Indiana University Athletics
Quoted: Kaelon Black, Roman Hemby and Isaiah Jones
12/2/2025 6:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– As Indiana Football's Big Ten Championship matchup against Ohio State on Saturday (December 6) approaches, Kaelon Black, Roman Hemby and Isaiah Jones addressed the media inside the Don Croftcheck Football Team Room.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference, while video of the media sessions can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Kaelon Black | RB | R-Sr.
On the reality of being 12-0 and playing in the Big Ten Championship…
KB: Honestly, it was around the third game of the season I would say everything was starting to connect. In the first couple of games, you get out all the mistakes. That third game came around and it was just like man, we got something special and we just want to continue to keep it going.
On what makes this team special…
KB: It's just our camaraderie as a team. Everyone is on the same page; everyone has the same goal and that's just to win each week. Honestly, it's to win each and every single day. I feel like Coach (Cignetti) does a great job with us to make sure we're just focused.
On appeal of sticking with coaching staff and filling roles…
KB: Honestly, just the system. These guys, they believed in me from day one, even in my recruiting process. Like I said before, Coach (Cignetti) takes care of his guys in practice, off the field and then with our offense itself. The running backs, they get the ball and they like to rely on us, whether that's pass-catching, pass-blocking, and just running the ball. Being in this system, it's really lovely.
Roman Hemby | RB | R-Sr.
On when the team came together…
RH: I feel like it was a slow burn, a slow build up. We saw that we had the talent in winter workouts before we could even practice. You see guys in the weight room and on the field and you're like okay, he's got talent, he's got talent and we just have to put it together. I feel like coaches did a great job throughout spring ball, making sure that everyone is ready to gear up and clicking on different cylinders. We were able to really finetune some things over spring ball, into fall camp. It's been a slow build up throughout the season as well, but I feel like we knew we had the tools, we just had to put it on the field.
On envisioning playing in the Big Ten Championship…
RH: Honesty, it was always a dream of mine, something that I always felt was a goal to keep working to. I'm not going to say I always felt as though I wasn't going to be able to do it, but it's really hard to play in the Big Ten and to make it to the Big Ten Championship, to be successful in the Big Ten. Being as though it's my last year, what better way to go out.
On Pat Coogan's Purdue pre-game speech…
RH: I resonate with it just because felt as though I was at a place where I wasn't wanted or wasn't valued the way I thought I could be. Getting out of there and trying to find a new avenue. When I heard it, it wasn't a slap in the face kind of thing. It was like a yeah, I was at a program that told me hey, you're not in our future plans. It was like I got a second chance. I always preach that God doesn't always bless you the way that you think you should be blessed, but He blessed me that way. He put me in a position to elevate myself, and being a misfit or being somebody that had to go out on a limb and take a leap of faith, it put me here. I'm really glad and really humbled to be around such a great group of guys. It fueled me and made me go out and play to the best of my potential. It was a great speech.
Isaiah Jones | LB | R-Jr.
On playing in Big Ten Championship after being in Indiana for 4 years…
IJ: Yeah, I mean it's special. Obviously, everyone wants to win and everyone hates losing. For me, being here when we were going 3-9, 4-8. It's special and it means a lot. I know it means to all the fans, the supporters, and all the people who had our backs. So it's special for me, but I know it's also special for them.
On when he knew IU could go 12-0…
IJ: That's just something you work on from January 1st in winter conditioning. You're working hard; blood, sweat, and tears with your brothers in the weight room. Then, transition to spring ball, summer conditionings, fall camp. Going from summer conditioning [and] seven on sevens into fall camp you could really tell we had something special going on and guys just started to click. The defenses and offenses started to just click, and you could really tell it's a special team.
On getting another shot at Ohio State…
IJ: Yeah, this is pretty personal to a lot of guys in the team. I know last year's game didn't go how we wanted and it was the only guys to beat us in the regular season last, so this games pretty personal to a lot of guys on the team, coaches included. We're all excited to have this opportunity to go back and have a different outcome.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference, while video of the media sessions can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Kaelon Black | RB | R-Sr.
On the reality of being 12-0 and playing in the Big Ten Championship…
KB: Honestly, it was around the third game of the season I would say everything was starting to connect. In the first couple of games, you get out all the mistakes. That third game came around and it was just like man, we got something special and we just want to continue to keep it going.
On what makes this team special…
KB: It's just our camaraderie as a team. Everyone is on the same page; everyone has the same goal and that's just to win each week. Honestly, it's to win each and every single day. I feel like Coach (Cignetti) does a great job with us to make sure we're just focused.
On appeal of sticking with coaching staff and filling roles…
KB: Honestly, just the system. These guys, they believed in me from day one, even in my recruiting process. Like I said before, Coach (Cignetti) takes care of his guys in practice, off the field and then with our offense itself. The running backs, they get the ball and they like to rely on us, whether that's pass-catching, pass-blocking, and just running the ball. Being in this system, it's really lovely.
Roman Hemby | RB | R-Sr.
On when the team came together…
RH: I feel like it was a slow burn, a slow build up. We saw that we had the talent in winter workouts before we could even practice. You see guys in the weight room and on the field and you're like okay, he's got talent, he's got talent and we just have to put it together. I feel like coaches did a great job throughout spring ball, making sure that everyone is ready to gear up and clicking on different cylinders. We were able to really finetune some things over spring ball, into fall camp. It's been a slow build up throughout the season as well, but I feel like we knew we had the tools, we just had to put it on the field.
On envisioning playing in the Big Ten Championship…
RH: Honesty, it was always a dream of mine, something that I always felt was a goal to keep working to. I'm not going to say I always felt as though I wasn't going to be able to do it, but it's really hard to play in the Big Ten and to make it to the Big Ten Championship, to be successful in the Big Ten. Being as though it's my last year, what better way to go out.
On Pat Coogan's Purdue pre-game speech…
RH: I resonate with it just because felt as though I was at a place where I wasn't wanted or wasn't valued the way I thought I could be. Getting out of there and trying to find a new avenue. When I heard it, it wasn't a slap in the face kind of thing. It was like a yeah, I was at a program that told me hey, you're not in our future plans. It was like I got a second chance. I always preach that God doesn't always bless you the way that you think you should be blessed, but He blessed me that way. He put me in a position to elevate myself, and being a misfit or being somebody that had to go out on a limb and take a leap of faith, it put me here. I'm really glad and really humbled to be around such a great group of guys. It fueled me and made me go out and play to the best of my potential. It was a great speech.
Isaiah Jones | LB | R-Jr.
On playing in Big Ten Championship after being in Indiana for 4 years…
IJ: Yeah, I mean it's special. Obviously, everyone wants to win and everyone hates losing. For me, being here when we were going 3-9, 4-8. It's special and it means a lot. I know it means to all the fans, the supporters, and all the people who had our backs. So it's special for me, but I know it's also special for them.
On when he knew IU could go 12-0…
IJ: That's just something you work on from January 1st in winter conditioning. You're working hard; blood, sweat, and tears with your brothers in the weight room. Then, transition to spring ball, summer conditionings, fall camp. Going from summer conditioning [and] seven on sevens into fall camp you could really tell we had something special going on and guys just started to click. The defenses and offenses started to just click, and you could really tell it's a special team.
On getting another shot at Ohio State…
IJ: Yeah, this is pretty personal to a lot of guys in the team. I know last year's game didn't go how we wanted and it was the only guys to beat us in the regular season last, so this games pretty personal to a lot of guys on the team, coaches included. We're all excited to have this opportunity to go back and have a different outcome.
#NeverDaunted
Players Mentioned
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