Cal defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina on transitioning from Notre Dame

The Irish defensive line transfer is really excited for his opportunity with the California Golden Bears.

Was it nice to be able to show up and especially in a contact situation like today?

It was great. Going out there, scrimmage against my teammates, going against the O-line, getting better with them every day, Working my craft, helping them work their.

It's getting us prepared for the fall, the summer and then the season had a great season.

On overcoming health challenges from Notre Dame

I like to think I'm 100%. I think these health issues that people go through, injuries is just an obstacle. You can overcome an obstacle that you have to face a life challenge and you can overcome and come back stronger. And then it just helps you build determination and passion for the game.

On facing off with the Cal offensive line

They're good. O-line is good. Best in the country, I believe.

Go against both sets. All the guys out there, they all have their strengths. Stuff they have to work on, same as me and I love just working with them on a daily basis, taking on doubles from those big inside guys and learning how some guys will jump me with great hands.

Some guys are more passive in their stance waiting for me and it's just getting me better every day as well as I want to get them better.

What are some of those things that you’re going to be working on?

For the linemen and the inside, you know, those big double teams, those combos block recognition. That's stuff that, you know, they they do super well and they work very well together. You know, they get on each other's hips and they drive their feet.

And as a D-line, we got to learn how to strike our hands, extend and work our hip into those doubles and into those combos, read those blocks.

And then on the flip side, when when there's one on one pass rush, getting those offensive guards and those tackle centers, getting them ready for guys and for us and who we're going to face this season, who are going to excel at that.

And so getting them ready for that one on one pass rush game, ready for the combo pass rush and just like different things like that.

What's it been like working with Coach Browning?

He's a very passionate guy. Those few coaches that will strap on pads themselves and work hand-in-hand with us, work as an offensive lineman, have us work power on him. He's very passionate and he loves his guys here and I love working with him.

He comes out here, fired up. His speeches before practices. You know, tip of the spear he likes to say D-Day with a SWAT team. First one's on contact right on that line. And he comes out here with that much energy and just gives us that energy. And he wants us to have intensity and that individual. So then we're ready for those team periods.

On passion from Coach Browning

I think went with the amount of passion that he has and he gives and he shows us. It gives us passion to work hard every day. It might be practice ten and it's a long, long day.

You can start getting hot or cold out here. But then he comes with that energy and that passion for us and it just gets us riled up, gets us moving, gets us out there on that team reps just to go, not be afraid to make fast decisions.

How to use practice days as a springboard.

I learn a lot from days like this. Team play, game play. It's a lot different than jus team reps where especially with live settings, you know, those running backs are strong and stout.

So learning to rip off a block and then bring them down is another challenge. Then getting off a blocking and tagging them.

It teaches us to learn how to shut off cleanly, so we can make a clean tackle instead of trying to arm tackle these really strong running backs that can break these arm tackles.