Wednesday marked the opening day of two football Big 12 Conference media days, and the Iowa State representatives had their chance to take the stage. The media availability also gave Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby the chance to speak about the upcoming season.

Taking the stage to begin the day was Bowlsby, fielding a variety of topics. Bowlsby wanted COVID-19 protocols to remain vigilant, also recommending that players get vaccinated. The Big 12 Conference does not have the power to require athletes become vaccinated, but they plan on continuing the stance of promoting it.

After Bowlsby, the Cyclones were able to take questions and discuss the upcoming season. Head Coach Matt Campbell delivered a powerful quote that circulated the media when asked about his dedication to Iowa State.

“I didn’t get in this profession to be somebody; I got into this profession to do something,” Campbell said.

He also took this time to mention how big of a factor culture is when building a program.

“Creating a culture where young people feel confident and safe to show up every day and work to become the best version of themselves, where coaches get to show up every day and work to become the best versions of themselves,” Campbell said. “I think we have worked really hard to create a culture that allows that growth to happen within our walls, and really, that is what I love about the sport.”

Safety Greg Eisworth II discussed how the team does not feel the pressure of the high expectations, focusing on the things the team can control.

“We focus on what is inside of our walls. We have a standard; we have a culture that we need to maintain,” Eisworth said. “Our focus is, are you meeting the standard, are you buying into the culture?”

Running back Breece Hall also talked about how important it is to ignore the expectations.

“We are just telling ourselves to not really focus on everybody else’s expectations, just focus on the expectations for ourselves,” Hall said. “We are a purpose- and process-driven team.”

As football season is less than two months away, the players and staff at Iowa State continue to focus on themselves.