U of L coach Bobby Petrino and his players talk about the players who decided to skip the bowl game despite Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson playing. Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier-Journal/USA TODAY Network
The Louisville football team held its portion of the TaxSlayer Bowl press conference Friday morning. Lamar Jackson spoke about his decision to play in the bowl game, and Bobby Petrino spoke about the Louisville players who chose not to.
Here are some quick takeaways from what they said.
► Asked why he decided to play in the bowl game while teammates Jaire Alexander and James Hearns sat out, Jackson said: "I just wanted to sit down with my family and make my decision, but the reason I chose to play in it was my teammates, they sat out throughout the year. When they had injuries, they came back in games trying to help us out to make us come out with victories in big games, and they didn't have to. I just felt I owed that to them."
CardsHQ podcast: The TaxSlayer Bowl preview
TaxSlayer Bowl: Mississippi State offense vs. Louisville defense
► Jackson also said he felt he had a productive month of bowl preparation: "I'm just trying to better myself as a player, and the people around me, my teammates, the young guys, even (backup quarterback Jawon Pass). He's learned a lot, (not just) from me, but my coach, Nick Petrino, he's done a wonderful job with us."
► Petrino said he was happy to be back in Jacksonville, where he served as an assistant coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 1999-2001.
► Petrino admitted he didn't expect Alexander and Hearns to skip the bowl game, but said: "It is what it is right now in college football. You get guys who feel like they need to move on and get ready for the preparation for the combine and the draft, and I support them. They've given a lot to our program."
► Petrino said it has been difficult to prepare for Mississippi State, given that the Bulldogs have a new head coach and new play callers on offense and defense:
See from video, prepare for players that they have. "Scheme-wise, it's kind of up in the air a little bit, because they're having two new play callers on offense and defense, so you always wonder how that's actually going to play out. ... And obviously, we're going to have to make some adjustments during the game."
► Petrino said after the press conference that backup tight end Micky Crum did not make the trip to Jacksonville because of an injury. Reached afterward for more information, Crum's father, also Micky, said the tight end underwent a shoulder procedure earlier this month to repair an injury that had been nagging Micky since he suffered it in the season opener.
"Things just got worse," Crum's father said. "He couldn't move it, couldn't get it above his head. (Trainers) tried to throw a lot of therapy at it, and it didn't work. They tried to avoid surgery at avoid all costs, but (it couldn't be avoided)."
The Louisville players have gone on team outings such as Top Golf in Jacksonville, and the elder Crum said it didn't make sense for his son to go on the trip and have to sit out such events.
Crum's father said the redshirt junior will "for sure" return for a fifth year at Louisville next season. "He's loyal to Louisville," the father said.
U of L head football coach Bobby Petrino talks about why it's important to play in bowl games ahead of the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville. Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier-Journal/USA TODAY Network