During Missouri's fall camp, we are catching up with as many Tiger newcomers as possible. Friday we spoke with Columbia resident and freshman safety Martez Manuel.

Question: Just over one week in, what’s been your impression of camp so far?

Martez Manuel: “I mean, as a freshman you gotta realize you gotta play like it’s high school ball. You can’t get out here in front of the coaches and get all timid and stuff. You just gotta play. You know you’re good, just be confident in your abilities and stuff, work hard. So coach (Ryan) Walters is teaching me new techniques, and coach (Barry) Odom, doing a good job. So I mean I’m just getting better every day. That’s my goal, every day just get a little bit better.”

Is there anything specific you feel like you’ve made an emphasis of or improved so far?

“I feel like I’ve just shown the coaches that I’m going to play whatever they need me to. Even if it’s the day of and I gotta learn the plays before practice. I tell them anywhere they need me I’m going to go out and do it for the team. I can’t hold back. So I gotta accomplish goals and stuff like that so anywhere they need me on the field, that’s what I gotta do.”

You’re from right down the road, but how much of this experience feels new to you? Does it sort of feel like you went away for college?

“It kind of does, because I don’t see family like every day with camp and stuff. But at the same time, when you’re up on the hill or in the stands, it looks a whole lot different than when you’re on the field looking up. So it’s just a different angle, a different way of viewing things. It’s kind of weird to know that I’ll never be watching a Mizzou game again. But you know this is what I came here to do, so I’m just trying to get it done.”

The safety group has a few guys back who played last year in Ronnell Perkins, Joshuah Bledsoe and Tyree Gillespie. How much does it help to have those guys who have really been through it to teach you?

“It means a lot, because they’re not negative leaders at all. They’re going to tell us exactly what we need to do, always be encouraging of us, always tell us come on, let’s do it instead of, hey, you’re messing up. So I feel like those are a great group of guys that I would like to lead me into the future.”

You talked about playing wherever the coaches need you. Has special teams been in the conversation at all?

“Oh yeah, for sure. I’m on almost every special team, so I’m just trying to also show coach (Andy) Hill that I’m a fighter, so anywhere he needs me in that aspect I’m there too.”

Is that something you did much at Rock Bridge?

“Oh yeah, I did every special team in high school. It’s the same stuff to me, I just got a little bigger and faster.”

Do you have anything in mind that you really feel like you are looking to prove or accomplish in the rest of camp?

“I just set a goal for myself to be a better me every day. If I mess up on something one day, don’t mess up on it again the next day. And I feel like I started accomplishing that day by day. So I’m just taking it one day at a time, not worrying about Week One or Week Two, any of that. Just thinking about taking it one day at a time and just being me.”