Q & A: Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery joins Paul Finebaum to preview LSU game
OXFORD, Miss. – TJ Dottery joined The Paul Finebaum Show this afternoon to briefly discuss the preparation of LSU, along with one of Dottery’s hidden talents, playing the piano.
Q: This has been some season; how would you describe these first six weeks of the season?
A: “It’s been really fun just being out there with the guys. We have a great defense and being able to play with those guys is really fun.”
Q: How would you describe the difference between what happened in Oxford and what happened a week later in Columbia?
A: “Like you said, we made a lot of mistakes against Kentucky. Being able to execute on third down was the biggest thing, and being the less-penalized team.”
TJ Dottery led the team in tackles in consecutive weeks 🦈#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/03x14XuGSV
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 7, 2024
Q: I realize you can only play it one week at a time, but by now you know what it’s like to go down into Tiger Stadium on Saturday night…
A: “Yessir, it’s a huge weekend and the same mentality as last week, to execute, get off on third down, be the less-penalized team, and be smart out there.”
Q: Tell us about your decision to leave the state of Alabama to play for Clemson.
A: “What went into that decision was the relationship I had with Dabo Swinney. Coming into my sophomore year, we built a great relationship and had continued that throughout my high school years, so that’s what brought me to that decision.”
Q: You make the decision to leave Clemson, what enticed you to head to Oxford?
A: “Opportunity. When I got here, I could just tell what direction the program was heading. The coaches and players were all bought in, and you could tell that it was a good group of guys to be around.”
Q: What’s it been like to play for Pete Golding?
A: “It’s been awesome. Even coming out of high school, I wanted to play for Pete, so when I got the opportunity to come here and he was the defensive coordinator, I think that was another huge factor in my decision coming here to play for him.”
Q: I ask this question jokingly, but does Pete Golding let Lane Kiffin come into the defensive side of the ball?
A: “Somewhat, yessir, he does.”
Q: Since childhood, you learned to play the piano, how did that come about?
A: “Growing up, my grandmother had played the piano, and we had a piano in my house, so as a kid, playing on that, and then once I got to elementary school, I was in a Magnet school where piano was a class that I could take each and every day. I was able to continue that throughout elementary and middle school, so that’s how I learned to play and got my skills.”
He’s been punishing opposing ballcarriers all season, but off the field @OleMissFB linebacker TJ Dottery is a sensitive soul with an ear for classical composers 🎹: pic.twitter.com/0k3uZeRl41
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) October 9, 2024
Q: We’re talking Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and Mendelssohn, who is it (your favorite)?
A: “Beethoven. Beethoven was my favorite one. Coming up in elementary school, my teacher’s favorite was Beethoven, and she played a lot of it in class and I kind of modeled her style after that, so that’s what got me into him, and after doing my history and research, he became my favorite.”
Q: It’s one thing to be a linebacker to save a game with a tackle or a sack, what’s the toughest classical piece you’ve ever tried to play?
A: “It’s been a lot. A couple of Beethovens would probably be the main ones. His style of play was so intriguing and different from a lot of other people, so I’d say all of his pieces.”
Q: Your final thoughts, as this team gets ready to LSU, what types of messages have you been hearing all week?
A: “I heard it’s going to be loud, that’s probably one of the biggest things. It’s going to be loud, it’s a night game, the crowd is going to be into it, their team is going to be into it, just being able to remain level-headed through the chaos.”
Next Up
Ole Miss versus LSU will begin at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday on ABC. Hotty Toddy, and Go Rebs!
