and building off of each other iron sharpens iron.”
Q: Have you gotten a sense from Coach Schiano or Coach Cirocca or anybody on the staff? On just kind of where the competition between you and Gavin stands?
AK: “Yeah, I'm just standing where my feet are. I'm just, working on being in the present. And, not looking too far into the future or the past just being where my feet are, and constantly chopping”.
Q: It was a great throw to Naseim Brantley for forty two yards today, one of your best throws of the spring you think?
AK: “I wouldn't say that. But it was a great play by the wideout great protection up front. So when everyone else is doing their job, it's easy for me to do mine.
Q: This was the first time you played in front of Rutgers fans. Would you think you showed them?
AK: “I think I showed them that I'm a competitor. You know, I just think that's what everybody else showed today. Honestly, I thought everybody played great. I thought the quarterback room played really well. Seeing improvement from the wide receivers from day one to now is really amazing. It's not even just me. I think everybody showed today that, you know, they're competitive. We're all hungry. Like I said, I emphasize on staying where you're, where you are right now and not looking too far ahead. And it's just, it's really nice to see, you know, now that it's over, they'll look back and see, you know, how far did we come in It's really cool”
Q: Obviously, you weren't here last year, but Rutgers went 7-6 was a big deal. Winning the bowl game kind of felt like Rutgers turned the corner a little bit. What's your sense about the excitement around this program? And just generally, like the excitement level?
AK: “The excitement if we have to be in here at six in the morning, it doesn't change from if we have to be in here at 3pm. I mean, everybody's energy is always at its highest. No one comes in here and doesn't want to work. Everybody's ready to work. Everybody's ready to chop. Everybody's ready to get going. And that's the most exciting thing for me”.
Q: AJ Surace took over for you after the first half and what's it been like working with him as a true freshman? You know, since you've been here?
AK: “He's way ahead of where I was. At this time. He's really smart. He's got a ton of talent. And same with Ajani, same with Gavin, Same with Colin, the whole room. It's just really cool to work with guys that have different talents, and taking parts of their game even though he's a freshman, I take parts of his game and try and put into my game because he does stuff that's a little bit different than what I would do, but I would like to do it. So um, he's really gonna be really special. Not to put any more pressure on him. But are you fans got a lot to look forward to with him in the future.
Q: What do the next few months look like for you?
AK: “Yeah, constant studying evaluation on the spring and then getting ready for the upcoming season”.
Q: With a touchdown pass to your brother Dino is that going to be playing in the Kaliakmanis household for the next few months?
AK: “Yeah, that's awesome. Anytime, me and Dino get a connection. It's always super special for me just because we've worked so hard our entire lives. So it was really special.
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