Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: My body feels great. Just been recovering every day. That's the most important thing about playing this sport is just recovering almost every day.
I mean, 16 games is a lot, but just keep recovering, and it will be fine.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Some people told me like, okay, you choose Notre Dame, it's a good school if you want to have like a future beyond football and everything.
But the people who were really close to me, they were just proud of me. They told me this is a great school for you. You're going to change something, just your presence there.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Really, I didn't even think about it when I committed. Didn't think about a National Championship, just what am I going to do to be great here? What am I going to do? The National Championship became like a side quest now.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Yeah, it was a very different picture. LSU, Alabama, everything, it was a different vibe there. Coming to Notre Dame, I just felt like it was very much different than everything else.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: The noise just started coming out of nowhere. I'm always listening to Marcus Freeman. Marcus Freeman always told us ignore the noise. Just keep being focused on everything else.
We was made for that big time play, and I guess it just happened.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: He's a different type of guy. He's a once in a lifetime guy you ever meet in your life. It's just like he's just a really kind guy, so yeah.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Wing stop. I always go to wing stop.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: I knew this team was capable literally when I committed here. I just saw the talent, the coaches, I just knew, okay, this team is going to go beyond far. It's going to go beyond farther than any other team that ever went far, so yeah.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: No, I was not his first, but I think I was like his tenth, his tenth commit, yeah.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: The first visit, I'm going to be totally honest with you, I just thought the place was kind of boring at Notre Dame. I didn't know where it was. I didn't even know it was in Indiana.
Really it just started to change every time I kept visiting, visiting. I just felt, okay, this place is different. It's not the same as every other college.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Just the atmosphere there, the culture, the tradition. It's just totally different from everybody else's. It's like its own thing.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: What I can say is we're blessed and highly favored, and we're just prepared for this moment.
Q. (Question regarding Jeremiyah Love)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: All I could just say he's a great athlete. It's a blessing to go against him. I've always seen this in my dreams and everything, just going against the best of the best.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Oh, all the time. He always beat my team.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Oh, yeah, definitely. Yeah, I definitely used to see -- it was just me by myself tackling him. He was a big guy at that time too. It was a great moment just going against Jeremiyah Love.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Them crazy hurdles. I knew he had bunnies, like I knew he could jump, because we played basketball a little bit. I knew -- and he started dunking, I was like, oh, wow, this kid can jump, and he did it on the field. I was amazed.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Oh, yeah, definitely. He's actually a big dude. The things -- it's crazy how he lifts too. It's crazy.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Since freshman year of high school, we've been going against each other since like JV. Our relationship has been going on for a minute.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: We're just looking forward to it. It's great that we're going against the best of the best, so yeah.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: It's a blessing. I feel like we kind of earned this. We worked really hard and prepared for this. So we're just highly favored, and it's just a blessing that we're here
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: It's Chris Mitchell. It's very much.
(Laughter).
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: It means a lot. I dreamed about this since I was a child. Now that I'm here, it's such a blessing. It's like, wow, we haven't finished yet, but this is a really great blessing that I'm here, so yeah.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: I do kind of like yoga, and I stretch a lot, do recovery ice tub. I do really much anything just to get my body right in time for games and everything.
This 16-game stretch is kind of crazy, but just really I'll just be recovering and doing anything I can possibly.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Right after Texas A&M, that game I was actually kind of sore a lot. I just knew I've got to keep stretching. I've got to go do anything just to get my body right.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Really just be who we are, be what we are made for, be what we prepared for, and just keep attacking and being violent all the time. Just know that every fight, it's going to be a fight every game, and we're just going to have to finish it.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: That's a very hard question. Well, I can say -- well, it started with Derek Stingley, Derek Stingley Jr., and I really liked his technique and everything he did, his athleticism. He was my favorite guy to look at growing up, just trying to be like him, his technique and everything. So he's really kind of my favorite player.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Toughest receiver? I could probably say Makai Lemon from USC. He's just a different guy. I respect his athleticism, how he moves and everything. I really respect him, his athleticism and everything. He's a really good player.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: More tickets for my family. Yeah, we need more tickets.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Really I don't spend nothing. I don't really spend nothing. I just go with the flow.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: We've just got to go be violent out there, attack. Nothing's got to change. Just keep being us, keep doing anything. Like whoever we go against, we're not going to change it for them, so yeah.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: I could just say he's got his opinion, you know. He just said what he just said. I didn't really see his comment on it, but whatever he says is his own opinion.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: I mean, shoot, I don't know really. It's kind of basically the same. We play him like every other guy. Really just be violent and just be physical.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Oh, Ja'Kobi Lane, 6'6". Thank you. Pissed me off.
Q. Everybody is talking about the Ohio State receivers, but you go up against tough competition every single day. Who's the toughest receiver you go up against?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Man, they are all tough, I ain't going to lie. I could really say Jordan Faison and J.T., J.T. Thomas.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Karson Hobbs.
Q. (Question regarding attending class after game)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: No I'm not going to class. Definitely not.
Q. (Question on where Gray sits in class)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: In the back. Actually in the back. It depends on the vibe.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: I listen to only Christian rappers, but Lecrae. I could say that.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Probably -- that's actually kind of hard. Charles do. I did hoop. I do.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Dennis Rodman.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: I always wanted to collab with Lululemon. No, that's actually kind of hard. Probably Alo.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: I'm going to say we're the interval. Win the interval with it. All he ever says is win the interval every time.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Just Ireland game gave me a realization of what I could be and just that game and being in that atmosphere and that country. It was just amazing, and it changed my life. I really am thankful for going to Ireland.
Q. (No Microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Ball hawk and joy state.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: When I get the pick, you know what I mean, I just turn it up.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: I'm 19.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: That's a good question. Benjamin Morrison really the reason. He taught me how to build people up and be a better leader and be a leader with character and stand on business really.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: That's a lie. I would never be the first one to die. It would be Carson Hobbs or Tae Tae Johnson.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Oh my God. Oh, man, that's Freeman. Dang, diabolical.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Yeah, we love it. As a matter of fact, first time it started, at first I didn't understand why or what we did this for, but now I look at it and just say, wow, this is like -- yeah, I know what this is meant for, like I understand it now. I can really say I started to love it.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: So in high school my teacher gave me the Four Horsemen, a poster of it, and it was -- and I was like, oh, so you went to Notre Dame? He was like, yeah, I'm an alumni. So I've been learning about the Four Horsemen for about six months of high school, and I'm like wow. This is actually kind of cool and crazy.
So I got the Four Horsemen poster up in my room.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: It was, I believe, English, English class.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: He's a great guy. Jordan Clark, he has great technique and everything. He's a once in a lifetime player that you're ever going to have on your team. He's a big part of my life. He's my brother and everything. He's a great player.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: First one, Patrick Surtain, Derek Stingley, Denzel Ward, Jeff Okudah and Jaycee Horn. ATL rappers? I don't know a lot of ATL rappers, though. I could say I know one is Lil baby.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: It was just great afterwards. What we did and how we prepared, it was just a blessing, and it was like a relief. Just going against our offense, I could really say they're just great athletes, talented and everything. So I respect them.
Q. (No microphone)?
CHRISTIAN GRAY: Oh, the food's been great. I love the food here.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports