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I'm pretty sure it wasn't in pads, but Rex already has seen what he can do from 1 practice and named him the starter.
In all seriousness, Rex has shown a consistent philosophy of encouraging players by telling them from day one how awesome they are. He seems to put a lot of faith in self-esteem and self-efficacy -- the principle that confidence in your own ability to achieve something helps you achieve it.
But it's now understood that there's a danger in too much ego-pumping. It creates fragility in the face of failure. Kids who grow up being constantly told how awesome they are regardless of what they actually accomplish don't develop the skills and resilience to rebound. Being totally awesome is who they are, and they're prone to crumple when it's pulled out from under them. Like so: