USC Tight End Lake McRee Adresses His Decision To Come Back For Another Year

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00:00I'm not mistaken, but you walked at senior day, right?

00:03I did.

00:03So were you really battling a decision on what you were going to do at that point?

00:06Yeah, there was definitely a decision.

00:07It wasn't a different school decision.

00:09It was maybe go take that next step or come back.

00:12So I just wanted to leave all my options open.

00:14And if I were to, you know, decide to take that next step,

00:17I wanted to, you know, say walk that senior day.

00:19So just, you know, wanted to give myself the most options.

00:22What was that process there and then ultimately convinced you to come back?

00:25Yeah, I mean, you know, all the exit meetings with Coach Hansen at the time,

00:29Coach Riley, and, you know, there's a lot.

00:32They had a lot to offer.

00:33And, you know, I definitely felt like I had a bunch of unfinished business here.

00:36And, you know, it didn't feel right leaving, you know, last year out on that note.

00:40So I wanted to come back, you know, make my last one my best one.

00:44What does Coach Savage bring to the room that's different from the way Coach Hansen was?

00:47Yeah, Coach Savage has been awesome.

00:50You know, he's had a lot of success at his other schools with his other players.

00:54So, you know, he brings a lot to the receiving game,

00:57which I think is, you know, great for my game.

00:59I learned a lot from Coach Hansen in the blocking game.

01:01So tight ends dream, learned from a line coach, learned from a receiver coach, right?

01:05So, but, you know, he's been awesome.

01:06You know, he's helped me a lot in the receiving game, like I just said.

01:09And, you know, he's still great helping me with blocking techniques as well.

01:13But, you know, I learned from Coach Hansen for three years.

01:16So it's not nice to learn from someone else.

01:19I feel like Coach Hansen taught me everything he could.

01:21So it was a great hire, and I'm excited, you know, going to the season with him.

01:25What is your unfinished business?

01:27Winning. Winning something, you know.

01:29We have – I have two bowl game rings, but I want something that means a little more.

01:34So, you know, that's, you know, not only what I want.

01:36That's what our whole team wants.

01:37So, you know, that's what we have on our mind right now in spring.

01:40But, you know, we've got to take it one day at a time.

01:42Like as the older spokesman of this tight end group.

01:45First of all, what have you seen kind of from the younger guys who have come in?

01:47And second of all, have they been pushing you and kind of giving you a hard time,

01:50or have they been great to work with?

01:51You know, great to work with, you know.

01:54You know, right when they come in and, you know, college is a culture shock,

01:57you know, they've got to figure it out a little bit.

01:58But I've been in their shoes before.

02:00I know how that goes.

02:01So I know there's a little speed bumps to that sometimes.

02:04So I was, you know, pretty understanding with that.

02:06But they were great, man.

02:07I mean, Nella is a super hard worker.

02:09You know, the guys that are coming back for, you know,

02:11their second and third years of college are great.

02:13So they've been doing great stuff on the field.

02:15You know, great guys on and off the field.

02:16Do you anticipate your room being a bigger part of the pack?

02:20Yeah, absolutely.

02:22I think, you know, that was, you know,

02:24one of the things that me and Coach Riley talked about after the season

02:27and something that was important to both of us that we wanted to, you know,

02:31display a little bit more.

02:32How versatile is this room for this group?

02:34Very versatile.

02:35I feel like, you know, someone adds a little bit of everything.

02:38You know, we have a little bit of everything in that room.

02:41You know, you got dudes like Walter who, you know, he sent me a picture.

02:45He was 280 pounds on the scale today.

02:48And then you got dudes like Tabo who are, you know, quick, finesse

02:50and can do a lot of stuff.

02:51So a lot of different stuff in that room.

02:53It's cool to see, you know, those guys, what they can do in practice.

02:56And, yeah, it'll be cool to see, you know,

02:58how that translates in the season.

03:00You're one of the longest of your guys on the team now.

03:02One of the few guys left.

03:02You played for the old coaching staff.

03:04Has that been like kind of a step that you stepped up as more of a leader?

03:06So what's that been like kind of one of the longest of your guys?

03:09Yeah, yeah, I mean, it's crazy.

03:10I think I'm one of like two or three guys that was recruited by Helton.

03:13Even though I don't feel old, but I am old.

03:17So, yeah, it's been good.

03:19You know, it's something that I've had to work on is being more of a vocal leader.

03:21I tend to lead by example a lot.

03:23So that was something that, you know, Coach Riley and Coach Hanson

03:26and Coach Savage are getting me to work on.

03:29But, yeah, you know, I feel like I've stepped more into a vocal leader role,

03:33you know, this spring and this offseason.

03:35But, you know, it's good for me.

03:37What does it take for the younger guys to take on that leadership role,

03:40maybe to be a little bit more vocal?

03:41How does that come out?

03:43Yeah, I mean, it's tough.

03:44I mean, I used to be, you know, a guy that was kind of on the edge of, you know,

03:47being a leader vocally or just, you know, not saying anything.

03:50So you're just being confident, just trusting in the work that you put in

03:54and knowing that if you, you know, have to get on somebody, you know,

03:58they're going to respect it because you do the right things all the time.

04:00And so if you're a dude that leads by example, then the next step is being vocal leader.

04:06And I think that we have a lot of guys that are, you know, taking that step this spring.

04:09Putting you on the spot a little bit, game-winning touchdown catch

04:13or making the block for you running back to school, game-winning touchdown?

04:16It's tough not to say game-winning touchdown catch.

04:18Both would be awesome, but I'm going to have to go with the catch.

04:20Yeah.

04:22Thank you, Larry.

04:23Appreciate it.

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