11 Questions With Coy Cronk

Our series of Indiana football Q&As continues with freshman offensive lineman Coy Cronk.

The Lafayette, Indiana, native hasn't wasted any time becoming a regular starter for the Hoosiers and appears destined to stay that way for years to come.

Q: Memorial Stadium is a pretty cool venue, but if I gave you an unlimited budget to design a stadium however you’d like, what would it look like?

A: Man, a couple of years ago I went to the Pittsburgh Steelers' stadium (Heinz Field), and I really liked that.

If we could fit it with a nice little retractable roof like Lucas Oil's (Indianapolis Colts) but fit it with some arches like a Roman Coliseum, that would be cool. If we could mix the three of those, that would be really cool.

I don't hear too many people who love Heinz Field.

A: I don't know. I just really, reallylike it. Plus, it's in the Batman movies. So that's a plus. It's a win-win.

Q: If you have a bad game or a bad practice, how do you move on from it?

A: The biggest thing I do is watch the film. I like to see what I can correct, you know? I like to see what I did wrong and then figure out ways of fixing it.

Sometimes it takes looking at the film and saying, "Wow. That was a really bad play." But then at the same time, yes, it was a really bad play. But what can I do to fix it? That's what I go to.

Q: Forget your physical appearance. I don’t care that you’re 6-foot-5 and weigh 293 pounds. If you could play any other position on the field, what would you want to play?

A: That's a tough question.

I think I'd like to try out what Marcelino Ball plays.

The husky? That's a new one.

A: Man, it looks like he has a lot of fun out there. He gets to mess people up in the run game and drop back and intercept people. That's where it's at. I think that would be pretty awesome.

That would mean switching sides of the ball for you. Are you sure that's the way to go?

A: I do think that would be the way to go just because he can hawk the ball. Then he can go through there and mess people up in the run. He's always having fun, so it's got to be the position. He's just having a great time. I think that's where I'd go.

Q: Who’s the best non-football playing athlete at IU?

A: That's a great question, too. That's tough.

But I think I'd have to go with Thomas Bryant. That dude's an absolute monster. He's huge and can throw the ball down. Now he's got outside touch, too.

Plus he's like 6-11 or something like that. You've got to go with him.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

A: The best advice I ever got was back in high school from my high school coach.

One day he just looked at me and said, "Next play. Next play."

Because I used to really struggle growing up. I was a late bloomer or whatever and would get beat up a little bit. But he just kept telling me to worry about the next play and keep coming along.

I live by that motto, and I think it's really helped me get to the point where I'm at.

Q: Do you remember the first time you talked to your head coach Kevin Wilson? Where were you and what were you doing?

A: It would have to have been last summer near the end of baseball season. So probably around the first or second week of July.

I was in contact with (tight ends coach) (James) Patton, and I couldn't come up to camp because I was playing baseball. He said he wanted to get me up to talk to coach Wilson and offensive line coach (Greg) Frey, see practice. You know, this, that and the other thing.

Well what happened was I did that and had a really good day with Coach Frey and Coach Patton. The only problem was Coach Wilson wasn't in. So they were like, "You know what? Just come back tomorrow."

And I said, "Hey, I'd love to." So I came back the next day and wound up talking with Coach Wilson for pretty much the whole day. So I was here back-to-back days.

Q: If you could go back in time and play with or against any player, who would you want to share time on the field with?

A: I would want to play with Jerome Bettis. He was one of my favorite players growing up. He's just an absolute animal. He runs over people, you know? He's Big Bacon-ish but Hall of Fame style.

I think he'd be the most fun person ever to block for.

Q: Do you ever worry or think about what you’re going to do with all your extra time once football is over? It takes up a ton of your life right now.

A: I think about that mostly when I don't do so hot on a test. (Laughs).

But seriously, you start thinking about what you're going to do when football is over after that test. You know? What am I going to do with the rest of my life?

But I really enjoy going to my classes and everything with school. I love putting the time into it, and I have a feeling it will all work out after football is over. I don't really think about what I'm going to do, but I know I've got to keep going to class and getting good grades.

Q: Do you have a favorite TV show or movie you can’t get enough of right now?

A: I watch a ton of Netflix. I mean a ton of Netflix.

But I'm really into "The Office" right now. That's an awesome show.

Michael Scott and Dwight K. Schrute? They're awesome characters. I love them.

Q: This is obviously an election year. Now, I’m not going to ask you who you’re voting for, but if you could elect someone into the office from your football team, who would it be?

A: I've got to go with Dan Feeney.

Dan Feeney, he's awesome on the field and he's a complete jokester off it. He's just an all-around great guy.

I'm sure some of the policies wouldn't make the most sense, but I can guarantee we'd have the most fun doing it. I think we'd have a pretty awesome country if Dan Feeney was President.

Q: Last one, but this is obviously still your first season here at Indiana. What's been your favorite part of it so far?

A: Whew. You're asking good questions.

I'm not sure about that. But they're supposed to be fun.

They are. But tough.

But I'd say the travel schedule. On home games, you get to go out and eat great food, go to the movies, be with your teammates, sleep with the hotel.

You know, a lot of people would be like, "Oh man, you've got to sleep in a hotel" like it's a bad thing. But it's awesome. As freshmen, you've got to sleep on a twin-sized bed. And me, being a big guy, sleeping on a twin-sized bed is absolutely a nightmare. Any time we get to stay in a hotel, I get to sleep on a queen-sized bed. It's phenomenal. I mean that.

And playing in all the other venues would have to be a close second to beds.

But definitely behind beds?

Behind beds. The beds are great.