Player Quotes from Melbourne, Fla., Practices
12/23/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
Michigan Football Comments from
CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl Trip
Pre-Citrus Bowl practices in Melbourne, Fla.
Senior Running Back Clarence Williams
How has practice been considering the heat
"It has been an adjustment going from the cold conditions to 80-degree temperatures. Our bodies have taken some time to adjust but we have come along well. I think we are making good strides toward getting acclimated."
On the offense under coordinator Mike DeBord ...
"Coach DeBord is a very good offensive coordinator. He knows how to get us all involved in the offense and provides us with some diversity. He knows when to pat you on the back if you done something good and when to get on your case if you done it improperly. Coach DeBord does a great job getting us prepared for games and puts us into situations during games where we can be successful. We have the utmost confidence in him that he will do the most to put us in a situation where we can win. He is a very intense coach who works hard to make us all better. He is very strict on concentration and makes sure we are all focused on each and every play and on the task at hand."
On this being his last game at Michigan ...
"I am really excited. I have had a great career and I look forward to ending it against a great Arkansas team in the Citrus Bowl. I look forward to taking the field with the teammates and toward the game ahead."
What would you give Coach Carr for Christmas other than a Citrus Bowl victory
"A new jogging suit. Ever since I have been at Michigan, Coach Carr has been wearing the same sweatsuit."
Junior Nose Tackle Rob Renes
On the defense under coordinator Jim Herrmann and whether there is pressure after the success last year's squad experienced during his first year ...
"For coaches, this is their livelihood and Coach Herrmann has worked hard to make us a good unit, as has the rest of the defensive coaching staff. They devote a lot of time to making a good squad and they have made this their profession, so yes, there is pressure associated with their jobs. This is one of the top programs in the country and the visibility that it receives throughout the media often adds to the expectations.
"Coach Herrmann is doing a great job. He is a great leader and has instilled in each one of us what is like to be a Michigan Wolverine. Their job is to coach and ours to learn from them and get better. That's how we as players look at and see the pressure that exists."
Have you noticed anything different in his coaching style this year
"Coach Herrmann has been here for a long time and he knows what it takes to succeed at ths level. He has been a Michigan man since his playing days, so I think he has evolved over the years into the coach that he is today. He has made small, gradual changes every year but those have been to make us better. I think that is why we were able to have a successful defense his first year as the defensive coordinator.
"Coach Herrmann is a very intense guy. He sticks to his word and always gets us fired up. He is self-motivated, inspired and is an all-around great guy."
What is on your mind heading into this game
"We have been through about six practices since being in Melbourne and I think we are getting excited about moving to the Citrus Bowl site in Orlando, Fla. I have watched a lot of film on Arkansas and I feel we are ready with our game plan. We are focused on the task at hand because you don't want to spend two weeks at a bowl site and come away with a loss. We are out here doing business -- this is not a pleasure trip -- and we want to come out of this with a win."
What would you give Coach Carr for Christmas other than a Citrus Bowl victory
"I think a new hat to go with the sweatsuit that Clarence (Williams) was planning on getting him. I don't know where Clarence was heading with that one but I figure a hat would make a nice accessory for the sweatsuit. Maybe a new book, our coaches doing a lot of reading. Coach Carr especially uses a lot of analogies from his reading so a good book would be useful."
Junior Strong Safety Tommy Hendricks
On any pressure Coach Herrmann may feel after earning the 1997 National Assistant Coach of the Year award ...
"I'm sure he did feel a little pressure after the success we had last year. Coming off last year's national championship and his selection as Assistant Coach of the Year, I'm sure there was a little pressure but Coach Herrmann doesn't let those type of things bother him. He works very hard and always prepares us to do well in games. I think he has handled it well."
On the secondary situation ...
"It is some added pressure without William (Peterson) making the trip due to suspension. We're already thin back there and to lose him, it's a pretty big loss. We just have to play together as a secondary. There is no room for big plays and we need to do the things that have made us successful. If we give up big plays to Arkansas, we are going to get beat. We need to play solid Michigan defense and eliminate those mental mistakes that cause the big plays to happen. The games that we lost this year were due to giving up two or three big plays, we can't do that."
On Arkansas ...
"They have a quarterback with a great arm and three outstanding receivers. Each receiver has big-play potential and we need to be at our best the entire game."
What's the difference between this bowl trip and others
"This mirrors many of our others because right now this is all business. The bowl has plenty of things for us to do once we get to Orlando, but I think the guys are looking forward to playing the game more."
What would you give Coach Carr for Christmas other than a Citrus Bowl victory
"A package of bacon. I know how much he likes bacon so I figure that would be a great present. I remember my recruiting trip eating breakfast and Coach Carr coming over to sit with us with nothing but bacon on his plate. He just loves bacon. It's kind of strange but I do think that would be the present that I would give Coach Carr."
Junior Wide Receiver Marcus Knight
On this season and what he is looking forward to about this game ...
"I'm really excited because Southeastern Conference (SEC) football is what I grew up on. This is just another game for me to display the type of talent that I have and to help this team win."
What is the key offensively
"We want to try and execute our plays, especially inside the "red zone." Our offense really struggled to score inside the 20-yard line and that needs to be a primary focus for us if we are to win this game. We need to help our defense out and sustain drives with a ball control offense."
On Coach DeBord and his two years as offensive coordinator ...
"Coach DeBord has really evolved and worked hard to get better as the offensive coordinator. We know his system and what he wants to accomplish so we are able to execute it a little bit better than we did last year. I think it has been an advantage to us that we have now had two years to get acclimated to his coaching style and system."
Any little differences that you've noticed in Coach DeBord over those two years
"No, not really. He has a plan and he knows what he wants to do with it. If he notices a weakness in the defense, he tries to exploit it. He has loosened up the offense a little bit more this year and we have thrown considerably more. I don't know if that was by plan or not but I think it has really helped my game and confidence develop."
What would you give Coach Carr for Christmas other than a Citrus Bowl victory
"I really don't know but I definitely would wish him the best. For a present, I guess maybe a bigger smile. Sometimes I don't think he smiles enough. Coach Carr is a great man and has taught us all a lot about life and football."
Junior Linebacker Dhani Jones
What is Christmas like back home since you're always gone for a bowl at that time
"Usually before I go on the bowl trip, we celebrate Christmas at home. We have all of our presents under the tree and exchange them. It really doesn't feel like Christmas until I get home and spend it again with my family. It's not that bad because my family is sort of used to it by now. They understand that I have an obligation to the team and that we are all working hard to win the bowl game. We get off for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so there is time to spend with the family at the bowl game or at least by phone."
What would you give Coach Carr for Christmas other than a Citrus Bowl victory
"He needs a new hat. Coach Carr has worn the same hat. I would probably get him a Sony Playstation with some fun games that he could play. It is completely opposite of his personality but it could really relieve some of his tensions."
Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
