Cignetti’s voice, their words: Hoosiers stay on message at Big Ten media day

After a prolonged time under a mentor’s guidance, the influence often begins to show in the words and behaviors of their mentees.

At Tuesday’s Big Ten media day at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Indiana’s representatives — Aiden Fisher, Mikail Kamara, and Elijah Sarratt — echoed the familiar mantras of their head coach, Curt Cignetti, a sign of just how deeply his messaging has taken root.

Cignetti has become known for his one-liners in both press conferences and on the field, consistently incorporating his tropes throughout every media meeting. The sayings don’t go unnoticed by players, especially those who have been with Cignetti for numerous years.

“My favorite one is honestly fast, physical, relentless,” Kamara told reporters. “That’s the one that speaks to me the most, just because when you go out there, that’s how you got to play ball.”

Kamara, who has played his entire college career under Cignetti — starting at James Madison in 2020 — has developed the same chip on his shoulder as his coach following Indiana’s trip to the first round of the College Football Playoff last season.

Sending players to the podium who reflect the program’s message, not personal agendas, has been a priority for Cignetti. Kamara followed that directive closely. In his 15-minute session, the first-team All-Big Ten defensive lineman spoke at length about his drive to lead, even as doubts linger about Indiana’s ability to sustain success.

During his televised news conference, Cignetti was adamant that photos of him displayed around the athletic department from ESPN College GameDay should be taken down, stating that they represent the past and that the focus should now be on 2025.

A leader at linebacker, Fisher had the same sentiments on Tuesday evening, continuing the approach of the past, not controlling the outcome of the future, another one of Cignetti’s talking points from his first press conference.

“I took the playoff stickers off my helmet, off the water bottles, everything,” Fisher explained. “I just kind of want to move forward. Don’t get me wrong, it was an awesome accomplishment, but at the end of the day, we didn’t finish the job, and that’s what we’re working towards this year.”

The All-American linebacker went on to explain that he didn’t keep any of the apparel given from Indiana’s trip to the CFP. Although he shares the same mindset as his head coach, it is evident that the two have developed different philosophies, as Cignetti is often seen sporting his CFP-branded pullover, mostly in pictures with highly touted recruits on campus.

Earlier in the day, Cignetti spoke about the offense taking another step forward this season. A couple of hours later, Sarratt gave his perspective on what he wants to see from the offense, but in a Cignetti-esque manner.

“Just continuing to be more creative,” Sarratt said. “Coach (Mike) Shanahan is a great offensive coordinator, and I feel like we’re going to have an even better year on offense this year.”

All three Hoosiers in attendance earned All-Big Ten honors last season, with Fisher and Kamara earning AP All-American honors as well. However, even when asked about their personal goals as it pertained to postseason accolades or the NFL draft, the trio was successful in pivoting to their talking points about the team.

There were opportunities for each player to use the platform to talk about their journeys from under-recruited to success at the Power Four level, but the focus remained on team-oriented goals.

Fisher, Kamara, and Sarratt echoed Cignetti’s message with less bite, but their confident, team-first tone matched their head coach’s — a sign of unity as the Hoosiers try to continue to rewrite history.

“We’re more of one heartbeat,” Kamara said. “I think everyone is very hungry.”

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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